| ***UPDATE: See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)These are my favorite Christmas candy, hands down. They’re probably Barry’s favorite too. You’ll see them at almost every Christmas gathering…..and I bet most of you already know how to make them. So, why am I doing a tutorial? Well, because we have to eat the stuff that I make for tutorials…….following me? So, even if you already make these then just act dumb and play along. Thanks. Oh, and this is a real haystack……sorta makes you see why they call this candy “haystack.” Genius, right? |
 Three things are all you need: butterscotch morsels, chow mein noodles, and M&Ms. If you want to mix it up, you can use just about any type of morsel they make. I’ve made this with milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Our favorite is butterscotch though. I wasn’t a fan of the white chocolate version, but it was very pretty. You need about 11 ounces of morsels, four cups of chow mein noodles, and 1 cup of M&Ms……and extra of all of the above for snacking. Admit it, you know you do it. |
 When I’m making candy, I always cover my baking sheets with wax paper. Why? Well because I don’t want to wash them. How’s that for being technical? Also, things seem to set up very well on wax paper. |
 My Chex Mix bowl is making an appearance for candy! Really you don’t need a bowl this big, but I tend to make a gigantic mess when I stir things; so I aimed on the side of caution. Oh, and some people will tell you that you need to add vegetable oil or butter to these chips when melting, but I’ve never had to do that. If you accidentally microwave it too long or some water accidentally gets in there, it might seize. If it does, you can add vegetable oil to fix the problem. Been there, done that. |
 To melt the chips, stick them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Take them out and stir them, then stick them back in for another 30 seconds. Around that time they’ll almost be done, but you may have to microwave an additional 15 seconds to get them nice and smooth like this. If there are just a few lumps left, you can usually get rid of them just by stirring. |
Add the four cups of chow mein noodles and start to stir. It’ll take a little bit of time, but you’ll eventually get them all covered. Pop a few of the extra ones in your mouth. YUM! Makes me want some stir-fry. |
When you get them all coated, add the M&Ms. I used plain ones. I guess you could use the peanut ones, but I like to keep those for myself to eat. They are delicious plain…..and they are mine. All mine. Sorry honey. Stir them a bit and they’ll get coated so they will stick to the noodles. |
Drop the mixture by tablespoon on the wax paper, making a mound….or haystack. Ok, so here’s a lesson – don’t get distracted. Yes, I get distracted a lot…….especially in the kitchen. Today I burned a pan because I forgot that I was cooking and went to play with Annie. Oops. Thank you baking soda for helping me clean the mess! Anyway, if you get distracted or start taking photos, your mixture might get hard before you get them all dropped. If this happens, do not be alarmed! Here I come to save the day!!!! Just stick the whole mess back in the microwave and nuke it a bit. It will warm right up and you can finish. |
They will set up at room temperature pretty quick. You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container. Or you could just eat them all the same day and forget about dirtying a container. Who wants to wash extra dishes at Christmas anyway? |
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I make these, I use butterscotch and semi-sweet morsels, this is the first time I’ve seen m & m’s used. I haven’t made any yet but I do have my ingredients may do that tomorrow, since school is out, my girls like to help.
The M&Ms make a nice addition. 🙂