Saltine Toffee
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Uh oh..
Did you forget Aunt Ellen? Cousin Timmy? Your operations manager Lucas? Your third-cousin Heather?
Phew. No. You’re all covered.
Wait.. you forgot Grandma Lee. How could you forget Grandma Lee?!
For all of those, erm, last-minuters out there, livin’ life wild, by the seat of their pants–you crazy party animals, you–I’ve got the perfect solution to that thing that happens on Thursday. You know.. that Christmas Day thing. Where you stare wide-eyed at the wall, realizing that your sister remembered to give all four of the cousins you’d never previously met these thoughtful gifts and you just.. thought Santa covered you. Yeah.. never happened to me or anything..
What’s the solution now? Saltine toffee. If you’ve had this stuff before, you’re throwin’ your hands up in the air, like you just don’t care, shakin’ your head with your eyebrows furrowed, exclaiming “Preach! Preach, sister!” because that’s how good this stuff is. And you don’t want it to be. You want to only like rosemary-infused lard-amaranth cakes with orchid-petal coulis and persimmon spheres, but you can’t help it. This stuff is damn good, and it maybe a little rednecky, but it doesn’t matter.
The first saltine toffee I ever had was made by truly one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met–my small business coach from the University of Memphis. This woman made a fortune in New York selling ice–ice!–and she knows everyone and she’s somehow super down-to-earth but terrifying and matter-of-fact but hysterical and charismatic but accepts no crap and comes to your wedding and makes saltine toffee and shares it with you.
I had a bite, expecting my self-control to somehow be above this simple combination of butter and brown sugar, saltine crackers, and chocolate, but it was that first bite that shook up everything I thought I knew about my rosemary-infused-lard-amaranth-cakes-with-orchid-petal-coulis-and-persimmon-spheres-loving self. It’s the beautiful, salty crunch from the saltines that works so beautifully with the quick, buttery caramel–rich with molassesy brown sugar and slathered in heady dark chocolate. I made a batch and O stood hovered over the pan, exclaiming with almost desperation in his voice, “I can’t stop eating these.. I want to.. but I can’t! I can’t!”
It’s addictive. You’ve been warned.
So, here’s my solution, you wild-and-crazy procrastinating last-minuting fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pantsers: saltine toffee is almost impossibly delicious and embarrassingly simple and quick. Make it! There’s still time!
Saltine Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking spray (preferably coconut oil)
- 1 tbsp about 45 saltine crackers , divided
- 2 sticks sticks (1 cup) organic butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 8 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line 1 large or 2 small jelly-roll pans with aluminum foil, spray with nonstick spray and arrange about 35-40 saltines salt-side down in a single layer. Place the other saltines (about 5) in a ziploc bag and crush.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and boil until it turns a caramel color, a few minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the crackers, covering them evenly.
- Put the jelly-roll pan into the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just bubbly, watching carefully. Remove from the oven and pour the chocolate chips over the crackers. When the chips melt a bit, spread them over the crackers with a knife. Sprinkle crushed saltines over melted chocolate.
- Transfer the pan to the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until completely cold. They will form one big sheet. Break up into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Mira says
I love toffee!!! Sweet and salty is always a great combo! Pinning ! I hope you had a great Christmas! Have a fun NYE!
Cheryl Malik says
Yes! Me too, it’s one of my favorites. Crackers in lieu of hours of hunching over a candy thermometer? Yes please! Happy New Year Mira 🙂
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
ok wow this looks amazing
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Caralyn!
ATasteOfMadness says
This looks like the perfect holiday treat! I think I might eat the entire batch!
Cheryl Malik says
Not if I get to it first.. ahhhhnomnomnomnom 😀
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
We make toffee like this every year. Totally necessary!!
Cheryl Malik says
Yes! It’s a new Christmas tradition. Soooo good.
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
How did you know that I am the BIGGEST procrastinator, like EVA!? These saltine toffees look absolutely delicious, Cheryl!! I would love to gift them but it would be hard to not eat them all first 😉 hehe! Pinned!
Cheryl Malik says
The struggle is really really real Ceara! I think I OD’d on them and not sure I can ever go back, but holy mama. There’s something so incredible about the junky treats that you just don’t get from the elegant stuff, right?!
Pang @ circahappy says
No, I don’t forget a last-minute gift for anyone, but this recipe looks so good I am going to make it anyway… for myself.
You are amazing, Cheryl. I can’t believe you are still posting. What are you, a wonder woman?
Huge hugs to you, my lovely friend. 🙂
Cheryl Malik says
All that posting was just to make up for my total disappearance over the next two weeks! 🙂
Natalie | Paper & Birch says
Wow, what a genius use of Saltine crackers! Perfect little gift idea 🙂
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Natalie! Much better use than packaged alongside soup, I must say.. 🙂
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Heard of em’ but never tried em’! BUT, saltines are addicting anyway, so I can see how these would just be even more so! LOOK at that crazy action shot, too! Whaaaa, Cheryl! Amazingly beautiful! Way to go girl!
Cheryl says
Thanks Traci! I’m obsessed with the Bojon Gourmet and her action shots.. so I spent like 20 minutes trying to perfect the pour or sprinkle before every shoot, now with the 6D! You have you try this stuff.. though I think you might prefer something a little more elegant like Katie’s http://veggieandthebeastfeast.com/2014/12/11/white-chocolate-saltine-bark-with-candied-pistachios-and-dried-cranberries/
O says
THIS STUFF IS LIKE CRACK! So good! Great action shots as well! This is the perfect gift for those people that you always tend to forget at this time of the year.
Cheryl says
Thanks O! You are now an addict and we have to have an intervention! We should make some for.. who did we forget this year? That’s a tough question right? Because you’ve already.. forgotten them..
Shannon says
Whoa, this is such a delicious idea! Sweet, salty, crunchy, pretty much perfect. And, ummm, yeah, I still haven’t done any of my xmas shopping… soo, I might be pulling an all-nighter making DIY gifts. Actually, I heard that Earth Balance works for toffee so I may give it a try…
Cheryl says
Shannon I have no doubt that this would work beautifully with vegan replacements! You’re not asking the butter to really *DO* anything other than.. be buttery.. so I think it would be just fine. It really is the best of all flavors – sweet, rich, a bit bitter, salty, and then there’s the fat.. yummm, mama! This is the first post I have ever EVER felt this need to say “yummo” and I feel icky every time it washes over me.