Scotcheroos

My grandmother was famous for a wide variety of sweet treats, from cookies to bars to doughnuts. Scotcheroos were always one of my favorites. I consider them an upgrade of the standard Rice Krispie bar (her extra-buttery version of those is also a family classic), incorporating peanut butter, chocolate, and butterscotch. They're a quintessential Midwestern "bar." Enjoy with a cup of black coffee after finishing your hotdish.

While I enjoyed them for years, I never knew anything about their origin or attempted to make them myself. I found this recipe in the same church cookbook as my meatloaf recipe from January. I did some cursory internet research and was surprised to find an amazing level of consistency across recipes. There is a little variance in the amount of chocolate and butterscotch, but for the most part, the recipe is unchanged. With a little more digging, I discovered the recipe appeared on the side of a Rice Krispies box in 1965, and the recipe has been passed around ever since. 

I haven't reinvented the recipe, but having now made them myself, I do have comments. The corn syrup/sugar mixture is extremely sticky, as it functions as the glue to turn the cereal into a cohesive bar. It's important to move quickly to get the cereal coated and into the dish before it solidifies. It was a little tricky to get into an even layer an into the corners. Avoid the temptation to press down too much as these are already quite dense.  The recipe I have doesn't mention this, but I would recommend buttering the dish to help get the bars out.

Instructions

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup chunky peanut butter
• 6 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• Butter

Equipment

• 9x13 baking dish

Instructions

Combine corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. 

When the mixture starts bubbling, turn the heat off and stir in the peanut butter.

Lightly butter the baking dish (I forgot to do this; it's optional but would make it easier later). Put the Rice Krispies in a large bowl. Pour the hot mixture over. Work quickly to stir together and coat the Rice Krispies. The mixture will be very sticky. Gently press into an even layer in the baking dish. 

Combine the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a bowl. Carefully melt them in the microwave and stir together into a thick but spreadable mixture. Pour over the Rice Krispies and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool until the topping is set. To serve, cut into squares with a serrated knife.