Mar 29, 2014 2 min read

Candy-making can confound even the most careful home cook. Luckily, Passover gives us an excuse to make a simple candy that is delicious and requires little fuss. And you don’t need to celebrate Passover to appreciate it.

Ingberlach is a traditional Jewish candy flavored with ginger and honey. It also can contain nuts and other ingredients and is reminiscent of a sticky, chewy caramel popcorn cluster. For our version, we added crumbled matzo and chopped hazelnuts, as well as a few extra spices. All you do is boil everything for 20 minutes, then pour it onto a baking sheet. Once it is cool enough to handle, break it up and roll it into balls.

Spiced Hazelnut Ingberlach

Makes 8 dozen

• Ingredients

1 1/2 cups honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons dry ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

5 sheets (5 ounces) matzo, finely crumbled

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the honey, sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the matzo and hazelnuts. Cook until golden brown and thick, about another 10 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool until easily handled, then scoop up the mixture and, using lightly oiled hands, roll into 1/2-inch balls. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper between the layers.