Sweet and Salty Toffee Crackers!

 

Sometimes genius hits!  This week after realizing I was almost out of brown sugar, one of the quickest and easiest desserts was created in under fifteen minutes. The results were delicious and as our staff at school said simply addicting.  These Sweet and Salty Toffee Crackers are one of my newest dessert creations that will be at every holiday meal from now on.

The secret ingredient to these little gems are the Heath Toffee Bits - Bit 'O Brickel Toffee Bits that top off the saltine crackers.  Just recently my husband and I have discovered Heath Bars and we love them and especially in the snack size bars.  Adding these little sugary bits made specifically for baking to the crackers truly took them over the top in flavor!

 



I used unsalted butter for the best results, but you could substitute with margarine instead.  The combination of brown and white sugars worked as well along with the vanilla to flavor them.  And for the saltine crackers the cheapest costing brand worked just fine.

These crackers will keep up to two weeks covered in an airtight container and would be perfect for the holidays ahead.

So the next time you are needing a delicious, quick and easy dessert to take to a party or just make for yourself or family, here is the perfect recipe.  I literally threw this together before taking my daughter to school in fifteen minutes. You can't get any easier than that. The extra cooking time in the oven with the heat turned off was a result of her needing to be at school and using the oven timer to stop the cooking as I drove away. 

Did I tell you how much I love my cooking timer on my oven? It's a must for busy cooks and times that take you away from your kitchen. 

Click here for the recipe for The Ranch Kitchen's

Sweet and Salty Toffee Crackers!

It's like I said...you never know when genius will hit.  Sometimes it's because you are a last minute, late to school mom who needs a dessert for a potluck at school and whammo you've created something wonderful! 

This was my genius for the week.  It doesn't happen often! 

Enjoy!

Alise

 

The Ranch Kitchen's Apple Cake

It's been years since I made my last apple cake.  It's one of my husband's favorites, even if he doesn't remember that fact. 

Years ago, one of our most veteran teachers Mavis Dacus would bring her apple cake to school. It was one of the best cakes I'd ever eaten and remember it well to this day. Being the organized person that I am....I've had the recipe in my hands twice...lost it... and now had to resort with trying my best to recreate it.  I will be asking for the recipe again from her sweet granddaughter Dee...hint...hint.

This past weekend I bought a jumbo bag of tart, green apples from my local Sam's Club so that making an apple cake would definitely happen. 

As I made this cake, I'd forgotten how hard it is to mix the dough together once you add the apples in.  It's for sure a muscle building exercise making this delicious cake, but so worth it.  Just make sure you mix the ingredients at the end together with a large, sturdy spoon or you might break your mixer.

The cinnamon can also be optional if you have allergies to it, but I think it makes the cake even better.   

Click here for the recipe for The Ranch Kitchen's Apple Cake!

As the leaves begin to fall and apples are being harvested, this is the perfect cake to make for home, work, church or just because you know your husband loves it.  Right Scott?!  (He really did love it!) And thankfully so did our second grade teachers today at school. 

Hugs!

Sometimes it takes a little muscle to get the cake in the oven!

Alise - The Ranch Kitchen

Pecan Pie Bites

When my girls were growing up our first house had a fantastic grove of pecan trees all over our yard.  We were the only young couple in a neighborhood of retired couples and they always said our girls brought it back to life.  For years when the leaves fell off our pecan trees it took an army to rake them up.  Every other year we had a huge crop of pecans to shell and share with our families and friends.  The one thing I always enjoyed was watching our older neighbors walk the street and pick the pecans that fell there.  An industrious few would hike a leg on the side of our yard and pick those pecans that fell close to the road!  I'd always just laugh and be proud they could still do it.  The neighbors sure walked a lot more during pecan season!

My middle daughter loved our pecans most of all and we constantly had to crack and shell them for her as she would beg for them saying, "Cons momma and daddy, more cons!"  I can still hear her saying that now. 

That first house was truly a blessing for our young family and we remodeled it all with our own hands and always enjoyed living there.  Each time I eat a pecan or make something with them, I'm reminded of those times and the first years of our marriage and our two oldest girls.  It doesn't seem that long ago now, but it's been over 16 years since we lived in that little gray house in Mitchell Addition.

I love, love making this easy dessert at the holidays!  It's honestly one of my families favorites that's they pick up as they walk by as we snack all day long! I really hope you'll try it.

Pecan Pie Bites

2 cups pecan, minced fine in a food processor



1 cup sugar

1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine (I actually used a light version margarine with a butter flavor and it turned out great with fewer calories)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 sleeves of graham crackers broken in to fourths and placed on a wax paper lined cookie sheet

Melt butter or margarine in a Teflon sauce pan.  Hint:  you'll want to use a Teflon pan to prevent a sugar pan mess...trust me...been there..done that...and if you don't have wax paper then use nonstick foil or foil sprayed lightly with oil. :o) 

Add to pecan mixture on the stove the sugar, vanilla and salt.  Bring to a low rolling boil (this is where your sugar, pecan mixture boils and gently pops in the middle of the pan as it cooks).  Cook on this low boil for eight minutes until mixture reaches candy stage and coats a spoon without dripping off quickly.  Stir this on and off as it cooks, scraping sides of the pan.  If you fire is too high you can easily burn this mixture. So adjust it and watch your mixture closely.

While pecan mixture is boiling, break graham crackers in fourths and place on a wax lined cookie sheet.

Once candied pecans are done, spoon immediately over the graham crackers trying to cover as much as possible. 

Cook in the oven on 375 for 30 minutes and allow to cool before serving.  Break into bite sized pieces,that about 2 inches by 2 inches and enjoy!! I like to place these in air proof cookie tins.  Layer each row between  wax paper and these will keep for up to one week nicely. 

Pecan Pie Bites are great as gifts for coworker and teachers, or just to take as a dessert that no one ever turns down!

Enjoy! 

Alise @ The Ranch Kitchen