Chex Scotcheroos

My husband and I have literally been together 14 years, almost to the day (November 29th marks the anniversary of our first date), and I had no idea this was his favorite childhood dessert! Needless to say, he was super excited when I made this recipe, which surprisingly, I never have before. While these bars traditionally call for Rice Krispies, he actually preferred this updated version to the original because of the added texture from the air pockets in the Rice Chex. (Go me!)

Chex Scotcheroos
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
Bars:

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 6 cups Rice Chex cereal

Topping:

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Grease 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. For Bars: In large saucepan over medium-high heat, stir corn syrup and sugar until it comes to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Fold in cereal and pour into prepared pan. Gently flatten to form even layer.
3. For Topping: In small saucepan over low heat, combine semisweet chocolate, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Pour over cereal layer.
4. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before cutting into bars.

White Ambrosia {Snack Mix}

This is one of my mom's tried-and-true recipes that dates back to my childhood! In those days, we weren't concerned with gluten so the original recipe called for Golden Grahams and Crispix. I've experimented with different gluten free options to achieve a similar sweetness and texture that those two cereals brought to the mix. Feel free to customize the recipe by changing up the proportions to accommodate your own cereal and taste preferences!

White Ambrosia {Snack Mix}
Yield: serving size varies

Ingredients
24 oz package white almond bark
4 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
3 cups Rice Chex
2 cups gluten free pretzels (I use twist shape)
2 cups crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)
11.4 oz bag M&M’s milk chocolate candies*

Directions
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper; set aside.
2. Put almond bark in glass bowl and follow melting directions on package. Once completely melted and smooth, add cereals and pretzels to bowl. Gently stir to evenly coat. (Be careful not to crush the Chex cereal!)
3. Add M&M’s and gently stir to evenly distribute.
4. Pour and/or scoop mixture onto lined baking sheets. Let mixture cool for about 1 hour. Once almond bark has set up (i.e. hardened - it will lose its shiny appearance), break mixture into smaller pieces and store in airtight container(s) at room temperature.

Notes
* Holiday-colored candies make this the perfect gift for teachers, coaches, neighbors, or anyone else you want to acknowledge!
* Feel free to substitute a different variety of M&M's for the milk chocolate candies. Choose whichever flavor is your favorite: peanut, caramel, almond, peanut butter, mint, candy corn, etc.

{Christmas} Puppy Chow

Put a holiday spin on an old favorite by adding red and green candies to the pillows of white snow!

{Christmas} Puppy Chow
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 cup Christmas M&M’s milk chocolate candies

Directions
1. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir and heat 30 seconds longer on HIGH, or until melted when stirred. (I usually have to do two 30-second intervals.) Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
2. Fold in cereal until evenly coated.
3. Place 1 cup powdered sugar in gallon Ziploc bag. Spoon coated cereal into bag. Top with remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Close bag.
4. Gently toss cereal mixture until evenly coated.
5. Transfer to storage container. (This step is vital... don't leave it in the bag!) Leave open to cool, gently shaking container every so often to release heat.
6. Once completely cooled, pour M&M's on cereal mix and cover with lid. Shake the container gently to evenly distribute the candies.

Notes
* I doubled the recipe, using an entire 12 oz box of Rice Chex cereal and a full 11.4 oz bag of milk chocolate M&M's, although I made the recipe in two smaller batches as outlined above.
* A different flavor of Christmas M&M's could be used in place of milk chocolate (such as peanut or peanut butter)... the choice is yours!
* This recipe could be adapted for any holiday year-round with seasonal-colored M&M's:
   • Valentine's Day: red, pink, white
   • Spring/Easter: pink, yellow, green, blue, purple (pastels)
   • Fall/Autumn: red, maroon, yellow, brown
   • Halloween: orange, brown
   • Christmas: red, green
   • Birthday: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, brown (traditional colors)