A Southern Grace: saltines have never had it so good...

December 18, 2008

saltines have never had it so good...

Yum

...and neither have I. Quick, easy, and undeniably drool-inducing--what could be better?


Yep. This is good stuff. Perhaps you've tried or at least seen the variety using matzo. I'm here to tell you that if it's at all possible, this version is even better. I think the salt on the crisp crackers combined with the rich, semi-sweet chocolate and crunchy, buttery toffee makes for the perfect candy, any minute of any day of any month of any year. It's probably best to save it for the holidays, however, unless you want to add some more junk to your trunk...

*This post has been updated with the answers to many common questions (such as why the order in the picture is different from the order in the recipe...)! Read more here and here. Print the recipe here.


Terribly Terrific Toffee
(printable recipe!)
1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer. (You can add nuts, cracker crumbs, or whatever else floats your boat at this point.) Let cool and, if desired for expediting purposes, refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces the size of your choice. I personally prefer a hand-sized chunk.


GADZOOKS, Christmas is in one week! Gracious me.

268 comments:

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Culinary Wannabe said...

OMG! These look amazing. I've been trying for years to make chocolate dipped saltines (my mom worked in a chocolate store that dipped everything in chocolate and the saltier, the better!) to no avail. You've solved my dilemma and even made it better with the toffee!! Yay!!!

Susan @ SGCC said...

I love these! I've had them with matzoh before, but the saltines are a great idea. They look fab!

kat said...

oh wow, those sound incredible! I'm tempted to make a batch today

OhioMom said...

I have made these, a friend sent me this recipe some time ago ... and let me tell you Grace is right .. these are to die for :)

Paula said...

Gadzooks! Yum! I love these and haven't had them in forever! Time to wipe the drool from my chin.

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

These look terrific - the saltine version really is fantastic - it's one of my favorite chocolate treats! I have used both chips and Hershey bars, though I have to say the bars are my favorite. I couldn't figure out what to call this but I finally settled on chocolate toffee bark! I do have a tutorial posted on my blog. A warning though ... you will have a difficult time with not eating the whole batch. They are a bit addictive.

Pamela said...

I just made 2 batches of this stuff last week and I LOVE IT! I've been making it for a few years now, and this is the first year that I haven't eaten most of it before Christmas. It looks superb.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I made something similar yesterday Grace using graham crackers. They are oh so good!!!

Amy said...

Oh I love love love this recipe! I just posted it on my blog too.. it was new new to me... I call it Crickle tho... lol! My hubby actually forbade me to make it ever again because he could not stop eating it. It is wonderful... so so so so good!

hugs... Amy
http://joy-of-my-heart-recipes.blogspot.com/2008/12/crickle.html

Marjie said...

Damn! Saltines and chocolate! Sign me up! (A friend who's a doctor says you should always have some salt to counteract the sweet stuff...)

Katie said...

That looks fantastic. I don't know if I can consume anymore sweets. But this makes me want too.

vanillasugarblog said...

you are evil....
this is one of my all-time fav's

Heather said...

yummmmmm. can i come live with you?

Dee Light said...

I've seen this recipe and wanted to try but lost it. Thanks for sharing, they look sooooooo yummy.

Anonymous said...

I'm a huge fan of all things toffee related! --Love that margarine is not allowed.

Ingrid_3Bs said...

That is easy! Love the last two recipes you've post! I hadn't seen either one before. Both are so easy and I'm taking your word on their yumminess!

My must make list is seriously out of control! THX! :-)
~ingrid

Anonymous said...

I love saltines and I love chocolate, and I love the idea of salt and sweet. I would have never put these together, but it sounds so tasty.

Pam said...

Salty, sweet and crunchy - how can it get better. Great recipe Grace!

Albany Jane said...

Were I good at candy making, I would SO try this. I freaking love toffee, salt, and the chocolate would be tolerable too :)

Suburban prep said...

I make these every year at Christmas and they are always the first thing to be eaten.

Jessica@Foodmayhem said...

MMM....it's the irresistible salty sweet combination.

anudivya said...

One of my friends taught me how to make these, ever since this has been a regular in all my potluck events... looks gorgeous!

Maris said...

What a treat! These sound like chocolate covered pretzels, only way butterier (more buttery? eh, whatev.)

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I must say that this looks so good.

