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Here’s a sweet treat that’s easier than pie. Nothing fancy schmancy here folks. But tasty? Yes siree bobtail!Some may think this is fodder for rednecks. That might be, and if so, then I guess I might be a redneck. Jeff Foxworthy would be proud.
Nope. I don’t discriminate. All kinds of food are welcome here.
My friend, Ansley, passed along this recipe so I don’t know where it originated but it must’ve been from some real creative cook somewhere with a red neck. Ansley said I just had to try it and pass it along to all of y’all. And so I did.
And I’m so glad she’s my friend.
I’ve heard some call it Christmas Bark but then that would imply that it’s only appropriate for Christmas time and that’s just not right. What if I want to have some in July? So I’m naming it Redneck Toffee. Call it what you may but that works around these parts.
The ingredients? Simple, but oh, so, so…wicked. This is not diet food people. If you’ve had these before, you know what I’m talking about. I made the mistake of beginning to calculate the nutritional value. Don’t do it. Just walk an extra mile or two. Or three. They’re worth it.
Many are surprised to find that saltine crackers are at the root of all the evil. And butter…and sugar…and all things sweet. So if you’re not into all that good stuff, turn away. Turn away now.
Still here? Yea! Let’s continue…
As I said the ingredients are simple. Saltine crackers, butter, brown sugar, toffee bits, chocolate chips and pecans. The toppings can easily be mixed up. Coconut would be wonderful. Or white chocolate chips – yum. And any other nut could be substituted or you could leave off the nuts altogether. This is a flexible recipe, so if you need to change up amounts of ingredients go ahead. Sin is sin.
And the prep? It couldn’t be easier. It goes something like this…
Preheat oven to 350° andin a small sauce pan melt 2 sticks of butter, add 1 cup of brown sugar and stir well to combine. The sin commences.
Cover a baking sheet(s) with a single layer of saltines, edges touching. I used two 13×18″ (approx.) baking sheets coated with cooking spray or you could use parchment paper as well as a silicone baking mat. It took about 2 1/2 sleeves of saltines to cover the 2 baking sheets.
Slowly pour the melted butter and brown sugar sinfulness over the crackers, stopping occasionally to gently spread with a pastry brush.
When every cracker is coated, sprinkle the toffee bits over all the crackers. Warm in pre-heated oven until toffee bits begin to melt slightly (4-7 minutes depending on your oven). Watch carefully to avoid burning.
Remove baking sheets from oven and spread chocolate chips and pecans covering all areas. Add more or less to your liking. I placed mine back in the still warm oven but it was OFF to melt chocolate chips slightly.
After chocolate chips are melted, remove again from oven and let cool. When baking sheets are cooled, you can cover the treats with foil, parchment or wax paper and put in the fridge for about 5 minutes to harden up a bit.
Use a spatula or knife to gently cut apart along the edges of the individual crackers.
Enjoy! Forgiveness and exercise is for all.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 96 saltine crackers (about 2 1/2 sleeves of saltines)
- 8 0z. bag of toffee bits
- 12 oz. mini chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
- In a small sauce pan melt 2 sticks of butter, add 1 cup of brown sugar and stir well to combine.
- Cover a greased baking sheet(s) with a single layer of saltines, edges touching. (I used two ~13x18-inch baking sheets coated with cooking spray. You could also line them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. It took about 2 1/2 sleeves of saltines (96 crackers) to cover the 2 baking sheets.)
- Slowly pour the melted butter and brown sugar over the crackers, stopping occasionally to gently spread with a pastry brush.
- When every cracker is coated, sprinkle the toffee bits over all the crackers.
- Warm in pre-heated oven until toffee bits begin to melt slightly (4-7 minutes depending on your oven). Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Remove baking sheets from oven and spread chocolate chips and pecans covering all areas. Add more or less to your liking.
- Placed baking sheets back in the warm oven (but OFF) to melt chocolate chips slightly.
- After chocolate chips are melted, remove again from oven and let cool.
- When baking sheets are cooled you can cover the treats with foil, parchment or wax paper and put in the fridge for about 5 minutes to harden up a bit.
- Use a spatula or knife to gently cut apart along the edges of the individual crackers.
- Store in airtight container.
Did you make this recipe?
