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Thursday, December 10, 2009

12 Days of Christmas: Day 5

My family first had Chocolate Cracker Candy at a family friend's house many years ago and fell in love with it. It's pretty simple but so delicious. I know there are several versions of this recipe around - some using graham crackers for example. I prefer the saltines because they really contribute to the salty/sweet aspects of the candy. And no one will ever guess they are saltines - seriously!

I've made a note below that you must use real, stick butter and margarine for this recipe for it to turn out right. I know some people prefer to avoid margarine, so if that's the case this might not be the recipe for you. I personally don't use margarine on a daily basis but will make an exception for exceptional recipes such as this :)

I make this candy every year during the holidays and give it away in decorative tins or wrapped up in small bags. When stored in the fridge, it lasts quite a long time. Another thing I love about this candy is that it's so versatile - you can top it with virtually anything (think candy, peppermint, toasted coconut, nuts) and even the chocolate can be personalized to suit your taste - white chocolate, colored chocolate, mint chocolate, raspberry chocolate, swirled, etc. I usually prefer straight up traditional (no topping, semi-sweet chocolate), but feel free to get creative. You will not be disappointed!

Last year I decorated with these red/green swirl morsels but could not find them this year :( I decided to use dark chocolate holiday M&M's instead.

I also decorated with toasted coconut this year for the first time.


Chocolate Cracker Candy

Ingredients:
saltine crackers, approximately 1 sleeve (salted)
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter*
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine*
1/2 cup sugar
1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional toppings: red/green swirl morsels, M&M's, toasted coconut, crushed peppermint, chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Use only stick butter and margarine - not soft or light. Must use the margarine so that the butter does not burn.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
1. Line a medium-sized (close to 10 1/2" x 15 1/2" x 1") jelly roll pan with foil.

2. Place one layer of saltine crackers edge to edge to cover the pan.

3. In a heavy saucepan, heat the butter, margarine, and sugar to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, no stirring necessary.

4. Pour mixture over saltines and spread with a rubber spatula if necessary to distribute evenly over the crackers.

5. Bake about 6-10 minutes or until crackers are golden brown (the browner the crackers, the more toffee-tasting the candy will be).

6. Remove from oven and pour the chocolate chips over the crackers. Wait 1-2 minutes, then spread the chocolate to cover the entire surface. Optional: decorate with toppings of choice.

7. Refrigerate pan for 2 hours or longer. Break candy into pieces. Store in refrigerator for best results.

Source: Adapted from a family friend Margaret S.

5 comments:

  1. I love that stuff! I had a coworker last year bring in a big batch. It didn't last long. Heh.

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  2. Yum these look so great! I haev been looking for a sort of bar cookie thing like this so thank you!! I love how your doing 12 days of christmas!

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  3. I keep seeing variations on this recipe but haven't made it yet and really need to - it looks so tasty!

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  4. I just made this recipe for a Christmas party this past weekend, but I used two sticks of butter instead of the margerine. The butter did burn just as you said, Meghan. The candy was alright, but definitely not as good as the original recipe. P.S. - You better brind some of that toasted coconut-topped cracker candy home with you next week!!!

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  5. I LOVE this stuff! Really, I haven't met anyone who doesn't love it. Thanks for the recipe!

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