Emily said...

This is my favorite kind of candy! I love it. You should try it with peanut butter.

Leslie said...

Simple and yummy with chocolate and salt combo!!!! YUM

The Blonde Duck said...

LOL! I love the junk in the trunk comment!

Nikki @ NikSnacks said...

O. M. G. I make something like this every year at Christmas at my mom's. I use Ritz crackers though. I sandwich soy nut butter (because I'm allergic to peanut butter) inbtween 2 crackers, first. The saltiness of the crackers is so wonderful with the chocolate. And instead of toffee, I make caramel. I dip the sanwich in the slightly cooled caramel, let it set then dip it in the chocolate. Last year I did all white chocolate. This year I'm going all out and doing black and white ones. I might grab a box of matzo while I'm out...hmmm...
Thanks for sharing :)

Lori said...

Have always loved these. They are the BEST!

MaryBeth said...

Crackers...who knew they could look so good. These look awesome, great idea Grace.

La Bella Cooks said...

Wow, sweet and salty savory. I could easily get used to that! These would be so addictive.

Sharon said...

Saltines have never looked so good! I'd like to try this with some of the savory flatbread crackers out there now. Yum!

Anonymous said...

You're a very bad girl for
a) posting this so close to my bedtime so that I am now hungry and craving it
b)including saltines, which we don't have here in Australia!

:P

Robin said...

These are one of my favorites! Used to make them a while back but forgot about them. Thanks for the reminder!

Anonymous said...

Oh yum - I've had these before or something similar, but I think yours with the brown sugar may be a different twist. Yum!

Anonymous said...

I admit that I initially scoffed this as "red-neck candy". You see, I lived in South Georgia for 3 years, and everyone was making this stuff down there. I thought I was above eating it...until the fateful day that I had me a bite! Oh lordy...it was some kind of good, and addictive. I was trapped in a car with it and ate almost the whole tin in about 30 minutes! So....I stand corrected....it was very good and this California Girl admitted that she was a little "red-necky" after all.

emily said...

Heaven. Help. Me.

Sandie said...

Oh, oh. This looks like it could get addictive, FAST. I am such a sucker for sweet 'n salty---plus this is easy and quick enough to whip up on a moments notice. I am in big trouble...

giz said...

When I first saw these I thought "matzoh crunchies" and then I saw saltines and thought - wow what enhances chocolate better than salt. What a great call.

Anonymous said...

You can just send me a box full of those pls thx.

Elle said...

My cousin's mom in law used to make these. They're positively addictive! Should I risk it and make some? Probably!

Aleta said...

I've never heard of these before. OH MY OH MY -- Salt AND chocolate - this is PMS heaven!!! (every man should know how to make these - it's a PMS saver!)

pam said...

Why have I never heard of these before? How can that be!!??

Anonymous said...

wow, this looks fantastic. never thought I'd see such an upscale looking saltine!

TeaLady said...

I had just finished making some when I came across your post. Check my blog in a couple. I did a different variation. Yours look fantastic. I love these.....

Half Baked said...

Mmmm! I'll risk a little junk in the trunk for these babies!! They look divine!

Bunny said...

Grace these are fantastic, I love salty - sweet combinations and this fills the bill nicely. Great Recipe!

KJ said...

I would never have thought of this. I'm intrigued!!!

Anonymous said...

What a perfect balance of sweet and salty! And the recipe seems easy enough! Thanks for sharing :)

Shari said...

Yum - these look easy AND delicious! A great combo!

Anonymous said...

Yep I've only had them with matzoh but saltines, i always have those around. Sounds like a good change out!

Peter M said...

Toffee porn, a new and wonderful genre...I'm smitten.

Anonymous said...

I made these one year for my husband to share with his co-workers. They were a huge hit. Someone asked him what they were called and he said "Pantry cookies." Guess he thought they should be called that because we always have the ingredients on had to make a batch.

RecipeGirl said...

I've seen this recipe for years and have always wanted to make it. You made it look rather gourmet and delish.

test it comm said...

These sound great! I would not have thought to use saltine crackers like this.

Anonymous said...

Wow I thought it was just saltines and chocolate at first glance. Sounds extra good with the toffee.

Lisa said...

