Description
Christmas Cornflake Crackle is a festive, crunchy treat made by coating cornflakes with a buttery, brown sugar mixture, baking them to set, then dipping in smooth semisweet chocolate. This easy 5-ingredient candy is perfect for holiday celebrations or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 level cups cornflake cereal
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and simplify cleanup.
- Arrange Cornflakes: Spread the cornflakes evenly across the prepared baking sheet to create a uniform layer for the sugar coating.
- Melt Butter and Sugar: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar while stirring continuously. Once melted, continue stirring for another 1-2 minutes to ensure the sugar dissolves fully and the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Coat Cornflakes: Pour the hot butter and sugar mixture over the cornflakes, gently stirring to ensure all flakes are evenly coated with the mixture. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to spread the coated cornflakes into a compact rectangular shape, pressing them together gently.
- Bake First Round: Bake the coated cornflakes for 5 minutes in the preheated oven to help set the mixture and enhance the crunch.
- Press and Bake Again: Remove from the oven and gently press the cornflakes together around the edges and center to reinforce their shape. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Cool and Break: Let the baked cornflake slab cool completely on the baking sheet, then break it apart into chunks of desired size for dipping.
- Melt Chocolate: Place chopped semisweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30-second increments, stirring between each interval until smooth and fully melted.
- Dip Cornflake Chunks: Dip the cooled cornflake chunks completely in the melted chocolate, shaking off any excess coating. Place the dipped pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Set Chocolate: Allow the chocolate-covered cornflake chunks to rest until the chocolate sets and hardens. Optionally, sprinkle with a pinch of salt before serving to enhance flavor.
- Enjoy: Serve and enjoy this crunchy, chocolaty holiday treat with family and friends.
Notes
- This recipe uses only 5 main ingredients for an easy and festive candy.
- If you prefer, you can substitute semisweet chocolate with milk or dark chocolate based on your taste preference.
- To speed up chocolate setting, you can refrigerate the dipped cornflake chunks for 10-15 minutes.
- Be careful not to crush cornflakes too much when mixing and pressing to maintain their crunchy texture.
- Optionally, sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt on the chocolate before it sets for a sweet and salty flavor balance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
