Saltine Cracker Toffee

I simply call this Toffee in my book because I haven't yet attempted to make real toffee with a candy thermometer.  The surprising ingredient is saltine crackers.  Really?  Yes, crackers.  It's the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  It also makes the perfect gift for neighbors for Christmas or an easy dessert that everyone will love.

I've seen this floating around the internet for awhile but I like to think that my sister and I discovered it first.  This is my go-to recipe every Christmas.

This recipe is not complicated but it does require you to babysit it while it's in the oven lest it burn.  And burnt toffee is not good.  Bleh. 

I first lined a baking sheet with foil that overlaps the edges and laid out saltine crackers on it.  If there's an inch of space left in your pan that won't hold a whole cracker you can cut a cracker in half with a serrated knife and finish lining your pan.

I then microwaved one cup of butter and brown sugar until they melted.

Then stir, stir, stir it all up until it's one color.  I used a whisk for this.  Stir, stir, stir, I tell you!

Then you pour your butter/sugar mixture over the top of the crackers and spread it thin with a knife so that every cracker is covered.  No cracker left behind!

Then you place it in the oven for FIVE MINUTES at 350.  It will start to bubble and turn light golden brown.  Don't walk away and let your oven keep beeping.  Take them out at the buzzer!  This is what they look like after they came out of the oven.  I used a knife to push the crackers back into line.

Then I dumped a bag of peanut butter and chocolate chips (the combo one) over the top.  Since the pan is super hot the chips started to melt so I spread them out with a knife.  I could have used an offset spatula for this but I forgot to tell Santa I needed one.  Once the chocolate was spread out I sprinkled crushed pecans on top and pressed them down with a piece of foil.  This is less messy than using your hands.  Trust me on this one.

Freeze or refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, maybe an hour.  Then peel the foil off FIRST before you break the sheet into pieces.  And voila!  You have toffee!

I like to keep mine in the freezer and pull it out when I need something sweet to munch on.

Bag it up and hand it to your neighbors!

Saltine Cracker Toffee

(click for printable)

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 sleeve of saltine crackers

1 bag of peanut butter/chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Line a large baking sheet with foil that overlaps the edges. Line the foil with saltine crackers. Melt butter and brown sugar together in the microwave for 30 second increments until both are melted. Using a whisk, stir the two together until it is all one color. Pour over the saltine crackers. Bake for 5 minutes until light golden brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top and spread with a knife. Sprinkles with pecans, pushing them down with a piece of foil on top. Remove the foil and refrigerate the whole pan until firm. Once chilled, peel off the foil from the back and break into pieces.