Haystacks

Dear baking world,

First three things to do when you're a procrastinator: 1. bake. 2. When you're done baking, eat. 3. Post-baking/eating nap. Except I have finals next week, so the hardest step is starting to study but then it's okay from there on.

Oh, and then I watched one of the best TEDtalks I've ever seen. It was about the African phrase "Ubuntu" which means "I am; because of you." I think that is one of the coolest things I've ever heard, especially because we lost one of the best men who ever lived this past week, Nelson Mandela. (As a history major, I think any major historical figure makes me lose my mind, but I got the privilege to live when he lived.) Anyways, it simply means that every person is that way because of other people, so we must be grateful for our other people. Definitely watch it.

Anyways, the point is, baking > studying. And that's why I'm writing this blog post.

I love these no bake cookies. I'm not usually a fan of no bake cookies, but these have earned my undying love. They're quick, easy and rank right up there with my favorite cookies.

How not to burn chocolate chips in a microwave: This was one of the first colossal mistakes I made in the kitchen as a young lassie. I burnt a lovely bowl of white chocolate and I swore to never do it again. My tip: put the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and microwave them for no more than 30 seconds at at time. When you take them out, stir them for 30 seconds or so because they will continue to melt. (Heat transfer, people. Who knew physics would work on me?) Then repeat. I only needed to microwave them for about three 30 second intervals.

Haystack Cookies

1 bag of Chow Mein Noodles (about 7 cups)

3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (About 3/4 of a bag)

2 cups of butterscotch chips

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a large bowl until fully melted. Pour Chow Mein noodles into the large bowl. Stir until fully coated. Then form into little "haystacks." It makes about 40 cookies. 

If anybody cares, they're each about 85-90 calories. I think that's pretty good.