holidaybaking

This simple holiday favourite has been a part of my baking since the late 80’s. The best part of Christmas was when your co-workers brought in their best treats during December. When I worked at Dylex, a lady named Halina brought in her delicious Toffee Bars that had everyone swooning. Remember, I didn’t grow up with holiday baking so I asked her for the recipe. Over the years, it has evolved into what it is today. Her original recipe used graham crackers but during the 90’s I tried a version called Skor Bark that used Saltine Crackers and chopped Skor Chocolate Bars on top. I love the salty and sweet combination. Lately I’ve seen similar recipes online called Christmas Crack. I guess if I’m not using Skor Bark, this name is generic enough to let me be more creative with my toppings. Now I throw on top whatever I can find, chopped Kit Kat, Oreos, pretzels, nuts, and even crushed Candy Cane. Of course, you can make it without nuts and it will be delicious! It is so good that it’s hard to keep until Christmas.

Almond Toffee Bark (also called Christmas Crack)

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pkg. (100 g sliced almonds or coarsely chopped almonds*, toasted)
Approx. 35 - 45 Saltine crackers with salted tops
1 pkg. (300 g semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate wafers)
½ cup - 1 cup Skor toffee bits *
*Be creative - mix in other chopped chocolate bars (Coffee Crisp, Oreos, Kit Kat, Crunchie or use crushed candy cane; I also throw in broken pretzels for added saltiness.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil so that the bars don’t stick.
Line the pan with Saltine crackers, breaking some to fit.
Melt butter with brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until thick and foamy. Do not let it burn.
Pour over the crackers, making sure you cover the whole pan.
Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes until the edges bubble up.
Turn off the oven and take the pan out to sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Return to the oven for about 5 minutes until the chocolate looks shiny and starts to soften. Sometimes it’s hot enough you can skip this step. Then take a spreading knife to smooth the chocolate all over.
Sprinkle more almonds (or chopped nuts) on top and Skor toffee bits. Press slightly.
Let the bar pan cool. When cooled, wrap the pan in plastic and put it into your freezer for an hour.
When the bars are frozen, using a knife along the edges, you can lift the whole bar out and break it into pieces using 2 pcs of wax paper or plastic gloves. The trick is it has to be frozen but if you don’t have the room in your freezer, then the fridge will do.

Author: Judy Lee

Course: Dessert

Keyword: chocolatebark, christmascrack, desserts, holidaybaking, toffeebars

Products I used in this recipe:
Pampered Chef Stone Bar Pan or Half Sheet Pan, Brilliance 2-qt Non-Stick Sauce Pan

This holiday favourite has been a part of my baking since the late 80’s.

judy lee

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I didn’t grow up in a household where baking cookies was a thing. My immigrant parents ran a Chinese restaurant in Hamilton so they worked hard all week. How I envied my friends whose mothers were bakers and during the holidays, I used to eat so many kinds of cookies at their house – pretty sugar cookies, gingerbread houses, and melt-in-your mouth shortbread cookies. I was determined that when I grew up and have children, I would be one of those moms, offering their little friends my cookies. But first, I had to learn how to make them. I asked my mom about cookies when I was quite young. She said to ask my Grandfather because he used to work as a baker on the trains travelling across Canada. At the time, he was already in his eighties (or maybe not, hard to tell when you’re a child), not that approachable, or talkative. But I went to him, notebook in hand, to ask him about cookies. He said he had a shortbread recipe he could share. Great! I didn’t know what shortbread was, but I was very excited about all the cookies I would be making. Then he recited from memory his recipe: 10 lbs butter, 20 lbs flour, 5 lbs sugar . . . I may be exaggerating. I don’t remember the exact quantities, but you get the idea. I had never made anything before so it never occurred to me that he baked cookies for a whole trainload of people, and I needed to do some math conversion. Needless to say, it was many years before I attempted Shortbread cookies.

Twenty years later, I met my husband. I kept hearing about the amazing shortbread cookies made by his mother, Jessie. Apparently she used to make dozens and dozens of shortbreads with a cookie press, that she gave out to everyone at Christmas. All his family and friends agreed that she made the best they’ve ever had. Unfortunately, she passed away just a few months before I met my husband, so I never actually tried them, and so far, no recipe has been found, although a few people have made claims to having it. For years I’ve tried baking every shortbread recipe I came across. I wasn’t trying to compete. I just wanted to continue the tradition. My husband and his family would say that it was good, but it wasn’t quite . . . IT. So the search continued. Finally, Janet, a family friend (probably took pity on me), told me to stop searching. No matter how good my shortbreads were, they will never live up to a memory. Just make new memories. So, I am sharing this recipe I’ve been using for most of my married life. It’s not his mom’s recipe, but it’s easy, delicious, and versatile. An annual tradition. I hope you will enjoy making new memories with it.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup fruit sugar or icing sugar
½ cup cornstarch
3 cups all purpose flour
Sifted icing sugar
24 green or red maraschino cherries (halved)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350˚F.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer or a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Mix in cornstarch. Gradually beat in flour and continue beating.
Roll into 1 inch balls or drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart. Flatten and decorate with a piece of red or green cherry on top.
Bake approx. 12 - 15 minutes until lightly browned edges. Cool and dust with icing sugar.
Makes 4 dozen cookies. Can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

Variations: I usually divide dough in half and make one of the versions below as well.
Pecan Shortbreads: Instead of red or green cherries, use a wooden spoon, stir in pecans
Toblerone Shortbreads: Wrap a small amount of shortbread dough around a chocolate chunk broke into ½ inch pieces so that the cookie has a chocolate centre.