Recipe: Peanut-Butterscotch Bites
From You Made That Dessert? by Beth Lipton (Globe Pequot)
-- Publishers Weekly, 8/17/2009 8:59:00 AM
Someone gave me these as a secret Santa gift when I was in college. Once I tried one, I couldn’t stop eating them! I asked my Santa for the recipe, and I’ve been making these ever since, with lots of different variations. I’ve changed the type of chips, the cereal—the choices are endless. But this version is close to the original one I had all those years ago, and it’s still my favorite.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Makes 35
Ingredients:
3 cups cornflakes
1 11-ounce bag butterscotch chips
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cornflakes in a large Ziploc bag; seal the bag. Crush the cornflakes by beating the bag with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Turn the bag over a few times to crush all the cornflakes.
2. In a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Allow them to melt, stirring occasionally with a flexible spatula (this will take about 5 to 7 minutes). When melted and smooth (except for the chopped peanuts if you’re using crunchy peanut butter), remove the bowl from the heat. Add the vanilla and the crushed cornflakes and stir well, until all the ingredients are combined.
3. Use a small ice cream scoop or two teaspoons to portion the bites and place them on the baking sheet. You can place them right next to each other; they won’t expand or run. When all of them are firm, place the sheet in the refrigerator and chill until the bites have hardened, about 1 hours. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you stack them, place a sheet of parchment or waxed paper between each layer.
