Pecans Grahams

Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you, this is the stuff that vanishes off the cookie tray first. Graham crackers get transformed into a crisp, candy-like praline bark thanks to a quick boiled toffee of butter and brown sugar, studded with pecans.

The technique is almost too simple. You lay the crackers out, boil the butter-sugar mixture for a full two minutes, which is what lets it set up crisp instead of staying soft, then stir in the pecans and pour it over. A short stint in the oven lets the toffee soak into the crackers and caramelize.

As it cools, something happens that feels like magic: the once-soft crackers turn shatter-crisp, fused with the nutty toffee into a brittle you snap into shards. Line the pan with foil first, though, because this stuff sticks to everything it touches.

Pro Tips

• Line the pan with foil; the toffee sticks fiercely, and the foil makes removal and cleanup easy.
• Boil the butter-sugar mixture a full two minutes so it sets crisp instead of staying soft or grainy.
• Work fast once it boils, pouring and spreading before the toffee starts to set.

Variations

• Sprinkle melted chocolate over the warm bark, then more chopped pecans, for a ‘Christmas crack’ version.
• Swap the pecans for almonds or walnuts, or add a pinch of flaky salt for salted toffee.