Scotcharoos

As much as I love cupcakes, I believe Scotcharoos might be my all-time favorite dessert. You might be asking yourself, what is a Scotcharoo? I like to call them Rice Krispie Treats on crack, although I've found that sometimes the "crack" thing scares people away. So in reality, just think about them like this: take all the best ingredients in the world (chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, and sugar) and put it together into a handy treat. That's a Scotcharoo.They're delicious, you can eat a bunch of them without getting sick (a must in my book, since I have no self-control), and they're incredibly easy to make. So easy to make, in fact, that I thought I'd share the recipe with this follow-along picture tutorial. Just for fun.

STEP 1:

 

Mix together 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup light karo syrup in a sauce pan. Over medium-low heat, stir until sugar is dissolved. I like to pretend this means that the sugar is actually disappearing, so this treat is healthy, but in reality you're just blending it with unhealthy corn syrup. Dieters, beware. People with taste buds, rejoice.

STEP 2:

 

Put 6 cups of Rice Krispies in a large bowl. There will be no snap, crackle, pop tonight.

STEP 3:

 

Once sugar is dissolved in karo syrup mixture, remove from heat and add 1 cup smooth peanut butter. Mix until smooth.  You will now have an amazingly sticky and delicious combination.

STEP 4:

 

Add hot mixture to cereal. Mix together thoroughly. This most likely means using your hands, which you should be sure to butter up really well beforehand (after you wash them, of course). Be sure to make lots of strange faces while mixing. I find husbands do very well at this job. If utilizing a husband, be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy. You just never know.

STEP 5:

 

Scrunch (that's a technical term) the mixture into a 9"x13" inch pan. Or whatever kind of pan you desire. There are really very few rules here.

STEP 6:

 

Melt together equal parts of semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. I believe the "recipe" calls for 1 cup of each, or about half a bag. I usually go for the entire bag of both, for a really thick and delicious coating. In the picture below, I skimped and they don't look as nice. Silly "recipe."

STEP 7:

Smooth the chocolate/butterscotch mixture liberally over the scrunched mixture. Refrigerate for a few hours, then cut into pieces. (Note: I find it helpful to cut them before the chocolate sets completely, and then put them back in the fridge to finish after that.) Resist the urge to eat them before guests arrive/you bring them to church picnic/your husband or roommate return home. You can satisfy your cravings by licking your fingers that you used to mix the whole thing. Or by making two batches and hiding one in your secret hiding spot.

STEP 9:

Enjoy! :-)