Shaker Gourmet: Chocolate Toffee Crackers

Our recipe this week comes from Shaker puellasolis who warns that it is addictive and she takes no responsibility for any stomach ache that may occur after you've inhaled the whole batch.

Chocolate Toffee Crackers
Modified from Smitten Kitchen, and others
Makes one sheet pan of candy

Ingredients

1. matzoh or saltine crackers to fill a rimmed baking sheet, matzo cut to fit if necessary
2. 1 cup (1/2 pound, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter
3. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4. 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark, as you wish)
5. large pinch of salt
6. 2 tablespoons water
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8. 1 1/2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate, chips or chopped
9. 3/4 cup nut(s) of your choice, sliced or chopped as appropriate, toasted if desired (I recommend almonds or pistachios)
10. coarse salt for sprinkling (probably overkill if you're using saltines)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a large (11x17") rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, including the sides, then place a sheet of parchment paper over the foil.
3. Arrange matzoh or crackers so that they cover the bottom of the baking sheet, breaking if necessary to fill the sheet. I recommend Deb's tip of pressing a serrated knife between perforations, not on them, in order to create neat edges.
4. In a medium heavy saucepan set over medium heat, combine butter, sugars, water, and pinch salt, stirring occasionally until butter has melted.
5. Bring mixture to a boil. Affix candy thermometer to side of pan, ensuring that the thermometer's tip does not touch the bottom of the pan. Boil gently, stirring only rarely and brushing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed, until thermometer reads 300F, or hard crack stage. Meanwhile, measure out the vanilla and have it handy.
6. Remove mixture from heat and stir in vanilla, being careful of hot splatter.
7. Quickly pour mixture over matzoh on baking sheet, using spatula to spread it more or less evenly.
8. Bake matzoh and caramel until caramel starts to bubble, 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it--you don't want the caramel to burn.
9. Remove pan from oven and scatter chocolate over caramel. Let stand 5 minutes, or until chocolate has melted, then use an offset spatula to spread chocolate evenly over caramel.
10. Sprinkle with coarse salt and nuts, and let cool.
11. When chocolate has set, break crackers into pieces. Store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.

Notes

1. If you're feeling impatient, you can help the chocolate along by placing the pan in the fridge after you've added the nuts and such.
2. I've used nuts here, but you could use all sorts of things: David Lebovitz suggests cacao nibs, and I bet some dried fruit would be lovely.

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