Toasted Coconut Butterscotch Balls

                        

     Remember those mouthwatering butterscotch concoctions really nice old ladies who smelled kind of bad would make for coffee hour? And then
the old ladies all died, their butterscotch cookie things buried with them.

                                       Well I took a shovel and I dug up those old suckers!

 No, no, that's not what I meant. Good grief. I'm not a grave violator. I have no interest in decaying old women... Gross.

             Again, and again I tried. I sweated and labored until I found the perfect recipe. The perfect blend of peanut butter, coconut, and chocolate. The perfect ratio of crisp to melt-in-your-mouth texture. I went to 18 semesters of culinary school and spent ten years in prison before I mastered it.

Okay. Not really. The real story is that I watched an entire season of "The Next Food Network Star" in one day, got really hungry from seeing all the food, and whipped up these bad boys. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you have to go to school to learn to cook.

 These balls are crunchy, they are butterscotch-y, and the bites of chilled marshmallow are a glimpse of heaven. And they are within arm's reach. The recipe is easy. The self control is the struggle.


                                              Toasted Coconut Butterscotch BallsIngredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Cup Shredded Coconut
• 1  11oz. Package of Butterscotch Chips (Set a handful aside)
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Cup Peanut Butter (Crunchy)
• 4 Cups Corn Flakes
• 1 Cup Mini Marshmallows
• 1 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (I use Ghirardelli)
• 1/4 Cup Peanut Butter (Smooth)
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

Directions:

• You can toast the coconut in the oven, but I do it on the stove. Throw the coconut and flop the tablespoon of butter on a frying pan, turn the heat to medium-high. Toss it around with a spatula until there's a satisfactory amount of golden-brown. Set aside 1/3 of the toasted coconut for garnish.
• In a medium microwave safe bowl melt down the butterscotch chips (remember to set a small handful aside), tablespoon of coconut oil, and 1/4 Cup crunchy peanut butter. Set the heat to medium high if you can and stir every 20 seconds until smooth. Every 20 seconds you have to wait nibble on the butterscotch chips you have set aside until gone.
•  Once the butterscotch mixture is smooth (Except for the peanut pieces) stir in the corn flakes, the 2/3 Cup toasted coconut, and mini marshmallows until all the cornflakes are fully coated with butterscotch.
• Place a sheet of lightly greased parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Pack your cornflake mixture into an icecream scoop pressing it in with your palm. Try to crunch the cornflakes into the scoop so it forms to the shape of the scoop. Place scoop upside-down on cookie sheet and squeeze the scoop handle a few times before you lift. It's ok if the butterscotch balls fall apart a little. Freeze for 5 minutes.

• While the balls are in the freezer, clean out the mixing bowl you used before and throw in the chocolate chips, smooth peanut butter, and tablespoon of coconut oil. Melt in the microwave using the same method from before. Take out the butterscotch balls from the freezer and use a spoon to drizzle chocolate graciously all over them. Sprinkle the coconut you set aside on the tops of the balls. Put back in the fridge for at least 10 minutes, and then EAT THEM.