I am just back from Kindling Words, and already missing the crisp Vermont air, the copious food, the constant talk about writing, editing, narrative, the Business, and books we love (and loathe), and of course the excellent company. However, there is one thing I do not have to miss, and that is Andrea Tompa's Graham Cracker Goodness (as I am hereby naming it). For non-KW attendees, Andrea is an associate editor at Candlewick; for KW attendees, this was the stuff that was at the back of the baked goods table in the round Tupperware, which you may not have had a chance to eat because I personally ate about a quarter pound of it, with no regrets. It's that damn good.
Andrea Tompa's Graham Cracker Goodness
1 sleeve graham crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 pkg chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10" x 15" cookie sheet with tinfoil. Place crackers flat on the cookie sheet so that they're all touching each other and so that they extend right to the edges. (Use pieces of crackers if necessary to make it work out.)
Melt butter and sugar and boil 3 minutes. Pour over crackers. Put in the oven for 5 minutes, or until bubbles form all over.
Pull out the cookie sheet and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Put in the oven for an additional minute, then take it out and spread the chocolate for the edges.
Let it cool. Put in the freezer for 3 hours (or more), then take out the frozen sheet and peel off the tinfoil. Break the bark into pieces. Can be frozen or stored in a tin.
The lone way I believe this ambrosia can be improved is through the addition of marshmallow, thus turning it into a s'more -- any ideas on how to try it? And some writing notes from the wonderful talks this weekend coming soon.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Wordly Wonderfulness & Graham Cracker Goodness
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Wow. Thank you for this. Thank you, thank you.
ReplyDeleteAbout adding marshmellows-
ReplyDeleteconsider softening them over low heat (maybe with choc chips) while the rest is cooking in the oven.
Then pour over the top???
Sounds like a fun combo to experiment with!!!
Oh Thank you for this! I ate most of the ones that you didn't but I didn't know who made them and figured I would never get to taste them ever again!
ReplyDeleteWhen Grandma cooks yams, she adds marshmallows toward the end of the cooking time. However, I'm not sure how they'd hold up in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could dip the finished product in marshmallow fluff? Or roast a marshmallow over the kitchen burner and smoosh it on there once the bark is finished? (Don't let the marshmallow burn or the smoke detector will go off.)
If only they still had the cooking shows on KMA in Shenendoah.
You forgot to add "crack" to the list of ingredients. Those were sooo addictive! Still dreaming of chocolate buttery goodness . . .
ReplyDeleteWhen you shmear the softened chocolate chips around, glob some peanut butter on it and shmear it around to before popping into the freezer... It is fab!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you posted this. I was so addicted to the triple ginger cookies that I kept forgetting to go back for more. I think you hid them back there so that no one would know there was any left!
ReplyDeleteI have to make these TONIGHT. Does that make me crazy? Or just very wise...
ReplyDeleteJust when I thought I'd start eating healthy food again... the recipe for the demonic, addictive cookies. But thanks!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize Andrea made those, but I happily put away more than my share of them anyway.
You know, I almost didn't bring those particular cookies, because the night before KW, I realized that I had bought strange, flax-seed-infested, not-at-all sweet graham crackers instead of the regular kind. I almost made regular chocolate chip cookies instead, but I'm glad that I didn't give up!
ReplyDeleteHope everyone enjoys them! Now I'm tempted to experiment with marshmallow, peanut butter, and other sweet substances...
Mine are in the freezer this minute. But even though I haven't tasted them yet, I bet that mixing them with Hershey's cinnamon chips as well as chocolate would be excellent.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma makes these. We call them Tosha bars after my cousin, Tosha, who eats the most of them.
ReplyDeleteI was so sad to miss KW this year for the first time in 5 years! Although I think being in China was a good excuse...maybe I'll make the Graham Cracker goodness as a consolation prize. Glad you had a good time!
ReplyDeleteOMG! My grandma made these all the time, and I make them, too -- but I have never added chocolate chips. Decadence!
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful! And that's saying something coz I just had a hot,soft brownie :)
ReplyDeleteI raved about these when I came home, and passed on the recipe to a friend. Hers came out gooey, even after spending all night in the freezer. We wondered if the recipe should read one stick instead of one cup of butter. Any idea?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Laurie
Hmm... it's definitely a cup of butter, not a stick. I probably used more than a sleeve of graham crackers, though, in order to fill the pan completely.
ReplyDeleteSorry! No other ideas...
A neighbor of mine made these using saltine crackers, instead of graham crackers. The salt and the sugar. Mmmm.
ReplyDeleteI will have to remember that Saltine variation. My batch is done, though, and so I can also confirm -- it's definitely one cup of butter, and I also used slightly more than one sleeve of crackers.
ReplyDeleteI think you could get away with only using one sleeve, though -- you'd just risk having a bit more of the hard toffee stuff. I have no problems with that.