STOOPID - SIMPLE

It amazes me how sometimes the most simple, easiest things are those that collect the most raves or mean the most to those you love. Take this recipe, for example:

Last week, we got together with my aunt and uncle from Bullhead City. I hadn't seen Aunt Mary Jane in two years and she's one of my favorite aunts. Vivacious, fun loving and a go-getter, plus one of the best cooks left on the earth. And my Uncle Ralph... well, just say "chocolate" and Uncle Ralph is happy. We met them for a pot luck on Saturday and both my sister, Gloria and I surprised everybody by both baking brownies. And not just any brownies, either. Normally, Glo and I would 'go all out' and prepare brownies-from-scratch, but we'd been busy this week and preparing other pot luck goodies, as well, so we both (unbeknowst to each other) prepared made-from-mixes brownies. We laughed over it when we got together and had to do a Taste-Off to see if Glo's Wal-Mart mix was better than my Betty Crocker mix. (I believe Wal-Mart's was fudgier.)

The next day, being's it was Super Bowl, we decided to get together again and pot luck it once again. Now, Bill and I have an hour's drive either way from Glo's house where all this partying was going on, and since I'd cooked my fool head off the day before, I really didn't feel like baking up a storm once we got home on Saturday night. But.... but there was a pot luck to bring something to the next day and besides Uncle Ralph likes chocolate. So I threw these cookies together. They are sort of Last Minute, Good Ol' Standby, Never-Fail Cookies. But you could call them Stoopid-Simple because they are so darned easy. And.. best of all, everybody loved them! Nobody wanted to stop eating at just one. Aunt Mary Jane asked for the recipe and I saw Uncle Ralph raid that cookie can a time or three! So, I'm sharing this with you. When you need a really good cookie and you don't have a lot of time and you want to shine like a queen when you serve them: Bake This Cookie! (You're welcome!)

Line a greased jelly roll pan (15"x10"x1") with saltine crackers. I use Club brand. It takes about one third of the package. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt 2 cubes of butter (1 cup) and 1 cup of dark brown sugar. Stir it until it melts, then keep stirring it while it boils for five minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the crackers in the jelly roll pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 6 to 10 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with two cups chocolate chips. (You can use milk chocolate or semi-sweet or white chocolate or even peanut butter chips, whatever you choose.) Wait a moment or two until the chips melt, then spread them with a spatula like icing. At this point, you can either put the pan in the refrigerator to set up or sprinkle with butter brickle chips or chopped nuts, then chill off in the refrigerator. When they are set, break apart and serve. It's that Simple. And I promise, you'll be asked for the recipe more than once!

Good snacking to you!