Chocolate Caramel Crackers (aka Crack)
These are a Christmas staple - sprinkle them with Maldon sea salt or with your favorite themed sprinkles before the chocolate sets!
Ingredients
- About 4 sheets matzo or approximately 40 saltine-style crackers
- 1 cup (8 ounces or 225 grams) unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces
- 1 cup (190 grams) packed light brown sugar
- Sea salt, preferably flaky
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips, or 9 ounces chopped semi- or bittersweet chocolate
Directions
- Prepare your pan: Heat your oven to 350°F. Line a 13×18-inch (half-sheet) pan completely with foil, then line it again with parchment. This seems excessive but the foil will keep your pan neat and the parchment will keep the crackers from sticking to the foil. Line the bottom of the baking sheet with matzo or crackers, covering all parts in a single layer. (If using matzo, you’ll need to break pieces to fit any extra spaces - gently sawing with a serrated knife helps.)
- Make the caramel/toffee: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and whisk it over medium heat until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for 3 more minutes, whisking it the whole time. The butter and sugar will come together, and the mixture will thicken a little as it cooks. Remove from the heat and add a couple good pinches of sea salt and vanilla, if using, and then quickly pour it over the matzo or crackers. Use an offset spatula to spread the caramel quickly over all the crackers, as it will begin to set soon after it is poured.
- Bake the caramel-covered crackers for 13 to 15 minutes, watching carefully as it will bubble and the corners might darken too quickly and/or burn. You can reduce the heat if you see this happening.
- Finish the crackers: Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, and then use an offset spatula to spread them in an even layer over the caramel. Sprinkle the chocolate with sea salt, sprinkles, or toasted chopped nuts, if using. (The extra sea salt is great on matzo. On saltines, it’s really not necessary.)
- Cool: Once completely cool (speed this along in the freezer), break or cut into pieces and place in an airtight container. When cleaning up, sweep all the messy crumbs and bits into a jar for the best ice cream topping that has ever existed.
- To store: Keep both the jar of crumbs and the crackers in the fridge; it won’t go bad at room temperature but it’s less sticky and messy when it’s cold. It should keep for a week.
Source: Smitten Kitchen