Photo by Brogan Wu
My favorite part of the holiday season is baking. Baking cookies, cakes, breads and biscuits and gifting them to friends or family is the best way to get into the holiday spirit. For years, my mom hosted a cookie swap at our house where I would linger around the dining room table eager to try each one. Now that I am older and the one doing the actual swapping, I have come to learn how overwhelming it can be pumping out these treats one after another. These toffee crackers are perfect gifts for when you are low on time and money. They only require 5 ingredients (plus toppings) and that is not including cooling time which only takes around 25 minutes to make. This recipe makes one sheet tray batch, but feel free to double or triple the ingredients to make multiple gift portions at once. If you are a fan of any kind of sea salt chocolate, you are going to love these. However, I have to give fair warning, it’s called Christmas “crack” for a reason; once you have one you cannot stop!
Christmas Crack Toffee Crackers:
You Will Need:
-1 stick of butter
-½ cup of light brown sugar
-1 cup of chocolate chips
-½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
-1 sleeve of saltine crackers
-Optional toppings: decorative sprinkles or chopped nuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with some non-stick spray.
3. Arrange saltine crackers to cover the baking sheet completely.
4. In a medium saucepan bring butter and sugar to a boil, add the vanilla, lower the heat and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until the caramel sauce begins to thicken slightly and brown.
5. Remove from heat and pour hot mixture over saltine crackers, using a rubber spatula or spoon to spread evenly.
6. Place tray in oven for 8-10 minutes until the top looks brown and bubbly.
7. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on hot crackers, waiting 5 minutes to allow them to soften/melt.
8. Spread chocolate in a nice, even coating and add toppings to decorate.
9. Allow to cool at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator 1-2 hours.
10. Using a sharp knife, cut crackers into even pieces (or use your hands, but I prefer the look of clean edges) and enjoy!
bwu1@ramapo.edu
