Scotcheroos: Our Favorite Christmas Goodie

Ah, those early days of marriage.  We lived on frozen pizza because I didn’t know much about cooking.  One Christmas, the girls at the bank where I worked brought holiday goodies and did a little recipe exchange.  I’m pretty sure I didn’t participate, but I did get a recipe that has stood the test of 32 years.  The yellowed recipe is still in its original form, cut out and taped onto a little index card.

Scotcheroos have earned the title of all-time favorite Christmas goodie in our family.  They are such a favorite, one son-in-law requested them as the Groom’s Cake at his wedding.

We don’t usually serve these bars at any other time of the year.  In fact, they are made for the first time on the day we decorate the Christmas tree.  Scotcheroos are served for the last time of the season on New Year’s Eve (or until accumulated ingredients have run out).

There are exceptions, however, for special occasions such as family weddings, graduations and baby dedications.

Scotcheroos

1 cup sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Mix sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat and stir until mixture comes to a boil (it will turn from cloudy white to clear).  Remove from heat (if you continue boiling, the bars will turn out too hard).  Immediately add peanut butter and stir until melted.  Add cereal and stir until combined.  Pour into a greased 13×9 glass pan.  Let cool for a minute.

Using clean hands, press lightly into pan, reaching sides and corners, until the top is smooth.  (Again, if you press too hard, bars will be hard and dense).

Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in microwave-safe bowl and stir until smooth.  Spread over the top of the cereal mixture.  Place in refrigerator until the top is no longer shiny.  Warning:  if you leave them in the fridge too long, they will get hard as a rock and very difficult to cut.  If you take them out at the right moment, they will be chewy, moist and easy to cut.

To serve, cut into squares.

These treats are a nice finger food to take to a holiday party.  And who knows, they may end up at your daughter’s wedding someday.

Let us know how you like them!