White Chocolate Cranberry S'mores Cracker Candy.

Sometimes, during those long days when I hit a life rut, I think about writing a cookbook... because that's a thing people do and it helps me focus on what I love. 

Like toppling cupcake towers over.

And browning butter. 

And making stacks of graham cracker candy.

I think it would be full of imperfect bundt cakes... because I don't have the patience to sift powdered sugar.

I would stuff peanut butter cups inside cupcakes... because even a plain vanilla cupcake is capable of being something extraordinary.

It would probably be called Stacks on a Cake Stand... because that's my style. It's who I am. Own it!

And be real: there would be an entire chapter on brown butter. 

We learn who we are by doing the things we love. 

Baking teaches me that magic happens when you least expect it... usually right before you give up. Molasses and sugar become brown sugar, butter finally browns, and butter and sugar become smooth vanilla frosting. It teaches me to follow that thought that wonders if there's such a thing as a white chocolate cranberry s'more... or if you can ever really have too many cake stands. 

It teaches me that comparison truly takes the joy out of the things you love. Be you! 

Running teaches me to keep moving forward, one step at a time... and it teaches me that I'm capable of anything. I can beat my last mile time. I can run at 6 MPH without falling flat on my face. I can shut down that voice that tells me to slow down or give up. I'm stronger than I think and the good things I want in my life are worth fighting for.

Too deep? Let's talk brown sugar and graham crackers. 

One of my favorites things to bake is cracker candy. The possibilities are endless! A bubbling, caramel-toffee glaze of butter and brown sugar poured over a layer of salty-sweet crackers is the perfect blank canvas for any flavor, holiday, or season. 

Just look at all the combinations I've made so far...

Saltines + chocolate + crushed almonds     =      chocolate almond cracker candy 

(Every Christmas I bake at least two batches... it's my most requested holiday treat!)

Graham crackers + marshmallows + M&M candies      =      Christmas s'mores candy

Buttery Club crackers + chocolate + peanut butter chips + sea salt     =     salt river bars

Graham crackers + marshmallows + Hersheys chocolate     =     graham cracker s'mores candy

(my most popular and most pinned recipe!)

Cinnamon graham crackers + pumpkin spice marshmallows + white chocolate + toasted pecans     =     pumpkin spice s'mores cracker candy

(I love this combination... and it's the first thing I baked in my new apartment last fall!)

Today's combination is inspired by fall... and one of my favorite seasonal flavors (besides pumpkin!): white chocolate cranberry. Maybe I'm just ready for Christmas and cranberry bliss bars. Either way, let's make white chocolate cranberry s'mores a thing. 

This is what I imagine fall looks like.

Graham crackers covered in that sugary-rich toffee glaze and sprinkled with puffy marshmallows, white chocolate chips, tart dried cranberries, and toasted pecans.

So addicting, as rich as fudge, full of fall flavor, and as easy as melting butter, sugar, and sprinkling everything ever over graham crackers. 

This is fall baking. In and out... and out the door to find pumpkin spice lattes.  

 White Chocolate Cranberry S'mores Cracker Candy

Printable Recipe 

12 sheets of graham crackers
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups mini marshmallows
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the ends, and spray foil with cooking spray. Line graham crackers up on the foil so that the sides are touching.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture comes just to a boil (about 4-6 minutes). Remove from heat and pour evenly over crackers. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until bubbly.

Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle mini marshmallows, white chocolate chips, pecans, and dried cranberries over the crackers. 

Return pan to oven for another 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to soften and puff up. 

Cool completely. Lift from pan using foil edges; cut into bars and enjoy!

Source: Inspired by my graham cracker s'mores candy. 

Pumpkin Spice S'mores Cracker Candy.

Remember a couple summers ago when I made graham cracker s'mores candy? 

You know... chocolate and marshmallows melted over a layer of bubbling caramel and graham crackers?

It's been my summer 2012 go-to, last-minute, I've-been-at-the-beach-all-day recipe. Wait, we're going to a barbeque where? You said I'm bringing what? Tonight? 

Give me just one second. I need some graham crackers.

   

Well, this is that recipe... hunkered down for fall.

Graham crackers become cinnamon-sugar grahams.

Marshmallows become orange, pumpkin-shaped pumpkin spice mallows.

And white chocolate chips and toasted pecans replace the handfuls of Hershey milk chocolate squares and chocolate chips. 

Basically buttery, brown sugar, caramel-y goodness.  All in a pan, all for you.

P.S. Should I be worried that most of my favorite holiday recipes involve crackers? 

This.

This is what November tastes like.

It's pumpkin spice meets pre-game bonfires meets cinnamon-sugar s'mores, all together, during Revenge commerical breaks, in under twenty minutes. 

Seriously, these are so easy. If have butter and graham crackers, you're halfway there. 

If you have a new apartment, no kitchen table, no place to sit, one baking sheet, one spoon, and one pot holder, you're also halfway there. In case you were wondering.

Pumpkin Spice S'mores Cracker Candy

Printable Recipe 

12 sheets of cinnamon graham crackers

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 (8 ounce) package pumpkin spice marshmallows

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the ends, and spray foil with cooking spray. Line graham crackers up on the foil so that the sides are touching.

Toast pecans for 4-5 minutes on a baking sheet (I used a metal pie pan). Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture comes just to a boil (about 4-6 minutes). Remove from heat and pour evenly over crackers. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until bubbly.

Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle marshmallows, white chocolate chips, and toasted pecans over the crackers. 

Return pan to oven for another 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to soften and puff up. 

Cool completely before serving. Lift from pan using foil edges; cut into bars and enjoy!

Source: Adapted from my graham cracker s'mores candy, originally from Stefanie's Cooking Spot.

No-Bake Coconut Graham Cracker Cookie Bars.

I know these last few weeks of summer are for lighting sparklers and baking banana bread. I know this. There are even three bananas ripening on my counter, waiting to be smashed into some kind of loaf-cake that I will try to pass off as breakfast, and there are still seven things on my summer bucket list waiting to be crossed off. 

But... I'm ready for fall. I can't help it. I'm dreaming of pumpkin spice cakes, cozy sweaters, and homemade kettlecorn. I'm dreaming of baked cinnamon things, stomping on leaves, nutmeg in my coffee, and picking out pumpkins.

I'm dreaming of seven, sun, sand, and ocean-filled days in Hawaii.

Oh and hot chocolate picnics... this should totally be a thing.

Wait.

One of these things is not like the other.

Pumpkin patches... cinnamon and nutmeg ... beaches?

Yes. This is real! In between pumpkin spice scones and cozy sweaters, I'll be spending a week in Hawaii   this fall and to be honest, I will be absolutely useless until then... unless it involves coconut, sundresses, new wedge sandals, summer beach reads, and, you know, important stuff, like figuring out how to twist my hair into a beachy side-braid or the exact amount of tequila it will take to dull my fear of flying.

Without ending up in a scene out of Bridesmaids. 

That was awkward.

Look. Sugar!

These no-bake bars are kind of like Hawaii in the fall. Graham crackers and pecans... totally fall flavors. And coconut!

Let's take a peek.

Slightly soft graham crackers sandwiched around a crunchy, sweet coconut-pecan-graham cracker filling, all topped with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.

And it all starts with graham crackers.

This is how you know you're off to a good start.

Now top those graham crackers with a buttery, sweet mixture of coconut, chopped pecans, and crushed graham crackers.

It's kind of like a tropical pecan pie filling.

... I'm liking all these words.

More graham crackers. Good things are happening here.

Good things like sugary cream cheese frosting. You're worth it!

Summer baking = not baking = more time to shop for wedge heels. And... go!

No- Bake Coconut Graham Cracker Cookie Bars

Printable Recipe

Bars

1 (16-ounce) box of graham crackers

1 cup crushed graham crackers

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1 cup shredded coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 13-x-9-inch baking pan with graham cracker squares. 

Melt the butter in saucepan and add sugar. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Slowly and continuously stir into the butter mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly (to keep the egg from scrambling). Remove from heat.

Stir in nuts, coconut, and crushed graham crackers. Pour over graham cracker squares and spread evenly using a spatula. Top with another layer of graham cracker squares, pressing them down gently into the filling.

For the cream cheese frosting, place cream cheese in a bowl and soften using a rubber spatula. Gradually add butter and beat together until smooth and creamy. Sift in powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

Spread frosting over graham cracker bars evenly. Or not. No big deal.

Chill. Cut into squares. 

Best if kept in the refrigerator and served chilled.

Source: Graham cracker bars from Paula Deen. Frosting from Martha Stewart.