Saltine crackers and chocolate chips? YUM!

 Hi everyone!

I know that you would prefer we not blog recipes but this one is just too delicious. I used to make it all of the time in college and found myself craving it last night. The ingredients sound super weird but I promise after your first piece you and your friends/family will be in the fridge for more! This recipe is quick and easy!

1 cup butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. If the crackers don’t line to the edge, break them in half to cover the pan. Melt the sugar and butter on the stove, heat and simmer uncovered until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 5 or so minutes, until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt (you can throw in the over for a minute to soften quicker) and then spread them into an even layer. Refrigerate until hardened.  Break into pieces the size of your choice. Enjoy!

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Fudgy Chocolate Chip-Toffee Bars

These are delicious! Every time I make them I hear rave reviews. These will be a hit with your family and friends, I promise!

INGREDIENTS

½ cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)
1 bag (8 oz) Heath® Bits 'O Brickle® toffee bits (1 1/2 cups)
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 bag (12 oz) Hershey’s® semi-sweet chocolate baking chips (2 cups)
1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of the toffee bits. Press mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until firm.
3. Meanwhile, let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, milk and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over cracker crust.
4. In medium bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup cracker crumbs with wooden spoon until well blended. Crumble mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits.
5. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, in refrigerator for about 2 hours. For a firmer bar, refrigerate 30 minutes longer. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

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No Betty Crocker

I am not a chef, I am not a baker, in fact, I can’t even convert ounces to cups without the help of Google. But I like to try. I like to check out recipes, drool over how delicious the pictures look, but always manage to get bummed out when my concoction just doesn’t look like the picture.

Most of my cooking adventures fail. Events have resulted in inside jokes such as “the puddle cake” and “melted balls.”

I watch the Food Network and buy cook books, but nothing seems to help. I’ve mastered two meals – crock pot lasagna and potato leek soup. SOMETIMES my cookies turn out OK, but then again, it never fails that I burn one tray.

What does it take, practice? Some lessons? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that I have no natural talent. I’ve babysat for very cuisine-talented families, including the Mineo kids and Miss Laurie’s kids. I’ve eaten some GREAT home-cooked meals, but looks like none of their talents rubbed off. Hell, I cooked those kids mac n cheese or pizza for dinner. Nothing gourmet, and certainly not what they were used to from their parents. I still find Kraft and a Tombstone vital labels in the kitchen.

This weekend, my BFF Jackie and I took part in our latest cooking adventure to break in my new kitchen. This recipe Jackie actually located on Pintrest, but came from The Apron Gal.

Here is a quick peek into our SUCCESSFUL baking quest: Baked S’mores -- get the recipe there

We started by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl to make the crusts. We had to double the recipe, because as per usual, I was not prepared, and did not have the proper sized tray.

Once the dough was made, we placed it in the bottom of the tray and rolled it out pretty thin.
Then we added layer one: CHOCOLATE!

Layer two: FLUFF!

And then Jackie carefully put the top dough layer on... which ended up being way messier than the first dough layerHere is the sweet, sweet dessert - baking away, getting ewwey and gooey

After 30 minutes, and once it was "golden brown" we took it out of the oven. Waiting 15 minutes or so was tough - I wanted to dig in right away!

Here is the final product. Beyond delicious, and tastes just like a camp fire s'more. I would certainly recommend serving them warm, and the next day, just heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds.

Basically, I need help. Our picture does not look like the one from The Apron Gal. But I bet it tasted just as damn good! I would love to take some cooking classes and learn a little more about making quality meals for two. Any suggestions?

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