These are awesome! This recipe is one of my cousin's specialties. Who'd believe a recipe made with saltines could be so tasty? It reminds me of those peanut butter and ritz cracker sandwich cookies, the one's you dip in butterscotch chips. Yum! Recipes don't have to be long and complicated to be delicious.

Anonymous said...

So tempting! Really!

Anonymous said...

These look amazingly easy and delicious! I have an assembly question though. The recipe would result in saltine covered by toffee covered by chocolate. But the pictures in the post appear to have the saltine in the middle instead of on the bottom. Howdja do that?

eatme_delicious said...

Yummmmmmm I've wanted to make some version of this for a while. But I'm confused - if you lay out the crackers, then pour the caramel on top, then put the chocolate on top of that, how do the crackers end up in the middle?

grace said...

cecelia & eatme:

my best guess is that the crackers end up in the middle because when you pour the toffee over them, they float in its goodness. if they formed a completely solid layer, that probably wouldn't happen and the crackers would be your bottom layer. so the result is kind of like a toffee-surrounded saltine with chocolate on top. in other words, heaven. :)

Cheryl said...

This is one of my favorite holiday recipes. I just made some tonight!

Vera said...

This treat must be fantastic!

Anonymous said...

I tried to make this recipe but it didn't come out looking like the pics. I checked other blogs and theirs came out the same -- the toffee and chocolate were on the same side. I'm not sure how Grace got the toffee and chocolate on different sides, but I'd be interested in finding out. Also, I had trouble with my chocolate spreading out evenly. Next time, i will either leave the toffee in longer so it bubbles more before I add the chocolate chips or I'll melt the chocolate in a double boiler then spread onto the toffee.

Anonymous said...

This is a really fabulous treat. It is inexpensive, easy and totally delicious. I had no trouble at all making it, so I am not sure what is happening with the technique some people are using the directions are perfect. Thank you so much, this is a new favorite!

grace said...

thanks anonymous--i'm glad you're enjoying it! i've made the cursed/blessed treat a couple times since this post (it never seems to hang around for very long), and it's come out the exzact same way. regardless of how it looks, it's a combination of butter, sugar, and chocolate and therefore can never be bad. :)

Jeanne said...

Now that's something I've never seen... But as a long-standing fan of sweet with salty, I don't see how I'm going to keep these out of my kitchen :)

beanie said...

OMG I think I am in love. Have you ever tasted something so good as this! This is a must do every holiday now!

Nanci said...

My Kids always entered this receipe in the Bake-Off at their School. It always came in First Place. Its the Best.

Jennie@gotmyreservations said...

I've had the saltine version and I've had the matzoh version. If you're not Jewish celebrating a non-rising holiday, the saltine version is better. A great recipe -- it should be on Pinterest for everyone to see!

Anonymous said...

I make these all the time and I love them! But be warned, they are super addicting!

Anne Ahiers said...

this looks really great and i'm excited to try it out.
but i'm a little confused. The recipe says saltines on the bottom, then toffee, then chocolate. But the photo is clearly toffee on the bottom, then saltines, then chocolate.
Did you just flip the toffee/saltine steps to get them in the order of the photo?

tabby_cat316 said...

thanks for sharing, looks soooo good :) but, before I try it, i have one question; is margarine not allowed because it will ruin the batch, or just because butter is better? Is it possible to use margarine instead of real butter?

grace said...

@anne: i did indeed layer them as indicated in the recipe, but the saltines floated to the top! it all works out in the end. :)

@tabby_cat: i was just being silly because i love me some butter. you could totally use margarine!

mlg said...

I make this every year too- and it works w/ marg. or butter. very addicting
got the recipe years ago from my sister :) when I posted it on my blog (a few years ago) hardly anyone commented so I thought everyone must already know about this addicting substance that is super easy to make :)

Shawntae Berry said...

Yum!! Can't wait to make these-Seriously-I'm 18 weeks pregnant, I don't think I can wait! Question tho-On the incredibly appetizing picture the chocolate and toffee are on opposite sides of the cracker-did I miss something in the instructions that you flip the crackers over??

grace said...

@shawntae: nope, sure didn't--they floated to the top when i poured on the hot sugar. if you press them down so they get swallowed by that mixture (which i guess i didn't do), they would probably be in the right order. :)

Anonymous said...

I've made these before but had trouble with them sticking to the pan...so I tried foil...then they stuck to the foil...
HELP...any ideas?

blogmia said...

