By Week after my birthday and the afterglow is real. I bought myself a small birthday present: a kitchen scale, the kind that measures in grams and ounces and that I have been wanting for baking since I started the macarons. Gloria would say a scale is unnecessary, that measuring by feel is better, and she is right for most of the things she makes. But for the technical baking, the macarons and the proper bread and the finicky cookies, knowing exact weights matters and I want to know exact weights.
My fourth batch of macarons this weekend: I used the scale for the almond flour and powdered sugar and egg whites, all precise. The shells were smooth. The feet were even. The ganache filling I made with dark chocolate and cream and a pinch of sea salt. When I sandwiched them and let them sit in the fridge overnight and then opened the container the next morning, they looked like what you would buy in a French bakery. They tasted like it too. I ate three before I was even out of the kitchen.
I called Gloria and told her I had made macarons that worked. She said: send me one. I said I will bring them Sunday. She said good. She has been curious about these cookies since I started trying. She does not let on that she is curious but I know her enough now to read the spaces in her questions.
On Sunday she tasted one and was quiet for a moment. Then she said: that is very fine work. She used the word fine, which she uses for things she considers truly accomplished. Fine work. I am going to remember that.
After a weekend that gave me smooth macaron shells, even feet, and two words from Gloria — fine work — I wanted to keep the dark chocolate and sea salt energy going in something a little more shareable and a little less nerve-wracking. Chocolate saltine toffee is the kind of thing you make when you’re still riding the high of getting the hard thing right: it’s fast, it’s indulgent, and that flaky salt on top is exactly what my hands still wanted to reach for. I brought a tin of this alongside the macarons on Sunday, and while Gloria said nothing about it specifically, she took a second piece.
Chocolate Saltine Toffee
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 22 minutes (includes cooling) | Servings: 24 pieces
Ingredients
- 40 saltine crackers (approximately one sleeve)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for finishing
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Prep the pan. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, pressing it neatly into the corners. Spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange the crackers. Lay the saltines in a single, tight layer across the bottom of the prepared pan. Break crackers as needed to fill any gaps along the edges.
- Make the toffee. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring to combine. Bring to a full boil, then cook for exactly 3 minutes without stirring. The mixture should turn deep amber and look thick and glossy.
- Pour and spread. Carefully pour the hot toffee evenly over the saltines. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it all the way to the edges, covering every cracker.
- Bake. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over the surface.
- Add the chocolate. Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the chocolate chips in an even layer over the hot toffee. Let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to soften, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate smoothly across the entire surface.
- Finish with salt. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle flaky sea salt evenly over the top. Do not skip this step — the salt is what makes it.
- Cool and break. Let the pan cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to set completely, about 1 hour. Once firm, lift the foil out of the pan and break the toffee into irregular pieces by hand.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 205 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 23g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 118mg