cereal – Oven Love https://www.ovenloveblog.com from scratch, with love...and a little sass Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:19:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.29 Salted Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats https://www.ovenloveblog.com/salted-peppermint-rice-krispie-treats/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/salted-peppermint-rice-krispie-treats/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:41:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/salted-peppermint-rice-krispie-treats/
I really wasn’t planning on sharing more sweets with you, but occasions to bake keep coming up out of nowhere! I made these last night for some friends, and then whipped up another quick batch for the hubs to take to work today.  This recipe took me less than 15 minutes to pull together- talk about a Christmas miracle!  I have no energy left these days (this baby is coming in a month.. woah) to slave away in the kitchen making complicated treats (even though I wish I had the time to!), especially with all of the other holiday hulabaloo going on.
I think you’ll really like these. They have just enough peppermint- certainly not the overwhelming minty-ness that you get from some Christmas desserts. The chocolate drizzle and sea salt add the  salty/sweet component, and you’ve got the classic crunchy/chewy thing going on with the Rice Krispies and marshmallow combo.
If you have the ingredients on hand (or even if you don’t- you’ll probably be out shopping soon anyways), I am certain you have the time to throw these together. Yum, yum, yum!
 

 

Salted Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats
 

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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 20

Ingredients
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter or ghee
  • 4 cups peppermint marshmallows **There are a few ways to do this. You can make them homemade, you can buy store-bought (Jet-Puffed has a peppermint variety during the holidays), or you can use regular marshmallows with a dash of peppermint extract and a drop or two of red food coloring (optional).**
  • 5 cups Rice Krispie cereal
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate
  • 3-5 peppermint candies, crushed
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions
  1. To prepare, butter a 9×13 baking dish.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and reduce heat to low. Stir until the marshmallows are melted completely and remove from heat. Add the Rice Krispies and stir until well-coated. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and press down with a spatula or buttered fingers.
  3. Next, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Transfer into a pastry or Ziplock bag and cut the corner. Drizzle the chocolate evenly over the Rice Krispie mixture (you can also use a spoon to do this, but it will be a bit messier). Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies and sea salt evenly over the chocolate and let rest until the chocolate is set. Cut into squares and serve.

]]> https://www.ovenloveblog.com/salted-peppermint-rice-krispie-treats/feed/ 2 Fruit and Nut Granola https://www.ovenloveblog.com/fruit-and-nut-granola-2/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/fruit-and-nut-granola-2/#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:56:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/fruit-and-nut-granola-2/
This post is long overdue.
I am a granola person.  It’s just how I roll.  Not only that, but I’m a picky granola person.  I like my granola just so.  And maybe that’s why I’ve waited so long to make it for myself.  I wouldn’t want to force down a batch of bad granola.. yuck.
This granola is my jam!
 I’ll eat granola in just about any way- alone, with milk, with yogurt, in a banana wrap (we’ve discussed these, no?), in a cupcake (comment if you want me to post that recipe!), whatevs.  I love it.  My baby is super jealous of my granola-eating because it’s one of the things he just can’t have yet- it’s full of deliciously nutty nuts, chewy (chokeable) fruit and crunchy oats.  Certainly not baby-friendly, but definitely mommy-friendly.
I like this particular recipe for its heathfulness.  It uses applesauce and honey for sweetness and is just swimming with flax seeds, nuts and fruit.  I can’t wait to make another batch and try out other flavor combinations.  I’m thinking chocolate coconut.. or something with macadamia nut.. yum.
If you make your own granola, does that officially make you ‘Granola?’
I think it probably does.
I’m unofficially crunchy, officially granola.
Officially.

 

Fruit and Nut Granola
 

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adapted Chocolate and Carrots (http://chocolateandcarrots.com/2011/01/homemade-granola) and Gourmande in the Kitchen (http://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/?p=953)
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • 2½ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2½ cups quick cooking oats
  • 1½ cups puffed rice cereal (wheat works, too)
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup natural unsweetened apple sauce (I made my own here by simmering a peeled, chopped apple in an inch of water until soft, draining the apples and then pureeing until smooth)
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup light brown sugar or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups chopped raw mixed nuts (by “mixed,” I just mean a variety. I used a mix of cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts)
  • ½ cup flaxseeds (this is a lot of flaxseeds! if you’re not used to them, reduce by half or more)
  • 2 cups dried fruit (I used a mix of black raisins, golden raisins and dried cranberries)

Instructions
  1. Place two oven racks on the top and bottom ⅓ of the oven.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300°.
  3. Set aside two baking sheets with sides lined with a silpat liner, parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  4. In a large bowl, combine both oats, puffed wheat, cinnamon and salt.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the apple sauce, honey, brown sugar or maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
  6. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
  7. Pour the granola on the baking sheets, splitting evenly between the two baking sheets.
  8. With your hand, squeeze or pinch the oats together into small/medium clumps leaving space on the baking sheet between the clumps.
  9. Place the baking sheets in the oven for 20 minutes (one on the top, one on the bottom).
  10. While that is in the oven, chop your nuts and combine them in a bowl and set aside.
  11. With a large spatula flip over the granola and add the nuts to the baking sheet.
  12. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until completely dry and golden brown. (The dry part is important! You don’t want soggy granola- it won’t store well or last long.)
  13. Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheets.
  14. Once cool, add in the dried fruit.
  15. Store in airtight containers (I recommend glass, like large mason jars) and enjoy.

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