a second helping

One of my posts is not like the others. By that, I mean that one of my posts has been viewed more than 50 times more often than the next most popular post. That's huge. We're talking almost a million hits.

Disclaimer: In no way am I making light of actual crack addiction.

Thank you, Pinterest.

Because people seem to like my tantalizing toffee so much and since so many people left comments with terrific tips and suggestions, I thought it might be prudent to revisit the recipe, answer some questions, and summarize the helpful hints.

The Q&A:

Q: Your pictures show an order of toffee-cracker-chocolate, but the recipe makes it seem that it should be cracker-toffee-chocolate. What gives?

A: 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. It wouldn't even matter if they formed a completely solid layer because saltines have holes! So the result is kind of like toffee-swaddled saltines with chocolate on top.

Q: How long do you let the chocolate chips sit before you start spreading? Mine doesn't appear smooth and it's driving me crazy!

A: 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!

Q: 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?

A: 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 10 minutes, though--you'll probably end up with a stiff, difficult, slightly burned mess!

Q: The bottom is super sticky/slimy. Any suggestions?

A: My suggestion would be to bake it in the oven a bit longer, even up to 12 minutes.

Q: I can't get my toffee off the foil! What do I do?

A: Beyond baking the candy a bit longer, you might try a Silpator specialty foilinstead.

Q: How do you store your toffee?

A: 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.

What others are saying:

*Club crackers, graham crackers, and pretzels are all terrific suggestions in lieu of saltines.
*Try milk chocolate or white chocolate instead of semisweet, or better yet, use all three and swirl away! Butterscotch or peanut butter morsels would also be tasty.
*Bedeck the chocolate with chopped nuts, red pepper flakes(!), bacon, or colorful sprinkles.

Terribly Terrific Toffee/Crickle/Good Stuff/Unbelievable Toffee/Skor Bars/Funeral Cookies/Toffee Cracker Crack/Brutzel Bars
Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (margarine is acceptable, but not nearly as marvelous)
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups morsels, whether semi-sweet, milk, or white chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter
• 40 saltine crackers

Directions:
Do this first:
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.
Measure out your morsels and set them aside.
Begin phase 2:
Now you're ready to melt the brown 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. It should be pretty thick, but thin enough to pour and spread on its own.
Pour this mixture over the crackers and make sure all are coated fairly evenly.
The third portion:
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 and begin to set up.
Sprinkle on the chips, let them soften and melt for about 5 minutes, 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 and enjoy!

Microwave version, using the 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 350ºF for 15 minutes and continue on with recipe above.