graham cracker biscoff toffee

I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  First I complain about fall coming, as if I want to hang on to this sauna of a summer, and now I’m making graham cracker toffee, which is practically jumping to Christmas.

Actually, I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me.  The grocery store next to our apartment.  Where they set out Biscoff spread samples and put coupons next to them and convince me that I need to buy some.  I’m not usually one to succumb to sales gimmicks.  I go into the store with my lists pre-written and I pretty much stick to them, and if something catches my eye, the simple fact that it is on a display usually deters me from buying it because I am stubborn and do not like to be talked into what I should buy just because something is set out to catch my eye.  I don’t like to give in to marketing.

But it did take me two trips to the store and two samples of Biscoff spread to convince me to buy some, which is really just silly because as soon as that first tiny spoonful went into my mouth I knew that it was going to come home with me at some point.  Kind of like that gelato sample they had out a few weeks ago, which I still haven’t bought a carton of, even though it was pretty much the most heavenly spoonful of chocolate ever.  Gosh, what is wrong with me?  A lot of things, apparently.

Anyway, I needed to find a use for this Biscoff spread, besides the obvious of just eating it straight out of the jar because oh my gosh this stuff is delicious, a creamy spread that tastes like a combination of graham crackers and gingerbread.  Would it be wrong to replace the peanut butter in my peanut butter sandwiches with it?

That was my first thought, to use the Biscoff spread to replace peanut butter in any number of recipes.  Biscoff butter cookies.  Biscoff swirl brownies.  Biscoff butter bars.  An endless number of things.  But the more times I dipped my spoon into that delicious little jar, the more the flavors reminded me of graham cracker toffee, which my mother-in-law made at Christmas last year.

Normally when I hear the word toffee, I run in the other direction.  Toffee is sticky, and chewy, and gets stuck in your teeth, and honestly I don’t see the appeal.  As much as I love sweets, I’m generally not a fan of candies if they don’t involve chocolate.

But graham cracker toffee is everything good about toffee without any of the bad.  The graham crackers and chocolate balance out the stark sweetness of the candy toffee part.  And when I replaced some of the butter with my precious Biscoff spread, it was the perfect complement to the graham crackers, and it toned down the flavors a bit.  Graham cracker toffee is crunchy and sweet and melts in your mouth.  It breaks into so many different sized pieces that are eternally asking to be eaten…”Ok, this one medium sized piece…oh wait, but then this little tiny piece, too…and just one more.”  It is perfect straight out of the freezer, and honestly, you might never be able to step away.

Graham Cracker Biscoff Toffee

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 10 minutes
Wait Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Makes: a freezer bag full of pieces

1 box graham crackers (1.5 sleeves)
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Biscoff spread*
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a jelly roll pan with a layer of graham crackers.  (If they don’t fit perfectly, don’t worry.  You don’t have to fill the entire pan, and any toffee that leaks off and actually sticks on the pan should slide right off during clean up.)
3. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine butter and sugar.  Cook over medium-high heat until melted and beginning to boil.
4. Remove from heat and add Biscoff spread.  Whisk until it is incorporated.  (The heat will cause it all to separate at first, but keep whisking and as it cools it will come together.)
5. Pour mixture over the graham crackers, using a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips evenly over the top.  Allow the chocolate chips to melt and then spread the chocolate out evenly.
7. Let it cool completely, about 30 minutes, and then place in the freezer until it has hardened, about 2 hours.  Once it has frozen, break into medium sized pieces.  These can be a variety of shapes and sizes, and if you would like them to be more uniform you can use the lines of the graham crackers on the bottom as a guide.  Store toffee pieces in the freezer in a plastic zip top bag.

*If you don’t want to use it, or can’t find Biscoff spread (oh how I pity you!) just replace it with more butter.