Schnitzel With Noodles

A while back there was a sale at the local grocery store on Ritz crackers.  It was 2 for $4 dollars and I thought that sounded like a mighty good deal (I do love crackers) and so I went ahead and bought two boxes.  So what if they were the "Hint of Salt" kind?  Sodium is bad for you anyway, right?  

WRONG.

Unfortunately for me, "Hint of Salt" apparently meant no salt at all and, as anyone remotely interested in cooking knows, no salt=no flavor.  So I was stuck with two full boxes and the most horrible tasting crackers I had ever encountered, and I've tried a few crackers in my day.  I managed over the course of many months to choke down one full box, mostly by salting the crackers myself (imagine! having to salt your own crackers just to make them palatable!) and then covering them with a thick slice of cheese.

Then I bought a box of real Ritz crackers and so the second box of that monstrosity called "Hint of Salt" sat in the back corner of my shelf for many weeks.  Then I came across these little beauties that gave me use for those previously useless crackers!

Voila!  The peanut butter cup cracker sandwiches!  (I know, it needs a catchier name.  Crunchy cracker candies?  Choc-choc-chocolate cracker crunchies?  Obviously catchy naming is not my strong suit.)

Not only are these little lovelies easy to make, they're also super tasty despite my woefully taste-deficient crackers!  One of my roommates commented (as we sat on our kitchen floor, eating them off the pan) that she liked them better than peanut butter cups!  I don't know about that, but they have a very pleasant crispy crunch and an even better chocolatey, peanut-buttery taste!

The moral of this story?  Don't buy low sodium crackers (or low sodium anything, for that matter).  It's just not worth it.  And if you do, coat it in chocolate!

Choc-choc-chocolate Cracker Crunchies (I admit it, the name grew on me!)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
• Ritz crackers (I used one whole sleeve)

1. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or the microwave (I find that the latter works just as well).
2. Mix peanut butter and sugar in a bowl until smooth.
3. Spread a small amount of the peanut butter mixture onto a cracker and sandwich with another cracker.
4. Repeat until all the crackers have been used. 
5. Place crackers onto a lined baking sheet (foil works fine but you could use parchment paper if you're feeling fancy).  If the peanut butter mixture is runny, chill crackers before dipping in crackers.
6. Once the chocolate has melted, using a fork or other preferred utensil, dip the peanut butter sandwiches into the chocolate until completely covered.
7. Shake off any access chocolate (shaking will also smooth the surface of the chocolate, making them look smoother) and place back onto the lined baking sheet.
8. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and set aside to dry (about an hour) or place in the refrigerator until chocolate coating is hard (about ten minutes). 
9. Carefully peel from the baking sheet and enjoy!