Not Your Grandmother's Toffee Bars

Have you ever been to a party and found yourself returning to the most delicious item on the food table, continuously munching, yet trying to be discrete? Watching it out of the corner of your eye and timing your return perfectly.

Guilty...

On the other hand, have you ever been to a party, tried something delicious, and just straight up never left the food table? Guilty again. Except recently, it was with the dessert table I couldn't seem to part from. The rest of the party didn't seem to wander far either, and if they did, they were back within seconds to grab another...toffee bar.

Toffee bar?! I know. Toffee was one of the few dessert I completely avoided when I was younger. As a kid I went for the ice cream sundaes, Klondike bars, fudge, candy, chocolate chip cookies, etc. - totally bypassing toffee because, I mean, what even is toffee? 

I didn't know then, but I sure know now. Toffee is caramelized sugar typically heated with butter. Love sugar. Love butter. So sign me up...this is what I've been missing all these years?

Make these, bring them to an upcoming Friendsgiving or holiday cookie exchange, and watch them disappear before your eyes. The recipe calls Saltine crackers on the bottom, which makes for a salty, sweet, and slightly nutty chocolate treat.

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Saltine Toffee Bars

• 1 sleeve Saltine Crackers (with sea salt)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup white sugar or 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Line baking sheet with Saltines salt side up. 

2. Melt butter on medium heat in sauce pan. Add sugar, stir until it caramelizes (bring to a boil and then stir constantly for 3-5 mins, but be careful not to let it burn). 

3. Pour butter/sugar mixture over crackers and smooth so it covers evenly. The mixture will spread as it bakes, too. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until a light golden brown. 

4. Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips over the top. Once melted, spread chocolate to cover all crackers. 

5. Top with chopped nuts. Let cool completely in freezer/fridge, then break into large pieces.