These are beyond addictive...I made them a few years back and almost forgot about them. If you have a silpat that would probably help with the sticking...or the specialty baking foil...I will definitely be making these again!

Jen said...

I bet this would be fantastic with crushed pretzles, or the pretzle crackers too.

grace said...

@Rebecca: while i've never had a problem with stickage, i second blogmia's suggestion. silpats are a miraculous invention.

Mrs. V. said...

Oh my, these must be added to the holiday goodie list! Wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Oh My Goodness! This is crazy! My family has been making this stuff for years!!!!! The only difference is that we call it the "good stuff", my daughter named it when she was five years old! :) Perfect Christmas gift!

Anonymous said...

We also make this using the white chocolate bark. My mom melts it and brushes it on the crackers. Just another variation.

steelepampered said...

I make these all the time, but I usually do them with graham crackers, the butter and sugar, sprinkle with chopped almonds and bake. I do love them with saltines too though!!

Anonymous said...

I think I did something wrong - mine don't break, they're kind of mushy :(

grace said...

@Anonymous: i'd say you either didn't boil the sugar mixture long enough or didn't let it bake long enough. even though it was mushy, i'll bet it was still tasty. :)

Andrea said...

How long do you let the chocolate chips sit before you start spreading? Mine doesn't appear smooth and it is driving me crazy! Am I waiting too long to long after I take it out of the oven? I love them, they are just not up to my sharable standards :)

Anonymous said...

I just made this today! Turned out fabulous! Do you think it will be alright until Christmas? Any tips on storing it?

Joy said...

We call this Unbelievable Toffee and it's wonderful.
Anonymous ... It stores great, but you might have to make more before Christmas because it's hard to stay out of

grace said...

@Andrea: it should only take 5 minutes or so for the morsels to melt and become spreadable. be sure to sprinkle them in an even layer and when they lose their sheen and start to sag a little, spread away!

@Anonymous: while the candy would probably still be edible come christmas, it certainly won't be at its best. why not make it again? :)

Anonymous said...

I just made a batch of this and I'm not sure it turned out right... The toffee part has more of a fudge consistency... It's stiff, but not crunchy, and so it tastes too sugary... Wondering if I did something wrong? My measurements were right and I cooked the suggested amounts of time, but maybe I should have cooked lOnger?

grace said...

@Anonymous: maybe you and i have different ideas of simmering, so perhaps try to let the butter and brown sugar cook together a bit longer on top of the stove. i wouldn't go as long as 12 minutes, though--you'll probably end up with a stiff, difficult mess!

Anonymous said...

the bottom is super sticky/slimey .. any suggestions?

Megan said...

I made these and they rocked! Thanks! I linked to your blog on my blog, too :)

grace said...

@Anonymous: my suggestion would be to bake it in the oven a bit longer, even up to 15 minutes. i hope that helps!

Anonymous said...

i used generic crackers and over cooked the toffee before adding. i then left in the over 2 mins longer. i was hoping for the cracker to soak up more of the toffee and it did! is wonderful!

TravelingMom said...

Is the "no margarine" rule because it won't work, or is it because it just doesn't taste as yummy?

My daughter is lactose intolerant, so I'd rather not use butter unless that's the only way...and then she can use Lactaid before eating it.

Shelia J. said...

I made these but the toffee part never hardened. They are still really good, but just kinda soft on the bottom. Maybe I didn't boil the mixture or bake it long enough??? I used the new parchment paper that has foil on the back and they didn't stick much at all.

JBurks said...

I was so upset these didn't turn out well until I realized I used 1/2 cup butter, not 1 cup. I will try again and report back lol!

Judy H. said...

I made these today...they taste wonderful, however, when right out of the fridge, they are nice and sort of crunchy/crisp--cracker part is somewhat flaky--really good. After being out of the fridge awhile, when I go to break it into pieces, it's not as crisp AND the chocolate top (from the chocolate chips)is tending to separate from the cracker. Any suggestions? Should it have to be stored in the refrigerator? Thanks! I hope to make more tomorrow, so I'll check back to see if anyone had a suggestion! Merry Christmas to all!

Natalie said...

