aheli wanders

Oh hello, my favorite readers. The holiday season has officially descended upon us. And if you’re anything like me, you’re frantically trying to think of some thoughtful gifts for those near and dear. Enter Bark or as some rather interesting Pinterest users call it- Christmas Crack. Every year, I like to make a big batch of Bark to give with presents. Actually, if I’m being honest. Sometimes I give Bark as the main present. because thoughtful, handmade presents are the best, right? RIGHT?!?. This weekend, I made a huge batch of Bark to give to the people in our apartment building and decided to document the process.  It is such a simple but flexible recipe. One year, I added chopped pecans and another year, I added chopped candy canes. The only hard part is you have go on patrol that make sure no one sneakily steals the edge pieces (ahem, G!).  I hope you enjoy. – A

5 Ingredient Graham Cracker Bark

Time: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients: 

• 1 box of graham crackers (14-16 sheets of graham crackers) (I’ve also used saltines)
• 1 & 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of salted butter
• 1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup of topping of your choice (pecans, almonds, candy canes)

Tools:

• 1 baking sheet (11 x 15-inch)
• 1 quart sauce pan
• Scissors
• Spatula or Spoon
• Parchment paper

Steps:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Break graham crackers apart to create small triangles. Line crackers up so they are side by side in a single layer. Set aside.
3. Heat butter in saucepan over medium-high heat until melted.
4. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Add small chunks of brown sugar to avoid butter-sugar foam. Stir CONSTANTLY.
5. Let mixture boil for 2 minutes and remove. Pour over graham cracker.
6. Use spatula or spoon to spread mixture evenly across the graham crackers.
7. Bake for 5 minutes until toffee starts to bubble. Remove and add chocolate chip sprinkles.
8. Put tray back in the oven and continue baking for another 3-4 minutes.
9. Use spatula or spoon to spread chocolate mixture evenly across the crackers + toffee.
10. Sprinkle desired topping.
11. Let sit for about two hours and then cut and serve. You can cool bark in the freezer for faster cooling time.

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