MERRY CHRISTMAS  foodie followers!!

This will be my last food blog post of the year today and this recipe is absolutely superlative.  It is NOT an original recipe.  I came across it on a Facebook cooking group that I am a part of and besides the fact that everyone in the thread was RAVING about this “Christmas Crack” that was just the BOMB, it had such a hilarious name!  I had to try it.  I have to credit my very good friend Dr Bec with this recipe – she posted a pic of it on the thread.

My conclusion is:  EASY. DELICIOUS. MORE-ISH. ADDICTIVE.

Need I say more?   No… but of course I will (ha haaa!!  Well?????? This IS a blog!!!).  Strangely though, I must admit (maybe because of the nuts), my kids weren’t that into this recipe…  I was obviously totally devastated by this.  Oh well, I am a glass-half-full/roll-with-the-punches kinda gal so…  More for me.

I am also catching up with quite a few friends over the next few days.  The gorgeous Dr Jazzy (who is an amazing Wonder Woman and just had beautiful twins Edith and Arthur) visited today, my looooong time school bestie Maggie and her two little champs Charlie and Harry are coming over tomorrow and then my OTHER lovely friends Maggie-number-2 (an extremely talented music therapist extraordinaire who I had the honour of working with at the old (and now sadly defunct) Royal Children’s Hospital) and her little baby Princess Millicent (who I am yet to meet for the first time), and Jodie (who is a wonderful nurse I used to work with in kids oncology many years ago) and her little man William.  Phewwww!!!  It’s a big weekend of catch ups for us!

SO… of course I had to get to making treats didn’t I?

So after my pitiful attempt at a run this morning (GAWD it was hard…  I’m sure anyone watching me “run” would have thought I had been maimed by some passing wild animal) I got to it.  Apricot balls (3 ingredients; so easy), the organic date, cacao and coconut bliss balls I blogged about a few weeks ago, fresh scones with jam and cream (check archives for recipe) and this amazing new phenomenon called Christmas Crack.

Maggie number 2 is currently on a dairy-free diet, so the date and cacao balls were for her (gluten and dairy free) and I am planning to make a dairy and gluten free orange and almond cake fresh on Monday morning as well.

 

CHRISTMAS CRACK

INGREDIENTS

1 box of Salada (I used the wholemeal… thought it was the “healthier option” given I was melting 10 tonnes of butter, brown sugar and chocolate over the top of them – ha ha haaa!)

1 cup (lightly packed) brown sugar

225g of unsalted butter

A large pinch of sea salt

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract (actually the recipe says 1/2 tsp, but when is a half tsp every enough?)

225g of dark chocolate, chopped (I used a mix of Cadbury Old Gold and Lindt Dark as that is what I had in the pantry)

1 cup of toasted nuts of your choice (I used toasted mixed walnuts, pistachios, macadamias, cashews, hazelnuts and almonds)

Extra salt for sprinkling optional (I used normal salted butter and omitted this bit)

 

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg.  Line a baking tray with alfoil and baking paper
2. Cover the baking tray with Saladas (I must admit I cursed a bit during this step, trying to cut the crackers to fit the tray exactly; stoopid OCD (face palm)…  they didn’t fit really, it was messy underneath but it didn’t matter )
3. Put the butter and brown sugar into a saucepan and melt over a medium heat until boiling.  Allow to bubble away for 3 min, stirring well.
4. Remove from heat.  Add vanilla and salt.  Immediately pour the caramel over the Saladas, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly before it begins to set.
5. Pop into the oven for 15 min (if you have unreliable heat in your oven, check on it occasionally to make sure the caramel doesn’t burn)
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate over hot caramel.  Leave to melt for 5 minutes, then spread evenly across the surface (this bit is MOST satisfying!)
7. Sprinkle on your nuts of choice and leave to cool (if you remember – unlike me, you might like to sprinkle some Christmas decorations (eg red and green M&M’s or 100’s & 1000’s) on too… I forgot and now the chocolate has set = too late (face palm again).  Stick it in the fridge if you want it to set quickly.

 

WOOOOOT!!!  And that’s IT!  It is soooooooooooooo good.

I really hope you guys try this recipe (and PLEEEEEASE post me a pic and a comment if you do)…

And I hope you have as much fun trying the recipes as I do blogging.

Thanks so much for reading/following and supporting Dr Megs Paeds & Feeds this year (my maiden voyage) – have a Merry Merry Christmas and a FANTASTIC New Year!

I will be back better than ever, and hopefully with some more recipes you will enjoy with me in 2018!!

 

As always PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE PLEASE PLEASE hit “SHARE” to spread the Christmas joy and yumminess.

 

Happy cooking until 2018!

xxDr Megs