Hi!  I'm Noreen, wife, mother of two amazing, almost grown, daughters, content creator, cook, baker and sister in Christ. Welcome to my Kitchen!   I hope you stick around, enjoy the recipes and share them with those you love!

Today I have a bit of nostalgia for you.  A special treat from the cafeteria of my elementary school during 4th and 5th grade.  These peanut chewies are just as delicious today, so many years later, as they were then.  I have not had one since I was in the 5th grade in 1977.  I am excited to share this recipe and how I was able to acquire it and make it for you today.

When I was in the 4th and 5th grade I attended Columbus Elementary school in Columbus, New Jersey.   I was a born Jersey girl.  Say what you will.  However the green hills of the garden state are in my blood.  Elementary school was made special because the school building I was in was over 100 years old.  It is no longer standing, but in its place stands a shiny new school for the small farming community where the dairy cows outnumber the people. 

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A peanut chewy is the best combination of a peanut butter nougat with crunchy bits inside.  Think of how a Payday bar center tastes.  Then add crunchy cereal and sometimes chopped peanuts.  That is how you get a peanut chewie.  A blast from the past and a memory that makes me happy.

Recently I was thinking about these divine treats and went searching the internet for something similar but to no avail, could not find anything remotely similar.  I tried many and always came up short.  I tried corn flakes and rice chex.  I tried all sorts of recipes but always ended up disappointed.  Then one day I thought, maybe I could call the school.  Surely the lunch lady would still be there to share her recipe.  I know it sounds silly, but it was a long shot.  So I made a phone call.  I gave my schpiel about how I used to go there 40 some odd years ago.  How I used to get a delicious dessert called a...............then she finished my sentence for me.  "A peanut chewie?" she asked.  YES!  I exclaimed!  So excited that she would somehow be a kindred spirit and immediately know that I was searching for the recipe.  She did and she said she had it at home and if I gave her my email, she would be sure to send it to me when she got home.  So she did and here we are today.  

That is my story of how a memory became real again and how I can share it with you.  You can make these and send them to school with your kids or to work with yourself because I know you are going to fall in love with them.  I know the lunch ladies may not have thought of it, but I think these would be amazing topped with chocolate.  Perhaps another time.  Right now I am going to dig in to a memory ans share it with my family.

I hope you give these peanut chewies a try and I hope you love them!

Happy Eating!

Ingredients

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Noreen's Kitchen

Columbus Elementary  Peanut Chewies

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Noreen's Kitchen

Columbus Elementary Peanut Chewies

I have not been back in many years.  But the memory of so many things sticks in my mind and often rises to the surface.  Those memories transport me back to a place when bell bottoms and plaid were the mode of the day.  When the biggest thing you had to worry about was memorizing your times tables and what was on the menu in the school cafeteria for lunch tomorrow.  Those lunch ladies had it going on!  Everything made from scratch in that basement cafeteria.  Hot beef sandwiches, fried chicken, fish sticks and pizza every Friday.   We always got a green and yellow veggie along with a roll and a pint of milk.  Then there was dessert.  You know the basics like chocolate sheet cake, cherry cobbler and the sort.  The crown jewel of the lunch ladies fare was peanut chewies.  Twice a month they made an appearance on the menu and twice a month on those days every kid in the school, inevitably bought their lunch just so they could have those heavenly bites.    You only got one per plate, but they always made extra and you could pay a quarter and buy one.  But only one extra.  They were that good.

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1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ cups peanut butter chunky or smooth

5 cups rice flake cereal such as Special K

Step by Step Instructions

Prepare 2 cupcake pans (total 24) with double liners.  Set aside.

Pour cereal into a large bowl and set aside.

Place corn syrup, brown sugar and granulated sugar into a saucepan.

Bring mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat immediately.

Add peanut butter and stir well to combine and form a smooth mixture.

Pour peanut butter mixture over the rice flakes and stir well to incorporate.

Using a ¼ cup ice cream scoop, distribute the mixture into the cupcake liners.

Press and smooth the mixture with a spoon.

Allow the chews to cool completely before enjoying.

Store the peanut chewies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.  I promise they won’t last that long.

These should not be frozen because they will breakdown.