The Boys here love having ‘cereal bar’ style things to snack on. Problem is most of them are fattening AND expensive. ‘Expensive’ mostly because if they’re healthy, then they’re small and then the Boys just eat two of them! I found this recipe in my Food and Wine Mag submitted by a pastry chef who found herself allergic to gluten – what a cruel irony! The boys like it better than regular Rice Krispie Treats…and so do I.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats:
3 Tbl Coconut Oil
1 – 10oz bag of marshmallows (about 40)
3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
7 oz (6 Cups) Rice Krispies Gluten-Free with Brown Rice
1/2 Cup Peanuts*
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds*
(* optional)
9 x 13 pan/dish, a silicon spatula, and a BIG pot.
Step 1: Get your stuff together. Oops, the coconut oil didn’t make the photo op.
Step 2: Count out 40 or so marshmallows (about 3/4 of a standard bag). Better get a sample, those might be stale….No? Better check again. The ones at the bottom of the bag may be different.
Get your huge pot on low, and put in the oil, and the 40 marshmallows. OK, maybe a couple more, if you’re adding nuts and seeds. While they’re melting, give ’em a stir, measure out the cereal and peanut butter. Better test those marshmallow again….and check my email….
Step 3: Sniff-sniff “Who’s making s’mores?” OMG – I AM! Ooooo, that’s right, sugar burns quick. That’s ok, keep stirring and forget about photos!
Step 4: I use a silicon spatula to stir until melted, and add in the peanut butter, stir some more. At this point you’re wondering ‘Why not just use marshmallow cream?’. Because it’s different and doesn’t work right – I don’t know why, maybe it’s the powder on the outside, less corn syrup ? Who knows.
Step 5: Turn off the heat and dump in the cereal…and fold in.
Step 6: Don’t you love the way I say F O L D like it’s no big deal, right? Oh, no…if you were planning a big upper body workout later, forget it. When you’re done folding and pulling the stickiness off the bottom of that pan your arms will be toast! Get your glass dish and grease with coconut oil (I use what’s left on the Tablespoon) and dump.
Step 7: Dump out of the pot and press into the pan/dish. I use wax paper, or plastic wrap and another smaller Pyrex dish for this. See how the corners of the pans fit – kinda like they came from the same mold. Yeah. Careful it’s Hot and Sticky…and not in a ‘Fifty Shades…’ kinda way. Ooooo, they look yummy, no….they have to cool first. The kids will come running ’cause by now the place smells like Willie Wonka’s closet! When they do, cut them into 24 and serve. Need another idea for these? Crumble some into partially thawed vanilla frozen yogurt and re-freeze…mmmmmmm or over your morning greek yogurt.
Finale: There you go – a perfect after-school, after-workout, coffee-break snack ! Not too bad at 165 cal/8 fat with the nuts, and only 132 cal/6g fat without. And like celery that burns more calories chewing it than it packs on…this’ll give you a work-out too.