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FAQs
Brittles and toffees accumulate small amounts of acid from the browning reactions that occur during cooking. This is one reason why the baking soda is added at the end of cooking. The soda reacts with the acid to make bubbles, and the syrup foams.
What is Tofee made of? ›
Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses (creating inverted sugar) along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 149 to 154 °C (300 to 310 °F). While being prepared, toffee is sometimes mixed with nuts or raisins.
Why is my toffee grainy? ›
As the toffee cools and the molten sugar crystals become solid again, they are attracted to the 'seed' forming new lumps of tiny crystals – hence the grainy texture. This can also happen if the toffee is stirred, or agitated, after it has begun to boil or on cooling (as happened with this pink-tinted toffee).
What is hard toffee made of? ›
Toffee is a candy made by caramelizing sugar with butter. The mixture is heated until it reaches the hard crack stage (at least 300 degrees F), hardened, then broken into pieces.
Why is my toffee chewy and not crunchy? ›
Low and slow
Simmering the syrup for English toffee to the requisite 300°F temperature can (and should) be a slow process — up to 20 minutes or so. Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture.
Why do you not stir toffee? ›
Mel's Dumbed Down Version: patience, moderate heat and heavy-bottoms (see saucepan note above) make the best toffee. What is this? It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.
What's the difference between taffy and toffee? ›
Is toffee the same as taffy? Taffy is in no way, shape, or form toffee. Taffy describes chewy fruit candies, whereas toffee is closer to caramel.
What is the difference between English toffee and regular toffee? ›
English Toffee is a nationwide favorite that is easily made with only a few ingredients. The difference between regular toffee and English Toffee is one important ingredient – butter! I make English Toffee throughout the year for special occasions and it's always a big hit.
What is the difference between English toffee and butter toffee? ›
The English toffee eaten with regularity in America is also called buttercrunch. What's the difference? Primarily, the difference rests in the ingredients. Toffee in Britain is made with brown sugar, whereas buttercrunch is made with white granulated sugar.
Why do you add vinegar to toffee? ›
Made with just sugar and a little water, toffee is easy to make and is an easy introduction to the world of confectionary. This recipe includes a dash of vinegar which will help keep the colour of the toffee clear and bright and banish any cloudiness.
You need a very sturdy pan which is KEY to even heat distribution. Thinner, cheaper pans can scorch the cooking candy and/or cook it unevenly. Here are some great choices: Anolon Nouvelle Copper and Cooks Standard. I own a couple pricier copper pots because of the amount of candy I make.
What toffee doesn't stick to your teeth? ›
English toffee is the epitome of classic toffee. It's rich and buttery, with a firm snap and a crisp texture that doesn't stick to your teeth. Of course, it's delicious on its own, but it really shines when it's paired with a thick coating of dark chocolate and a sprinkling of nuts.
Why do you put cream of tartar in toffee? ›
This means that as boiling continues, a portion of the sugar separates into its constituent parts—glucose and fructose. Adding cream of tartar and a dash of vinegar to a toffee recipe helps bring about this change.
Is toffee just hard caramel? ›
Toffee vs Caramel
The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why is my butter separating from my toffee? ›
If the butterfat separates out then usually this is due to the mixture being either heated or cooled too quickly, which "shocks" the mixture and causes the fat to separate out. It can also be caused by the mixture being heated unevenly (if the pan has a thin base and has hot spots).
Why baking soda in sticky toffee pudding? ›
Adding bicarbonate of soda to the pud helps it rise. It also helps break down the dates and disperse them through the mixture so they don't sink to the bottom.
Does toffee have baking soda? ›
You might wonder why the toffee recipe includes baking soda. It is added at the end of the boiling stage and creates lots and lots of bubbles. These bubbles help to lighten the texture of the finished toffee, resulting in an easier-to-bite candy.
How do I stop toffee crystallizing? ›
As an alternative solution, before cooking, add corn syrup or a mild acid like lemon juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar to break up crystallization.
Should you add baking soda to caramel? ›
Salt: To balance the sweet. Baking Soda: Arguably the most important ingredient! The purpose of baking soda in the caramel is to react with the acidic ingredients (brown sugar, cream of tartar, and corn syrup), which creates tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles.
