Butterscotch haystacks are a popular party snack made with peanut butter, butterscotch chips, and chow mein noodles. They can be customized with other ingredients and are easy to make by melting the chips, mixing in the other ingredients, and chilling. They are often served at children’s parties and can be made with alternative nut butters for those with peanut allergies. Butterscotch chips are not made from pure butterscotch and butterscotch itself is a confectionary made with brown sugar and butter.
Butterscotch haystacks are sweet treats common at parties, especially children’s get-togethers. In their basic form, they contain peanut butter, butterscotch chips, and fried chow mein noodles, but variations can also include other ingredients like marshmallows or peanuts. These snacks are called haystacks primarily because, once the ingredients are blended, portioned, and chilled, they look somewhat like stacks of hay.
To make butterscotch haystacks, the butterscotch chips need to be slightly melted. The peanut butter and other add-ons are mixed in, and then the chow mein noodles are added and stirred until coated in the peanut butter and butter flakes. Once mixed, small globes of the mixture are spooned onto wax paper and chilled before serving. The wax paper keeps the sticky haystacks that stick to the surface from sticking to the surface once they cool and harden.
These snacks can be heated in the microwave or can be melted using a double boiler system. A double boiler is a tool used to make candy on the stovetop without burning the sugar. Protects cooking sugar using a two-pot system: one pot holds the candy and is placed into the other pot, which holds water. The water in the second pot regulates the temperature, preventing the candy from reaching a burning temperature.
When the crunchy Chow Mein noodles are mixed together with the fudge chips and peanut butter, the sweet peanut butter begins to coat the Chow Mein sticks and melt into the Butterscotch. In many cases, the slightly melted potato chips somewhat hold their shape when mixed with the peanut butter and fried spaghetti, leaving big morsels of caramel in the butter. The degree of melting of the butterscotch chips within the mixture depends on the preference of the cook preparing the snack.
Butterscotch haystacks are commonly served as a bite-sized snack at parties and gatherings. They’re especially popular for children’s parties because they’re made of kid-friendly foods that can be eaten by hand. When making butterscotch haystacks for people with peanut allergies, the soy, almond and nut butters can be substituted for peanut butter, but the texture and flavor may come out slightly different.
The chips used to make butterscotch haystacks are actually flavored oven chips and are not made from pure butterscotch. Usually, these chips contain some butterscotch in addition to the ingredients that help the chips function like other chips. Sometimes, the butterscotch chips are artificially flavored and don’t contain real butterscotch. These snacks are usually made with creamy forms of nut butter, but can also be made with crunchy nut butters for a change in texture.
Butterscotch is classified as a confectionary, which is a food made primarily of sugar. Butterscotch is somewhat similar to caramel, but has different ingredients. Instead of being made with caramelized granulated sugar, butter, and sometimes milk, like caramel is, butterscotch is made with brown sugar and butter. Brown sugar differs from granulated sugar because it contains molasses.
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