These are not the kinds of posts we write in January. In January, we post green smoothies, and quinoa cupcakes, and kale/chia seed ice cream. Well, I'm sorry. I made this over Christmas break and it was SO INCREDIBLE that I...
A. could not wait to make it again,
B. could not NOT share it with you on the blog.
So, You're probably familiar with Saltine Toffee...or Christmas Crackle. I hadn't ever tried it until last spring when Ree served it at the Lodge.
*don't you love a name drop?*
Ree's is called Cashew Crackle and you can find it over on the Land O' Lakes website. It's fabulous.
Well, Christmas Eve rolled around and I felt like we just didn't have enough sweets in the house. Sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, cheesecake...eh, not enough. I remembered Ree's crackle and knew I could whip up a version in a jiffy.
Because my Dad was coming in and Ritz are his favorite crackers, because my boys will scarf a box of Ritz in 36 hours flat, because I had not one saltine cracker in the house, I made my toffee with Ritz crackers.
{Why does a family of 3 need a Family Size box of crackers???}
I also used bittersweet chocolate chips and replaced the cashews for pecans. Pecans are required in all desserts in Texas. True story.Y'all. I can tell you right now. I will make this for every holiday (and non-holiday) from now on. For eternity. It was the hit of Christmas. When your teenage son brings the tin to you and says, "take these away from me" not because he's watching his calories, but because he's about to inhale the entire batch, you know you have a winner.
Not only do the Ritz crackers add salt and crunch to this sweet treat, but they're also flaky and buttery. These are good qualities.
Since Ritz crackers are round, they don't make that nice, flat surface that saltines do. THAT'S OK. Do not panic. You'll be breaking these up haphazardly and the bumps and spaces don't matter.
Ritz Cracker Toffee
{serves 2, ha!}
Ritz crackers (about 3 sleeves)
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the Ritz crackers top-side-down on top of the parchment.
Fill in the gaps with cracker pieces, but don't worry if it's bumpy and not perfect.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring, until slightly thickened.
Pour the butter mixture slowly over the crackers as evenly as possible. Use an offset spatula to smooth. Again, this will not be perfect, and there will be some areas of the crackers that are uncovered.
Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 3 minutes. Scatter the bittersweet chocolate chips over the top. Place back in the oven for 1 minute. Use the offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate chips evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the pecans.
Let the toffee cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until set. Slide the parchment off of the cookie sheet and break the toffee into pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Wanna see the underneath? I knew you did.
Go ahead, bulk up for the rest of winter. You need the calories. ;)
