Meredith McClanahan Fraser admits she is “a sucker for new recipes.” So when she went on the hunt for something different for Easter, a saltine toffee treat topped with the pretty pastels of spring caught her eye. She found the recipe at twopeasandtheirpod.com. In short order, she made a big sheet pan of it and shared some with neighbors.
“Sometimes my neighbors end up being the guinea pigs,” the Columbus cook said with a smile.
“I was looking for something that might be fun for kids to help make, especially since we’re quarantined,” said Fraser. “With COVID-19, it looks like there won’t be Easter gatherings.”
While Easter observances will certainly be different this year, there are numerous ways families can keep it special, spiritually as well as when it comes to adding a festive touch for the young and young-at-heart.
“I think children would like helping put the M&Ms and sprinkles on this,” said Fraser, who plans to make up plenty of toffee for her three grandchildren. “Since we can’t all be together like we normally would, I’ll just make this and maybe drop it off on their front doorstep and wave to them through the window.
“Of course, I’m sure if my brother reads this, he’ll expect some at his doorstep, too,” she laughed.
Cooking is “like therapy,” for Fraser, who credits her mother, Joy McClanahan — a Dispatch Cook of the Week in 1962 — and her grandmother, Erma Baynham, for passing on a joy of it.
“My mother was like a gourmet cook; anything she put her hands to was just divine. Everything she made was wonderful, from shrimp and grits to fried quail,” said Fraser.
In reminiscing about Easters past that stand out in memory, Fraser shared, “My maternal grandparents always had an Easter egg hunt at the house for me and my siblings and our friends. We would be dressed in our Sunday best.”
As the egg hunters got older, Fraser’s mother carried on the tradition, but with a twist.
“As we became adults, we started having three-legged hunts, just like we used to do the three-legged races for field day at school,” Fraser explained. “It’s a wonder no one broke any bones trying to hunt eggs that way. We would laugh until we cried. We still have 3-legged hunts.”
Recipe tips
When making saltine toffee, Fraser stressed, “When it says to keep stirring continuously, keep stirring! And when it says boil for three or four minutes, don’t boil it any longer.”
After the toffee has had eight minutes in the oven, be at the ready, she advised.
“As soon as you bring it out, spread the chocolate chips on it. As soon as they melt, you need to spread all the chocolate chips over the saltines.”
Different candies can be substituted as desired, and decorations could be adapted to different holidays, Fraser noted.
Although her work life has yet to alter significantly due to COVID-19 (there are a limited number of people in the office space, and everyone is easily able to maintain distance), Fraser is sensitive to changes affecting her Golden Triangle community.
“Please stay safe, and support local businesses because they’re really going to be the ones that are going to take the toughest knocks,” she urged.
As we all seek ways to maintain stability in unstable times, particularly for the children around us, plan for an Easter you will long remember as meaningful. It can be done. And a sweet-and-salty toffee can’t hurt.
EASTER SALTINE TOFFEE
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Makes 20 servings
40 saltine crackers
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup M&Ms or other chocolate candies
Sprinkles, if desired
■ Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat, parchment paper or aluminum foil. If using foil, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Place saltines in a single layer, touching, on the baking sheet. Set aside.
■ In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together over medium-high heat. Bring butter and brown sugar mixture to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour mixture evenly over saltine crackers. Bake 8 minutes or until topping is bubbling.
■ Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top of crackers. Let chocolate chips sit for 2 minutes so they have a chance to melt. Spread melted chocolate with a knife or rubber spatula. Sprinkle with candy and sprinkles, if using.
■ Let toffee sit for about 2 hours or until the chocolate hardens. You can refrigerate toffee for an hour, or freeze for 30 minutes. When chocolate is set up, break toffee into pieces and serve.
(Note: You can top toffee with chopped pecans or almonds. Toffee will keep up to 2 weeks in airtight container in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.)
(Source: twopeasandtheirpod.com, via Meredith Fraser)
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Related Photos
Easter saltine toffee requires only 20 minutes of prep and cook time, but allow about two hours for the chocolate to set. Photo by: Jan Swoope/Dispatch Staff
