Memories, recipes, and Tales of an Appalachian Boy.
It’s been a few years since I’ve made candy for Christmas. Mick’s mom gave me her recipe for fudge and I did make that last year. So, that was definitely on the list of candy to make. I made a batch of Moonmallows the other day that just did not come out right. They fell flat, but still had a great taste, just not a good texture. I decided that I would find a use for them. I turned flat into crispy with the addition of a little butter, a little heat, and some Rice Crispy cereal. Now I have Over the Moon Crispy Treats!
Then as I was cleaning up in the kitchen and reorganizing my cookbooks, I came across an old recipe for Peanut Butter Balls, using Rice Crispy cereal as well. Now seemed as good a time as any for making them again. But like most recipes, I will make them exactly as it is written the first time and then the next time I start playing with it and turn it into something of my own.
I modified the recipe some more from what I had done years ago and made them into bars. Here you go!
by The Appalachian Tale
Level of difficulty: easy Total time to make: 10 min prep. 1 hr chill
Ingredients:
Directions:
Prepare an 8×8 pan by spraying it lightly with non-stick spray and then heavily dusting it with powdered sugar. In a 3 quart or larger saucepan, melt the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Remove from heat and add in the powdered sugar and stir. The batter will become thick quickly. Add in the cereal and mix completely. Turn mixture out into the prepared 8×8 pan and with a buttered spatula (or buttered hand) spread the candy to all edges and corners of the pan evenly.
In a 1 cup or larger microwaveable measuring cup, heat the chocolate chips and coconut oil on high for 45 seconds. Stir several times and return to the microwave for 30 seconds more. Remove and stir again. Stir it for a minute or so and if there are still any chunks of chocolate left, return to the microwave for 15 seconds more. Be careful not to overcook the chocolate. You will know if you do because it will set hard in an instant and you will need to start over again. Pour the chocolate over the candy and smooth out to the edges and corners. Let the candy chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour to set. Remove and cut into cubes. Yields approximately 36 1 inch squares. Store in an airtight container.
I posted about Hot Cocoa Blocks the other day. I found the recipe in a post by King Arthur Flour. I made a batch and gave them as gifts with some of my homemade marshmallows (just the regular kind, not the moonmallows. I saved a couple of those for me, which I am having as I write this post!)
They are easy to make and enjoy. If you have ever made a pan of fudge, then you can make these. When I use one, I just put a cup of milk in the microwave for 2 minutes, which gets it nice and steamy and then I stir the block in. I found the sticks I needed at the dollar store and they were actually double the width of a regular popsicle stick, which makes it nice for stirring. Here is the recipe from King Arthur!
Memories, recipes, and Tales of an Appalachian Boy.