Aunt Sis' Salted Peanut Chews

My Holiday Scrapbook:

One Christmas when I was little, My Aunt Sis brought these salty, chewy delights to our house when she and Uncle Dave came for one of their annual holiday visits. I'm sure she brought the candy bar-type cookies with my dad in mind; her only sibling loves peanut candy. Every time I eat these cookies they remind me of childhood holidays. Greg, Becky and I would anxiously wait while Aunt Sis and Uncle Dave would unload their Ford (their vehicle was always a Ford!...he was an accountant for the company). Aunt Sis, a high school teacher, loved to bake and try new recipes that she got from her typing students or church friends, and would always bring in goodies. As an adult, I now realize that all of the excitement surrounding their trips in for Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving was certainly not about the treats, but all about them! They were one of our holiday treats! They didn't have children of their own, so we were the glad recipients of their love and attention...what a blessing. My parents enjoyed their company, too. I vividly remember lying in bed as a child of 10 or 11 and hearing the four of them downstairs on Christmas eve giving my "Ants in the Pants" game and my brother's "Don't Spill the Beans" game a trial run before Santa wrapped them. I will always treasure those "moments of Christmas Past" when "joy" meant that Aunt Sis and Uncle Dave had just pulled into our driveway.

Aunt Sis' Salted Peanut Chews

Base:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/3 C margarine
1 egg
3 C mini marshmallows

Topping:

2/3 C corn syrup
1/2 C margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 C peanut butter chips
2 C Rice Krispies
2 C salted peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all base ingredients except marshmallows. Press into a 13x9" pan. Bake 12-18 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows and return to oven for 2 minutes. Heat topping ingredients until chips are melted. Add rice cereal and peanuts. Spoon over marshmallows and chill. Remove from fridge 2 hrs. before serving.

I will be at these swaps today:

-LifeasMom
-Joyofdesserts