The Happy Home Cook: Chocolate Bark Crackers with Salted Caramel
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Chocolate Bark Crackers with Salted Caramel (Photography by Elizabeth Ann Quirino)
I’ve made this dessert a few times using different types of crackers. I’ve used the Sunflower or Sky Flakes brand crackers which Filipinos are familiar with. Other times, I had a box of Saltines laying around so I used that, too.
Once we took a bite out of the crisp pieces, they were hard to put down. This was inspired by a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Makes about 20 coarsely-cut, bite-sized pieces.
Ingredients
24 to 30 pieces Saltine crackers or Sunflower crackers brand
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter unsalted
1 Tablespoon sea salt
100 g. or 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar coarsely chopped
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped unsalted walnuts or cashews chopped (optional) walnuts or cashews (unsalted)
Chocolate Bark in progress (Photography by Elizabeth Ann Quirino)
Instructions
1. To prepare the crackers: Take a shallow tray measuring about 9 x 13 inches and cover it with foil. Place a piece of parchment paper on the tray to fit inside.
2. Arrange the crackers side by side on the tray. Do not overlap the crackers, lay them flat next to each other leaving no gaps in between.
3. To cook the caramel: Separately, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the brown sugar and butter together. It will take about 6 to 8 minutes for this mixture to turn to a caramel-colored liquid. Let the caramel boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Quickly pour the caramel all over the crackers on the tray.
4. To bake: Pre-heat oven at 350 F. Sprinkle the sea salt all over the caramel. Bake in a preheated oven of 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes. The caramel will have melted further. Do not let the crackers burn at the sides.
5. Remove the tray of crackers and melted caramel from the oven. Chop the chocolate bar coarsely in chunks. Spread the chocolate chunks on top of caramel. Then scatter the chocolate chips all around on top of the chocolate chunks. Return the crackers-chocolate tray to the oven. Continue baking at 350 F for 5 to 6 minutes till chocolates melt.
6. Take the tray out of the oven. If some chocolate chips have not lost its shape, spread the warm chocolate further to level off using a spatula. *Note: If desired, while the chocolate is hot and melting, sprinkle chopped nuts all over (optional).
7. To prepare the chocolate bark: Give the chocolate time to harden on the crackers and caramel. It should take about 30 to 45 minutes cooling time. To cool and harden faster, place the entire tray in the freezer for chocolate to firm up quickly.
8. When chocolate has hardened, cut the entire piece in small, uneven pieces about 3-inches or so, resembling a bark. Serve as a dessert or snack.
9. Storage: Keep the chocolate pieces in a covered, dry container in the refrigerator.
10. Cook's Comment: To give as gifts, place the chocolate pieces in a covered decorative container.
Elizabeth Ann Quirino
Elizabeth Ann Quirino, based in New Jersey is a journalist and author of the “Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Philippine Food In a Multicooker Pot” Cookbook. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and blogs about Filipino home cooking on her site AsianInAmericaMag.com.
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