For the eighth year in a row, Yale lost The Game. That is sad.

But want to know what’s not sad? Thanksgiving being in 4 days!

I was actually in Massachusetts this weekend for the game, drove back down to New Jersey today, and will be driving back up again for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. That’s a lot of time driving through the worst state ever (95 in Connecticut is its own special form of torture – you can be cruising along, no problem, only to have to slam on your brakes, take 2 hours to drive 10 miles, and then the road will free up again with absolutely no explanation). With all of this time to think, I decided that I wanted to post a Thanksgiving recipe before Thanksgiving, thus being much more helpful for anyone who actually was browsing my blog for immediate use.

Initially, I wanted to make a Salted Chocolate Pecan Pie, thinking that there was no reason I couldn’t make a pecan pie and keep it in the fridge until Thursday, but the recipe said that it was best served same day, and I’m not one to argue with another’s recommendations. So, sticking with serious eats, I turned to another recipe that I knew would keep better, and which I’ve actually made for Thanksgiving before, though I didn’t post it here yet.

Also, as soon as I logged on to post this, I realized that last week’s recipe was chocolate and cranberry, too. Oh well, it’s a good flavor combination for the season. And next week is going to be a decidedly different combination – get excited.

So, first thing you need to do is line a 13 x 9 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. On top of that parchment paper, lay out the graham crackers. I broke them into their little rectangles and used all 16 crackers, figuring there was nothing wrong with a thick base to this, but if you use fewer crackers to make a single layer, you’ll get more of a candy and less of a bar.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the mixture boils.

Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes to thicken. I was nervous that I was going to burn it, but you’ll be OK if you stick to the three minutes.

Pour the caramel over the graham crackers and bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot caramel and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Then, using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the graham cracker layer.

Sprinkle the walnuts and craisins evenly over the chocolate. Allow to cool at room temperature for two hours, or put in the fridge to speed up the process.

Once it’s hardened, you can chop it up as you see fit. I decided on triangles for no reason other than I thought they would be more fun to cut. You can store these for quite awhile in an airtight container layered with parchment paper.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Brickle

Ingredients:

• 16 graham crackers
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 10 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup craisins

Directions:

1. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper. Layer graham crackers on top.
2. Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until it begins to boil.
3. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour immediately over graham crackers.
4. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the hot caramel.
5. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before spreading evenly over graham cracker layer using an offset spatula.
6. Sprinkle with walnuts and craisins. Allow to cool 2 hours at room temperature or in fridge until hardened before chopping.