No-Bake Butterscotch & Chocolate Haystacks

Author Notes

My mom is an amazing cook and baker, and she made so many things from scratch while I was growing up: fresh baked bread, perfectly iced cookies, and impressive layer cakes were all in her regular repertoire. But it was these simple, no-bake “cookies” that consistently sold out at school bake sales each year. And (perhaps more importantly), they still get gobbled up by the dozens in my family each holiday season. With just three simple ingredients and no oven time required, these “haystacks” make a perfect addition to a holiday cookie box or platter. They’re also easily adaptable—you can use different combinations of baking chips to make the flavor base—and even sub in different crispy, crunchy options for the noodles my mom opts for. I find them delicious with shredded coconut—sweetened or not (your choice)—toasted for a little extra texture. The classic combination my mom makes is a mixture of semisweet chocolate and butterscotch chips - but she’s also subbed in milk and white chocolate through the years, too. Personally, I’ve tried them with peanut butter chips instead of the butterscotch to rave reviews. The possibilities are endless and the final cookies are really a celebration of texture; they still have a sense of melty and gooeyness from the chocolate, but they are delightfully crisp and crunchy, all the way through. Store the finished haystacks in airtight containers for up to one month. They’ll stay fresh and crisp, if you manage to not eat them all first! —Erin Jeanne McDowell