If you’re looking for a recipe that will disappear at holiday parties, cookie exchanges, neighborhood potlucks, or school bake sales, this graham cracker toffee crunch is a guaranteed winner!! It’s EASY and everyone LOVES it!!
When they are all mixed together, they are as American as a piecrust made with Reverend Sylvester Graham’s eponymous crackers. If you’ve ever wondered why graham crackers are called that it’s because it was Graham (1794-1851) who invented them in 1829
If you’re looking for a recipe that will disappear at holiday parties, cookie exchanges, neighborhood potlucks, or school bake sales, this graham cracker toffee is a guaranteed winner!! It’s EASY and everyone LOVES it!!
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Place graham crackers in pan in a single, flat layer so pan is completely covered with them. You will have to break some crackers to fill in the smaller spaces at the edges. It’s ok if there are slight gaps, doesn’t have to be perfect; set aside.
To a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan with high sides, add the butter, brown sugar, salt, and heat over medium-high heat to melt. Stir constantly until butter has melted.
After butter has melted, allow mixture to boil for about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes at a medium-fast boil (lots of bubbles). Stir constantly to prevent burning. As you approach the 4 minute mark, mixture should seem thickened with the consistency of medium-thick caramel sauce. I pulled mine off the heat at 4 1/2 minutes because it was thick enough.
Evenly pour mixture over graham crackers.
Bake for about 7 minutes, or until there’s bubbling around the edges.
Remove pan from oven, evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips, return pan to oven, and bake for about 2 minutes, or until chocolate chips are glistening and have softened.
Use a spatula to smooth the chocolate chips into an even, smooth layer of melted chocolate.
Evenly sprinkle with toffee bits.
Allow toffee to cool for about 2 to 3 hours, or until chocolate has set up and dessert is sliceable.
Notes
*I made this on a very warm day and after 4 hours cooling at room temp, the chocolate was still on the melty side. I didn’t refrigerate it because of the condensation effect that happens after chocolate has been refrigerated and then comes to room temp and you can see fine water droplets on it, but this is merely a cosmetic issue. If you’re in a hurry you can expedite the cooling process by refrigerating, noting the condensation effect will occur.
Toffee will keep airtight at room temp for up to 2 weeks, or in the fridge for up to 1 months, or freezer for up to 3 months.
J. C. Haley and Harry Brown decided that the key to success was to innovate. In 1923, the company struck gold with a crunchy, log-shaped candy piece infused with butter and coated with chocolate and diced almonds. This delicious confection was dubbed ALMOND ROCA® by a Tacoma librarian.
In 1927 the candy was first sold in its [now famous] signature pink tin to improve shelf life. The new packaging allowed it to travel easily and so, when WWII required troops to ship out overseas, it was the candy that went with them. It also traveled with U.S. troops to Korea and Vietnam.
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and grease with cooking spray, set aside.
Combine butter and sugar in a large saucepan over high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to side of saucepan. Stir until mixture comes to a boil. When mixture reaches 290°F, remove from heat and immediately stir in ¾ cup of chopped almonds.
Pour mixture onto cookie sheet and spread evenly.
As caramel mixture cools, microwave chocolate chips with oil in short increments of 20 seconds, stirring after each increment of time, until chocolate is completely melted. Pour melted chocolate over top of slightly cooled toffee-nut mixture.
Sprinkle reserved chopped almonds over top of chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight before breaking into pieces to serve.
This was invented by London-based confectioner and baker Tom Smith (1823 – 1869) who set up shop in Goswell Road, Clerkenwell in the 1840s. Smith initially produced wedding cakes and sweets. On a trip to Paris he discovered the French ‘bon bon’, a sugared almond wrapped in a twist of tissue paper.
Line cookie sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (or use regular foil and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.)
Cover cookie sheet with one layer of saltine crackers.
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, stirring continuously for about two minutes (it should be bubbly.)
Remove from heat, stir in one teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
Pour toffee mixture over crackers, then bake for 6 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle top of warm crackers with milk chocolate chips.
Allow chocolate to soften for a minute or two, then spread chocolate evenly on top of crackers. Now is the time to add sprinkles or chopped nuts to the top.
Allow to cool, then break up into bite size pieces.
Notes
You can speed the cooling process by placing the tray into the freezer.
The Nagel Brothers of Bushnell, IL were the first to invent a process of making rolled oats without having to steam the oats. Until that time, the oats were first steamed to separate the groat from the hull.
Culinary legend has it that fudge was invented in America. On Valentine’s Day, 1886, a confectioner and chocolate maker in Baltimore, Maryland “fudged” a batch of French caramels. The delicious result? The very first batch of “fudge” ever.
