Saltine Toffee

Back when we were kids, my mom used to make cracker sandwiches.  I think they were the precursor or poor-man's version of Oreos, but to me they were heavenly.  The ingredients?  Saltines and chocolate frosting, as in she slathered frosting between two white crackers, and we loved them.

This recipe is hardly more difficult than that.  I've seen it referred to as 'crack', which either refers to the crackers in it or the way you become freakishly addicted to the stuff after your first taste.  Recently I made these for my mom, and when I told her they were called 'crack' she questioned "Crap!?"  It made me giggle, because my mom-the-retired-kindergarten- teacher doesn't say bad words, and she would never refer to a dessert as the street name for a narcotic.  No, this is the woman who invented the dessert called 'cherry nummy.'  I'll have to show you that one sometime.

If you would prefer to call these something tamer, go with Saltine toffee.  Who would have thought Saltines were so versatile?

Generally I enroll the help of the children to line them in a baking pan.  When I do it, I obsess that the crackers don't fit perfectly in the pan, with corners touching neatly. 

It frustrates me that Saltines don't break in half perfectly, because I need a row of half crackers to fill my pan.  I know.  I'm ridiculous.  But that doesn't stop me from trying.

Crackers with toffee doesn't sound that great.  But it is.

And of course, everything is better with a layer of chocolate on top.  

Speaking of versatile, I love chocolate chips.

Now, some people just break the cooled and set bars into pieces--like English toffee.  You might guess I prefer to cut mine in perfect squares.  If you don't have this bar cutter, you must get one.  I think it was from Pampered Chef.  I use it all the time.

You know what else that bar cutter is good for?  Scraping.  It would be sacrilegious to throw away the crumbs.  Sprinkle them on something--yogurt, ice cream, whatever--or just be like me and eat them with a spoon. 

After you try Saltine toffee, you might want to pack them up into a pretty tin and send them to someone else.  Unless you're good with an overdose of butter, sugar and chocolate.  I guess there are worse ways to go!

Saltine Toffee
Recipe from Elsie's Attic on The Vintage Villiage

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1.5 sleeves Saltines crackers
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover an 11 x 13 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.  Line with Saltine crackers.  In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour the butter-sugar mixture over the Saltines, then spread so it evenly covers all crackers.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool briefly, about 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips, then spread melted chips over all crackers.  Refrigerate until the chocolate becomes firm.  Break into smaller pieces, or cut along cracker lines.  Enjoy!