Cereal--For Real!

About author / Rebecca Michaels

Queen of the desserts and pastry chef extraordinaire; graduate French Culinary Institute; Golden Scoop Award winner; Flying Monkey Bakery founder

One of my absolute favorite sweet treats is Rice Krispy treats.  Huh, you say?  Aren't pastry chefs supposed to love fancy things--cakes with unpronounceable French names, expensive patisserie goods, candies flecked with gold?  What gives?

Truth be told, most chefs I know are so tired of making swanky complicated food all day that by the time they have time to eat, it's usually going to be something quite simple.  I love grilled cheese.  I could easily live on bread and cheese alone, but sometimes I feel like kicking it up a notch or two and actually turning on my stove, slathering my cast iron with butter and putting on a nice grilled cheese with some artisan bread and good English cheddar or Pont L'eveque.  That's my kind of meal.  Add a glass of Aussie Shiraz and that's my kind of evening.

But I digress.  Rice Krispy treats are a very versatile food.  The recipe straight off the box is good (Don't use margarine though.  When you're making something as plain as Rice Krispy treats, every flavor is a note that you will taste.  Butter, hands down, tastes better than margarine.  And proportionately speaking, the amount of butter is really quite small.  Just go for it).  You can take your cereal treats to the outer limits of the tasty universe though, with a wee bit of tweaking and imagination.

One tweak that I particularly like is to use brown butter (See my recipe for brown butter tart, make the brown butter, to the point where you strain it).  It adds a nutty finish to the flavor.

Experiment with your crispy rice and other cereals.  I used to make Rice Krispy treats for a client that had Golden Grahams sprinkled throughout.  Another is Oreos.  Yes, people, combine two of your favorite childhood foods for a delicious Nostalgia Extravaganza!  I suggest that you use a very sharp knife and cut the Oreos no smaller than quarters; if you make them too small or crumbly, you'll have Oreo "dirt" sprinkled throughout your treats.

And if you really want to go hogwild, why not pour melted chocolate over the tops of those little guys?  I can see several of you out there slavering already!  Or use chopped-up treats over a sundae with fudge or caramel sauce.  The possibilities are endless!

Now, if you want to go a little more adult (No, not like that!), give my sesame Rice Krispy treats a try.  They're very simple, no recipe needed: make your usual Krispy treats, but right after the butter and marshmallows are melted, add a few tablespoons of tahini and a tablespoon each of blond and black sesame seeds (you can find both in the Asian aisle at the supermarket).  Stir well and add your cereal.  These are really nice and not too sweet.  Cut them into diamonds or triangles to make them extra special.

Rice Krispy treats don't have to be boring plain jane anymore.  Give them a 21st Century makeover by adding things you think might be nice.  They are a blank canvas on which you can create your Rice Krispy piece de resistance.  Bon Appetit!

You can visit CDKitchen's Rice Krispies Bars & Squares Recipe Section for more recipe ideas.