Over the Memorial Day weekend, many of us celebrated by attending a backyard barbecue, a camping trip to a lake or river or a ceremony honoring our military. Even though the holiday has come and gone, we should still try to remember and give thanks to the generations of the men and women who gave their time and lives in service to protect our freedom and liberty. Had it not been for those unselfish patriots, we wouldn’t have been able to celebrate the holiday weekend with our family and friends in the fashion most of us have come to enjoy.
For your next summer picnic or barbecue, you might like to try this recipe for a quick dessert that not only can be made in a hurry but also uses ingredients you probably have on hand. In addition, you won’t have to heat up your kitchen to make the tasty dessert. It’s easy to serve, too, since you don’t need plates or forks to eat the treats.
The dessert is a twist on an old favorite – Rice Krispie Treats. Unlike that familiar treat, though, this recipe doesn’t call for butter. It does, however, call for red and blue M&Ms and miniature marshmallows, which give the dessert a patriotic, red, white and blue effect.
QUICK PEANUT BUTTER KRISPIES
5 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup red and blue M&Ms and miniature marshmallows (combined)
1 can vanilla cake frosting
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or two 9 or 8-inch round cake pans with foil.
In a large bowl, place 5 cups crisp rice cereal. In a small saucepan, combine frosting and peanut butter and heat over medium heat until mixture just begins to bubble, stirring continually so it doesn’t stick to the pan and burn. Pour mixture over cereal and mix thoroughly until all cereal is coated.
Press mixture into foil-lined oblong pan or two round cake pans and then sprinkle M&Ms and miniature marshmallows over rice crispy cereal, pressing down somewhat. Refrigerate for one hour or until firm.
Remove from refrigerator and remove foil. Cut into 16 or 24 bars and serve on a platter or pack them away in a plastic container to take on a picnic or to a barbecue.
Note: You may use any brand of cake frosting, but I use Pillsbury Supreme vanilla frosting.
