Ingredients

40-50 saltine crackers
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the saltine crackers in a row on the baking sheet, without any gaps.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stirring constantly, boil for 3 minutes.

Spread the mixture over the crackers to cover completely. Bake until the caramel is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly sprinkle with the chocolate chips, let them melt a bit and spread evenly around. Sprinkle nuts over the top.

Allow them to cool in the refrigerator for a few minutes before breaking apart into pieces.

Makes about 2 dozen pieces

Variation:
Add or substitute peanut butter chips.

Ingredients

for the cardamom cookies:
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon sea salt

for the fool:
2 cups fresh raspberries
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange liqueur, optional
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

make the cookies:
Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended. Add the zest, flour, cardamom and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and blend until the dough comes together in a ball. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about ½ inch. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Place the cookies on baking sheets with about ½ inch between the cookies. Bake on the center rack of the oven until the cookies are lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool before removing from pan. Serve with Raspberry Fool.

make the fool:
Set a medium-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Use the back of a wooden spoon to push 1 cup of the raspberries through the sieve, smearing the berries back and forth across the mash until only seeds and pulp remain. Scraping any purée from the bottom of the sieve. Stir in the sugar and orange liqueur into the purée.

In a medium metal bowl, combine the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture over the cream. Use a butter knife to gently stir the mixture so that thin streaks of raspberry juice runs through the cream. Spoon the mixture into four glasses or small dessert bowls and top with the remaining raspberries.

Makes 4 servings

Variation: Feel free to substitute blackberries, salmonberries, strawberries or blueberries.