Polychronis Graham Cracker Toffee

Toffee isn’t the first thing someone would think of when it comes to a holiday treat. 

Most would think of cookies or gingerbread or peppermint or fudge or hot cocoa as a holiday treat to indulge in as you snuggle up underneath a warm blanket and watch holiday movies. But that’s what makes the Graham Cracker Toffee different. It’s not a typical sweet, yet it’s a treat you can’t refuse. 

My mother found the Graham Cracker Toffee recipe online and has made it annually for family get-togethers for many years. She always puts it amongst other chocolatey treats like fudge on a small tray. It has never been the star of the show against all the savory and more recognizable sweet treats, but it has never disappointed anyone who has tried it. To her, it has always been a quick and easy way to bring a smile to someone’s face. 

I remember the first time I tried this toffee. When I bit into it, I needed more. I didn’t care if it was going to give me a stomach ache, all I knew was that I needed more. 

When you bite into this toffee, a lot of flavors will start to dance in your mouth like a ballet performance of The Nutcracker.

The crispiness and the crumbliness of the sweet graham crackers mixed with the overly sweet and rich chocolate chips bring quite a sugar bomb. However, the macadamia nuts add a pinch of saltiness and crunchiness to the toffee to tone down the sugar bomb, making this treat a complete tasting experience. The overall taste of this toffee is that of a simple candy that brings the spirit of the holidays into your body.

This toffee isn’t hard to bite into like some toffees. It’s not like chomping down into a brick that’ll ruin your tasting experience. It’s like eating a candy bar or even a granola bar. Firm, yet enjoyable.

Best of all, it’s something you can’t stop eating. You’ll crave it at school, at work, at home and the taste will never go away. 

The Graham Cracker Toffee recipe is a simple treat with an amazing combination of flavors for anyone to enjoy throughout the holiday season. Personally, this is a sweet treat to help my family and I get into the spirit of the holidays as we wait for Christmas.

Ingredients

½ pound (two sticks) of butter

¼ cup of brown sugar

¼ cup of granulated white sugar

½ box of graham crackers (not crumbs)

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of chopped macadamia nuts

Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10-by-15 inch jelly roll pan with non-stick foil. Arrange whole graham crackers to fit the bottom of the pan in a single layer, breaking up the last few to fit the space.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and white sugar to the mixture. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the mixture gently bubble for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Carefully pour sugar/butter mixture evenly over the graham cracker layer. Spread to cover. Bake for 20 minutes.

When done, remove from the oven and let rest until bubbling subsides. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Wait about 2 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then use a spatula to gently spread the chocolate chips into an even layer on top of the toffee graham crackers. Sprinkle the chopped macadamia nuts over the toffee, pressing down gently into the chocolate.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours. Peel the foil from the chilled toffee. Break into two-inch irregular pieces.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: about one pound of toffee

Note: For a variation, use a combination of graham crackers, saltines or butter crackers, substitute dark chocolate for milk chocolate and honey-roasted peanuts, pecans or walnuts for extra decoration.