Easy Game Day Snacks: Ritz-y Ritz Cracker Turtles {Recipe}

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Truth be told, I don’t watch a ton of regular season professional football.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s on in our house (my husband wouldn’t have it any other way), but I’m far too wrapped up in college football to pay much attention.  And then around the beginning of January, my calendar frees up a bit…college football ends and pro-football grabs my attention again.  By that point, we’re normally in the playoffs so the games tend to be pretty good.  Of course, my husband has to catch me up on what’s happened during the regular season and the status of our high flying Atlanta football team, but from that point forward we make a point to watch the games.  Before I know it, it’s time to plan for the Big Game.  You know that one that always takes place right around the beginning of February?  Yeah, that one.  Because no matter who’s playing, we’re watching.

Our plans for the Big Game change from year to year – sometimes we go over to a friend’s house, other times we have friends over, and a few times we’ve stayed home by ourselves to watch as a family – but we always have a plan for the food, because no one wants to be waiting for delivery that night.  This year, we’ll be staying home and inviting a few friends over, so I decided it was time to begin planning.

Menu planning started out easy – I’ve been wanting to try the DiGiorno STUFFED CRUST Pizza and this seemed like the perfect time.  I thought it would be fun to arrange the pepperonis like a football going through a goal post.  I’m actually glad I did a trial run of this because on the day of the Big Game when we have company, I’m going to cut the “ball” pepperoni in an oval shape to look more like a football.  But it’s still a pretty cute design:I then added Coca-Cola and Ritz Crackers to the list.  But when it came to dessert, I was a bit stumped.  I wanted something salty, but I also wanted something sweet…something chocolate.  And then it came to me – Ritz Cracker Turtles!  Or, as I like to call them, Ritz-y Turtles!  A combination of salty crackers, gooey caramel, and semi-sweet chocolate all combined and topped with sprinkles!  Yes, traditional turtles are topped with nuts, but since we have an allergy in the house, it’s just safer to use sprinkles for this one.  Plus, they could be dressed up in your team’s colors!

These fancy cracker snacks are so easy to make and absolutely delicious.  Did I mention they only take a little over an hour to make?  It’s true!

You will need:
Ritz Crackers
10 Soft caramel candies
1 tsp Whipping cream
Chocolate candy melts or baking chocolate suitable for melting
Sprinkles (optional)

Step 1 – Unwrap 10 caramels and place them in a small mixing bowl.  Add 1 tsp whipping cream.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds then remove and stir.  Microwave for an additional 10 seconds, remove, and stir.  If caramels are completely melted, discontinue microwaving.  If caramels are still “lumpy” and not all the way melted, continue microwaving at 10 second intervals until completely melted.  Place to the side and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  This will allow the caramel to thicken a bit which makes it easier to work with.

Step 2 – Using a knife, spread a small amount of caramel (think, 1 tsp to 1 1/2 tsp amount) on the center of the bottom of a Ritz cracker, but don’t go all the way to the edge of the cracker.  The purpose of this step is to make sure the amount in the center is even, so when you place another cracker on top, it will evenly distribute.  

Then place another Ritz cracker on top and press down gently.  You want the caramel to be touching the bottoms of the Ritz crackers so the salted cracker top is exposed on both sides.  Continue doing this until you have made sandwiches out of all your crackers.  My batch of caramel made 10 sandwich cookies.  Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Step 3 – Melt your candy melts or baking chocolate in another small mixing bowl.  Dip half of you Ritz cracker turtle sandwich in the chocolate.  Hold over the bowl of chocolate, allowing excess to drip off.  Top with sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.  

Tip:  You could very easily cover these entirely in chocolate, but I decided not to for fear that they’d be passed over as just another cookie.  I highly recommend leaving part of the Ritz Crackers exposed so people know why these turtles are so “ritz-y”.

Step 4 – Place in the fridge for an hour then serve!

If you’re looking to make these delicious “dressed-up” Ritz Cracker Ritz-y Turtles or need anything else for your Big Game Party, you can find them at Walmart.  In fact, most of my supplies were on rollback!