SO delicious! I made 2 batches, one following this recipe and another using Ritz Crackers and bittersweet chocolate (both with the cracker crumbs on the top). I cannot believe something so yummy just came out of MY kitchen!! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Major hit with family! Easy to make and fun too! I made some with white chocolate chips, butterscotch & semi-sweet....YUM!

Fatima M said...

I just made these yesterday & they turned out amazing! Thank you for sharing & thanks to Pinterest for sharing this idea & a billion more recipes to try.
a question though: could i use 1/2 cup butter to "cut" some of the fat out? would that work for the toffee or should i just use stronger will power when eating? :)

grace said...

@TravelingMom: yes, margarine can be substituted. i was just being elitist. :)

@Sheila J: yes, boil it a bit longer, up to 12 minutes. that should do the trick!

@Judy H: i've had the problem with the chocolate breaking apart from the toffee before as well. it's troublesome, but still delicious. if you find the trick to preventing it, do share!

@Fatima M: i wouldn't cut the butter if i were you--the toffee almost certainly won't set up properly. give it a try if you dare, and if it works, tell me immediately!

Shannon M. said...

Found this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. Made it exactly as directed and I have to say this is just as delicious as you indicate (and just as addictive!). My mouth says "Thanks!" but my waste-line is going to have a different opinion ;)

Christa Jeanne said...

I make this every year - SO addictive!!! The recipe I use is almost the same, except instead of using the stovetop, I microwave the butter for two minutes, add the brown sugar, and then microwave it for another two minutes in 30-second intervals. Works like a charm!

Then and Again Furnishings said...

OMG!!! This is awesome! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

My Mother in Law makes these every year...they seriously are to.die.for!!!!

Anonymous said...

These are super good straight out of the fridge!
I've also had trouble getting the chocolate to melt and spread nicely. They taste great but don't look so nice.

Elizabeth said...

After the chocolate is spread on top I sprinkle red pepper & pretzel salt on half of it. Not ALL of my family likes 'hot' chocolate & salted chocolate.

Cathryn said...

This may sound strange, but something else that is really yummy if you like salty with the sweet it crumbled bacon on top of the chocolate!!! It may sound crazy but it is really good.

Anonymous said...

I have a silly question. When the cracker layer is placed onto the cookie sheet with the "toffee" mixture poured over top and baked, does the toffee layer melt or move underneath the crackers? In the image pictured it looks different from the recipe: from bottom up, toffee-cracker-chocolate and not cracker-toffee-chocolate. I scanned the comments for anyone else confused, is it just me?

grace said...

@anonymous: you are not alone! the saltines floated to the top when i poured on the hot sugar. if you press them down so they get swallowed by that mixture (which i guess i didn't do), they would probably be in the right order. :)

Anonymous said...

Grace, Thank you for your reply and recipe alike. Can't wait to try it out! Your way sounds fantastic, thanks for clearing it up for me.

Deb said...

They are in the oven now. And my goodness! The smells coming from my kitchen are WONDERFUL! Yummmm!

Ashley Will said...

My mom always made these when I was a kid. My favorite treat!

Anonymous said...

So I have a question...do you turn the crackers over to add the chocolate? In the pic it looks like chocolate on one side and toffee on the other. Thanks!

grace said...

@anonymous: oddly enough, the saltines floated to the top when i poured on the hot sugar. if you press them down so they get swallowed by that mixture (which i guess i didn't do), they would probably be in the expected order. :)

Holly said...

Just made these for our family reunion and they were a huge hit! Gone in no time! ;D Thanks for sharing.

Batya (AKA Nancy) said...

In the pic it looks like the chocolate is on the other side of the cracker from the toffee...are you supposed to turn it over after the toffee hardens and add chocolate, or put chocolate on toffee?

grace said...

@Nancy: oddly enough, the saltines floated to the top when i poured on the hot sugar. if you press them down so they get swallowed by that mixture (which i guess i didn't do), they would probably be in the expected order. :)

Michelle said...

I don't make candy, but I'm going to try this. I've read all the comments, so I'm NOT going to ask how te crackers end up in the middle! I did want to throw a thought out there -- could some of the problems people are having te result of their particular humidity levels? Aren't there some candies that the humidity level has to be within a certain range or it won't set up correctly?

Cocktail Lady said...

Oh my goodness these look absolutely delicious!! I will absolutely need to try these! If it wasn't so late, I think I'd do it now! Thank You for this recipe!

grace said...

