Chewy and nutty, this festive take on classic Midwestern scotcheroos (peanut butter cereal bars topped with butterscotch and chocolate) swaps in a plethora of pistachio cream. The chocolate ganache is made with just chocolate, salt, corn syrup (also used to give the puffed rice portion its distinctive chew), and a touch of water. The water loosens everything up, ensuring that the topping spreads easily while clinging to the salty pistachios scattered over the bars.
Well-stocked grocery stores sell a variety of pistachio creams and butters in the nut butter section. My favorite is Peppertux Original Pistachio Butter ($15; peppertuxfarms.com). It’s deeply saturated in color, silky smooth, and made with nothing more than pistachios and sugar. Depending on what brand of pistachio cream/butter you use, the color of these bars can vary from beige to hunter green. To compensate for a less-than-saturated product, feel free to add a few drops of green food coloring to the caramel mixture before adding your cereal.
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