Classic matzoh brei is usually served with syrup or a dollop of jam and only during Passover. But now, perfect for steamy summer days, the cracker-y bread substitute is being mixed with ice cream.
In their first foray into the food business, the Fishers, an Upper East Side family, are launching Chozen, a line of kosher ice creams, including the yummy Matzoh Crunch. The Fishers’ extra supply of rugelach, tucked into the freezer, led them to the cool idea.
“We were sitting around one night eating ice cream and decided to put some of our mom’s leftover rugelach on top,” says Chozen co-founder Meredith Fisher, 30, whose mom, Ronne, and sister Isabelle were also at the brainstorming session. “It was so good and we were, like, ‘That’s the best idea!’ ” Two years later, pints of Ronne’s Rugelach, Matzoh Crunch and Coconut Macaroon ($5 to $6 each) are now sold at specialty markets such as Garden of Eden and Eli’s Vinegar Factory, with Chocolate Babka and Apples & Honey flavors due later this year.
The best of the three is the Matzoh Crunch, which has chunky pieces of chocolate caramel matzoh tossed into a vanilla base. Ronne’s Rugelach is heavy on the cinnamon, but the raisin nut chunks of the classic cookie seem out of place. Lastly, the Coconut Macaroon is a pleasant almond ice cream with flakes of toasted coconut.
Don’t count on frozen concoctions made with bagels and lox. “We don’t want it to be too kitschy,” says Meredith. “We could create bagels and lox as a sherbet, but we also want it to really taste like it and be delicious, and bagels-and-lox ice cream sounds a little gross.”
While they consider other flavors, they are enjoying having an endless supply of ice cream. “We’ve had to learn how to pace ourselves,” Meredith says. Oy vey, indeed.