Rice Krispie Treats (small Batch)

 We are having a bit of a heatwave here in Nova Scotia at the moment. Yesterday the temperature got up to the mid 30's and today is expected to be more of the same. Its not the kind of weather you really want to be heating up your oven in! 
That's when things such as a chewy rice krispie treats recipe come in really handy.  Whether you are a large family or a singleton. I know of nobody who doesn't love these quick and easy cereal bars!
 If you are a singleton or an empty nester like myself however, a full batch is a bit more than you can feasibly handle eating!  I am on a quest to small-batch as many of my favorite recipes as I can and this is my latest  attempt.
I have to say it worked really well!  I was very pleased with the results.  I love Rice Krispie cereal and this  is the best rice krispie treats recipe. I have been making these for years and years. 
 As with most people, I got the original recipe from the back of a box of Rice Krispies cereal. It was a real favorite with my ex-husband and our children when they were growing up. I am sure I made them at least once a week! 
The children loved cleaning out the saucepan after I made them. Somewhere I have a photograph of them doing just that.  It was a sticky business, but one which they loved to help with!
  They are perfect for afterschool snacks, or for in lunch boxes and I confess, I often made these for family night treats for the kids.  I think my ex was the biggest kid of all!
He could polish off half a pan of them without even blinking!  He was a real sugar fiend!
 These delicious no bake cereal bars, a small batch, are made in a loaf tin. I use a 9 X 5-inch loaf tin which is the ideal size for making bars and cakes for the smaller sized family.
Using that tin, things always cut perfectly into 8 nicely sized bars.  This is just right for the smaller sized family and just right for me.
 These are the ideal chewy, oowy, gooey, dessert.  I love eating them with ice cream if I have any in the house.  In fact you can make really good ice cream sandwiches with them! 
Just use an 7 inch square pan instead of the loaf tin, and press half of the mixture firmly into the pan. Top with about 2 cups of softened vanilla ice cream and place in the freezer for it to harden.  Take out and top with the remainder of the crisp rice mixture, pressing it as firmly as you can over the ice cream.
 It helps to use a piece of parchment to do this. Return them to the freezer to let them harden up nicely. Cut into rectangles or squares and wrap individually airtight.
They are ready to enjoy whenever you are wanting an ice cold treat.  Especially during the summer months!
 I used to make my children a rice krispie ice cream banana split sundae cake when they were growing up. It is pretty much along the same principle, except there is only one layer of rice krispie square mixture.
This is topped with softened ice cream, and sundae sauce. You can use any type of sundae sauce you like or a mixture. I used to drizzle on some caramel, chocolate and strawberry.  
 This gets topped with crushed peanuts and maraschino cherries and the whole lot gets frozen again.  I used to add sliced bananas to the top of each square when I served it, along with another drizzle of whatever topping was their favorite kind. 
A sugar fest and once in a blue moon treat for sure, but they loved it!
 I took the liberty of adding some pretty cupcake sprinkles to the top of my squares to dress them up a bit.  Plain old Krispie bars are not quite as pretty.  This isn't necessary however.
They are delicious all on their own, but I thought they would photograph better and be more eye-catching with a bit of color on top!
 Here in Canada I get my cake sprinkles from Sweetpolita.  They have a huge variety of sprinkles to choose from. Its very easy to go crazy on their page.
And no, I haven't been paid to say that,  or even been given free sprinkles to tell you about them. When I find something I like, I want to share it with my readers, that's all.
 
I got these as a part of a sampler pack I ordered. They are called Cheep Thrills. I love the bright colours!  Very apt for something like a rice krispie treat!
One thing to bear in mind when you are making something  like this is to make sure you melt the butter and marshmallows slowly over low heat. If you try to rush the process and increase the temperature, you do risk burning it.
Marshmallows have a high sugar content which burns easily! Been there done that!
 You can also melt the mixture in the microwave.  It doesn't take long. Bear in mind however you will need a considerably larger container to melt them in as marshmallow really expands.
Also you need to stir it frequently so that it doesn't burn. I stir every 30 seconds or so. How long it takes depends on the strength of your microwave!
 If you want to make a full batch of treats, I highly recommend that you check out the Kellogg's site. This is the original recipe from the box and has been pleasing  mothers and children for many, many years! 
I you are a singleton however, I do hope that you will enjoy this smaller, easy to make, delicious version I have shared with you today.  Scrumdiddlyumptious!
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Rice Krispie Treats

Yield: makes 8 barsAuthor: Marie RaynerCook time: 10 Mininactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 MThese tasty no-bake treats are quick and easy to make. Designed to get you in and out of the kitchen fast and painlessly. They are a delicious doddle! Suitable for the smaller family.

Ingredients

• 1 TBS salted butter
• 3 cups (75g) crisp rice cereal
• 3 cups (145g) mini marshmallows
• few drops of vanilla
• sprinkles to decorate (optional)

Instructions

1. You will need a 9 X 5-inch loaf tin. Line this tin with baking parchment or waxed paper, leaving an overhang to make lifting the bars out of the tin easier.
2. Take a large heavy  based non-stick saucepan and melt the butter in it over low heat. Add the marshmallows and melt them as well, stirring frequently with a wooden or silicone coated spoon.  Make sure they are completely melted and that the butter and marshmallow have completely amalgamated.  
3. Stir in a few drops of vanilla.
4. Stir in the crisp rice cereal, making sure it is well coated with the marshmallow mixture. 
5. Press this into the prepared loaf tin lightly.  Don't compress it too much.  
6. Sprinkle with cake sprinkles, if using, pressing them lightly to make them adhere.
7. Leave for about a hour to set and cool, then cut into squares to serve.
8. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

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