Turn saltine crackers into Heath Bars? Sure

By ANNE LONG

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 30, 2000

Can you start with a lowly saltine cracker and end with a confection that tastes like Heath Bars?

Begin by placing saltines next to each other on a cookie sheet with sides touching and top with a mixture of butter and brown sugar that has been boiled for 3 minutes. Bake for 5 minutes and top with semisweet chocolate chips and nuts. Cool, crack into pieces and become a believer.

Lynne Balog asked for the recipe for Toll House chocolate chip cake. The cake Lynne remembers from the 1950s is a yellow layer cake with semisweet chocolate chips. The chocolate filling is also made with the chocolate chips.

Two readers share their recipes. Nancy Lesniak's recipe from a Nestle's booklet is prepared by first baking the cake in a 10- by 15-inch jelly roll pan. Cut the cake into four strips and spread each strip with chocolate frosting. Stack the layers and frost all over.

L.G. DuPont's cake is baked in a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan. When the cake is cool, pour chocolate glaze over the top. This cake also has chocolate chips in the cake and in the frosting.

Ruth Stauffer shares her recipe for fruit liqueur and asks for citrus liqueur recipes in exchange.

For:Stella DeLeo of Dunedin.

From:Patricia Sargeant of Lecanto, Ada Herald of New Port Richey, Alice Mullen of St. Pete Beach, Sue Doster of Weeki Wachee, Nancy Eggert of Dunedin, Kristin Zanghi of Spring Hill, Ruth Stauffer of Bradenton and Pauline Mayes and Marilyn Rodgers of St. Petersburg.

Recipe:"Heath" bars.

'Heath' Bars

40 saltine crackers

1 cup brown sugar (several cooks use granulated sugar)

1 cup butter and/or margarine (2 sticks)

1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

Line a 10- by 15-inch jelly roll pan with heavy duty foil. Grease foil.

Place saltine crackers close together in pan. In saucepan, combine sugar and butter; bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over crackers gently. Bake in 375-degree oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately place chocolate chips on top. When softened, spread until smooth. (May need to return to oven for a minute or two.) Sprinkle with nuts. Press slightly into chocolate. Cool in refrigerator and then break into pieces.

For: Lynne Balog of New Port Richey.

From: Nancy Lesniak of Palm Harbor.

Recipe: Toll House cake from Nestle's recipe booklet.

Toll House Cake

Cake:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 12-ounce package Toll House miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Frosting:

1 cup miniature chocolate chips (reserved from 12-ounce package)

3/4 cup butter, softened

11/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cake: Grease bottom of 151/2-inch by 101/2-inch by 1-inch baking pan. Line with waxed paper; set aside.

In large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and salt; mix well. Gradually add flour. Stir in 1 cup miniature chocolate chips. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting: Melt over hot (not boiling) water l cup miniature chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Set side.

In small bowl, combine butter and confectioners' sugar; beat until creamy. Add melted chocolate and vanilla extract; blend until smooth.

To assemble: Loosen sides of cake. Invert onto lightly floured cloth. Peel off waxed paper. Trim edges of cake; cut cake crosswise into four 33/4- by 10-inch sections. Spread 3 slightly rounded tablespoons frosting on one cake layer. Top with second cake layer. Repeat layers of frosting and cake. Frost entire cake with remaining frosting. Makes 1 cake.

From: L.G. DuPont of Ocala.

Recipe: Toll House deluxe cake from Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook.

Toll House Deluxe Cake

Cake:

3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 measuring tablespoon baking powder

1 measuring teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 measuring tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate morsels, divided

Chocolate glaze:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels (reserved from 12-ounce package)

1/4 cup boiling water

1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Cake: In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately blend in flour mixture with milk. Stir in 11/2 cups chocolate morsels. Spoon batter evenly into well-greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees 60 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. Pour chocolate glaze over top. Let glaze set at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate glaze: In blender container, combine remaining 1/2 cup chocolate morsels and boiling water; process at high speed until smooth. Gradually blend in confectioners' sugar; process until smooth. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

Makes 1 10-inch Bundt cake and 3/4 cup glaze.

From: Ruth Stauffer of Bradenton.

Recipe: Fruit liqueur.

Fruit Liqueur

2 pounds fresh fruit (plums, raspberries, nectarines, or other sweet strong-flavored fruit)

1 pound cubed sugar

1 fifth or 1 quart vodka (can use an economical brand)

Combine ingredients in glass jar with tight lid. Shake once per week until sugar cubes dissolve, then occasionally. Open in 3 months. Strain through fine sieve.

Recipe requests

For many years, Ann Elder of Port Richey made three different Easter pies. The recipes were from Naples, Italy, and have been lost. One is made with several different kinds of meat, one is made with Grapenuts, and the third is a sweet pie made with ricotta. They each had a different crust that complemented the pie filling. She hopes that you can help her so that she will be ready for next Easter.

Do you remember resin potatoes? Does such a dish exist now?

Ruth Sieling of St. Petersburg writes that, many years ago, Webb's City sold a bucket of resin, which was heated until it was quite hot. Potatoes were then placed in the resin to cook. The result was very tasty.

Several restaurants featured resin-cooked potatoes, and Cracker Barrel Restaurants was among them, if she remembers correctly.

Arlene Siems of St. Petersburg has three recipe requests: for baked beans, blueberry jelly and oatmeal-raisin cookies, and she hopes that you will share your favorites.

You Asked For It is a reader mail column. If you have a cooking question or the answer to someone else's question, write to: You Asked For It, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number with your letter. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.

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