Description
These Christmas Crack Cookies are a festive treat featuring brown butter, toffee bits, crushed saltine crackers, and a rich chocolate topping with pecans and holiday sprinkles. Their caramel-like dough and crisp texture create an irresistible holiday cookie perfect for gifting or sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (270g)
- 2 tablespoons powdered milk (12g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Brown Butter Mixture
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (196g) sliced into tablespoons and divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (150g) packed
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Eggs
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
Add-ins
- 10 Saltine crackers crushed
- 1 cup bits o brickle toffee bits plus more for topping
- ½ cup pecan pieces optional topping
Topping
- 12 ounces chocolate chips
- Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using two baking sheets and rotating them between batches helps maintain consistent baking.
- Bring Butter to Room Temperature: Remove butter from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before starting to allow it to soften slightly for even melting and browning.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered milk, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
- Bake Brown Butter: In a skillet over medium heat, melt 10 tablespoons of the butter. Continue cooking and stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes until brown bits form, the butter becomes foamy, and it smells nutty. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until melted and transfer the brown butter to a large heat-safe bowl or stand mixer bowl.
- Add Sugars and Flavorings: Mix granulated sugar, light brown sugar, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract into the browned butter until combined.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add the egg and egg yolk, mixing for 30 seconds. Let the batter rest for 3 minutes, then whisk 30 seconds again. Repeat the resting and whisking two more times until batter is smooth, glossy, and thick like caramel sauce.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Using a spatula or paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients into the wet ones for 1 minute. The dough will be soft and sticky, which is normal, so no chilling is needed.
- Fold in Add-ins: Gently fold in most of the crushed saltine crackers and toffee bits, reserving some for topping.
- Portion Dough: Using a ¼ cup cookie scoop, drop dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Cookies should be slightly cracked with lightly browned edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Toast Pecans: While cookies cool, place pecan pieces in a small bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stir, then microwave an additional 30 seconds to toast.
- Melt Chocolate: Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl using 30-second intervals, stirring between each until fully melted.
- Decorate Cookies: Spread melted chocolate over the cooled cookies, then sprinkle with toasted pecans, reserved toffee bits, and holiday sprinkles. Let chocolate set before serving.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate ingredient measurements to ensure consistent results.
- Do not brown all the butter; only 10 tablespoons are browned, and the remaining 4 tablespoons are melted without browning to maintain recipe balance.
- Slicing butter before melting helps it melt evenly and quickly.
- This recipe yields large cookies approximately 4 to 5 inches in diameter. For smaller cookies, use a medium scoop and reduce baking to 9 minutes.
- Chopped chocolate can be used instead of chocolate chips for richer pockets of melted chocolate inside the cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
- You can add any preferred chopped nuts to customize flavor and texture.
- Cookie dough freezes well: portion onto baking sheets for flash-freezing, then store in airtight bags for up to 3 months. Add 1-2 minutes extra baking time from frozen.
- If using salted butter, omit the added salt from the dry ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
