Special K Bars

This post is for my grandma.

If you're wondering why I am so awesome, it is probably because I came from a long line of awesome people.  My great grandma Elise was very well known for her excellent comfort-food cooking and that is something that has been passed down to all generations in my family.  My grandma Betty's cooking was just as good.  One of my all-time favorite recipes of ever came from her.  It's not fancy-pants and doesn't take much time either, but it is oh-so good and always a crowd pleaser.  What I am referring to is known as Special K Bars. 

My grandma lived in Canada and whenever she would come to visit she would bring jumbo-sized boxes of Canada's Special K cereal (believe it or not it actually is different and the texture is much more perferrable for these bars), and we would make batches upon batches...and they would not last for long!  Since then, I have made these countless times for my husband (he likes to call them "eat me bars") and friends and they are always a hit.  When I used to make them for my college housemates, I doubt the pan even lasted for a day.....one time another friend actually tried to walk out of our house with the pan of them under her shirt (no joke).  Catch my drift?

Anyways, thanks grandma for teaching me so much and passing down such wonderful gifts as these!  Ironically, this picture is from when I made these a couple weeks ago with intention to blog about it, just a few days before my grandma passed away unexpectedly.  Anyways, here's to you grandma - your're love of food and your love of family!  <3

Special K Bars
Makes a lot of bars

7 c. Special K cereal
1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 oz. butterscotch chocolate chips

Butter a 9x13 pan glass baking dish.  Heat the sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over moderately high heat until sugar dizzolves.  While heating, place Special K cereal, peanut butter and vanilla in a large bowl.  Once sugar mixture is ready, pour over the cereal/peanut butter and stir until mixture is well combined (work quickly because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to stir and combine the ingredients evenly).  Once combined, pour the mixutre into the prepared baking dish.  Spread out evenly and pat down firmly with a spatula (this is important because if it is not packed down enough, the bars will fall apart easily when you cut them). 

In the top of a double-broiler (or in a bowl placed over barely simmering water), combine the chocolate and butterscotch chips.  Stir constantly until melted.  Pour over the bars and spread evenly with a spatula.  Let the chocolate harden before cutting into them.  In a hurry?  Pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes and the chocolate should harden up just that fast!