Big Greasy Mess !

10 years ago

I tried a new recipe for the upcoming bake sale and ended up with a Big Greasy Mess!

What did I do wrong? What happened? I followed directions and measurements exactly, darn it! The photo of the "underside" of this doesn't really show how shiny it is with butter.

Here is the recipe:
12 graham crackers (I used HoneyMaid)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips--I had Hershey

For topping, I used half a package of Heath English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 375ÃÂ°F.
(I used a 13 x 9 glass baking pan, lined with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang at each end.)

Line bottom of pan with graham crackers (tight fit).
Melt butter over med-low heat, then add brown sugar and salt and cook, whisking, until mixture is smooth and combined well, about 5 mins.

Pour over crackers, spreading evenly then bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.

Scatter chocolate chips evenly over crackers and bake about a minute or so. Take the pan out of the oven and spread the melty chocolate chips over the graham crackers with offset spatula.

Sprinkle topping over the chocolate and then, cool the pan on a rack 30 minutes. Freeze until chocolate is firm, 10 to 15 minutes.

Lift graham crackers from pan and peel back foil. Break into pieces.

I don't think I'll be making this again and besides, it's waaaaaaay too sweet for me and DH !

Thanks!

Smiles,
Sooz

Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate Caramel Graham Crackers

Comments (11)

CA Kate z9
10 years ago
3/4 cup of butter seems like a lot for 12 crackers. I wonder if there was a typo in the original recipe.
mtnester
10 years ago
The recipe reminded me of chocolate-covered matzoh, which is often served as a treat (more like candy than a dessert) at Passover. The technique is very similar. The proportion of butter to brown sugar and chips seems pretty much consistent with recipes I found online; however, most recipes specify using large baking sheets; in other words, the crackers would be spread out over a greater surface area, and the topping would be thinner. Maybe your recipe would be more pleasing if you used more graham crackers for the same amount of topping (or reduced the amounts of the other ingredients).

Matzoh isn't sweet; in fact, it's almost tasteless (cardboard is the closest approximation I can think of, LOL), so the sweetness is only in the topping. The honey grahams would add an extra measure of sweetness--probably too much for adult tastes.

Sue
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sooz
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the input!!! It does seem that there are variations of this recipe, and I'm thinking the comments and suggestions and ideas you both made are right!

Smiles,
Sooz
annie1992
10 years ago
I am of no help because I've never made anything even similar to this, but that seems like an awful lot of butter for that amount of crackers, I can't see how they could possibly soak it all up.

Annie
bethk_fla
10 years ago
Years ago I copied a recipe out of Bon Appetit and I've made the cookies a couple times. They reminded me of the Heath Bar toffee with pecans. I do remember having a lot of difficulty with the caramel causing the cookies to adhere to the sheet pan so now I line the pan with non-stick foil and find it's easier to get them cut without breaking.

Here's the recipe for Natchez Cookies for comparison:

Natchez Cookies
(Bon Appetit Magazine, 1992)

Ingredients:
15 whole graham crackers
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1-1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans
16 oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350ÃÂ°. Lightly butter 11 X 17 half sheet pan (Note: I line pan with non-stick foil so cookies do not adhere to pan). Arrange graham crackers, side by side, edges touching to cover pan.
Stir butter & brown sugar in heavy saucepan until butter melts and sugar dissolves, bring to a rolling boil. Stir in vanilla extract. Increase heat and boil 1 minute.

Pour caramel mixture over graham crackers. Sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans and bake until the caramel topping bubbles and turns a deep brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over cookies. Allow to cool.

Cut along graham cracker edges to separate. Carefully transfer to rack and cool completely. Cut each cookie in half (Note: Because they are so sweet, I cut in ÃÂ¼ sizeÃ¢ÂÂ¦.)
Store in an airtight container or may be frozen.
sooz
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for your input, Annie. I thought the butter was well incorporated and magically changed to carmel, but I guess not!

Wow, Beth, Big Greasy Mess sure is a similar recipe to the Natchez Cookies!

I had one more teeny tiny taste today of the Big Greasy Mess (having put it in the fridge last night), and I'm sure it raised my blood sugar a lot! These are TOO sweet for my taste buds, that's for sure!

Smiles,
Sooz
cookie8
10 years ago
I used to make something like this but it called for saltine crackers and was topped with milk chocolate chips then crushed Smarties. Yep, sickeningly sweet, but when you are young it hits the spot.
annie1992
10 years ago
cookie, I saw that one of the reviews for the recipe sooz made said that they used half saltines and half graham crackers and the saltines were better.

There are few things that are too sweet for me but milk chocolate topped with Smarties I think would do it for me, LOL.

So they're still a greasy mess? I was hoping maybe some of the butter would be absorbed upon sitting, kind of like graham cracker crust, but I guess not. That recipe sure got a lot of good reviews, though.

I'd have been scared off by the caramel portion anyway, I've never managed to make a batch of caramel anything that didn't come out tooth-breakingly hard, not even with a candy thermometer and constant vigilance. I tried making some soft caramel at Christmas but wasted a whole lot of ingredients as it came out hard as a rock and when I broke it, it shattered into caramel shards.

Annie
sooz
Original Author
10 years ago
Annie, to me, they are still greasy!

My friend Rick was the happy recipient of most of these Big Greasy Messes, and said he especially loved the softened graham cracker part. He doesn't know my nickname for them, and yup, they sure did get some wonderful reviews (which makes me wonder about who is making and eating this UBER sweet stuff!).

The remainder went to a restaurant pal at one of our favorite ethnic places today--I told him it was candy (thought that was better than saying Big Greasy Mess) and his eyes lit up! I wrapped all the pieces (they didn't cut straight at all) individually in waxed paper, and then put them in a cello bag and also suggested he keep them in the fridge.

Smiles,
Sooz
party_music50
10 years ago
What brand of brown sugar did you use??? I have always bought Domino's but recently bought a generic brand -- when I used it to make toffee I was shocked at how it behaved... it stuck to the pan as I was trying to heat it! Domino's has never done that. The texture wasn't right as I tried to bring it to a boil (as if the sugar and butter were separating!). And, of course, the toffee wasn't quite as good as before.

I immediately ran out and bought another bag of Domino's and studied the bags carefully -- sure enough, Domino's is made with CANE sugar and the other simply said made with sugar (beet sugar, no doubt).

Did you use a brown sugar that isn't CANE sugar based?

I will never buy any other sugar that isn't clearly marked CANE SUGAR!!! :p

PS: the recipe you used also sounds like way too much butter to me, given the other ingredient amounts.

This post was edited by party_music50 on Thu, Apr 25, 13 at 11:12
party_music50
10 years ago
Try this recipe instead. :) My Dad found it and made it years ago and it's always a BIG HIT with everyone!

I don't like icky-sweet stuff, so when I make it I use half the amount of sugar and butter topping!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1610,156161-241200,00.html

Big Greasy Mess !

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