Toffee Bars

This toffee bar recipe is from my husband's grandmother and is a family favorite around the holidays.

Immediately upon seeing the handwritten recipe dated 1984, I knew the bars were going to be good. I was surprised at how easy they were to make and by the simplicity of the recipe – only four ingredients. Now we make them every year around the holidays, and they’re always a huge hit. They also are great for gifting. Makes 36 small squares. INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (2 sticks; 8 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 8 graham cracker cookies
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with the graham crackers (see note).
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking constantly. Once it reaches a boil, let it remain at a boil for 2 to 3 minutes while whisking constantly.
3. Carefully pour the mixture over the graham crackers and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the cracker-lined baking pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the toffee. Put the baking pan back in the oven for 1 minute to melt the chips. Remove from the oven and smooth the chocolate chips over the toffee by running a spatula back and forth over them. Let cool completely and cut into little bars and enjoy.

NOTE: Make sure to butter the pan and line with graham crackers before starting to make the toffee part of these bars because that step goes pretty quickly and is hands-on. Recipe & photo used with permission from An Old-Fashioned Christmas by Ellen Stimson, The Countryman Press (countrymanpress.com), a division of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. (wwnorton.com), 2015. All rights reserved. Photos by Natalie Stultz Photography.