Description
Christmas Crack, also known as Cracker Toffee, is a delightful holiday treat featuring a crispy saltine cracker base topped with buttery toffee and melted chocolate. Finished with festive sprinkles or your choice of candies, this sweet and crunchy dessert is easy to make and perfect for sharing during the holidays.
Ingredients
Scale
Cracker Base
- 40-48 saltine crackers (about 1 1/2 sleeves)
Toffee Topping
- 1 cup butter (salted or unsalted, 2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed, dark brown sugar preferred)
Chocolate and Decorations
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or a combination)
- ½ cup sprinkles (or M&M’s, crushed candy canes, or candies of choice to decorate)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃) to prepare for baking the toffee.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a rimmed 15″×10″ sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray, or use a nonstick silicone baking mat for easy removal of the toffee.
- Arrange Crackers: Place the saltine crackers in a single, even layer on the bottom of the tray. Break a few crackers if needed to fill in gaps, ensuring the entire tray is covered.
- Make Toffee Mixture: In a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Stir occasionally and bring to a rolling boil, cooking for 3 minutes until the mixture bubbles and turns an amber color. Optionally, use a candy thermometer to ensure the toffee reaches 270℉-290℉. Remove from heat promptly.
- Pour Toffee Over Crackers: Carefully pour the hot toffee evenly over the crackers in the tray. Using a spatula, quickly spread the toffee to fully cover all the crackers.
- Bake Toffee: Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake for 3-5 minutes until the toffee starts to bubble, signaling it is cooking through.
- Apply Chocolate: Remove the pan from the oven and immediately scatter the chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Let the chips sit for 1-2 minutes to soften, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the surface. If the chocolate doesn’t melt easily, return the pan to the oven for 1-2 minutes before spreading.
- Add Decorations: Sprinkle the sprinkles or your chosen candies evenly over the melted chocolate before it sets.
- Cool and Set: Allow the toffee to cool completely at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour until firm.
- Break Into Pieces: Once set and hardened, flip the tray over to remove the toffee from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Use your hands to crack the toffee into rustic pieces or cut it into squares with a sharp knife.
- Serve and Store: Enjoy immediately or store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator to keep the toffee fresh and crisp.
Notes
- Ensure even layering of crackers to avoid gaps for the toffee to seep through.
- Using dark brown sugar enhances the richness and flavor of the toffee.
- If you don’t have a candy thermometer, the toffee is ready when bubbling vigorously and amber colored.
- Feel free to customize the decoration toppings with your favorite candies or seasonal sprinkles.
- Store the Christmas Crack in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent it from becoming sticky.
