Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee

Coconut Layer Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* 16-ounce box Club Crackers ***(mine were made by Keebler)***
* 1 cup milk chocolate chips ***(you'll use a total of 2 cups—I used Nestlé)***
* 1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature ***(2 sticks, ½ pound)***
* 1 cup brown sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 cup milk chocolate chips ***(this completes the milk chocolate chip total)***
* 2 cups peanut butter chips ***(10-ounce bag will do—I used Reese's)***
* ½ cup chopped salted peanuts ***(NOT dry roasted—measure AFTER chopping—I used Planters)***

**Hannah's 1st Note: There are three packets in a 13-ounce box of Club Crackers. You'll use only one packet. You can buy a smaller box if you can find it, but you can always use extra crackers, right? If you can't find Club Crackers at your store, you can use any brand of salted soda crackers. Your goal is to cover the bottom of the pan as completely as you can with something both crispy and salty.**

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Line a 10-inch by 15-inch cookie sheet with foil. If you have a jellyroll pan, that's perfect. If you don't, use a cookie sheet and turn up the edges of the foil to form sides.
* Spray the foil with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. ***(You want to be able to peel the foil off later, after the toffee hardens.)***
* Line the bottom of your pan completely with Club Crackers, salt side down. ***(You can break the crackers in pieces to make them fit if you have to.)***
* Sprinkle 1 (only ONE) cup of milk chocolate chips over the surface of the cracker-lined pan.
* Set the jelly roll pan or cookie sheet aside on the kitchen counter while you cook the toffee mixture.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: GOOD NEWS! You don't need a candy thermometer to make this toffee.**

* Combine the salted butter with the brown sugar in a medium-size saucepan. Stir until they are thoroughly mixed.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: I use my Great-Grandmother Elsa's wooden spoon to do this, but you can also use a heat-resistant rubber spatula if you wish.**

* Set the saucepan on the stovetop and turn the burner to MEDIUM-HIGH STIRRING CONSTANTLY, bring the toffee mixture to a boil.
* Boil for exactly 5 ***(five)*** minutes. Keep that spoon or spatula going! If you don't, your toffee will burn! If the toffee mixture sputters too much, you can reduce the heat a bit. If the mixture begins to lose the boil, you can increase the heat a bit. Just don't stop stirring until you've boiled it for 5 minutes.
* At the end of 5 minutes, pull the saucepan over a cold burner.
* Pour the very hot toffee mixture over the crackers and milk chocolate chips as evenly as you can. Spread it out quickly with a heat-resistant spatula or a frosting knife.

**Hannah's 4th Note: I start by pouring the mixture in lines from top to bottom over the length of the pan. Then I turn it and pour more lines over the width of the pan, until the whole pan is crosshatched with the hot toffee mixture. If it doesn't cover the crackers completely, don't worry—it'll spread out quite a bit in the oven.**

* Slide the pan into the oven and bake the toffee at 350°F for 10 ***(ten)*** minutes.
* Remove the pan from the oven, place it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack, and sprinkle the peanut butter chips over the top.
* Cover the pan with a sheet of foil or an empty cookie sheet. Let everything sit for 2 ***(two)*** full minutes. This will melt the peanut butter chips.
* When 2 ***(two)*** minutes have passed, take off the top cookie sheet or foil and spread the melted peanut butter chips as evenly as you can with a heat-resistant spatula, a wooden paddle, or a frosting knife.
* Using oven mitts or pot holders, place the pan in the refrigerator to cool, uncovered, for at least 1 ***(one)*** hour.
* Have a cup of coffee and relax while your toffee is cooling and hardening in the refrigerator.
* Remember that last cup of milk chocolate chips and the chopped peanuts you haven't used yet? Don't worry. They'll be used when your creation has cooled and hardened.
* Once the hour is up, leave your pan in the refrigerator and pour the milk chocolate chips into a small-size microwave-safe bowl. ***(I used a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup—mine has a spout, which I find very helpful.)***
* Melt your milk chocolate chips on HIGH heat in the microwave for 1 ***(one)*** minute. Then let the bowl sit in the microwave for another minute.
* When the minute has passed, take the bowl out of the microwave and attempt to stir the chips smooth. If you can't and they're not completely melted, return them to the microwave and heat them in 30-second increments, followed by 30 seconds of standing time, until you can stir them smooth.
* Take your hardened toffee out of the refrigerator and quickly drizzle the melted milk chocolate over the top of the cooled peanut butter chip layer. Be sure to let some the peanut butter chip layer show through.
* Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the top of the chocolate drizzle and refrigerate the pan for another 2 hours.
* When your Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee has thoroughly chilled, peel it from the foil and break it into random-size pieces.

**Hannah's 5th Note: Even though you have sprinkled chopped peanuts over the top of your toffee, it's still wise to warn everyone that this candy contains peanuts. Although peanut allergies are becoming less common, they can still be a dangerous problem!**