This Popular Chinese Ingredient Is The Secret Star Of Butterscotch Haystacks Candy

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Butterscotch haystacks are a classic American Christmas candy, little heaps of salty-sweet and crunchy treats that'll bring you right back to the holidays of your childhood. Dating back to the 1960s, they've been part of a slew of vintage foods making a comeback that have been spreading good cheer during the holiday season. The sticky-sweet glaze that covers the crunchy bits of traditional haystack candy is made with peanut butter and butterscotch chips (here's how to properly melt those chips without burning them). The crunchy part of the haystack is made with Spanish peanuts and an unexpected star of the recipe: crispy chow mein noodles.

When you think of chow mein, a stir-fried noodle dish comes to mind (though don't confuse chow mein and lo mein). It's saucy and savory, sometimes spicy, and loaded with chunks of protein and veggies. These noodles are often served soft and boiled, like other types of pasta, and are common on every Chinese restaurant's menu. But the crunchy, deep-fried version of chow mein noodles is perfect for providing a whole lot of texture to sweets. They're what gives those nostalgic butterscotch haystacks their unique character — and are the centerpiece of dozens of spin-off desserts that deliver a sweet and satisfying crunch.

Butterscotch haystacks came out of the Corn Flakes craze, when Americans discovered the newly invented Kellogg's cereal was good for more than just breakfast. In 1932, Kellogg's put a recipe for Kellogg's Corn Flakes Macaroons on the side of the breakfast cereal box, and a whole genre of desserts was born. A few decades later, the one and only Betty Crocker reinvented Corn Flakes Macaroons with a recipe for butterscotch haystacks in the 1963 "Betty Crocker Cooky Book." Since then, the butterscotch-peanut butter treats have been iconic of American holiday baking.

Haystacks are so popular these days that they're boxed and sold on grocery store shelves and in plenty of varieties online. You're more likely to see coconut and chocolate-covered haystacks instead of the traditional butterscotch variety, though. If you want to make butterscotch haystacks at home, you'll be able to find crispy fried chow mein noodles at most supermarkets and online; take, for instance, La Choy's chow mein noodles on Amazon. And if you're set on making a truly from-scratch version, deep-fry the chow mein noodles yourself for a fully homemade batch of butterscotch haystacks.