Fruity Marshmallow Krispy Treats

As a kid, I ate my fair share of sugary treats.

(I mean, I still do, let's be honest.)

But not when it came to cereal.

My favorites were the likes of plain Cheerios, corn or rice Chex, Crispix, Rice Krispies, Kix and maybe as far as Frosted Mini Wheats if I was feeling crazy.

To this day, those are probably my faves.

I can remember attending coveted sleepovers at my aunt Cary's house, and we would eat peanut butter and/or chocolatey cereal for breakfast (among a host of other junk foods- it was glorious).

But any exceptions to my low-sugar cereal rule were purely of the vanilla-frosted, peanut butter, or chocolate variety - never fruity.  You most certainly would not catch Apple Jacks, Lucky Charms, or Fruit Loops anywhere near my bowl.

Point being, there are no feelings of nostalgia from this girl when it comes to Fruity Pebbles.

Nope, I made these bars strictly for their rainbow fun factor, as a treat for a family pool party we attended recently.

I figured the kids would like them, and maybe a few parents would possess the nostalgia for the Flintstones-themed cereal that I lack.

As for me, I thought it was going to hate them.

But, no.

Unfortunately for my waist line, I liked them very much indeed.  And pretty much all the parents agreed.

"Why would anyone even make plain krispy treats when these exist?" mused one mom, munching away on the artificially-flavored fruity, marshmallowy goodness.

Not sure I'd go that far. Still love me a ol' plain vanilla krispy treat.

(Check out these white-chocolate dipped pops Grayden & I made for his ghost-themed birthday party.  In June. LOL, that's our boy.)

But anyway, I'm trying to say that even if you don't love fruity cereal, I would give these a try.

They might just change your mind.

Fruity Marshmallow Krispy Treats

• 8 T. butter
• 1 1/2 bags (9 C.) mini marshmallows, divided Pinch salt
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups plain crisped rice cereal
• 6 cups fruity crisped rice cereal

Generously grease a 9x13 pan, or line with nonstick foil- set aside.

In large pan, melt butter over low heat. Add 6 cups of the marshmallows (1 bag) and stir over low heat until completely melted and mixture is homogeneous. Add vanilla and salt, mix to combine. Remove from heat.

Add cereal, and mix to combine. Then add remaining 3 C marshmallows (1/2 bag) and stir to incorporate. Empty mixture into prepared pan. Grease hands with oil and very gently press the mixture evenly into the pan- do not press down firmly & compact the mixture, or the treats will be hard. Allow to cool & cut into squares.

Recipe Adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron

Fudgy S'mores Brownies

Marshmallow... chocolate.... graham cracker... what's not to love about s'mores?  They are the perfect combination for summer.

But sometimes you don't have a campfire, or other open flame to roast your mallows.

Or sometimes you do.... but then you accidentally drop a flaming marshmallow on your 15-year old niece's foot, and decide that maybe this whole s'more thing is a more dangerous business than you realized.

(Yes, that really happened - ask my father-in-law!)

Or.... maybe you just want something a little easier and less messy.  Who knows?

But if you fall into any of those categories, these brownies are for you.  I happen to be in the fudgy brownie camp (vs. the cakey brownie) and these definitely fit the bill.  The graham and marshmallow make them even more rich and delicious.

My father-in-law was here this weekend, helping Mr. Vittles hang drywall upstairs, so I wanted to make something nice.  I figured this way he could enjoy a s'more without the possibility of giving anyone a second-degree burn!

Fudgy S'mores Brownies

• 10 T. (1 1/4 sticks) butter
• 1 1/4 C. sugar
• 3/4 C. plus 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C. marshmallows (use the mini ones, or cut large ones into smaller pieces with a clean pair of kitchen shears)
• 1/2 C. graham crackers, broken into small pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and position rack to lower third of oven.  Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Lightly grease with cooking spray, and set aside.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for one minute, then remove and stir.  Microwave an additional minute and a half, in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and no lumps remain.  (Mixture will be grainy).  Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, and set the mixture aside until it cools slightly.

Then add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.  When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well-blended, add the flour and stir until no streaks remain.  Then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.  Stir in graham crackers and marshmallows, and spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 22 to 27 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.  Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board.  Cut into squares and serve.

Brownie Recipe adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe (who adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted from Bittersweet)  

Cookies & Cream Marshmallow Crispy Treats

A while back I made a comment that no idea I ever have seems to be original.

(Maybe with the exception of Coconut Kona Ice Cream... there are still barely any recipes for coconut coffee ice cream on the internet, and mine predates the ones that exist.  So HA!)

That being said - I'm sure someone has already thought of mixing Oreos into Rice Krispie treats.  But... I refuse to 'Google' it and rain on my own parade.  I made this without looking up anything (including the basic crispy treat recipe) so I'm calling it original.  So there.

Anyway, last night our friends Kristen & Keith were nice enough to babysit the Mini while we went into the city to celebrate my sister-in-law Melissa's ENGAGEMENT! (Ahh!)

It was a bit of a last-minute surprise and our usual babysitting hopefuls were all either at the same dinner, unavailable, or too far in the wrong direction of NYC.  But Kristen came through like a champ, and I wanted to leave her and Keith a treat.

Keith and I have worked together for over 5 years.  He was one of the first people to teach me my job, and also my first friend there.  I don't get to hang out with his wife, Kristen, as much as I would like but I know her better than you'd think just from talking to Keith every day at work.

So I got two boxes of her favorite candy, and made these crispy treats for Keith.

 He has an Oreo obsession that knows no bounds.

When we got home last night, I was surprised that Kristen was actually the first one to comment on how good these were.  I'm just glad they both enjoyed them.

Now... let the pre-wedding festivities commence!  Congratulations to Melissa and Rick!!

Cookies & Cream Marshmallow Crispy Treats

• 4 1/2 C. crispy rice cereal
• 15 Oreo cookies, crushed (about 1 1/2 C.)
• 1 10.5 oz. bag mini marshmallows
• 4 T. butter
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.

Combine rice cereal and crushed cookies in a large bowl, and mix until evenly distributed.

In a 5 qt. saucepan, heat marshmallows and butter over medium-low heat, and stir until melted and smooth.  Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla until combined.

Add rice cereal & cookie mixture, and mix to coat.  Spread evenly in prepared pan, using either a greased spatula or piece of waxed paper.  Allow to cool then cut into squares.

Original Recipe