Club Crackers, buttery and light, are one of the few crackers that I will happily eat straight up, without any spread or toppings. They are delightfully independent. Still, when I came across an easy sweet snack recipe with Club Crackers as the base and crunchy caramel on top, I had to try it. I’m so glad I did it.

These Club Cracker Cookies aren’t really cookies, but they’re not cookies or candy either. Whatever you call them, know that it takes a lot of willpower to eat just one.

In the early 2000s, I worked in the marketing department of a small artisanal chocolate factory. We had a service, WebClips, which sent us press clippings mentioning our activity every month. The stack of newspaper and magazine articles contained mostly recipes mentioning our brand, but it still allowed me to browse many chocolate recipes.

Somehow the recipe I saved for myself didn’t contain any chocolate. All that said at the top of the page was “Winner, Easy Cookies.” Judy Beaudoin of Bedford says she got this winning recipe from her sister in Dickinson, North Dakota, but adds that it’s “a good Texas recipe” because it doesn’t get messy in hot weather.

Why should you create these “cookies”

Judy’s recipe intrigued me, and although I added it to my accordion file, I didn’t have time to prepare it for a good 20 years. After making the Club Cracker Cookies, I can guarantee that they are both easy And worthy of winning a recipe contest.

All you have to do is simmer the butter and sugar together for a few minutes, pour it onto a rack of Club Crackers, sprinkle nuts all over and bake until filling is bubbling. The result is similar to Christmas cracker candy Or unleavened caramelyet the absence of melted chocolate somehow reinforces the contrast between the brittle caramel and the salty, crunchy crackers. I like how the exposed edges of some crackers get a little golden and toasted in the oven and how the caramel coats some crackers more than others.

They would be great to wrap as gifts for the holidays or as an addition to a cookie jar to add an element of intrigue. They would also be good to make with kids (which Judy noted in the original recipe clipping).

How to Make Club Cracker Cookies

For approximately 42 cracker cookies, you will need:

• 42 club crackers

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with greased foil or a silicone baking mat. Arrange the Club Crackers in a grid 6 crackers wide and 7 crackers long. Close all gaps so the crackers touch each other as much as possible.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and salt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, reducing heat if necessary to maintain a strong boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Working quickly, pour the filling onto the crackers and use an offset metal spatula to spread it as thinly and evenly over as many crackers as possible. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Sprinkle the nuts over the cookies then bake until the topping is bubbly, 8 to 12 minutes. Judy’s recipe says to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack at this point, but I let them cool on the sheet and then separated them into individual pieces with no problem.

Store the cookies in a tightly closed container for up to 4 days. The filling will get a little softer each day, but the cookies will still be flavorful.

Tips for Making Club Cracker Cookies

• While I like to save money by buying store brands, I will say that there is a marked difference in quality between Club Crackers and fake Club Crackers. The real thing is worth splurging for this super simple recipe.

• I used chopped almonds, but any nut you like would work here: pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts.

• If you don’t like nuts, don’t use them.

• If chocolate is necessary, drizzle some melted chocolate over the cookies once they have come out of the oven and have had time to set.

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