Tuesday, December 13, 2011

More Yummy And Easy Holiday Baking

Barbara: For today’s quick edition, I’ll share what is a new recipe for me. My daughter made it for the holidays last year and we all swooned. And it's the easiest recipe ever. Because it’s made with crackers and is so highly addictive, she calls it “Crack”. When I used this name at the last advent in front of one of my other daughter’s friends, she very delicately re-named it “Crackle”, which I like because it is a bit like a brittle.

Crackle
4 ounces saltine crackers (that’s one row from a regular box)
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer. (I also lined the pan first with parchment, but I’m going to guess this isn’t imperative—the buttered crackers just lift right up.)
A smaller pan would work even better, as then the crackers would abut each side.
In a saucepan combine sugar and butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. 

Immediately pour over saltines and spread to cover crackers completely. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. 

Cool completely and break into pieces like brittle.

How to ruin these: if they haven’t cooled completely the chocolate layer will lift off the crackers. I put the whole pan in the fridge for a few hours. And later, the pieces freeze and thaw very well.

Crazy good!

PS if some of you haven’t yet left a holiday wish to deck our halls, you still can!

17 comments:

  1. Wow, Barb, that look so easy that I might even attempt it. We are sort of a savory family, so I will give you one of our easy favorites;

    CHEESE LOONIES

    2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
    1 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp Cayanne or to taste
    1/2 tsp Garlic powder
    1 pound Shape cheddar, grated
    2 cups all purpose flour

    In a bow cream the butter with the salt, cayenne and garlic powder, add the cheddar and beat the mixture until it is smooth. Beat in the floor, a little at a time. transfer the dough to a cookie press, fill the fill & push out. Roll the logs in sesame or poppy seeds. Logs can be frozen at this point. To cook: thaw log, slice into medallions 1/16"/ (The thickness of a loonie). Place the medallions on an ungreased cookie sheet allowing 1/2" between medallions. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly colored. Allow to cool before removing from the tray. Baked Cheese bites can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Delicious!!!!

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  2. Mmmm, Mary-Jo, these look awesome. Savoury is also good!!

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  3. Ack. Now, I'm craving! I think these will be added to next week's baking list.

    Many of the people in my circle wouldn't want the pecans, though. I think I'll make them look festive instead by using green sprinkles like go on sugar cookies.

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  4. Quick question, Barbara: Did you use original saltines or unsalted tops?

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  5. Rigel, I can say with complete authority, I don't think you'll miss anything without the pecans. It's the chocolate and the yummy crust of the saltines. Yes! Salted!! (or original) MMMMMM.

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  6. I wished I cooked. :)

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  7. This looks absolutely delicious! Definitely will be trying this! I love almost anything with chocolate!

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  8. These last two recipes look amazing. I will have to try them. Thank you for sharing them.

    On a side note, (and I feel silly to ask) but I need a hug, virtual or real. Two weeks ago, my computer ended up with a nasty virus and we had to wipe the computer clean to get rid of the dumb thing. I thought I had backed up most of my stuff, but as it turned out, I lost the last year of work I've done. This included school work, three full plays I had written, several books, pages of ideas for other things and countless journal entries and essays. I'm sick everytime I think about it. I do a LOT of writing and I can't believe it is all gone.

    I have so much to be grateful for and I know this is a little thing in the big picture, but it's so hard to have lost all that work. OK, I'm sorry. I'll try hard not to think of it anymore.

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  9. *hug Molly* Computer viruses suck!!! :(

    I make mean pumpkin spice Rice Krispy treats! Instead of regular marshmallows, on occasion around here around Thanksgiving/fallish times they sell pumpkin spice marshmallows! Yum! I made them for a work meeting and they were a hit! Just follow any rice krispy treat recipe, except substitute the marshmallows. :)

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  10. Molly, nononononnonnonno!!!!!!! Such HUGE HUGS!!! Okay, maybe you've tried this already, but we had a crash here last year where our daughter lost a film she had made. All the footage and all the edited work. We were heartbroken (and also happened just before the holidays). We tried a computer whiz and he was able to find it all. Now this might be different, but I have to ask. Writing is priceless!!! Oh, Molly, so many hugs!!!!!

    Holly, that recipe sounds divine. Will try.

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  11. Barbara -

    Thought of you and your baking tonight while I was making a small cake (took to R's family) and a batch of cupcakes (kiddo's eaten 2, I've eaten 2, and 2 went to a neighbor --- 6 left, how long will they last? Not very long!). The cupcakes were an after dinner celebration that kiddo started Christmas vacation today. No more school till 2012! He got to start his vacation 3 days early because his semester grades came out high enough and his absences low enough that he gets to exempt out of semester exams which are what the next 3 days of school are.

    Next up is rice crispies squares on Friday when we have kiddo's friends over for a video games day.

    Next Mon. and Tues. are the giant cookies and candies elvish bakery sweets-a-thon for getting together everyone's plates and plastic containers of holiday grub. The apartment will smell so good, but by the time the last plate has ribbon around it, I'll be queasy of sugar and only wanting to cook spicy things for myself for a few days. lol

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  12. Okay, I tried both recipes today and they turned out GREAT! Delicious! Easy and tasty! (is there anything better than that combination? I think not!) ;)
    Molly, sorry to hear about the computer virus issue.

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  13. Molly,
    I worked on a computer help desk for longer than I'd care to admit and I ended up losing a lot of valuable data and photos because I had failed to make a back-up. :( Of course I went right out and purchased a few thumb drives so that shouldn't happen again. Now I just have to remember where I put the thumb drives. HUGS 4u, I know it's difficult for you. Some of what I lost were photos of my mom and were irreplaceable since she has since passed. I can't imagine losing all the work you had done. I get a knot in my stomach just thinking about how you must feel. Okay, one more huge hug.

    Okay, speaking, or writing, of mom, (more commas anyone? ha), she had a very simple recipe for praline cookies and I'm going to share it with youse guys. These are soooo yummy and not at *all* fattening (lie). :)

    Easy Peasy Praline Cookies

    20 to 24 graham crackers (I don't bother separating them)
    1 cup butter (not margarine...yuk)
    1 cup light brown sugar, packed
    1 cup chopped pecans
    1/2 - 3/4 cup Moscato Wine
    Preparation:

    Preheat oven to 350°.
    Use of wax paper is NOT recommended...unless you LIKE a big mess.
    Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan (that has a raised edge to keep the liquid from running over the edges..don't ask..) with graham crackers. Bring butter and sugar to rolling boil; boil 2 minutes (DON'T get it on you because it will stick to you and burn the bejebus out of you). CAREFULLY Remove from heat. When bubbling subsides, add chopped pecans. Spoon over graham crackers. Pop the pan into the oven to cook. Pour the chilled Moscato into a wine glass and start drinking. Bake praline squares at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow the cookies to cool slightly (so you don't get burned); cut praline candy into 1-inch squares (or however you like).
    I wonder if you could add bourbon to this recipe...hmmmmm....

    ENJOY!
    Hugs & Ho Ho Ho's
    Karen

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  14. Mary-Jo...Cheese Loonies made me LOL. :)

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  15. Molly, still thinking of you and sending virtual hugs, argh argh argh!!

    Rigel, baking/holiday awesomness! Good for Eddie! And I know what you mean about the sugar overload and needing savoury.

    Karen, I want to thank you for this recipe -- I used to make this one and totally forgot! It's delish. Funny thing, I couldn't remember there being Moscato wine in it ... until I read how you used it. hahahahahahahaha!!!

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