I enjoy a wide variety of foods, and while I usually lean toward savory or bitter flavors, there’s one sweet exception: brownies. I love them in all forms — fudgy, cakey, blondies — and I’m particularly obsessed with the crispy edge pieces. Recently I discovered a commercial crunchy brownie wafer at a conference and fell hard for its texture and flavor. The problem: the stores that carry it are a long drive away and the price didn’t sit right with me.

So I set out to make my own Toffee Brownie Crackle — a crispy, crunchy brownie wafer cookie packed with English toffee bits and chocolate chips. The result is incredibly crunchy, inexpensive to make, free of preservatives and additives, and just as tasty (if not tastier) than the store-bought version. These are thin, crisp brownie wafers with a satisfying snap. They’re habit-forming in the best way.

Below you’ll find concise cook’s notes and the recipe so you can make these at home, achieve an excellent crisp, and customize them as you like.

Cook’s Notes

for Toffee Brownie Crackle {Crispy, Crunchy, Brownie Wafer Cookies}

Parchment paper is essential. I did not test Silpats; parchment guarantees easy removal and prevents the thin batter from sticking to the pan.
The batter is sticky and a bit tricky to spread thin. Hold the parchment at the far side of the pan with one thumb and use an offset spatula to pull the batter toward you, repositioning the parchment as needed to get it very thin and even. An offset spatula works best; a silicone spatula will do in a pinch.
Getting the batter thin and nearly to the edges of the parchment is critical. Aim for only a small border around the pan so the crackers bake uniformly crisp.
When you score the brownie sheet, don’t cut all the way through. Lightly drag a knife to mark lines for breaking later. A grid of about 1½-inch squares or diamonds works well.
Remove the pan when the pieces feel mostly firm but still have a little give — not rock-hard. They will crisp as they cool. If pieces remain soft after cooling (oven variations can cause this), break them apart and bake at 250°F until fully crisped.

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Toffee Brownie Crackle {Crispy, Crunchy Brownie Wafer}

Rebecca Lindamood

Ingredients

1 large egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanut, canola, or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/8 ounces by weight
3 heaping tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Heath brickle or other toffee bits
1/2 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Line a half-sheet pan (18 x 13 x 1/2 inch) with parchment paper and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg white vigorously until frothy, about 1 minute. Whisk in the sugar until incorporated. Add the oil, water, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until you have a smooth, shiny brownie batter. Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and use an offset spatula (or silicone spatula) to spread it as thinly and evenly as possible, leaving roughly a 1/2-inch border if needed. Sprinkle the toffee bits and chocolate chips evenly over the surface; no need to press them in.
Bake 15 minutes, remove the pan and score the batter into your desired shapes and sizes, then return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool completely before breaking along the scored lines. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If pieces soften, re-crisp them in a 250°F oven.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using your preferred tool with the exact ingredients you use.

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This recipe was originally published June 6th, 2014.