PB Chocolate CRACKers
January 7, 2019 by Nicole Collins
Would anyone mind if we talk about the word “crack” today?
Did you know that the dictionary.com app has 54 definitions for the word crack? This includes verbs, adjectives, nouns, adverbs, and idioms. What a versatile word!
Here's a peek into by crazy brain for a sec...for some reason, seeing all of those definitions makes me think of that anti-smoking commercial on tv right now about butts. You know what I'm talking about?
“There are big butts. Little butts. Round butts. And flat butts. Buns of steel and squishy tushies. Old butts and baby booties.”
It's so catchy!
Please don't exit this page right now. I gave you the disclaimer that we were going in deep!
I do have a little tune floating around in my head right now about cracks, though.
“There are big cracks. Small cracks. Loud cracks. And heat cracks. Solve the case or make a funny. Wise cracks will make you sunny.”
Don't quit my day job, you say? K...
I do have a point. I promise. I didn't just wake up this morning and decide to research the word crack.
I PROMISE!
Today's recipe is a twist on a recipe that one of my coworkers, Kathy, gave us for Christmas this year. She made us these absolutely, insanely delicious Chocolate Toffee Crackers that she topped with nuts. I'd never had it before, but I've read similar recipes over the years. And, they were all titled some kind of “crack”. Christmas Crack. Toffee Crack. Crack Candy. Or, just plain Crack.
SEE. I got to the point!
Kathy is my cooking buddy at work. We could talk food all day. And, when we have potlucks or parties, her and I are automatically on kitchen duty. She's generous enough to share her recipes, too! So, today's recipe is her recipe with a Yummy Muffin spin taking the crack-o-meter to the next level.
Today, we're making PB Chocolate CRACKers!
I'm not reinventing the wheel here today, folks. This is a pretty classic sweet treat made with some pretty humble ingredients.
We start with some saltine crackers. Line them up in a foil lined pain, pour over a butter/brown sugar mix, and pop them in the oven.
We just talked on Saturday about how peanut butter and chocolate are the ultimate combo. So, that got me to thinking. Why not add some peanut butter to this party?
Kathy used semisweet chocolate chips to top her crack, but I decided to use a mix of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. The peanut butter flavor is very subtle, but it adds the perfect blend of saltiness to a super sweet dessert.
Now, I made this crack twice over the course of 3 days for 2 separate occasions. The first time I made it, I was going to a girl's night with someone who has a terrible nut allergy, so I just skipped the peanut butter chips and went with all chocolate chips. That's how Kathy did it. And, it's just as crazy delicious that way too!
But if nuts don't have it out for you, I'm telling you. Don't sleep on the peanut butter. WOW!
Alright guys. Thanks for hanging in there today. At least getting through the rabbit hole that is my brain was worth it. And, good luck getting that song out of your head today!
We're turning over a new leaf on Friday. So, enjoy the sweets now while you can!
Let's eat!
PB Chocolate CRACKers
Serves: 12 Print
Ingredients:
24 saltine crackers
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup peanut butter chips
cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13 x 9in pan with aluminum foil, and spray the bottom with cooking spray. Line the saltine crackers in a single layer along the bottom of the pan.
Add butter, brown sugar, and salt to a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 mins, untouched. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour the toffee mix over the crackers, and carefully spread with a small spatula to make sure all crackers are completely covered. Bake for 6 minutes.
Remove crackers from the oven, and immediately spread chocolate and peanut butter chips over the surface of the crackers. Place back in the oven for 2 mins. Remove from the oven, and use a small offset spatula to evenly spread the melted chips over the entire surface of the crackers. Place in the fridge to cool for about 1 ½ hrs. Once set, break the cracker bark in to pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Recipe notes:
*If you or a loved one has peanut allergies, no worries! Skip the peanut butter chips, and just use 1 cup of chocolate chips.
*Don't skip the step of lining your pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray, or you'll never get the cracker bark out of the pan!
*It's VERY important that you don't add the vanilla until you've got the saucepan off the heat. Extracts are all alcohol, and you know what happens when you mix alcohol and fire. POOF!
