PB Marshmallow Squares: Not Just for Kids

This is a retro favorite of mine. I was a huge peanut butter lover growing up, and still am. Upon graduating from University, I made and brought in some peanut butter marshmallow squares to my first job on my birthday because the rule was that on your birthday, you brought in treats. After that, a week before my birthday would hit again I would start getting everything from casual requests to out right demands that the squares make a repeat appearance. I was always happy to oblige seeing as these are pretty much the easiest dessert I make!

PB Marshmallow Squares:
1 pkg butterscotch chips
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Marshmallows to your taste (usually less than a small bag)

I love the flexibility of this recipe in that I can randomly alter the proportions of peanut butter, butterscotch chips and marshmallows to taste, or based on what I have or how big of a pan I want to make. The above is usually about right for a 9 by 9 pan, but I sometimes make thick ones in an 8 by 8, or bump up the quantities by a bit to fit a lasagna pan.

To make the squares, melt the first three ingredients on low heat stirring constantly to avoid burning on the bottom. This only takes a couple of minutes. Take your pot off the heat and let it sit until the outside of the pot is cool to the touch. This is key to make sure that the marshmallows don't melt when you stir them in, and also to make sure they don't all float up to the top when you pour it into the pan. I like mine to be absolutely packed with marshmallows, so I keep adding them until no more will coat. Finally, pour the mixture into a pan that has been lined with wax paper, and smush it down with a spatula so that it is all even. I usually have a little of the pb/butterscotch mixture at the bottom to drizzle over the areas that look like they might have air gaps between marshmallows.

Pop the pan into the freezer to solidify quickly, and once an hour or so has passed, they are ready to be cut into squares. I store mine in the freezer and just take them out about five minutes before serving. My husband likes to eat them right out of the freezer because then the marshmallows are all crunchy. Cut them tiny because they are addictive, and stopping at one or two is very difficult.