Plse Help Cut the Sugar in These Butterfinger Bars

These bars have a terrific texture and flavor reminiscent of Butterfingers, but they are appallingly sweet imo.The main part of the bar is the layer that contains:
1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup or lyle's syrup
6 ounces butterscotch bits
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I used Jiffy smooth and some Teddy's crunchy; the jif has sugar, the teddy's has no sugar, and, while the recipe calls for smooth, i think i can do all teddy's crunchy and it will still mix well with the corn flakes.)
3 cups corn flakes
You heat the syrup and sugar til sugar is dissolved, add the
butterscotch bits til all melted, then mix with the pnut butter and flakes. pour over a baked cookie base, and chill to firm.
Don't your teeth just ache thinking of all that sugar? I'd like to cut the sweetness by half, and i need to keep the butterscotch bits and pnut butter because they provide the essential flavoring and also provide the binder for the corn flakes.
I just don't know how much i can cut the sugar and syrup and still have the layer set up. Do you think it would work to try:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. syrup
6 ou.plus 1 cup butterscotch bits (to replace the volume of the removed sugar plus syrup so there's enough to mix and bind with the corn flakes.)
1 1/2 c. pnut butter
3 c. corn flakes ?
I know the additional butterscotch bits are primarily sugar but they are less sweet than the pure sugar they are replacing. Or should i increase the peanut butter instead of the bits?

I figure i can do a small sample and see if it works, but i thought i'd ask here first. Thx so much for your help.

LeBec Fin
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1 Comment

ChefJune December 26, 2013
Thanks for providing the recipe, Mindy -- so we can see where you started from.I would start by using an unsweetened peanut butter. I Grind my own at the Whole Foods pb station. Nothing but nuts goes into it. Second, I would halve both the sugar and the syrup. In fact, now you've piqued my curiosity, I may just have to play with this myself!
 
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