Mom’s Chocolate Pistachio Cracker Candy
This is a very old recipe in origin, with many noted variations, but whether you use graham crackers, saltines, or even shortbread as the base of this candy-cookie hybrid, it’s an easy, delicious treat. For anyone who knows my mother, author of the blog Chocolate Ratings, it will be no surprise that this recipe is hers. Rarely did I eat a cookie, candy, or cake in my childhood that was baked without the addition of chocolate. Rarely, too, did I eat a cookie, candy, or cake in that time that didn’t include oats, zucchini, or even mashed beans(!), but that’s a story for another time.
Now mom’s chocolate obsession didn’t just mean chocolate in every treat. Dark, high quality chocolate was the preferred choice, even for small kiddies like my brother and myself. While our friends noshed on toll house cookies, we came home from school to an afternoon snack of dark chocolate brownies with cinnamon and orange zest, peanut butter and chocolate blondies, or chocolate chip banana bread. In these recipes, chocolate was the predominant flavor and for that reason, high quality chocolate was used. In no way do I mean to sound pretentious. The fact is, quality matters more at certain times than at others. Here’s a rule I’ve learned from my mother. The quality of chocolate is increasingly important, just like good olive oil, as the number of ingredients in the recipe goes down. The fewer the ingredients, the less diluted the chocolate flavor, and hence the more important it is for high quality chocolate to be used from the start. These cracker candies have six ingredients, and the chocolate remains pure as its own layer, so use the best chocolate you can afford. Since you only need 7 ozs for this recipe, my mom recommends buying two high quality dark chocolate bars, at 3.5 oz each. If you’re a fan of milk chocolate, go for one that lists the cocoa content on the label. It will be a softer flavor than dark chocolate, but will still exhibit the complete flavor profile dark chocolate is known for. If you want a good recommendation on which chocolate to buy, check out my mom’s blog (it’s not a shameless plug if it’s for your mom, right?) Also, as with nearly any nut recipe, choose your favorite(s) for this recipe. For a yummy twist, use roasted salted nuts, as the chocolate and salt are a great combination. Enjoy!
Chocolate Pistachio Cracker Candy
Makes 30 pieces’
1 package honey graham crackers (1/3 of a box)
1 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup (real, not fake!)
7 oz best quality dark chocolate, in chips or chopped into small pieces from whole bars.
3/4 cup toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped (or any nut of your choice)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 pan with foil, lightly grease foil, and fit tightly with graham crackers so the entire bottom of the pan is covered. Break up grahams if necessary.
2. Melt butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir til smooth and bubbly and lightly golden brown. Pour hot syrup over graham crackers and bake for 10 minutes until golden and absorbed.
3. Scatter chocolate chips or chopped chocolate over crackers and put in the oven for 1 minute to melt it. Spread chocolate with an offset spatula over the crust in a thin layer. If chocolate isn’t smooth enough to spread, place it back in the oven for another minute.
4.Once chocolate is in a thin layer but still warm, sprinkle nuts over the top and let chill in the fridge in the pan. After 1 hour, lift foil with cracker candy out of the pan and cut into 2 inch x 2 inch squares. Store in the fridge. Enjoy!
-M : )
