Choc-O-Bloc Krispie Treats
I realize how silly it is every time I say it, but I am amazed at just how profoundly different our four grandchildren are from one another, even within the sibling pairs. In threads sometimes subtle and sometimes not, their distinct personalities were there from Day One and have only crystalized and become more and more evident as time goes by.
The eldest — our curious skeptic — has become our storyteller and keeper of truth and order…much to the chagrin of Hugh, whose solitary goal is to tease and make his grandchildren laugh. The refrains of “Is that true?” and “Grandfather, be serious” have been heard so frequently that they are now inside jokes, and even she can rarely say them without reflexively breaking into a sly smile. Now seven, when we’re together, she talks so fast and nonstop that it’s hard to tell if she ever takes a breath, and even the majority of her active play is accompanied by a constant flow of colorful narration.
Her younger sister — our Olympian-in-training — was so bashful in her pre- to early-toddler days it would take her a full 18 minutes to even glance our direction. You would never know that now. Becoming ambulatory opened some bottomless pool of glee directed at everyone and everything in sight. Now, she never stops moving. Hopping and rolling and climbing. Up the hill and back down again. Onto the couch and sliding off. Twirling and twisting and dancing. Just watching her can be exhausting…and occasionally, a bit harrowing, since she seems to have lost all sense of fear.
Our older grandson — our consummate performer — has been drumming and dancing since the day he could hold himself upright. At times, lost in his own thoughts, he’ll begin nodding his head to some silent melody, then invariably, either vocalize the percussion line or reach for the nearest reasonably appropriate implement and start drumming it on the sofa cushions. Playtime with him is essentially drama class rehearsal, and he’s the director. He determines which scene we’re running (he calls these games), assigns characters, tells each person where to stand and when to come in and what to do or say. Then we all act it out several times (occasionally trying alternate dialogue or plot twists) before moving on to a different game/scene.
Our youngest (by three months and three days) — our aspiring comedian — was born grinning ear to ear and hasn’t stopped since. Everyone was so charmed by his pink-gummed perma-smile, we were almost disappointed when he started getting teeth. As the youngest of the bunch, his FOMO is epic: he wants to do everything the big kids are doing. But having spent a lot of time with Grandfather (the youngest and proudly least serious of six), he generally plays it for laughs, turning the whole game into slapstick and mugging for onlookers. Who can blame him? It works every time.
This summer, one of the kids began hosting family dinners on Sundays. I’m pretty sure I imagined lovely times sitting around the picnic table, catching up with the adults, being amused by clever interjections and stories from the kids. Luckily, I’ve been working on letting go of expectations. It is definitely lovely, though not remotely sedate and quiet. Occasionally, the word mayhem might come to mind. One city-lot backyard, four kids swinging and squealing and running in different directions, adults trying to keep everyone safe and harmonious (while setting the table and plating food), total chaos. An absolutely delightful chaos. And a bit of magic. Sort of like throwing three kinds of cereal and chocolate chips into marshmallow fluff.
Enjoy the chaos — it’s delicious!
To scale this recipe down for an 8x8 pan (or thinner treats in a 9x9), use these measurements:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 jar of Marshmallow Fluff
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
2+1/2 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups Cocoa Pebbles (or Cocoa Krispies)
1 cup Cocoa Puffs
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
These are some of the items I find especially helpful for this bake. (These are affiliate links.)
Marshmallow Fluff, 7.5oz
Calphalon Nonstick 3-quart Saute Pan
U-Taste Heat Resistant Flexible Silicone Spatula
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
Choc-O-Bloc Krispie Treats
makes a 9x13 pan of treats apx. 2” thick
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 jars of Marshmallow Fluff* (7.5oz size)
1+1/2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups Rice Krispies
4 cups Cocoa Pebbles (or Cocoa Krispies)
2 cups Cocoa Puffs
1/2 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate mini chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Measure the cereal into a large bowl and gently stir with a large spoon or sift with your fingers until evenly distributed.
Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, leaving overhangs on the long sides. Mist with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large pot (at least 4 quarts, and preferably nonstick), melt the butter, then stir in the salt. Add the Marshmallow Fluff, stirring with a rubber spatula until the butter is fully incorporated and the Fluff is completely melted, then stir in the vanilla until combined. Remove it from the heat.
Add about half the cereal to the pot and very gently stir/fold with the rubber spatula until mostly evenly coated. Add the rest of the cereal and fold until the marshmallow is evenly dispersed and no noticeable streaks remain. (I gently cut across or “comb” through large clumps to separate them.)
Scatter the gooey mixture somewhat evenly around the prepared pan, sprinkle the mini chips over the top, spritz the rubber spatula with cooking spray, then press the cereal mixture carefully into place with the flat of the spatula (you can lay parchment or wax paper over the top to avoid smearing the melting chips). You want the treats to hold together but not be too compacted, so be gentle. They should be about two inches thick.
Allow the treats to cool and set thoroughly. Refrigerating for 30 minutes prior to cutting will make them easier to cut. Lift the treats from pan using the parchment overhangs and cut to desired serving sizes. (Parents tend to appreciate smaller squares — and the kids are even happier when they get a second treat anyway!)
*IMHO, seeing out the original Marshmallow Fluff brand is 100% worth it. I have tried several store brands, and they just don’t deliver the same gooey results. (Because marshmallows tend to include gelatin, they are not an option for me and the vegetarians/animal lovers in our family.)
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