Did you know? Today, November 24th is Fairy Bread Day!
Wait, what… what’s FAIRY BREAD?
Fairy bread is a favourite childhood treat in Australia, that’s what! Right up there with a sugar sandwich (yup – white bread, butter and sugar, a VERY occasional treat), fairy bread was something you got to eat rarely – mostly at birthday parties. It’s basically three simple ingredients which make magic when they are combined.
1. Bread. White bread. Preferably store bought and preferably square so it cuts nicely into triangle shapes. No fancy bread allowed (no sourdough, no artisinal loaves – just plain, white supermarket bread).
2. Butter. Preferably very thickly spread. This is hard to do when the bread is really fresh and (sssh!) it’s actually easier to make with margarine. This is most likely how I enjoyed this treat as a child (margarine was the spread of choice back then). But if your butter is soft enough and your bread is *just* fresh enough without being too fresh, you’ll strike the perfect balance!
3. 100s & 1000s (Hundreds and Thousands). No, North Americans, NOT sprinkles. You use the term “sprinkles” to cover all shapes and sizes. The long “jimmies” are what we call sprinkles (rainbow or chocolate). The topping of fairy bread is also known as “nonpareils” but DEFINITELY NOT “sprinkles”. The term 100s & 1000s is so common in Australia that when I was growing up, the labels for Tupperware containers even included a label for them!
Here in Canada, you CAN get 100s & 1000s in the grocery store but they’re not the same – notably, they are duller colours and they are smaller. Sweetapolita does a version that’s just like you buy in Australia!
Ok, great, got it re: Fairy Bread but what’s Fairy Bread DAY?
According to the Fairy Bread Day website:
Back on November 24th, 2014, founder Adam Schell jokingly said over a slice of Fairy Bread, “There should be a day to celebrate this!”, “Well mate, why don’t you make one?” was his friend’s response. And as simple as that, Fairy Bread Day has been celebrated on November 24th ever since.
An irresistible slice of nostalgia, reminiscent of simpler times, Fairy Bread Day is a celebration of Aussie culture. From teachers to tradies, young and old, Fairy Bread Day is now celebrated all around Australia and even around the world, with ex-pats relishing in a slice of home!
In Australia, Fairy Bread Day is sponsored by “Australia’s leading sprinkle connoisseur”, Dollar Sweets, and over the years, it’s evolved to become not only a celebration of the iconic childhood treat but also a support to Australian charities. Between 2020 and 2023, more than $114k was raised to support Australia’s online mental health service for youth, ReachOut. In 2023, Fairy Bread Day announced a new partnership with The Pyjama Foundation, which empowers children in foster care with the tools they need to build a brighter future.
How am I celebrating Fairy Bread Day this year?
This year’s Fairy Bread Day recipe came out of some recipe development I was doing for my upcoming Twelve Days of Holiday Treats. Truth be told, I was poking around my pantry looking at “bits and pieces” that needed using up and came up with a bunch of things that were perfect for some of the treats I was making.
Our friend Cole alerted me to the fact that we had a few saltine crackers hanging around (he loves crinkly packaging) so instead of putting them back in the pantry for him to drag out (again), I tried to think of a way to use them. Since my mind was in “holiday mode”, I thought about making David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch which is the best holiday treat (I’ve made this with my cooking club using saltines) but I wanted to do something a little different and THEN I remembered that Fairy Bread Day was coming up and I wondered if I could make this toffee crunch *look* like Fairly Bread? (Last year I made tiny triangle butter cookies that looked like fairy bread – remember?)
So I wondered if I might do the same with this toffee crunch? Turns out it was pretty easy (even amongst a ton of other holiday baking) AND I got to use up saltine crackers and white chocolate from my pantry!
Fairy Bread-inspired Toffee Crunch for Fairy Bread Day!
Inspired by a beloved Australian childhood treat - fairy bread! Adapted from David Lebovitz's Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch.
Ingredients
- 15 saltine crackers
- 113g (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 100g (1/2 cup) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 200g (1 heaping cup) white chocolate chips
- 100s and 1000s/ nonpareils/ sprinkles (the round kind)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Line a small (20 x 30cm/8 x 12-inch) baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang at the edges, which you will use as “handles’ to remove the toffee from the pan later.
- Line the bottom of the pan with the saltine crackers. The crackers I used fit perfectly 3 across and 5 down but use whatever you need (more/ less depending on the size of your pan)
- Melt the butter and sugar in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the butter has melted and bubbles appear around the edge of the mixture.
- Cook this mixture for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat and quickly stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour this mixture over the crackers. Don’t worry if it doesn’t reach the edge - it will when it cooks.
- Bake for 12 minutes, keeping an eye on the caramel around the edges of the pan - if it starts to get too brown, turn the temperature down to 350˚F.
- Remove the tray from the oven and scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the hot caramel and set aside for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, use an offset spatula to smooth the chocolate over the caramel evenly.
- Sprinkle immediately with the 100s and 1000s and allow to cool completely before breaking into pieces or, for a “fairy bread” inspired serving suggestion, cut at the “seams” of the crackers into 15 squares then cut each square into 2 triangles.
- Store in an airtight container - it’s good for about a week (but I bet it won’t last that long!).
Recommended Products
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So, while it’s the perfect treat to celebrate today – it’s also a fun holiday treat to make and gift (if you can bear giving it away!)
Want more sprinkles (and a discount) this holiday season? Shop my Sweetapolita store!
Click here and use EATLIVTRAVWRITE to get 15% off!
Want to know more about Fairy Bread?
How to Make Fairy Bread, the Rainbow Snack from Australia
What is Fairy Bread and How Do You Make It? (I’m quoted in this!)
Bread, Butter, 100’s & 1000’s – Fairy Bread, we love you
Happy Fairy Bread Day (to all those who celebrate!)
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Oh. My.
Butter, toffee – what’s not to love? These just MELT in your mouth. Cole loved them too!
A genuine nostalgic post, Mardi. Lovely. And, fresh white bread is critical along with BUTTER, not a spread.