A no-bake bar cookie made from a peanut butter-and-rice-cereal base topped with a melted chocolate-and-butterscotch glaze.
Popular in the American Midwest, scotcheroos are believed to date to the 1960s or 1970s; the name likely plays on "butterscotch," the flavored chip used in the topping. To make them, peanut butter, corn syrup, and sugar are melted together and mixed with crisped rice cereal, then pressed into a pan; once set, a glaze of melted chocolate and butterscotch chips is spread over the top and allowed to set before cutting into bars. They differ from classic Rice Krispie treats, which use melted marshmallow rather than peanut butter as the binder and skip the chocolate glaze. The result balances a nutty, chewy base against a rich, sweet topping, with the cereal adding crunch, and they're a staple at potlucks, bake sales, and school lunches for being inexpensive and quick to make with no oven required.