ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI: READIN', WRITIN' AND CHOCOLATE CRACKER CANDY

In the 1930s there were one-room schoolhouses all across the United States. If you were lucky like my mother, your schoolteacher would be married to the mail carrier, a kind heart man who gave a ride to the children living along the school road, thus saving them a lengthy walk.

It was exciting when the school began cooking hot lunches on an old wood stove. Mondays through Thursdays' staple foods made up the menu -- white beans and corn bread with the occasional fresh fruit. But, on Fridays, a loving teacher made it possible for the smells of chocolate and caramel to fill the little schoolhouse. The children "made and ate" chocolate cracker candy -- a concoction of saltine crackers, brown sugar, butter and milk chocolate.

Readin', writin' and chocolate cracker candy, a reward for work well done, could all be found in this special one-room school 60 years ago.

Chocolate Cracker Candy

35 to 40 saltine crackers

1 cup unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon for greasing pan

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 12-ounce package milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil; grease foil with butter.

2. Arrange crackers in overlapping pattern on foil.

3. Melt butter in saucepan; add brown sugar, stirring until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer three minutes; remove from heat.

4. Pour brown sugar mixture over crackers.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for five minutes.

6. Remove from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips over cracker mixture.

7. Cool for 15 minutes then spread chocolate with a spatula.

8. Cool completely, and break into pieces.

Yield: about 36 pieces.