Herewith I submit the recipe for Michelle's completely, totally non-nutritious and dangerously good Toffee.
There are a couple of places in the body, where you read the 'how to' instructions that she gives suggestions for how things would work best. I assume someone at some point did it the wrong way: as you know, screwing things up is a marvelous way to get an education. Very instructive as well as occasionally self-destructive. But that's how you learn to Not Do That Again.
The thing I would warn you about could easily be something that would never even cross your mind. And would not have occurred to me, except for someone having given me a couple of bags of the choc. chips that were a mix of chocolate and peanutbutter flavor. I substituted the choc/pb for a bag of plain choc. chips, resulting in a mess. So let me go ahead and say: Do Not use the peanut butter chips. Apparently they have a much higher melting point, and it will result in a most unsatisfactory product. It will taste good, but will not be pretty.
One of my theories of food prep., that I learned through lots of years experience in the kitchen: A dish will likely either be really attractive, or taste good. But it is pretty unusual that the same casserole will be really pretty served up on a plate and be so yummy they will want to lick your disk clean. You either get: tasty and looking like slop (ie: what happens when you serve up lasagna) or something that has the flavor of corrugated cardboard, but looks really pretty when you put it down on the table at a pot luck dinner.
Another cautionary tale: you may think the title of the blog is a joke. It is in dead earnest. It is very important that you know in advance. You must, as soon as it is cooled, put in bags, get out of the house, find people to give it to. And tell them the reason they are getting such a small amount is because they would be very angry, and blame you, after they ate too much.
Toffee
saltine crackers (get the good ones, don't use generic)
1 cup butter (don't use oleo for this)
1 cup brown sugar
1 (12 oz) bag semisweet choc. chips
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Use a large 12x18 inch cookie sheet, with low rim. Line pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, careful to not poke a hole when you fit it in the corner. Spray foil with pam. Cover the pan with a layer of saltines, breaking as needed to fit along edges. Combine butter and brown sugar in saucepan, bring to a boil. Boil for 3 min. stirring constantly. Pour over crackers, carefully spreading to cover edges/corners. (Tip: do not lift spatula until done) Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 5 - 7 min., until bubbling all over. Remove from oven and quickly sprinkle over with the entire bag of choc. chips. Let stand a few min., until they begin to melt, then spread evenly over top of crackers with spatula (again: don't lift until you are done). Sprinkle with chopped nuts, press lightly to secure. Cool in fridge for at least an hour. Lift foil, breaking into chunks, place in plastic zip bags. Give away immediately. (found in Morningside Presbyterian Church cookbook: "Presbyterian Pleasures", recipe contributed by Michelle Rucker.)
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