GRAN’MUM’S TOFFEE
Saltine crackers and homemade butter toffee lend to this ‘unusual cookie with a candy crunch.’ Those latter words would land my first sale and begin my entry—albeit a gradual one—into eventually starting my own baking business. Gran’mum’s Toffee is a holiday cookie that’s both festive and fuss-free. This time around I let the butter and sugar go a little longer to caramelize for a smoky, but not burnt, finish; resulting in a toffee that looks like stained glass of burnished amber.
PREP/BAKE TIME: About 35 Minutes
Makes About 12 Servings
INGREDIENTS
¼ Lbs (One Stick) – Unsalted Butter
2 Cups – Granulated Sugar
1 Tsp – Pure Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Sleeves – Saltine Crackers
20 Oz (One Bag) – Nestle Toll House 53% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chip Morsels
2 Cups – Chopped Walnuts
THE NITTY GRITTY
Preheat oven to 350° F. Arrange saltines side-by-side in an 11.75” x 17” baking sheet lined with parchment or foil; cover pan completely with crackers—don’t worry about overlapping or breaking pieces to fit.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat butter and sugar over medium high. (DO NOT STIR!!) Sugar will begin to caramelize on sides; swirl pan to allow butter to combine. Bring mixture to a boil; reaching an amber color. Add vanilla (sputtering will occur); whisk to blend.
Carefully pour mixture evenly over saltines; spread to corners using an off-set spatula. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or till toffee melds into crackers.
Remove pan from oven; add chocolate chips in an even layer, covering saltines and toffee.
Return pan back to oven and bake till morsels appear soft and melty (About 2 – 3 Minutes). Remove from oven; spread chocolate uniformly with an off-set spatula – covering toffee completely.
Scatter walnuts liberally over chocolate; let cool for about 2 hours on a wired rack or overnight in the fridge. Break into desired-sized pieces. Store cookies in an airtight container for 4 – 5 days.
DECEMBER 8, 2019
