by Board Member Sandy Hartzell

(Image retrieved Google Images via Belly Full Blog)

Well, I know the title doesn’t necessarily sound appealing, but the end result is really quite delicious. Just before Christmas, I was gifted a plate of mini Black-Bottom cupcakes and Toffee Crackers. The Toffee Crackers brought back a lot of fond memories of the older folks with whom I had been introduced to and previously shared these treats. The stories that were told about these treats were that when money was tight and something sweet was desired, they would make these treats ----- I’m talking Depression times or maybe before. So, I had to go digging through a bunch of old handwritten papers that I had. I kept looking for this recipe that Gloria Fowler had given me probably 2 decades or more ago. So, please stop and think about when times may have been hard, or great/grandparents were entertaining. These simple treats may have graced their holiday tables.

Toffee Crackers 4 oz

Saltine Crackers 2 C

Semi sweet Chocolate Chips 1 C

Butter ¾ C

Pecans, Chopped 1 C

Dark Brown Sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking pan with the Saltine crackers in a single layer. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar --- bring mixture to a boil and boil slowly for about 3 minutes. Pour over the Saltines and spread to cover them completely. Place pan in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips. Let it sit about 5 minutes and then spread the melted chips to cover completely and evenly, Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the chocolate. Allow it to cool completely, about a half hour. When it is completely cool, break or cut the toffee into pieces and ENJOY!

Note: You can use whatever your favorite type of nut in order to top the toffee ---- walnuts, peanuts, etc.