Oh, people. I wish I could tell you that I had a cute and festive name for this treat.
Like, “Crunchy Caramel Crackers” or “Holiday Cracker Caramel Crunch.”
But I’m the sort of gal that likes to call a duck a duck. So this is called Caramel Cracker Crack.
(Actually, the original name was Matzoh Crack, but I didn’t have any matzoh.)
Come up with your own name if you like. “Crack” may not be holiday appropriate in some circles, and I understand that. But believe me, you will understand the name the second you taste this stuff.
This is an excellent first foray into caramels and toffees if you’ve never tried to make any before. The recipe is very straightforward and hard to screw up, which is always a boon in my kitchen. The other amazing part of this is that you probably have everything you need to make these in your kitchen right now. They’re easy enough to whip up for an impromptu dessert or snack before company comes over.
Packaged for individual gifts or just served on a giant platter, this stuff won’t last an hour. Guaranteed.
Adapted from a recipe for Chocolate Toffee Matzoh Candy—admit it: My name is better.
Recipe: Caramel Cracker Crack Candy
Summary: Betcha can’t eat just one piece of this crispy, chocolatey, toffee-ey deliciousness.
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve of saltine crackers
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate, or chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli double chocolate chips to great effect.)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.
- Arrange the crackers in one layer on the baking sheet and set aside. Fill in all the edges and corners, using extra crackers from another sleeve if necessary.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture reaches a boil, set a timer for three minutes and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and pour over the crackers, using a spatula to spread evenly. Don’t worry too much about the thickness of the caramel in any one area as it will spread in the oven; just be sure to reach all the edges.
- Put the pan in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. If the toffee looks like it is starting to get too dark, turn the heat down to 325 degrees.
- Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate over the toffee. Let sit for five minutes, then spread the now-melted chocolate evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the sea salt over the chocolate evenly.
- Let cool completely, then break into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.
Variations
You can omit the sea salt and/or add other toppings as you wish. The original recipe suggests nuts.
Check out the other consumable gifts in this series:
No. 1: Pepper-Infused Vodka
No. 2: Jam
No. 3: Pie in a Jar
No. 4: Sugar and Spice
No. 5: Hot Chocolate on a Stick
No. 6: Gingies
No. 7: Christmas Granola
No. 8: Preserved Lemons
No. 9: Gingerbread Biscotti
No. 10: Cracker Crack
No. 11: Satsumettes
No. 12: Apricot Nut Bread
My dear Lacy, i made these today with the kids. They. Are. AWESOME. And even better, I felt successful at making them. I’m excited to share with the family in the next couple of days something I made that tastes like I bought it. Woot! Great recipe!!
Hooray! Love this stuff so much.