Christmas Crack Toffee (No Oven, No Candy Thermometer)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6-8 ounces chopped pretzels (or crackers)
• 11 ounces milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Start by preparing your baking sheet. Line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and then spread the chopped pretzels or crackers evenly across the sheet. This will be the base layer for the toffee, so make sure it’s well-distributed. You can use more or less pretzels depending on how thick or thin you want the base to be.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and stir continuously until the sugar is fully dissolved into the butter. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to cook for exactly 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning. You want the mixture to reach the color of a brown paper bag, a deep golden-brown color, indicating that it’s perfectly caramelized.
3. After the toffee mixture has boiled for 5 minutes, immediately remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. The toffee should be thick and bubbly at this point. Pour the hot toffee mixture over the prepared pretzels or crackers, making sure it’s spread evenly across the entire surface. You want the toffee to fully cover the base, so use a spatula to gently spread it out if necessary.
4. While the toffee is still hot, sprinkle the milk chocolate chips evenly over the surface. The heat from the toffee will melt the chocolate chips, making it easy to spread the melted chocolate over the entire toffee surface. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently spread the chocolate layer evenly, covering all of the toffee.
5. If you’re using chopped pecans, sprinkle them over the melted chocolate to add some extra crunch and flavor. The nuts will stick to the chocolate as it cools, giving the toffee a delightful texture and nuttiness.