Just Cook It! — Rice cereal and marshmallow treats
It’s hard to believe, but we are only seven days away from Halloween.
Halloween is just a fun holiday. There’s no other time during the year when it’s widely accepted to eat as much candy as you possibly can. Whether you are an adult or a child, the candy eating perk of Halloween remains pretty much the same and one of my favorite parts of any holiday.
One of the treats I remember enjoying as a child on Halloween was the wonderfully delicious popcorn balls. I mention this particular treat because I am starting to wonder if they are losing popularity over the years. I am beginning to believe that this treat is being replaced by a somewhat similar sweet favorite – the rice cereal and marshmallow treat bars.
I was visiting my grandmother recently and noticed that her candy basket (where the popcorn balls used to sit every Halloween) was full of its regular assorted candies and Rice Krispies Treats – no popcorn balls. While I enjoyed a fun size Almond Joy, my father was enjoying a Rice Krispies Treat and jokingly made a comment that my next column should be about the treats. Well, I am not one to disappoint or turn down a challenge, so dad here you go…
Rice Krispies Treats are made from Rice Krispies, melted butter or margarine, and either melted marshmallows or marshmallow cr猫me. The treats were invented as a fundraiser for Camp Fire Girls in 1939 by Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day in the Kellogg Company home economics department.
Many different variations can be made with different cereals and add-ins such as caramel, peanut butter, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. In my opinion, however, when you use different cereal or add different garnishes to the marshmallow mix, it just isn’t right to call them Rice Krispies Treats.
The varieties of treats can be delicious, but also misleading at the same time. My favorite are the original Rice Krispies Treats made with butter and marshmallow cr猫me.
I’m not a fan of the store bought variety only because they are so easy to make at home, and when you make them you at least have some control over ingredient quality.
The recipe, if for some reason you don’t have it, goes like this — In a large saucepan, melt 3 ounces of butter over low heat. Add 10 ounces of marshmallows (or 7 ounces of marshmallow cr猫me) and stir until melted. Remove the pan from the heat, add 6 cups of Rice Krispies cereal to the pan and stir until completely coated. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray and use a buttered spatula to press the mixture into the pan.
Allow the treats to cool completely, cut into 2-inch squares, and serve.
With the recipe being that easy, I see no reason to have to buy them pre-made. Actually, I will concede one reason – if you are giving them out to trick-or-treaters.
Other than that, I recommend you get into your kitchen and Just Cook It!
Send me all of your food/cooking related questions by e-mail to hsfeatures@heraldstandard.com.
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. His website is www.JustCookIt.net.