@michelle--that's an interesting thought! incidentally, i've only ever made this candy in the winter in virginia, so you may be on to something there!

Tracy Paul said...

Hi Grace, thanks so much for a wonderful recipe. I saw almost the same one on" the Shiksa" blog. I don't remember what color sugar she used + I know she used Matzah instead of Salines. Your way is less expensive. I have not tried making Caramel or Toffie since I was 13 + poured very hot Caramel over an apple I was holding. You can imagine the results. I will be trying your recipe. It looks so good + easy. Have you tried your recipe w/ pushing down the cracker? If so, is it better that way? I like how your picture looked.

grace said...

@Tracy Paul: i haven't actually tried pushing the crackers down, though i should. the plain truth is that it's delicious regardless of how it looks in the end! :)

lady Beth said...

I'm about to try making these. I am not much for knowing how to do things in the kitchen, so how should I store these, please?

grace said...

@lady Beth: any type of air-tight container would be fine, and while i find that keeping them in the fridge works best, room temperature is also okay!

Unknown said...

No white sugar or eggs in the house, but I'm craving sweet. Thought of this that I pinned for winter and thought, I'm not waiting that long. They're in the freezer now. I hope I can wait until after dinner before I dive in!!

melinda said...

I cant wait to try this!

Anonymous said...

Made it with the mint and dark chocolate chips... OMG!

Anonymous said...

A recipe I have:make the toffee as above(I use club crackers)instead of chocolate after baking just sprinkle with crushed pecans. Absolutely heavenly

Austen said...

Looks wonderful, I am starving for a pice of this wonderful sweetness!

Anonymous said...

What are the dimensions of the pan you used? Id like to cut the recipe in half if possible?

grace said...

@Anonymous: i used a 12"x17" pan. i can't believe i didn't list that, but it's corrected now--thanks! if you have a sheet pan or jelly roll pan that's smaller than that, it's worth trying to make a smaller batch.

Anonymous said...

I've read the comments and I can't wait to try these. Hopefully they will work out for me

Erin said...

My Mom has made these and they are so, so good!

Anonymous said...

@Grace...Can't wait to try this! I have one question though: the picture shows the layers as toffee, cracker, then chocolate but the directions explain crackers, toffee, then chocolate. Am I reading too much into this?

Anonymous said...

Found your recipe and making it tonight for the first time! I hope you don't mind me linking to it on my website & Twitter? Thanks for sharing, I can't wait til it cools! ~Amy
The Pink Camellia (Etsy). Www.Facebook.com/thepinkcamellia

grace said...

@Anonymous: oddly enough, the saltines floated to the top when i poured on the hot sugar. if you press them down so they get swallowed by that mixture (which i guess i didn't do), they would probably be in the expected order. :)

@Amy: please feel free to link back to this page--i hope the recipe worked for you!

Anonymous said...

These are so good!! Thank you for sharing such a simple, yet delicious, recipe!!!

Anonymous said...

My trunk just just got bigger, cause I ate to much 'junk' There is a reason this is called crack and they say crack kills...but REALLY what a way to GOOOOOOOOOOOO

jamiewhitewyatt said...

Microwave version--same ingredients:

Place crackers on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Microwave sugar and butter for 4 minutes. Whisk to blend. Pour over crackers and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Pour chocolate chips over and spread as they melt. Sprinkle with pecans. Freeze until chocolate hardens, then remove from freezer and break apart.

Anonymous said...

ive made these for years! we call them skor bars!

NStringham said...

These are soo good. I made these last Christmas and gave them to teachers. I added Christmas sprinkles after the chocolate was spread out to add a festive Christmas touch.

Anonymous said...

I have made 2 batches of these and they are out of this world. I melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Much easier to spread evenly and this time I put slivered almonds on them! Yummy!!

grace said...

@Anonymous--slivered almonds on top is a great idea! i've decided to use pistachios for my next batch. :)

Anonymous said...

I make these with graham crackers (the mini ones) and leave off the chocolate and sprinkle with pecans instead. In South Carolina, we call them funeral cookies. Spread the toffee mixture over the crackers quickly, then bake for 12-15 min. The pecans are the first thing to burn, but bake them till they start to look golden.

grace said...

@Anonymous: i really like the sound of your version, even with its macabre name. :)

Laura said...

