Haystacks – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Crunchy, sweet and salty old fashioned Haystacks bring my Grandmother’s kitchen to mind every time I make them.

Haystack Cookies

Haystacks are a treat my Grandma used to make for us when we visited. They often appeared on her Christmas cookie trays and in our treat bags when she packed lunches for us.

Are they candy? or are they cookies? I never can decide! They’re certainly sweet enough to be considered candies, but they remind me more of no-bake cookies. Whatever you call them, they are much enjoyed.

Haystacks

Are you wondering exactly what these weird-looking cookies actually are? They’re little haystack-looking mounds of deliciousness that are made from either melted chocolate or butterscotch mixed with peanut butter and crunchy chow mein noodles.

I typically make mine, like Grandma did, with melted butterscotch chips. She often stirred a handful or two of peanuts into hers and I’ve seen them made with coconut too. They’re pretty adaptable little cookies.

The name of “haystack” is because they look a bit like haystacks as you drop them onto the baking sheet to cool. They’re super easy to make (a perfect kid-friendly recipe) and they have proven irresistible to snack on when they’re in our house.

We love the addition of a sprinkling of Maldon salt over each haystack. That salt balances the sweetness nicely and, as you know, I love a good salty-sweet treat.

How To Make Haystacks

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• creamy peanut butter
• butterscotch chips
• salted peanuts
• chow mein noodles
• Maldon salt

Haystacks Recipe

Combine the peanut butter and butterscotch chips in a large bowl. Microwave at HALF power (50%) for about 4 minutes, stopping and stirring after each minute.

When the mixture is smooth and liquid, add the chow mein noodles and the peanuts. Stir to coat completely.

Use a spoon to drop about a tablespoon of the noodle mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use the tips of your fingers to gently shape them into “haystacks.” If desired, sprinkle the top of each one with Maldon salt.

Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, until cooled completely and hardened.

For best results, store the haystacks at room temperature in an airtight container. If your home is especially warm, they may also be stored in the fridge.

If you choose to store them in the fridge, I recommend allowing them to return to room temperature before serving.

Grandma’s Recipes

My grandmothers both gifted me recipes that we still make today. More than any other recipe, we make a batch of waffle sauce at least once a month. It gets absolute rave reviews the first time someone tastes it.

Have you tried German pancakes? Served with sweet orange sauce, they’re unforgettable. They are basically the world’s easiest to make giant popovers.

Chewy coconut filling layered onto a buttery shortbread crust; this recipe is so simple to make I have been making it since I was a child. If you are a coconut lover, these coconut chews can not be beat.

Does anyone not have this cookie recipe from their grandmother? And doesn’t everyone think their recipe is the best? Oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and a drop of maple syrup all combine to make my grandmother’s Monster Cookies.