salted caramel graham cracker bark
I understand why they call similar recipes Christmas Crack.
I don’t really like that nomenclature, honestly. Feels a bit insensitive (and I’m not an overly sensitive person). I nowadays see more bloggers calling these toffee or caramel treats bark, or simply toffee, instead of crack, and I find that much more preferable. And still accurate.
I will say, though, that this Salted Caramel Graham Cracker Bark is really difficult to stop eating once you’ve started. It’s sticky, gooey, chocolatey, crunchy, and even a bit salty thanks to our flaky garnish. A very quick holiday dessert that will positively disappear from your dessert platters.
Best part? It’s so simple. A few ingredients, including a delightful homemade salted caramel sauce – one which appears in several recipes here in the FMG-verse – a good deal of fun to make. My kind of Christmas sweet.
Sweet N’ Salty
I make homemade salted caramel quite often, and have discovered over time that it is actually so easy to do. The trick is to not look away for a second too long – if you’re inattentive, that’s where the trouble with burning occurs. Also, don’t look your whisk immediately after stirring the melted sugar. Your tongue will fucking scorch.
To start, well, melt the sugar. Whisk constantly to ensure the granules don’t adhere to the sides of your saucepan. The sugar will take awhile to begin liquifying, but once it starts, the process happens quickly, so be prepared.
Once the sugar is completely dissolved and turns a rich golden color, drop in some butter and stir until incorporated. The butter will splatter, so stand to the side when you initially put it into the sugar.
Pour in heavy cream – again, beware of splashes – and simmer until the caramel thickens slightly. This will only take a couple minutes. Move the pot off the burner and stir in some vanilla extract and kosher salt.
Barking Up the Right Tree
The rest of assembly is seamless.
While you’re prepping the caramel, get the oven going to 350. Line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment, then arrange graham cracker sheets onto the bottom. You will fit 8-10, and may have to break the large rectangles into smaller quadrilaterals. Make them fit as best you can, in a single layer.
When you finish the sauce, immediately pour it over the crackers. Bake 5 minutes. This short stint in the oven will allow the caramel to seep into and adhere to the grahams.
Dump a fuckload of chocolate chips over the hot caramel crackers. Wait a couple minutes for the chocolate to melt, then spread with a frosting knife or spatula until all is thoroughly coated. I use dark chocolate, but semi sweet or milk are fine, too, depending on your flavor preference.
Cover the tray and refrigerate at least an hour, but preferably overnight. The longer the chill, the more “bark-like.” This confection keeps very well, like candy, so you can expect a tasty result for up to a week when stored properly.
The bark is a great cookie box filler, and a lovely addition to a dessert charcuterie board…or even a traditional one. Minimal effort and maximal nom. Can’t get much better than that.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Show them you care-amel:
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Salted Caramel Apple Cider Layer Cake
salted caramel graham cracker bark
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 8-10 sheets graham crackers
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment.
- In a small saucepan, melt the sugar until completely smooth and golden, whisking constantly, about 6-8 minutes. Drop in the butter (be careful of splatters) and melt while whisking constantly. Pour in the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes longer.
- Arrange the graham cracker sheets in the prepared cake pan. You may have to break the sheets into smaller squares/rectangles. Pour the caramel over the crackers. Bake 5 minutes.
- Immediately pour the chocolate chips over the caramel/crackers. When the chocolate melts, spread evenly, like frosting. Cover and chill the pan at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
- Slice or break the bark into chunks. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
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