I know it's been a long time since I did a Royal Treats post, but today's is a good one. So good, in fact, that you should be warned: if you make this Christmas Crack, you may not be able to stop eating it!
What is Christmas Crack, you may be asking? I took this recipe by Angela James and this recipe from I Heart Nap Time, then added my own twist, to create the recipe below. It's a very easy "cookie" if you will, and it is definitely crack-tastic. Once you start, you just can't stop!
Now I've made both of those recipes before, exactly as listed. They are both great recipes. As you can see, you can really play around with this recipe: change out the crackers; use a different kind of chocolate chip, or a chocolate spread, like I did (Nutella would be AWESOME); add nuts or other chopped candy for the topping, or leave it naked. There are so many possibilities, and I'll be using this recipe for years to come, any time of the year when I want something quick and sweet.
Here's what you'll need for my recipe:
- Town House ("Buttery") crackers
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Hershey's chocolate almond spread
- Mini M+M's
First, cover your cookie sheet with aluminum foil (trust me!) and spray it with some non-stick spray. Lay the crackers in an even layer.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Now let's make the toffee. Don't worry, it's super easy, and you won't even need a candy thermometer.
For this step, you do NOT want to walk away from the stove! Place a small pot over medium-low heat and let the butter melt. Once melted, add the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Stir and allow the mixture to come just to a boil. Stirring often, let it boil for 3-4 minutes. It'll look all bubbly and will thicken some, like this:
Turn off the heat and get ready to work quickly before it hardens! Pour the toffee over the crackers as evenly as possible. Learn from my mistake: don't just pour it all in one or two clumps and then try to spread it out. It won't work the best. Instead, try to drizzle some everywhere and then spread it out.
Pop these into the oven for 5 minutes. This will also help to smooth out the toffee into a (slightly) more even layer. When you pull it out, it'll look like this:
Chocolate time! In the original recipes, it's chocolate chips. But I had a jar of Hershey's chocolate almond spread in the cupboard and it was screaming my name. How could I resist? I ended up using a little less than half the jar, but you could do the amount to your chocolate preference. It's hard to have *too much* chocolate though, so . . . I say go crazy. :D
Don't listen to me. I'm a bad influence. Ask anyone on Twitter.
Dollop the chocolate spread around the pan, let it sit for a moment or two, and then start spreading it out. The heat will help to melt it quickly.
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Are you ready? Are you?
Lick the spoon/spatula/whatever you used to spread this melted goodness out. Go on, I won't tell anyone. :)
See? Bad influence.
Ahem. Back to the recipe. You could leave the Crack just like this and let it cool. But if you want to add any toppings, do it now while the chocolate is still soft. Nuts, candy -- whatever you desire! I went with mini M+M's this time.
The hardest part now: let your Crack cool at least 15 minutes on the counter, and then put it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so (or even over night). Once hardened, start breaking it into pieces.
And there you have it: Christmas Crack! Very easy to make and addicting to eat. Enjoy! :)
Christmas Crack
Ingredients:
- 25 Town House crackers (approximate)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 jar Hershey's chocolate almond spread (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup mini M+Ms
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400F.
2) Cover a small cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then spray with non-stick cooking spray. Use enough crackers to cover the pan in one even layer.
3) Place a small pot over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Once melted, add the brown sugar and vanilla extract, and stir until it starts to boil. Continue stirring and allow the mixture to boil for 3-4 minutes, until bubbly and slightly thick.
4) Quickly drizzle the toffee mixture over the crackers as evenly as possible and then spread it out with a knife, spoon, or spatula. Put the pan in the oven for 5 minutes.
5) Dollop the chocolate almond spread around the pan and allow to sit for a moment or two (the heat will help to melt it) before spreading it out evenly over the toffee.
6) Sprinkle the mini M+Ms on top and allow everything to cool on the counter for 15 minutes before putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes (or even overnight). Once hardened, break it all into small pieces and enjoy! It will stay good in a covered container for at least a week. If it lasts that long!
Note: If your house is hot, I'd suggest storing in the fridge so the chocolate doesn't melt everywhere.
Perhaps you'd like to make a batch for Santa tonight. And if half of it ends up in your hand instead? Well, I won't judge you. :)
Merry Christmas!
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
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