Cherry Almond Haystacks

I have been obsessed, of late, with the cherry and almond combination. There is evidence of this in my Bing Cherry Amaretto Preserves as well as my Cream Scones with Amaretto Cherries. I decided to take this combination one step further and make a luscious chocolaty treat out of it. You're probably all familiar with haystacks. I remember these way back from when I was a kid. They're easy to make, no bake, everyone loves them; you simply can't go wrong with these. But I thought I would make them a little more sophisticated, so I added amaretto-soaked dried cherries and slivered almonds to the mix. These were so good I could have easily inhaled them. In fact, I had to hide them from myself to keep from doing just that.

These are the perfect summer treat because you don't have to heat up the oven to make them, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.  Here is an adult version of your childhood favorite. 

Cherry Almond Haystacks

1 3-oz. package Melissa's dried tart cherries

2 Tablespoons amaretto

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup chow mein noodles

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Soak cherries in amaretto until plump, about 20 minutes. Drain; set aside.

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Stir in chow mein noodles, almonds, and reserved cherries until well coated.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Yield: 8 clusters. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple…you get the picture.

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This post is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Home Sweet Home
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Foodie Friday & Everything Else