Cracker Toffee Bars and Other Goodies

Two years ago when I first started blogging, I posted some of our family's favorite Christmas cookies.  Actually these recipes could be made all year long, but for some reason I only make them at holiday time.

http://www.thecabincountess.com/2012/12/family-favorite-christmas-cookies.html

My husband's favorite are Mexican Wedding Cakes.  Recipe in the link above.

My husband likes the Mexican Wedding Cakes, but the recipe I make most often is this one.  They are called Quick and Easy Bars, but they are more like candy.  I renamed them Cracker Toffee Bars.  I usually make more than one batch each Christmas season.

Cracker Toffee Bars

1 sleeve of soda crackers or gluten free baked crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 package (12 oz.) chocolate chips

Chopped nuts as desired

Line a 12 x 15 jelly roll pan with foil.  Grease the foil with butter or oil.
Layer whole soda crackers on the foil.

Then in a saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.
Pour the sugar-butter mixture over the soda crackers and bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.
Cool for a few minutes and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.  In a couple minutes the chocolate chips will start to melt.  At that point frost the top by spreading out the chocolate.  Sprinkle with nuts and cool completely.  Peel off the foil and break into pieces. 

This year, however, some members of the family can't have the gluten in the soda crackers.  I printed out a gluten free soda cracker recipe to try, but then I found some baked crackers with sea salt that were gluten free.  I used the same recipe.  They turned out fantastic and no one would know that they don't have any gluten.

 
While shopping for gluten free crackers,  I saw some gluten free pretzels at the grocery store.  I had seen a video on youtube of a person making some bark with only pretzels, fritos and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Pretzel and Frito Bark

                                                                                                    

8 oz. pretzels (I used gluten free)

8 oz. corn chips

12 oz. bag of chocolate chips (melted)

To melt put chocolate chips in a saucepan over hot water and stir until melted,

or microwave for a minute, stir and microwave another minute.  Stir until smooth then add in another 4-6 oz. of chocolate chips to temper.  Stir those until melted.  Pour over the pretzels and chips.  I had a problem with that, so I just stirred them all together gently and poured onto a foil lined pan.  Then let them cool until the chocolate is hardened.  Break into pieces.  Sweet and salty, you can't go wrong.