Tuesday's Twist: Saltine Scotcheroos

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

For those of you unfamiliar with scotcheroos, they're basically a Rice Krispie bar addicted to peanut butter and chocolate.  As if that's not enough, our chocolate-peanut butter addiction is intensely magnified by the addition of butterscotch.  The history of the name scotcheroo is quite elusive, so you'll have to settle for my tale of how today's saltine twist came to be.  Chewy, gooey peanut butter bars kissed with chocolate and butterscotch need no improvements, but then again a little salty with all that sweet can't hurt either.

 It's been a long time since I've made sotcheroos, but I've had them on the brain since seeing this version over at Espresso and Cream.  Instead of Rice Krispies, Madison used Fritos corn chips for an enticing salty flair.  I knew a panful screaming to me from the countertop was far too dangerous and somehow managed to resist the urge to instantly stir up a batch.  But then this peanut butter fudge recipe using saltine crackers weakened my willpower.  And come to think of it, putting saltines in scotcheroos could practically be considered healthy in comparison to Fritos, right?  No?  Okay then, how about more budget friendly?  Never mind, let's just make them with saltines because we need a recipe to blog for Tuesday's Twist.  Sounds like a good excuse to me.

I'll stop rationalizing now.  But only because it's impolite to talk with your mouth full.  And when you combine chewy and gooey with crispy, sweet with salty, and peanut butter with chocolate and butterscotch, you'd better believe my mouth is full.

Saltine Scotcheroos
inspired by Pinch of Yum and Espresso and Cream

Ingredients:
8 ounces saltine crackers (2 sleeves or enough to make 5 cups of coarse pieces)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup + 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, divided
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Instructions:
* In a large bowl break saltine crackers into coarse pieces. Pieces should be about the size of cornflakes cereal and measure 5 cups total. Grease an 8-x-8-inch baking pan; set aside.
* In a medium saucepan combine sugar and corn syrup.  Heat over medium to medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup peanut butter until smooth.
*Pour mixture over crackers and stir to coat. Press into prepared pan, using greased hands or a buttered piece of waxed paper.
* Melt chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and remaining 2 Tbsp peanut butter in microwave or double boiler. Stir until smooth then spread over bars. Cool until chocolate is set before cutting into bars.

Food for Thought: "Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren't satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other." -Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts