Christmas Crackers

I don't bake very often, probably once a month if that, but for some reason, when the holidays come around, I get into a baking mood that makes me feel like a renowned confectioner. Since my parents brought my about 8 cups of the world's best pecans, I have been trying to find things to fix that has nuts in it or on it. So, I made some Christmas Crackers the other day and wanted to share.  If you have never had these, they are also called Saltine Toffee.

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1.5 sticks of butter 

1 tsp vanilla

1 sleeve of saltine crackers (about 35 crackers)

1 12oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans (optional)

First thing I did was cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, spray with non-stick spray and lay out the saltines. The preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Next, I put the brown sugar and butter in a sauce pan and started melting everything and bringing to a boil.

After about 5 minutes, a nice rolling over boil has occurred. Now is the hard part,  you have to leave it alone and let it boil for about 4 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, you want it to reach 235-240 degrees or the soft-ball stage.  I don't have a candy thermometer, so I had to eye-ball it.

Once it has reached this stage, add the vanilla, and stir, stir, stir, until it begins to harden.  Once it starts to cool down a little, pour it over the crackers and spread.  It will cover the saltines, but the saltines will rise above it.

Put in oven and bake about 5 minutes. After taking out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips over the cracker spread.

Within just a few moments, the chocolate chips will be melted enough to spread.

This is where I added the nuts.  The kids don't like them, so I sprinkled them on half- OK, 2/3.

I put the pan in the refrigerator to cool and then break into pieces.
They broke at the saltines making nice little squares.

They were really tasty and didn't last long in the house.  Hope you like them.

If you make them, let me know how it went.