Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Fall Treat Recipes

Erma, I never fail to be amazed at how our minds seem to focus on the same thing at the same time. There you were celebrating the beginning of fall with a fragrant pot roast, and I was busy making batches of Rice Crispy Squares to the Fall Festival at the grandchildren’s school. And I thought that the days of baking for school carnivals was over when the kids graduated? Ha! Since it is only us grandmothers who have the time (and lack of brains) to spend hours in the kitchen baking, here we are years later still cranking out the baked goodies.

One of the things Cate specifically requested for the Bake Sale was that old 1950’s standard Rice Crispy Squares. “No problem,” I said. Guess what? They no longer print the recipe on the cereal box anymore. I actually had to spend quite a while hunting through old cookbooks to find the recipe. I found lots of “improvements” like adding M & M’s, candy bars, nuts and such. Frankly, the original is still the best. It must be, as the things sold like hotcakes at the Home Baked Treats Booth.

By the way, don’t ever, ever buy the already made Rice Crispy Squares. They are dreadful!

Rice Crispy Squares:

¼ cup butter
36 regular sized marshmallows (about half of a standard 16 oz package)
½ teaspoon vanilla
5 ½ cups Rice Crispies

In a large saucepan melt the butter over low heat and then add marshmallows. Cook and stir until all marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and pour in the cereal. Stir well and stir in the vanilla.

Pour at once into a well buttered 13 x 9 x 2 pan. Press down lightly so cereal sticks together. Use the back of a large cooking spoon that has been buttered to press down the cereal. Cool and then cut into bars with a serrated knife.

No comments: