Scotcheroos

Scotcheroos just came onto our radar within the last year or so, amazingly enough. How we could have somehow missed the memo on butterscotch-peanut butter Rice Krispy treats covered in chocolate-butterscotch is beyond us. The previous sentence is a reliable description for these awesome bars – essentially a Rice Krispy treat minus the marshmallow with from-scratch butterscotch and peanut butter mixed in, then topped with a chocolate/butterscotch mixture. They are rich, buttery and rich and encompass everything you loved about Rice Krispy treats as a kid. Plus, they can be made in less than 15 minutes which is reliable for a speedy treat or when you need a potluck dessert in a hurry!

We took Jen’s lead (from How To: Simplify) and used crisp peanut butter in these instead of creamy, which adds a great dimension to the bars – little bits of salty peanuts in each bite balances the sweet smoothness of the butterscotch flavor.

If you love chocolate, check out David Lebovitz’ Triple Chocolate Scotcheroos – he adds Nutella to the butterscotch/peanut butter mixture and uses Cocoa Krispies in place of regular Rice Krispies. Pure genius.

One year ago: Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
Two years ago: Danish Braid

Scotcheroos

Yield: 24 dozen bars Butterscotch-peanut butter Rice Krispy treats covered in chocolate-butterscotch

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (341 ml) light corn syrup
• 1 cup (258 g) chunky peanut butter
• 6 cups (112 g) Rice Krispy cereal
• 1 cup (180 g) chocolate chips
• 1 cup (170 g) butterscotch chips

• 1. Grease a 13x9-inch pan; set aside. Place sugar and corn syrup into a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted and combined. Add the cereal; stir well until well coated. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. (Tip: we use a small square of wax paper to press these into the pan - easier to press into an even layer and it won't stick to the wax paper.)
• 2. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together either over a double boiler or in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let sit until firm (or refrigerate for a faster setting time).

• Yield: 24 dozen bars
• Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup ( 200 g ) granulated sugar
• 1 cup ( 341 ml ) light corn syrup
• 1 cup ( 258 g ) chunky peanut butter
• 6 cups ( 112 g ) Rice Krispy cereal
• 1 cup ( 180 g ) chocolate chips
• 1 cup ( 170 g ) butterscotch chips

Method

1. 1. Grease a 13x9-inch pan; set aside. Place sugar and corn syrup into a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted and combined. Add the cereal; stir well until well coated. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. (Tip: we use a small square of wax paper to press these into the pan - easier to press into an even layer and it won't stick to the wax paper.)
2. 2. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together either over a double boiler or in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let sit until firm (or refrigerate for a faster setting time).