I made these the other day and they were wonderful! The crackers floated up and they ended up in the middle just like in the picture. My only question is how to make the toffee part get hard instead of greasy. Perhaps if I use less butter? I don't know but it was always oily, never hard or firm like in your pic (though it was eaten up with zero complaints ha ha). Any ideas??

Joy said...

I love this holiday treat and I often will put half white chocolate chips and half semi sweet or milk chocolate chips. Let them mely together and swirl them together with a fork! Mmmmmmmm

grace said...

@Laura: you could try to reduce the butter a smidge, or you could let it simmer a bit longer, maybe 8 or 9 minutes rather than 5-6. we all use different equipment and different ingredients, so it's always a trial and error experiment--hone the recipe til you get it precisely how you like it!

@Joy: that sounds really lovely! your batch not only tasted heavenly but looked pretty darn amazing too!

Go Go Dancer said...

SO freaking good...I am calling them Toffee Cracker Crack! because it is so addictive...

Anonymous said...

@Laura - I had the same problem. I thought it was because I did it without the saltines. I think I will add some water in the beginning to help the sugar dissolve which I can't get to happen with just the butter. I hope that the water will evaporate off and then allow it to harden up better in the oven. But, like you said. It is wonderful and was eaten regardless.

This too shall pass said...

Tips from my errors!

1. Be sure to turn the oven on BEFORE you start melting better and sugar.
2. Get your pan lined, sprayed and crackers ready BEFORE you start melting butter and sugar.
3. Make sure you have Chocolate Chips BEFORE you start melting butter and sugar.

And - use LIGHT brown sugar - I used dark brown sugar and it seemed to burn.

Batch 1 did not work - batch 2 did better.

And for those wondering - when you put the crackers topped with toffee in the even it melts and seeps under the cracker - when I took it out of the oven I jiggled the pan to encourage the caramel/toffee to go under the crackers. I used Milk Chocolate Chips - they melts on the hot crackers/toffee and spread easily. I sprinkled with some Halloween sprinkles to take to a potluck.

I know they are going to be amazing when they cool - I ate the burnt batch without chocolate chips and they were pretty good so the good batch is going to be great!

grace said...

@This too shall pass: amazing tips--thanks! i love the idea of adorning them with appropriately-colored sprinkles. :)

susank kliesen said...

Try it with club crackers I like it a lot better than saltines

UtahMum2Nine said...

These look amazingly easy & YUMMY!!!

I'm always looking for new tasty treats to make to send with my husband to work for everyone there!

Thanks!!! :0)

Anonymous said...

I just made these with chocolate graham crackers and white chocolate morsels! YUMMY!
...and who said they have to be for Christmas? They are great now!

Unknown said...

I love these! They are soooo good. & super easy!

Anonymous said...

I have made this before during x-mas in batches because yes it is addicting.

Judy Hartke said...

I notice in the picture that the cracker is in the middle layer. Does the toffee seep through the crackers?

grace said...

@Judy Hartke: it does indeed! well, more specifically, it coats the crackers, both pooling on the bottom and covering the top.

ck said...

Ok- just whipped these up for a party I"m going to in 1.5 hours in less than 20 minutes... and to expedite the cooling process i am putting the cookie pan, which was still quite warm about 10 minutes ago, on top of a pyrex pan filled with ice cubes. The chocolate has now hardened and the metal cookie tray is very cold. We sprinkled with approriate spooky sprinkles and I cannot WAIT to try them!

grace said...

@ck: sounds great--good thinking with the ice cubes!

Anonymous said...

I have the exact recipe, except using white sugar, and Club crackers. Call them "Brutzel Bars". Taste exactly like English toffee. Amazing!!

Unknown said...

These sound so wonderful....can't wait to try them....
Growing up when mom made chocolate icing and had some leftover, always spread it on saltines.....Great memory!

Unknown said...

Made these tonight and they taste awesome but I had some trouble with my chocolate.... The chips never got melty enough to spread :(

grace said...

@Eileen: My first piece of advice is to let the chocolate chips sit for at least five minutes before attempting to spread them. If that doesn't work, pop the whole pan back into the oven (make sure it's off!) and let it sit in there for a few minutes. If none of these things work, you might try milk chocolate chips, as they have a tendency to melt more easily.

