Christmas Crack

December 19, 2025 meghanewhite

If you are looking for a sweet, last minute, homemade gift, this is the one. This addictive toffee candy is fantastic. It hits all my requirements, simple and delicious. Don’t let the toffee intimidate you because it couldn’t be easier since you are not making actual toffee. No candy thermometer required, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand.

Customize the candy to your liking. Add nuts, sprinkles, and salt, or drizzle another type of chocolate on top. Christmas crack makes a nice gift for friends and family. It’s also great to have for your holiday gatherings. I hope you will give this delightful recipe a try.

Merry Christmas!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Christmas Crack

Ingredients

1 to 2 sleeves saltine crackers (35 to 50 crackers)

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
Place saltine crackers evenly in a single layer filling the baking sheet.
In a medium sized sauce pan place brown sugar and butter. Over medium low heat, melt the butter. Turn up heat to medium/medium high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, set a timer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour hot toffee evenly over crackers.
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over the hot layer and let sit for a few minutes. Spread melted chocolate evenly across the hot toffee layer.
Add any toppings like nuts, salt, or sprinkles.
Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set up.
Break into pieces and enjoy!

Notes

Add any toppings you prefer like nuts, salt, sprinkles, or drizzle melted chocolate.
It’s recommended to store the toffee in the fridge, but I keep it in a sealed container at room temperature.
I always use salted butter for all my baked goods. Use whatever you like.
For a 18 x 13 baking sheet it takes approximately 50 saltines.
For a 10 x 15 baking sheet it takes 35 saltines.
Pretzels, graham crackers, or other crackers can be used for the bottom layer.
Use your choice of chocolate: dark, milk, white, etc.

Christmas, Food

Hot Chocolate Bombs

December 17, 2021November 3, 2023 meghanewhite

Hot chocolate bombs are the bomb. Pun intended. These gorgeous spheres of hot cocoa goodness explode with marshmallows and chocolate when hot milk is poured over them. It’s satisfying to watch the chocolate melt and reveal all the deliciousness from inside the bomb.

I’m late to the game with this fun treat. Hot chocolate bombs are so 2020. I say better late than never. I love trying new things, and I was determined to make these bombs. It was trial and error for me. I made some mistakes with my first batch, and improved my technique with my second go round.

I am not an expert on making hot chocolate bombs. I am a complete novice. If I can make them, you can make them too! The one thing you absolutely need is a silicone mold. I got mine from Amazon. There are ways to make bombs without molds, but I don’t have experience with that. I’m sharing the simple way I made them.

Hot chocolate bombs are delicious. The milk makes the cocoa extra creamy and flavorful. They make lovely homemade gifts. Who wouldn’t enjoy a ball of chocolate filled with hot cocoa and marshmallows that you made for them? Hot chocolate bombs are a fun unique treat to make and share. Make some today!

Happy Eating!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Hot Chocolate Bombs

Yield: 3 hot chocolate bombs (2 ½ inch sized)

Equipment

silicone 2 ½ inch semi sphere mold

parchment paper

pastry brush

latex gloves (optional)

saucepan

heat proof bowl

cupcake liners

rubber spatula

measuring cups

measuring spoons

Ingredients

6 ounces chocolate almond bark

3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix

¾ cup mini marshmallows

sprinkles, crushed candy canes, chocolate chips (for filling)

3 cups hot milk for serving

Instructions

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or use a double boiler.
Add one tablespoon of the melted chocolate to each silicone sphere. Use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly in each mold, or use a small brush to paint the chocolate in the mold. Another method is to take the silicone mold with the melted chocolate and rotate it around until each sphere is evenly coated. Then place the mold upside down on parchment to let the excess chocolate run out.
Place the chocolate filled molds in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Repeat the process with one more layer of melted chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Carefully remove each sphere from the silicone mold.
Heat a small teflon coated pan over medium heat for a couple minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Place each sphere on the surface of the warmed pan for a few seconds to smooth out the edges. This will help when you seal up your bombs.
Using a measuring cup, place one chocolate sphere on top to hold it in place as you fill it. Add 1 tablespoon of hot chocolate mix in the sphere. Then add about ¼ cup of mini marshmallows. You can also add crushed candy canes, or sprinkles. Just keep the edges clear so you can seal up your bomb.
To seal the hot chocolate bomb heat the small frying pan again, just enough to warm it. Place the chocolate sphere in the pan for a few seconds and then carefully place it on top of the filled sphere. Gently press down to seal the edges. Put the completed bomb on the backside of a muffin pan to let it set up. Muffin pans turned over are great holders for hot chocolate bombs.
Decorate with drizzled chocolate and sprinkles.
Heat 1 cup of milk just until hot, not boiling. Place one bomb in a large mug. Pour hot milk over the top of your hot chocolate bomb and watch it open up with marshmallows. Stir and enjoy!

