No-Bake Butterscotch Haystacks

Four ingredients, one microwave-safe bowl, and about 30 minutes from start to snacking. Butterscotch chips and peanut butter chips get melted together with a tablespoon of shortening, then folded with crunchy chow mein noodles and dropped onto wax paper in little haystack clusters.

The shortening is doing something specific here that butter can’t. It keeps the melted chip coating smooth and glossy as it sets. Butter and margarine contain water, which causes the chips to seize up and turn grainy. The recipe is very clear about this: shortening only.

Melting in 15-second bursts after the first minute is a must. Butterscotch chips hold their shape even when melted, so they look solid when they’re actually liquid inside. One long blast scorches the bottom while the top looks untouched.

Pro Tips

• Break the chow mein noodles coarsely, not fine. You want visible, crunchy strands poking out of each haystack, not a dense blob.
• Work fast once the noodles are coated. The mixture starts to set as soon as it begins cooling, and reheating makes it clumpy.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls for uniform sizes. Bigger drops take much longer to firm up and can flatten out.
• Store in the fridge in a sealed container. At room temperature the butterscotch softens and the haystacks lose their shape, especially in warm weather.

Variations

• Use chocolate chips instead of butterscotch for classic chocolate haystacks.
• Mix in a handful of salted peanuts or mini marshmallows with the noodles for extra texture.
• Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the set haystacks for a two-tone finish that looks like you tried harder than you did.