Graham Cracker Toffee with Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt

~Jaclyn~

The name of this recipe sounds fancy when in actuality it is one of the easiest things I have ever made. My fancy toffee is a twist on the commonly known treat, “Christmas Crack.” Crack is traditionally made with saltine crackers, brown sugar, butter, chocolate chips, and topped with nuts or sprinkles. My spin swaps out the saltine crackers for graham crackers, and I use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, and top with sea salt and chopped pecans. I have a little obsession with dark chocolate and sea salt right now (who doesn’t?) and I thought the flavor of the graham crackers would pair perfectly. There are so many varieties in the crackers, chocolate, and toppings you can do, but you can always count on it being delicious…it is called crack after all.

Toffee, on its own, is actually just the caramelization (essentially burning of sugar) of two ingredients: sugar and butter. The mixture is brought to a boil until it reaches about 300 degrees. The caramelization creates a brown glossy mixture with a slightly smoky taste. Caramel, sometimes confused with toffee, is the combination of sugar, cream, and butter, and cooked at a much lower temperature, about 250 degrees. The high temperature of the toffee allows it to crack easily after it is cooled, and the lower temperature of the caramel keeps it chewy and soft once cooled. Both candies are delicious on their own, but can also be dressed up with nuts, chocolate, or sprinkles.

Now that we are candy experts, I can move on to telling you how to make this delicious toffee treat. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray. Make sure your cookie sheet has some kind of edge so your toffee doesn’t spill over the sides in the oven. Cover the entire sheet with graham cracker squares. Then combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for four minutes while stirring constantly to avoid any burning. Pour the mixture directly over the graham crackers and spread evenly and bake for 7-8 minutes. After baking, immediately pour dark chocolate chips over the graham crackers and let sit for two minutes before spreading evenly with a knife or spatula. Let the chocolate sit for a few minutes then sprinkle the top with chopped pecans (I used a food processor to get mine really fine) and coarse sea salt. Let cool, and transfer the pan to the fridge to set. After three hours the toffee will be ready to pull off the pan and crack or cut into pieces. The toffee can be stored wrapped up on your counter, or I like to keep mine in the fridge to avoid the chocolate melting.

Whether you need a quick treat to bring to your next holiday party, or just want something sweet to munch on at home, I hope you try my decadent twist on Christmas crack. I promise you won’t be disappointed! And you probably already have the five ingredients, or a similar combination, in your pantry and fridge. Enjoy!