"Heath Bar Candy"

So Sharon expressed interest in the chocolately treats involving saltine crackers the other day. I have to say I've had a couple private interludes with the container of treats since making them, and then feeling guilty after I realized I should've stopped snacking sooner! They go down real easy - there's something about the combination of sweet, salty and crunchy that just makes me keep gnoshing on them! I remember mom making these once a couple years ago and I thought they were the nastiest things.

And then I tasted them!

Wow - GOOD STUFF!


Heath Bar Candy
- Saltine crackers
- 2 sticks real butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 12 oz chocolate chips (I used semisweet, some recipes call for milk chocolate)

Line a pan, bottom, sides and up over edges, with foil. Some recipes call for 13x9, some don't specify - I used a sheet pan, so I'm sure the "Heath crunch" and chocolate were thinner than you'd get if you made it in a 13x9 pan.

Cover entire bottom of pan with a single layer of unbroken saltine crackers. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small pan bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes. Pour this over the crackers, being VERY careful (sugar syrups like this will stick to you and really really hurt!). Spread goo as evenly as you can across the crackers real quick - it'll start to stiffen up. I found a silicone spatula came in real handy for spreading without sticking to the goo). Bake for 5 minutes at 350 - the goo will probably start to bubble a little bit. Sprinkle chocolate chips all over top and allow them to soften in the oven for a couple minutes.

Remove from oven, spread chocolate evenly, let cool/harden, and peel from foil. I set them out on a cold garage floor to chill, and then used a metal bench scraper to break them up in the pan. A sharp knife would work, or just lift out and break them - I doubt you'll get any in the original square shape of the crackers! What you see in the picture above is real thin - only the thickness of a cracker plus a thin layer of a crunchy sugar layer and a thin layer of chocolate.

Yes, this sounds like a freakish dish, but they're a nice salty and sweet treat!