Scotcheroos — The Candy You Make When the Kitchen Belongs to the Kids

December. Tree up, lights on, Colette's design plan even more elaborate than last year (she's added a "theme" — "woodland creatures," which means every ornament with an animal gets priority placement and the LSU ornament was temporarily demoted, which I overturned via executive order). Rémy made a paper chain for the tree that is eighteen feet long and required two rolls of construction paper and an amount of glue that should have its own zip code.

Work winding down. Good year for Beaumont Electrical — three employees, steady work, reputation growing. Marcus and Terri handle most of the day-to-day now, and I'm moving into the role of owner-operator rather than just operator. It's an adjustment. I miss the wire. I miss the physicality of it — the pulling, the stripping, the click of a connector seated properly. But I can't do everything myself forever. Joey tried to fish alone for forty years and the work broke his body. I'm trying to be smarter than that. I'm trying to build something that outlasts my knees.

Made pralines again with Colette — it's our tradition now, the December candy-making session. She's nine and her pralines are better than mine. The stirring — she has the feel for it, the instinct that tells you when the candy is ready to drop. It's the same instinct that tells you when the roux is dark enough or the crawfish are done: not a measurement, not a timer, but a knowing that lives in the hands. Her hands know. Mama's hands know. Joey's hands knew. The knowing passes through hands, generation to generation, and it doesn't require a recipe. It requires a grandmother who says "stir" and a granddaughter who stirs until the candy tells her to stop.

Pralines are Colette’s domain now, and I’m not sure I’d have it any other way—but the December candy-making instinct runs so deep in our house that one batch is never enough. Scotcheroos have become our second act: no thermometer, no standing over a hot copper pot, just a saucepan and a bowl and a nine-year-old who is absolutely certain she’s in charge of the chocolate melting. They’ve got that same pull as the pralines—sweet and a little salty, made better by the fact that someone else’s hands helped press them into the pan.

Scotcheroos (New and Improved)

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min + 1 hr cooling | Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

• 6 cups crispy rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening (for topping)

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Cook the sugar syrup. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just comes to a full boil. Remove immediately from heat—do not overcook or the bars will turn hard.
3. Add peanut butter. Stir the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt into the hot syrup until completely smooth and well combined.
4. Fold in the cereal. Add the crispy rice cereal all at once and fold gently until every piece is evenly coated.
5. Press into the pan. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Using a buttered spatula or lightly greased hands, press it into an even layer. Work quickly before it sets.
6. Melt the topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth—about 90 seconds total.
7. Spread and cool. Pour the melted topping over the cereal layer and spread evenly with a spatula. Let the bars cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or until the topping is fully set. Do not refrigerate during setting or the topping may crack.
8. Cut and serve. Once set, cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days—if they last that long.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 218 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 88mg