Saltine Toffee (Christmas Crack)

​It’s time to have a serious talk about… crack. Christmas crack, that is. I’m sort of known as the crack dealer around these parts. I made this years ago, took a break, and recently remembered why I had to stop: I keep running back to the candy dish for one more piece. Eventually, I’m scooping up the crumbs.
​
WARNING: These little bastards are addictive.

What You’ll Need

• 1¼ to 1½ sleeves saltine crackers
• 1¼ cups butter
• 1¼ cups brown sugar
• 1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips
• Optional toppings: chopped nuts, crushed pretzels, or candy

How to Make Christmas Crack

1. Get the pan ready. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray the foil so it’s easier to remove later. Arrange the saltines in a single layer, breaking a few to fill any gaps.
2. Make the toffee. Put the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture starts boiling, cook it for 3 minutes, stirring often.
3. Cover the crackers. Pour the hot toffee over the saltines and spread it so every cracker is covered. Bake for 5 minutes. If any crackers shift, carefully nudge them back into place with a fork.
4. Add the chocolate. Scatter the whole bag of chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Wait a few minutes, then spread the melted chocolate across the top. If the chips aren’t soft enough to spread, return the pan to the oven for about 2 minutes.
5. Top and chill. Add nuts, pretzels, candy, or nothing at all. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, until the chocolate is firm.
6. Break it up. Lift the toffee from the pan and break it into pieces. Check the bottoms for any foil that stuck before serving.

Make It Your Own

• ​White chocolate: Swap the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips and add festive sprinkles.
• Chocolate swirl: Spread melted milk or semisweet chocolate over the toffee, then drizzle melted white chocolate on top. Drag a toothpick through it for a swirl.
• Add toppings while the chocolate is still soft so they stick.
• Marshmallow: Sprinkle mini marshmallows over the melted chocolate. Add crushed graham crackers if you want a s’mores version.
• Halloween crack: Use orange and black sprinkles, candy eyes, or chopped Halloween candy over the chocolate.
• Valentine’s Day: Use white chocolate with red and pink sprinkles.
  
  

Fair warning: once people try this, they’ll ask you to make it again. Save yourself a few pieces before you put the dish out, or you might be left scraping up the crumbs.