I meant to put this on last week but with the school year coming to a close I simply forgot!  The last day of school someone requested that I make this for them to take to a Memorial Day cookout and so that reminded me.  I was more than happy to oblige this request but I did point out that this recipe (not much of a recipe actually) was so easy that my kids can actually make this.  That didn’t sway her so I went home and got to work.

This is not my own recipe.  I saw this (again) in the Trisha Yearwood cookbook a few years ago.  I like her and I know every celebrity out there seems to have a cookbook but for the most part it is a collection of memories from her childhood and all of the food that was handed down throughout her family.  Neat, not original, but neat.

This is also a recipe that my husband’s Grandmother in Virginia told me about over 15 years ago.  At the time it sounded odd.  I am not one to follow a recipe well so the first time I made this I used graham crackers instead of saltines and sprinkled toffee chips over the hot melted chocolate.  You guessed it…I used the cooled crackers for Smores ????  We found that they are perfect for squishing a hot gooey marshmallow!  Yum!

Grandma Lucy told me that this was a dessert that a lot of women made “back in the day” when that was all they had and it was a splurge to use a Hershey bar for a dessert.  Most kitchens had butter, brown sugar and saltines.  There was something intriguing about this need for a mother to give the illusion of having enough by offering up a sweet treat after dinner.  Her family didn’t have to know that is was so simple.  There is just something about having dessert after dinner to make you feel like you want for nothing.  To some having dessert will always seem like a splurge.  Even when you are, as Lucy always said, “Poor as Job’s Turkey”!

SO here is it…not fancy but a tasty little nibble when you want something crunchy, sweet and salty wrapped up into one.  I have also made this using broken pretzel sticks, also very good.  This is also the caramel sauce that I use for desserts and such, so it is good just by itself.

Sweet and Salty Cracker Dessert

I used 1 large rimmed cookie sheet and now that I have made this a few times I have learned not to line my pan with foil.  It will stick (and it’s no fun to pick it all off!).  So now I use parchment paper sprayed with a non-stick spray.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line the sheet with a layer (side by side) of  the saltine crackers (a little over 1 sleeve).  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and pour over the crackers, covering them evenly.  Put the sheet into the oven and watch closely.  Bake for 4 or 5 minutes or until just bubbly.  Remove from the oven and pour the chocolate chips over the crackers.  When the chips melt a bit, spread them over the crackers with a spatula.  Transfer the pan to the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until completely cold. They will form one big sheet.  Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.