constantly. (A full boil will have breaking bubbles all over the surface of the pan.) Boil it for exactly five (5) minutes, stirring it constantly. If it sputters too much, you can reduce the heat. If it starts to lose the boil, you can increase the heat. Just donât stop stirring.
Pour the mixture over the soda crackers as evenly as you can.
Hannahâs Note: I start by pouring the mixture in lines from top to bottom over the length of the pan. Then I turn it and pour more lines over the width of the pan. Once the whole pan is cross-hatched with the hot toffee mixture, I pour any thatâs left where itâs needed. If it doesnât cover the soda crackers completely, donât worryâitâll spread out quite a bit in the oven.
Sprinkle the salted nut pieces over the top.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake the cookies at 350 degrees F. for ten (10) minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
When the cookies have thoroughly cooled, peel off the foil and break them into random-sized pieces.
CHOCOLATE CRACK
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
1 box graham crackers. (I used Nabisco Honey Maid)
2 sticks salted butter (1 cup, 8 ounces, ½ pound)
1 cup brown sugar (pack it down when you measure it)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12-ounce package)
Line a 10-inch by 15-inch cookie sheet with heavy-duty foil. If you have a jellyroll pan, thatâs perfect. If you donât, turn up the edges of the foil to form sides.
Spray the foil with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. (You want to be able to peel it off later, after the candy hardens.)
Line the pan completely with a single layer of graham crackers. Cover the whole bottom. (You can break the crackers in pieces to make them fit if you have to.) Set the cracker-lined jellyroll pan or cookie sheet aside while you cook the toffee mixture.
Combine the butter with the brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat on the stovetop, stirring constantly. (A full boil will have breaking bubbles all over the surface of the pan.) Boil it for exactly five (5) minutes, stirring it constantly. If it sputters too much, you can reduce the heat. If it starts to lose the boil, you can increase the heat. Just donât stop stirring.
Pour the mixture over the graham crackers as evenly as you can.
Hannahâs Note: I start by pouring the mixture in lines from top to bottom over the length of the pan. Then I turn it and pour more lines over the width of the pan. Once the whole pan is cross-hatched with the hot toffee mixture, I pour any thatâs left where itâs needed. If it doesnât cover the crackers completely, donât worryâitâll spread out quite a bit in the oven.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake the cookies at 350 degrees F. for ten (10) minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Give the chips a minute or two to melt and then spread them out as evenly as you can with a heat-resistant spatula, a wooden paddle, or a frosting knife.
Slip the pan in the refrigerator to chill.
When the pan has chilled, peel the foil from the cookies and break them into random-sized pieces.
Chapter Three
âN othing succeeds like excess,â Hannah siad, looking up from her position behind the counter at The Cookie Jar as Mayor Richard Bascomb and his wife, Stephanie, came in the door.
Hannahâs partner, Lisa, took one look at the female half of Lake Edenâs first couple and burst out laughing, a gaffe she quickly covered by pretending to cough. Stephanie Bascomb was resplendent in a bright blue suit of raw silk with a stylish blue hat. Her frilly blouse matched the blooms on her hat, which Hannah identified as slightly more purple than the cornflowers growing wild in Winnie Hendersonâs back forty. The first ladyâs gloves were bright-blue leather and her chic leather pumps were of the same hue.