I'm Cuckoo for This Cocoa-y, Chocolatey Dessert; A Twist on Kids' Cereal Bars!

I’m Cuckoo for This Cocoa-y, Chocolatey Dessert; A Twist on Kids’ Cereal Bars!

Desserts / March 28, 2016

I have a vivid memory of jump roping with friends. Two ropes, moving in opposite directions, stretched out to about 8 feet in distance with the twine spinning like a twirling vortex of an atom. Whipping the concrete like a slap on the face, the music and whoosh of it beckoned me over and over again until I had the courage to dance inside. Soon I made my move, simultaneously ducking in below the upper arc and jumping up to miss the lower sweep. I did it! Soon was in a rhythm that I loved. We chanted, too, yelling melodies that ranged from short tunes about smelly boys to recreating lyrics from misunderstood rock and roll songs. And I just. kept. skipping.

There are so many wonderful memories of a carefree childhood. We didn’t worry about cholesterol, or fat, or even the dreaded high fructose corn syrup. And so it would make sense that I was enthralled with sugary cereals as a viable nutritional option. Captain Crunch, Cocoa Krispies and Lucky Charms topped the list, with Kix and Alpha-Bits vying for a solid top five position.

But life got better! When I first discovered Rice Krispy treats I knew I had tasted heaven on a plate. Gooey, sweet, crunchy and for sure habit-forming. I have eaten so many over the years I’m astonished they didn’t change the jingle to “Snap, Crackle, Pop, & Camine.”

You should know that I can make Rice Krispy squares in any serving size. One bite all the way up to catering orders! If I have a craving, and there is only 1/2 C of cereal remaining, I can whip of a single serving of marshmallowy crunchiness that will match the taste and texture of a whole recipe. It’s not really something that fits on a resume but I am still danged proud of that skill. Until I had the opportunity to again elevate those sugary bars for an Easter Dessert. No I’m even prouder-er. Call it being inspired by what lay on the shelf of my pantry. Or call it genius. These will take you back

Oh, and just invite your Cardiologist over to join in the fun…makes scheduling your first appointment easier.

Rice Krispy & Cocoa Puff Marshmallow Squares

Dipped in Semi-Sweet Chocolate

#fabin40
Makes 20-24 squares

Ingredients:

4 T salted butter plus extra to grease oblong baking dish you will place mixture in to cool and set.
4 C miniature marshmallows
4 C Rice Krispy cereal
2 C Cocoa Puff Cereal
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Direction:

Empty the chocolate chips into a heat-proof glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt on low, and stir with a spatula from time to time as they melt. This will only take about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off but don’t remove the bowl. The warmth of the water will keep your chocolate melted and smooth.
In a large microwave save bowl, combine the marshmallows and the 4 T butter. Microwave on high for about 20 seconds. Take out and stir vigorously to combine. Place the bowl in the microwave again and cook for about 12 seconds until you can whisk the mixture into a soft, yielding mixture. Add the cereals all at once, stirring with a large spoon until the marshmallow mixture coats all of the cereal. Press the mixture into the butter dish. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Remove, cut into nice even squares about 2” by 3”. Dip half of the square in the chocolate, swirling to get the chocolate around the whole edge and letting drip for about 5-6 seconds so the chocolate won’t drip down when you set them in place. Place on a rack and serve immediately with a sliced strawberry. To store, refrigerate the dipped squares for about 20 minutes. Remove from fridge, wrap them in plastic wrap and store on the counter.
Discard any remaining melted chocolate as it will harden quickly and be difficult to clean up…unless you have something else lying around that would benefit from a dip in the chocolate to clean the bowl! Like, your finger? Yum!!!