Cracker Candy

Here's a super-simple candy you can adapt lots of different ways. Instead of Club crackers, use saltines or graham crackers. Top with nuts or M&M's if you like. See what's in the pantry and have fun!

It's called Cracker Candy because of the base, but people often rename it Crack Candy because of its addictive properties.

Cracker Candy

1 1/2 sleeves Club crackers

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick butter

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup crushed pretzels

Put crackers in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, then pour over crackers. Spread to coat. Bake for 5 minutes at 350.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and drop peanut butter in spoonfuls scattered around the top. Spread evenly and sprinkle pretzels over the top. Chill for 30-60 minutes, then break into pieces.

Easy Christmas Treat

You can cover anything in white chocolate and it seems Christmas-y: pretzels, peppermint, cereal, dried fruit. Here's something easy and delicious to package up for the neighbors or add to a Christmas tray. It's very simple to do, but takes a little bit of time because they are so small (about the size of a quarter each). They taste like white chocolate Reese's peanut butter cups.

White Chocolate Covered Ritz Bits

1 box peanut butter Ritz Bits
1 package Almond bark or CandiQuik (you can use white chocolate, but you may need to add a little oil)
Sprinkles

Melt white chocolate in microwave according to package instructions. Using two forks, dip the Ritz Bits into the white chocolate one at a time. After one is covered, lift up with the fork and gently tap off the excess over the bowl.

Carefully put the candy on waxed paper and add sprinkles before it hardens.

Fleur de Sel Caramels

The sweet/salty combination is very addictive: think chocolate-covered pretzels, peanut butter and jelly, and kettle corn. I'd never made caramels before this year, but I was happy with these. They turned out quite chewy, not soft. I sprinkled them with sea salt before they set, which gave them an extra hit of saltiness and a crystal sheen. My father-in-law liked them before knowing they were a sea salt version, which make sense, because he likes salt so much that he thinks pizza isn't salty enough on its own!

The recipe is from Epicurious with my changes. I doubled it and used a 9x13 pan with no problem.

Fleur de Sel Caramels

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse sea salt, and more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Special equipment: parchment paper; a deep-fat thermometer

Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.

Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.
Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248°F on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour into baking pan in one pour - don't scrape and add any caramel leftover in the pan, becaues it will harden on the top. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close.