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1-box graham crackers
2 sticks butter
1-cup brown sugar
1 – 12 ounce package special dark chocolate chips OR
1 – 11 ounce package of dark chocolate Hersey kisses
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a 10 x 14 inch cookie sheet with a raised edge all around (or slightly larger size pan Of 11 x 16 is okay). Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and then grease the foil with margarine or use Renyolds Release Wrap and no greasing. Make a single layer of graham crackers to cover every inch of the foil lined pan. (Graham crackers usually come with 3 packages in a box. You will use 1 and 1 / 2 packages or a little more to cover the entire bottom of the pan.) If necessary cut the graham crackers to fit the entire pan.

3. Cook butter and brown sugar in a saucepan until butter melts and the mixture is well blended. Do not let mixture boil. Remove from heat and pour mixture over the graham crackers. Spread butter / brown sugar mixture evenly over the crackers to cover them completely.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately spread dark chocolate chips over the top. Wait a minute and then spread melting chips with a spatula or a butter knife, which I prefer to use. (If using Hersey kisses, since they are larger than chips, use a double boiler to melt kisses and then pour over the brown sugar mixture after you take it out of the oven.
After the whole top is covered with chocolate, sprinkle the chopped pecans over the chocolate, covering it all and press down lightly pecans into the chocolate using a piece of wax paper covering your fingers/hand.

5. Chill for 4 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and break into small pieces peeling the aluminum foil away from the bottom. Keep in a tight container in a cool, dry place.

6. ENJOY! – Toffee is great with coffee!

This Pecan Toffee is one of the simplest recipes I have ever made. The bottom of this Pecan Toffee is graham crackers but I have seen similar toffee recipes made by others that were prepared with saltines or matzoth as the bottom layer. Also, almonds and other nuts have been used instead of pecans. I prefer my version with the graham crackers and pecans. This recipe can be altered to your own personal taste. No matter how you make it, the best part is the tools that are available to use to make baking easier. I used Reynolds release non-stick aluminum foil for this recipe.

Think about the handy men you know in your life: they have a love for their toys….er….I mean tools that borders on obsession! The thing is, the cook and baker in me really appreciates and understands this love story. I am so into time saving recipes and the tools of the trade it takes to help me get the job done.

I went to hog heaven when Reynolds came out with that easy release non-stick aluminum foil. When I started cooking way back in the Stone Age there was one style of aluminum foil; it was great, but stuff did tend to stick to it. Then came the cooking bags for roasts and even bags for barbecue; we could throw almost anything into that bag, tie it up, poke a few holes and just sit back and wait for the dinner bell to ring! Clean up is a snap so there’s more time to spend baking….

And about those baking tools…so many are disposable now. I use the disposable decorating bags for everything from filling deviled eggs to writing Happy Birthday on a cake. I’m also a fan of those pre-cut cake liners made from parchment paper in round and square shapes for different sized baking pans. Hey, no greasing or flouring required! When the cake finishes baking, just loosen the sides with a spatula and flip the cake onto a wire rack to cool. The liner is now on top, so just cool down the cake for a few minutes and then peel off the liner. A perfect outcome every time. You can purchase pre-cut chocolate leaves, letters and other designs to put on top of cakes right from your better local supermarkets. Baking aisles are getting larger and larger to accommodate all the choices.

When the baking is done, there are so many delightful ways to package it. There are decorative disposable containers for nearly every holiday. Baking bags and saran wraps are offered in every color under the rainbow. When will the food madness end! I hope never because I love it all right down to the pretty toothpicks available for every occasion!

No matter how easy they make these baking tools for us to use when cooking, preparing and serving food for others, we still have to remind ourselves that to do it with love is to do it without effort!