Category: Cookies

I’m not sure why these are called Esther Thorpe – it’s what the woman I used to work with who gave me the recipe called them and what we have always called them. I’ve heard people call them “Christmas Crack” also. It is such an odd recipe but they are so good.

Esther Thorpe Saltines

Helen Gutin

• 1 cup packed brown sugar -light or dark works fine
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• saltine crackers
• 1 bag of chocolate chips – milk or semi-sweet work fine
• 1 bag of toffee bits – or crushed up heath bars

• preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it. Lay out the saltines so they cover the sheet in a single layer.
• In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. Let cook until bubbling and then cook at the bubbling stage for a few more minutes. Make sure you are constantly stirring this for the entire time.
• Pour the bubbling brown sugar mixture onto the crackers and spread it evenly as best as you can.
• Bake for 5-10 minutes. Time may vary – keep a close eye on it. You want the mixture to be bubbling over the entire sheet and once at this point let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. If you smell the sugar mixture burning take it out of the oven for goodness sake.
• Once out of the oven immediately cover the saltines with chocolate chips evenly. Let this sit for about 5 minutes.
• Spread the melted/melting chocolate evenly over the saltines until you have coated the crackers in a layer of chocolate.
• Sprinkle the toffee bits on top. (I put some crushed up candy canes on the ones I just made too for holiday spirit.)
• Let sit until firm and cut and serve.