Mary's Clubhouse Cracker Bars with Chocolate Butterscotch Topping
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This recipe and introduction are excerpted from “To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes” by archivist and author Rosie Grant. The cookbook studies and spotlights gravestones with recipes from the deceased, and tells their stories. These chocolate-y, cookie-like cracker bars from the late Mary Silvernail are still a crowd-pleaser. Sweet-salty layers of crackers are held together with graham cracker caramel and topped with butterscotch chocolate, which is made all the more decadent with peanut butter. It’s no wonder they were beloved by Silvernail for years.
“Mary Silvernail came from a family who understood that food was more than sustenance. It was love, survival and something to be shared. Primarily of Norwegian/Swedish descent, Mary, one of six children, was raised in a rugged rural home outside of Palermo, North Dakota, where harsh winters taught neighbors to rely on one another, and where casseroles and hot dishes fed large families. ...
When it was time to choose her memorial, [her daughter and grandson] Melissa and Jake knew what belonged on her marker: a stone in the shape of North Dakota with a heart to reflect the rolling prairies where she grew up. A deep, steady blue — the color of Mary’s eyes, the color of the sky she grew up under. And, of course, the recipe for her Clubhouse Cracker bars. The recipe is cherished and frequently requested by family and friends. On the front of her grave reads a quote that Mary embodied all her life: ‘Proverbs 31:29 Many women do noble things, But you surpass them all.’
Her family still makes her bars. The trick is to follow her instructions exactly — no substitutions. Melissa bakes them, and one day, will make them for Mary’s great-grandson, Daniel. While Daniel never got to meet her, he’ll grow up hearing stories about Mary and enjoying the spirit of her cooking that lives on in their family.”
Place half the crackers side-by-side on the bottom of a cookie sheet, enough to cover the whole tray.
In a medium bowl, mix the graham crackers, brown sugar, margarine and milk.
Pour the mixture into a pan and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and boil for 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Keep stirring as it starts to caramelize.
Take the pan off the heat and add the vanilla. Pour the caramel mixture over the crackers on the cookie sheet and spread out the mixture with a spatula.
Add the remaining crackers in a new layer on top. Place the sheet in the refrigerator to cool.
In a small pan over low heat, melt together the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter.
Spread the mixture over the crackers on the cookie sheet. Return to the refrigerator to set. The bars can be cut when the frosting sets.