Anonymous said...

you forgot the sea salt topping...just saying.

grace said...

@Anonymous: not on my latest batch!

Anonymous said...

Thank you!! So simple yet so SO tasty!!

Garza6pack said...

Can't wait to try this and give as gifts! Thanks for posting!!!

Anonymous said...

I've made this before and added a 1/2 tsp of almond flavoring to the butter and sugar toffee. Yummy richness.
Lynn

Anonymous said...

can you freeze these?

grace said...

@Anonymous: you can absolutely freeze them! while you could probably freeze the whole thing before you break it apart, i always break it and bag it. an airtight container would work too.

Anonymous said...

Do you need a thermometer to do the sugar or anything or can you do it by just letting it boil etc. I know that people who make candy usually have the thermometer to go with it. :) Thanks for the help.

Anonymous said...

Do you use dark or light brown sugar and do you need a candy thermometer???

Kristina said...

Do you use dark or light brown sugar?

Anonymous said...

My Great Aunt made these when i was little but i thought she used light karo syrup. Any thoughts on that? She also used butterscotch chips, and they were AMAZING. Thanks for posting since i don't have her recipe!

grace said...

@Anonymous/Kristina: i always use light brown sugar because that's the only kind i buy. one previous commenter said that she tried it with dark brown and that it seemed to burn.
i don't have a candy thermometer, so i've always just gone by timing, though a thermometer would certainly take a lot of the guesswork out of the equation. unfortunately, i don't know what temperature to tell you to reach! :(

grace said...

@Anonymous: i love the flavor of brown sugar so much, i've never contemplated using a different kind of sugar source. i'm not sure where one would incorporate the karo syrup, but if you figure it out, be sure to share! i used a mixture of chocolate and butterscotch chips in my latest batch and it was outstanding. :)

Anonymous said...

I have made these twice. But everytime i have a TERRIBLE time getting the foil off, any suggestions on what to do or a substitution?

grace said...

@Anonymous: you might try a silpat, if you have one. if not, lately i've been putting the entire pan into the fridge for awhile (to hasten setting up so i can hurry up and eat it!), and that seems to help with the stickiness problem. the freezer might even be worth a try! hope these suggestions help.

Anonymous said...

A friend of mine introduced me to this last year. She calls it Christmas Crack! I thought the name was perfect! ;)

Riley's Granny said...

@ Anonymous: Make sure you use BUTTER. I have made several batches with no problem at all. My sister made a batch today and called to say it was so sticky she couldn't get it off the foil. As we went over the recipe again, we determined she used margerine instead of butter. Also, it is very humid here today and that sometimes has an effect on candy making.

Melissa L said...

I made a batch last week, turned out fantastic. Going to start making some this weekend to give away as gifts.

Anonymous said...

I make these too but have discovered that using parchment paper rather than tin foil and spray works great!

Anonymous said...

Use parchment paper instead of foil...

Anonymous said...

I got this recipe from a co-worker back in 1987 when I had my daughters. They are delicious! Only difference was she topped hers with wheat germ and they were amazing! Going to make them for the holiday! Thanks for reminding me about them!

Unknown said...

A cup of brown sugar wasn't sufficient. It should be, IMHO, a packed cup of brown sugar, otherwise crackers might be a bit soggy.

grace said...

@Sara Taylor: thanks, i edited the recipe to reflect that!

Angie Cavadas said...

Just wondering, in the picture it looks like the toffee is on the bottom then cracker and chocolate, but recipe calls for crackers then toffee and then chocolate??
Which should I do, cant wait to make!

Unknown said...

how do I make these for my vegan friends???

grace said...

@Angie Cavadas: as i've mentioned, the toffee coats the crackers, both pooling on the bottom and covering the top. just follow the directions and i promise it'll be delicious! :)

@alexandra rosen: unfortunately, i have zero experience baking with vegan products, but i have doubts that the ingredients would behave the same as or even similarly to their non-vegan cousins. all i can say is do some experimenting!

Anonymous said...

Just made this to take to Bunko tonight. YUM! I topped mine with sea salt.

AMG said...

Is it possible to make this with Salted butter?? That's all I have in my fridge at the moment and I want to make this NOW!!!!

grace said...

@AMG: yes, salted butter is fine!

Sonnie said...

Do you stir until it boils and stir it while it is simmering?

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