scotch-a-roos

this is a gussied up rice krispie treat.

the rice krispie treat is that perfect black dress you can wear for any occasion.

the scotch-a-roos are the perfect black dress and chic heels, dazzling jewelry and tousled hair.

oh and a zit free face and the perfect red lipstick that stays on all night.

and you happen to have all these items in your closet just waiting for you when your husband says "hey honey, get dressed we're going to _________."

i first found the recipe for scotch-a-roos about five years ago when i was in desperate need of a dessert for a cookout. and i needed it fast! this was circa 2006, so i was likely hitting the procrast button and watching a gilmore girls marathon when i realized i had less than an hour to shower, get presentable and make a dessert. i also probably had to prod nelson to get ready as well. this usually takes much more than an hour.

that morning i surrounded myself with cookbooks as i ate breakfast, skimming them for something delicious to make with ingredients i already had in the apartment. what struck me first about the scotch-a-roos wasn't the short list of ingredients but the little story the editors had included with the recipe.

a uppity nyc cocktail party serving crudites and fancier than fancy hors d'ouevres and a guest brought a plate full of scotch-a-roos that were gobbled up in about 30 minutes.

truly a dessert that would be a hit with any crowd.

one thing i never have on hand? butterscotch chips.

so these are technically not scotch-a-roos.

i'll call them almost scotch-a-roos.

so its the perfect black dress ensemble but at the last minute, you remove the bracelet.

after all, coco channel says you should always remove one accessory before you go out.

hey, i'm just following orders.

Recipe: Almost Scotch-a-Roos

Ingredients:
5.5 cups rice krispies cereal
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Method:
melt sugar and corn syrup together, bring to a boil, remove from heat
mix cereal, peanut butter and warm sugar mixture
press lightly into a 9x13 pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray
melt chocolate chips on low heat till smooth and glossy
spread chocolate over treats, let harden, cut into squares