Storage of Hot Chocolate Bombs

Keep your bombs in an airtight container at room temperature. They last for several weeks.

Use Gloves

To keep fingerprints off your chocolate use latex gloves when handling your chocolate bombs.

Tips on Chocolate

Baking chocolate bars, and chips can be used. These will need to be tempered.

The easiest chocolate to use is compound chocolate (almond bark, chocolate candy melts). You just melt the compound chocolate in the microwave, or in a double boiler and it’s ready. No tempering.

How to Temper Chocolate

Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Do this several times. It should be mostly melted, but there will still be pieces that are unmelted. Take it out of the microwave and stir until smooth and melted. To test if your chocolate is tempered pour a small amount of chocolate on a piece of parchment and place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. If it’s shiny and breaks in half easily, it’s tempered. If it’s soft or dull it’s not tempered. To fix this, add a bit more chocolate and stir until it’s melted, or re-heat for a few seconds in the microwave until melted and smooth.

How to Use a Double Boiler

Place a small heatproof bowl filled with chocolate over a simmering pot of water. The bowl should not touch the water, but fit over the opening of the pot. The steam will melt the chocolate beautifully. Stir as the chocolate begins to melt until smooth.

I hope you make these fun, yummy hot chocolate bombs.

Merry Christmas!

All photos by Meghan E. White.

Food

A New Cookbook!

December 11, 2021 meghanewhite

I am excited to tell you about this brand-new cookbook! Simply Cooking is written by friend, and fellow author, Sharon Connell. These are tried and true recipes from over fifty years of cooking. It’s got everything from desserts to dinners.

Simply Cooking has easy to follow directions for favorites like Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake and Swedish Meatballs. Yum! The cookbook is large like a workbook. Sharon even added a section on each recipe to make your own notes about changes you’ve made.

Simply Cooking is for the every day home cook like you and me. It’s user friendly, and filled with some fantastic recipes that you will absolutely want to make for your friends and family.

As a bonus, a few of my recipes are in here as well as another author. Along with Sharon’s wonderful recipes there are cooking and household tips. There is also an index section where you can easily look up a recipe.

I love the layout of this cookbook. I love cookbooks. I cook a lot, and this one has a great format. All the cooks out there will appreciate this wonderful gem, Simply Cooking.

You can choose the Kindle version or the paperback. I have both, and they are fantastic. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers Simply Cooking is free!

Simply Cooking would make a great gift, or add it to your collection. I love getting new cookbooks because that means new recipes to try. This is my favorite kind of cookbook since the cooking has been done in a real kitchen, with real results, over many years. These are winning recipes.

Happy Cooking!

Love you all,

Meghan

Authors, Christmas

SEEING Christmas

December 11, 2020 meghanewhite

Does the holiday season feel too overwhelming or materialistic to you? Are you searching for a way to make Christmas more meaningful for you, and your children, or grandchildren?

Come take a look at Christmas through a different set of eyes. Come see the season in a whole new light. Be inspired by noticing Jesus in places you may not have seen Him before, hiding in every detail of the most wonderful time of the year!

I am so pleased to share this lovely book with all of you. Karen Stacy wrote this poem for her family, and eventually turned it into a book. It’s beautifully illustrated by Joel Schoon-Tanis. SEEING Christmas is a wonderful story with fresh new insight on this holy season.

I won SEEING Christmas last year through a contest on Instagram. Immediately, I fell in love with this delightful story. It’s a great addition to my Christmas books, and I highly recommend you purchase a copy, or two or three, and give them away. It makes a great gift for friends, family, and churches.