Hello my beautiful friends! I am sorry to have been away for such a long time. Life has been hectic to say the least. Since the last time that I have written, we have gained a beautiful daughter-in-law, Sarah. We had a perfect wedding ceremony and reception in our own backyard. Everything went off without a hitch. More on that to come. I want to share pictures with you and tell you all about the whole day.
We have recovered from that busy time but a full time job and a 90 minute one way commute has kept me from writing as much as I would like. I am still cooking and baking but not finding the time to record the recipes and take lots of pictures. So, I decided to start using less pictures of preparation and ingredients. I figure that most of you know what flour and sugar look like, right?
This week, I want to bring you a recipe that has become a favorite at the Goode family gatherings in the last several years. They are very much like my mom’s chocolate peanut butter bars but with a different cereal base and in a different form.
My niece, Laura, especially loves these delicious and substantial treats. For a long time, they didn’t really have a name. I just called them those things that Laura likes with the chocolate on top. When I finally decided to name them, Laura had to figure into it. She used to love that old joke, “Guess what? Chicken butt.” For some reason that came to mind and I decided to call them Chocolate Peanut Butter Chicken Butts. They don’t look anything like a chicken butt at all but it is a silly and fun name and I like it.
These treats are super easy to make and come together pretty quickly but you will need to allow time for the topping to set up. I usually try to make them a day ahead if I plan to take them to a gathering or potluck.
You will need 12 cups of Chex cereal. I use a combination of Rice Chex and Corn Chex but you do whatever you like. You will also need 3 ½ cups creamy peanut butter (divided), 2 cups light corn syrup, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 3 cups butterscotch baking chips.
This makes a big batch of treats. Feel free to halve the recipe. They do keep pretty well for a week or so in an airtight container on the counter and even longer in the refrigerator.
Before you begin measuring or cooking, prepare a space to dip the cereal blobs out to cool and set up. I have a very large wooden board that I cover with parchment paper. Cookie sheets work well too or even your kitchen counter but do use parchment paper to cover the surface to make the treats easier to remove and for easier clean up. You can use wax paper as well but I use parchment because I don’t like that oily residue that you can get with wax paper.
Measure 12 cups of Chex cereal in whatever combination you prefer into a large bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or very lightly buttered. Set aside.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the corn syrup and granulated sugar. Stir this mixture occasionally until the sugar has melted and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and carefully add 3 cups of peanut butter. Stir well until the peanut butter is all melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour this over the cereal in your prepared bowl. Use caution and don’t let the mixture get on you. Gently fold the cereal and ooey gooey peanut butter mixture together until the cereal is covered.
Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop mounds of the coated cereal onto your prepared surface. Make sure that the tops of the mounds are not too pointy. You will be covering these with a chocolate mixture and it works best if the mounds have a flatter top.
Once all the mounds have been scooped out. Let them sit while you prepare the chocolate topping.
To a microwave safe bowl, add 3 cups of butterscotch baking chips. Microwave these on 50% power for several minutes until very nearly melted, stirring every 30 seconds to 1 minute. When they are almost melted, add 3 cups of semi-sweet chips and ½ cup of creamy peanut butter. Continue to microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds or so until everything is melted and smooth.
Once melted, use a large spoon to cover just the tops of the cereal mounds with large dollops of the chocolate mixture. Allow the chicken butts to set up completely before removing them to storage containers. If layering, place parchment paper or wax paper in between to prevent sticking.
Well, there you have it. A pretty quick and easy treat that is super fun and oh so good. These delicious morsels have a chewy and crispy bottom layer covered in a thick coating of chocolate and butterscotch with a hint of peanut butter. Give them a try! You won’t be disappointed. Oh, and guess what? Chocolate Peanut Butter Chicken Butts! Bwahahahaha!
Until next time my friends! Take care and eat Chocolate Peanut Butter Chicken Butts!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chicken Butts
Ingredients
Cereal Mixture
- 12 cups Chex cereal
- 3 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups light corn syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Topping
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups butterscotch baking chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Prepare a space that you can use to dip out mounds of your cereal mixture. You can use parchment covered cookie sheets, bread boards or your counter.
- Measure 12 cups of Chex cereal into a large bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or very lightly buttered.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the corn syrup and granulated sugar. Stir this mixture occasionally until the sugar has melted and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and carefully add 3 cups of peanut butter. Stir well until the peanut butter is all melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal in your prepared bowl. Gently fold the cereal and ooey gooey peanut butter mixture together until the cereal is covered.
- Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop mounds of the coated cereal onto your prepared surface, flattening the tops slightly. Let the mounds set up a little while you prepare the topping.
- To a microwave safe bowl, add 3 cups of butterscotch baking chips. Microwave these on 50% power for several minutes until very nearly melted, stirring every 30 seconds to 1 minute. When they are almost melted, add 3 cups of semi-sweet chips and ½ cup of creamy peanut butter. Continue to microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds or so until everything is melted and smooth.
- Once melted, use a large spoon to cover just the tops of the cereal mounds with large dollops of the chocolate mixture. Allow the chicken butts to set up completely before removing them to storage containers.
