Chocolate Toffee Graham Crackers

When I woke up yesterday morning, I was going to have a quiet day capped with a friend coming over for dinner. By the end of the day, I was running around like my usual lunatic self and Josh and I were going with friends to an impromptu Dodgers game. Things could indeed be worse.

But just because my plans constantly change, doesn't mean the Recipe Book must suffer. So I dipped into the trusty (if nearly complete) cookies section and went to work on Plan B. Yesterday was my friend Dave's birthday, and he and his girlfriend Olga were taking us with them to the Dodgers-Cardinals game. The boys were losing their minds about this. I decided to add to the merriment by making Dave a birthday-worthy surprise. Ergo: Mrs. Mistry's Chocolate/Graham Cracker Treat things.

Jette Mistry is the mom of two of my friends - Nick and Mike Mistry - as well as a pretty ridiculously good cook. Once when I was over their house a couple of years ago -- right after my big Boston bridal shower, if I recall correctly -- she brought out some of these amazing chocolate toffee graham cracker things. So delightful that I remember them over all the things I ate at their house. And I am someone who doesn't much care for chocolate. Or cookies.

If I am indeed remembering right, this would have been right after my cousin Sara and I (along with Josh and maybe Beth and/or Tracie?) forcibly shaved Nick, who at the time was sporting a beard that made him look like a terrorist, and who was preparing for a job interview type thing in Washington. Nick might be a grown man, with both a wife and the ability to make his own decisions, but we love him too much to let him go into Bush-era D.C. looking like he was about to hold up a convenience store on his way to bomb the Pentagon.

Sara shaving Nick.
I think we can all agree this was a good decision.

As a reward, Nick's mom, who I must point out was beside herself with glee that I had succeeded where she had failed and bullied him into shaving, gave us some of these delightful treats.

Now that I think about it, it is also entirely possible that I am conflating two separate events in my head, and the time I got these treats had nothing to do with the time I shaved Nick's terrorist beard. Entirely possible.

Either way, two things are true:

1. I shaved Nick, somewhat against his will.
2. His mom makes some damn fine chocolate graham cracker treats.

Much to my own glee, when Recipe Book time came around, these treats are the very recipe which Jette submitted. I was pretty damn excited.

I was even more excited yesterday when the time finally came to make them and I discovered that in addition to being ridiculously good, they are also ridiculously easy. I was so exicted to make them that when I got stuck behind a cashier having trouble ringing up another customer using her food stamps at the ghetto grocery (oh the ghetto grocery), I just happily read a People magazine because I knew what wonder lay ahead.

The Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee Treat things were so easy and fast to make that they were done before I was even started, I swear. I didn't burn the butter. I didn't mess up the chocolate. It spread like a porn star getting top dollar. And the nuts sprinkled over it like... a porn star getting top dollar...

I danced around yelling at Josh to eat them immediately, whose eyes got really wide when we saw me carrying the tray around. I managed to get a bunch packed up for Dave and Olga to take to the game. Dave took one bite and then informed Olga he would be eating the whole thing. SUCCESS!

If you eat these, you too can be as happy as Dave & Olga

That saddest thing about this recipe is that Jette never gave it a proper name when she sent it to me. I'm sure she has a name for them, but it never made it to me. We were calling it all manner of things last night: Shit on a Shingle, Chocolate Toffee Birthday Explosions, etc. For now, I am calling them...

Delicious

Jette Mistry's Ridiculously Good Anti-Terrorist Chocolate Toffee Graham Cracker Treats

1 box of graham crackers (original, not cinnanon). You will use < 1/2 box.
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of brown sugar, packed
one 12 oz pack of milk chocolate bits. I use Nestle's Toll House, but any milk chocolate will do
1/2 cup of chopped nuts. Any kind - I use fresh pecans from Texas (of course)

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and butter it generously. Lay on the graham crackers - covering the cookie sheet completely. Check.

In a pan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Or get a little overzealous and maybe boil more than simmer, but still, 'zallright. Wonder, is this toffee? It sure tastes like toffee when you eat it. Could it really be this easy? O sweet toffee.

Pour over graham crackers. Or anal retentively brush over them to make sure they all get evenly covered. Then realize you have more than enough (yay!) and pour the rest on and watch it spread gorgeously. O perfection. Put in a 400 degree oven for about 4-5 minutes.

Take out of oven and sprinkle the chocolate bits all over. Wonder, could it really be the fast and easy? After the chocolate is melted (a few minutes), you can use a spatula to gently smooth the chocolate, which it turns out spreads like... well you know what it spreads like.

Sprinkle with the nuts. Let cool completely (you can use the refrigerator). Once the chocolate is hardened, you can cut it in squares - or simply break it into pieces. Try both. Have moderate success at first, but then get the knack of making it break into proper squares. O wonderful wonderfulness.

Jette Note 1: A pizza cutter is a perfect tool for cutting these.
Heather Note 1: I used it. At first it was not amazing. Then when it cooled better, it was indeed amaaaaazing and they broke along the pizza scores. Crazy.

Jette Note 2: I prefer semi-sweet or even dark chocolate chips.
Heather Note 2: I probably do not. In fact, I am contemplating leaving some parts just toffee & nuts the next time. Oh my God.

Jette Note 3: I also like to use less of them (choc chips). Maybe 8-10 oz instead of the entire package.
Heather Note 3: I can see that.

Jette Note 4: Saltines instead of Graham Crackers are also good. You may like the salty/choc combo.
Heather Note 4: Hmmm.

Jette Note 5: This is a to-die-for recipe (and easy too), which will make you and Josh remember me FOREVER!!
Heather Note 5: You said it, sister.