Cookie #47 - Nebraska Haystacks

I first made these cookies about 10 years ago for Christmas.  I love the combination of the butterscotch, chocolate and peanut butter that coats the crispy noodles and peanuts.  The original recipe I used called for Spanish peanuts, but I'm not such a fan of them.  I chose to use plain old dry roasted, salted peanuts instead.  They salt the bring to the party really accentuates the chocolate. 

Nebraska Haystacks

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup peanuts

1 small can of LaChoy Chow Mein noodles

In a double boiler, melt the butterscotch, chocolate and peanut butter until melted and well combined.  Be patient as the butterscotch doesn't melt as quickly as the chocolate and the peanut butter.  Just keep stirring and don't allow the mixture to scorch. 

In a large bowl, combine chow mein noodles and peanuts.  Pour melted chocolate over the noodles & nuts and mix until well coated.

On a parchment (not waxed paper) lined baking sheet, drop tablespoons full of the mixture into little piles.  Try to make the piles tall and not wide.  Put the baking sheet into the fridge to set. 

Cookie #23 - Arkansas Bird's Nests

Since Arkansas is the 'natural' state, I toyed with the idea of an organic cookie. Seeing as I just did a vegan cookie I thought something that said 'nature' was a bit more fitting. Enter the bird's nest no-bake cookie. These cookies are adorable and look just like a little nest with eggs. They're super sweet, super chewy and super easy to make. The bonus is you don't need the oven on days like today when the thermometer hits 100+!

Arkansas Bird's Nest No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1./2 cup cocoa

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup flaked coconut

3/4 cup slivered almonds

72-75 yogurt raisins or yogurt peanuts (three per cookie)

In a saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Once mixture has reached a rolling boil, cook for five minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add vanilla, oats, coconut and almonds.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment paper.  Make a small indentation in the center of each mound with the back of a tablespoon and nestle three yogurt raisins in the indentation.


*Edited to fix all the spelling errors because I blogged this from my iphone while waiting for a friend outside the movie theater last night.  Ha!