Mason-Dixon Recipes

Butterscotch Haystack Candy

She paused, her eyes joyous, her lips pursed, her cheeks drawn in, as if the piece of news were butterscotch in her mouth.

         — Alice McDermott

This is a simple snack that seems to be in every traditional holiday cook's recipe book—this one comes from country singer Donna Fargo ("Happiest Girl in the Whole USA"). But why wait for the holidays? I like to make these year-round and I use shoestring potato stix. However, this is a versatile recipe that can use many different things to build the haystacks: chowmein noodles, pretzel sticks, peanuts, cashews, corn flakes, other cereals, and so on—or any combination thereof.

That's not all. Chocolate chips can also be added to the butterscotch chips, or used by themselves. Candy eyes can be placed on top to give them a spooky look for Halloween. Marshmallows can also be added to the mixture as well. However, if you don't love marshmallow, leave them out because they tend to set a little more wet without them. This is one of those recipes that fits into the "whatever-the-family-likes" mold.

INGREDIENTS

8 cups shoestring potato stix
2 11-oz pkg butterscotch chips
6 tbsp peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

Line cookie sheets with wax paper.

Put the butterscotch morsels into a double boiler and heat over medium hot, but not boiling water. When the morsels begin to melt, stir them occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Turn the heat to low and stir in the peanut butter until well blended.

Place the potato sticks in a large bowl and pour the butterscotch and peanut butter mixture over them and mix gently until well coated.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until set. Can be stored at room temp during the winter, during the summer they may require refrigeration.

Makes about 35 haystack treats. If you have limited refrigerator space for chilling them until they set, half the recipe using only 1 bag of butterscotch chips.

Return to Mason-Dixon Recipes