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3/29/10 published
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EDIT: Rice Krispies Brand cereal has malt flavoring, which is not a gluten free item. Gluten Free toasted rice cereal can be found at many grocery and health food stores.
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"Haystacks", always said around the holidays, and in the form of a sigh, like an elusive memory, distant but pleasant. As far as I can tell, it all started with my son's Great Grandma Brashear (R.I.P.). Everyone in our family talks about her Haystacks to this day, and its been many years since she made them.
This is my own recipe as I couldn't locate the original (hence the sighs and longing); pieced together from talking to family members and reviewing all the recipes online I could find - took me a couple of years; speaking for myself, it was well worth the effort.
Speaking in general terms, a haystack is a combination of: dry-good treats like cereal, sweetened coconut, melted chocolate-type candy, and nut butter. It can be modified in almost any direction you like. Following are the two most popular combinations I have tried thus far. The Classic mimics Great Grandma Brashear's original cookie.
UPDATE: These cookies have been added to the standard cookie selection at the Country Club I work for, and we have even had visitors in the kitchen requesting the recipe. As well, has turned out to be a fun activity to do with children too young to bake but interested in creating food.
The Classic Haystack:
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
11 ounces butterscotch chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Combine cereal and coconut in mixing bowl, stirring to combine evenly.
Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter in the microwave, on medium heat. Heat for 1 minute, stir with a rubber spatula, cleaning butterscotch from sides of bowl, and continue to cook and stir in 30 second increments until melted and combined, about 2 - 2.5 minutes. Mixture will be very silky looking!
Pour melted butterscotch mixture over the cereal mixture, and gently combine using the rubber spatula again. When all of the cereal mixture is coated, you are done preparing the Haystacks cookie mixture.
Using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons, drop cookie mixture onto sheet pans lined with wax or parchment paper.
Place sheet pans in refrigerator until firm, then the Haystacks can be stored in ZipLoc bags or in Tupperware style storage containers, in the fridge, for up to two weeks. As well, they are delicious frozen, or thawed out again!
The "Almond Joy" Haystack:
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup crunchy almond butter
Combine cereal and coconut in mixing bowl, stirring to combine evenly.
Melt chocolate chips and almond butter in the microwave, on medium heat. Heat for 1 minute, stir with a rubber spatula, cleaning chocolate from sides of bowl, and continue to cook and stir in 30 second increments until melted and combined, about 2 - 2.5 minutes. Mixture will be very silky (and bumpy!) looking.
Pour melted chocolate mixture over the cereal mixture, and gently combine using the rubber spatula again. When all of the cereal mixture is coated, you are done preparing the Haystacks cookie mixture.
Using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons, drop cookie mixture onto sheet pans lined with wax or parchment paper.
Place sheet pans in refrigerator until firm, then the Haystacks can be stored in ZipLoc bags or in Tupperware style storage containers, in the fridge, for up to two weeks. As well, they are delicious frozen, and/or thawed out again!
SCALING NOTE: If you work in a restaurant or ever need to make large batches, you can successfully quadruple this recipe, just melt the chocolate/nut butter over a double boiler, use an ice cream scooper of your desired size (otherwise your hands will seriously tire), and keep the mixture in a bowl over warm water (the base of the double boiler will suffice - off heat!) while you scoop them out (otherwise they will start to solidify before you're done, not fun).
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