Cracker Candy Recipe {What’s Cooking}

Growing up, my mom always made this stuff we like to call Cracker Candy at Christmas time.  It’s sweet, it’s salty, crunchy and delish.  And…it is EASY to make!  One time I made it and someone asked how I made the flaky pastry that was inside.  I just said it was years of skillful practice.  (ok, not really…I told the truth that the “flaky pastry” is really just saltine crackers.)

My soul sister, Emily, and I have made cracker candy every year since I met her back in 2000.  We started out making half a dozen pans and dividing it up to give little boxes of the treats to neighbors and a few coworkers.  This year, after 12 years of friendship, weddings, babies, moves, and kids in school…we have a few more than just a small handful of people to give treats to for Christmas.  So today, since we’ve turned the art of making cracker candy into a study in efficiency and a science of perfect skills, we knocked out 25 pans worth in about 4 hours.  And you know what I’ve decided….I’m glad I didn’t become a baker afterall.  But once a year in a tradition of baking and good girl time, it sure is fun!

Check out the goods….

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (trust me…you’ll appreciate this step for cleanup later.)
• Saltine Crackers (usually a pan takes about 1 1/2 sleeves of crackers)
• 1 1/2 c chocolate chips
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and cover with crackers. Melt butter and brown sugar over med-high heat.  Once boiling, boil while stirring constantly for 4 minutes.  Pour over crackers and spread out to evenly coat the crackers.  Then put in the oven to bake for 5 minutes.  As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crackers and let them melt.  Once melted, spread the chocolate to evenly coat the crackers.  If you want to expedite the process, put the pan in the freezer to let the chocolate harden.  When it’s hardened, cut it up and try not to eat the whole pan!