In pursuit of life, liberty and the saltine cracker

A few years ago we attended a summer BBQ. Our friend Jacqueline brought this amazing treat that tasted like a Heath Bar. We all thought it was delicious and must be time-consuming to create, because toffee just sounds so,so.........high-maintenance.



I asked if she would share her recipe and if I remember the conversation correctly, it went something like this:



"You take some saltine crackers and line a pan, then pour over the brown sugar and butter mixture and lay Hershey bars on top to melt."



"I'm sorry, I must not have heard you what with all this Jimmy Buffet music playing and baseball talk going on....Hershey bar and brown sugar and butter and what??"



"A CRACKER........you know, the regular kind that you buy in a box."



Crackers?? They're great for soups and the first 3 months of pregnancy, but for a dessert?? Really??



Fast forward to this weekend. A mutual friend is going to be in town (one of the originals from the "I can't believe this has a cracker in it" crowd) and we are having him over for a BBQ. Since Jacqueline can't be here she called and said "You have to make this....Dougie loves these and I won't be able to bring them!!" So, in honor of both country and friends alike, I present to you this amazingly simple recipe - I'm sure it has a formal name, but I have no idea what it is:


Preheat oven to 400. Line an 11x15 pan (with sides) with foil. Cover with a single layer of crackers. Melt 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of brown sugar on stove and let boil for 4 minutes.

I feel compelled to let you know that the mixture WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT!

Pour mixture gently over the crackers - they may shift slightly but it will be okay. Slide pan into oven for 5-7 minutes then remove immediately. Pour 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz) over and let sit for 1 minute or so. They will melt and then you can gently spread chocolate to coat the entire pan. I used choc. chips as I did not have multiple Hershey bars on hand. I say as long as there is chocolate of some sort, you will be okay. (I'm thinking of having t-shirts emblazoned with this!)

As you can see, I added July 4th stars to make them more festive. I am thinking of doing these for Christmas with holiday sprinkles in a cute Christmas tin.......it's never too early to start thinking, ladies! (And Bill and Dad)

Anyway, cool on the counter for a bit before putting the pan in the freezer. The fridge will work too, it will just take longer to set. After about 1/2 hour in the freezer, lift out the foil, peel and break the "toffee" into random size pieces. Store in a plastic container in freezer (keeps them from getting too soft) until ready to serve. Happy July 4th!!