Neapolitan Rice Krispie Treats
I have always loved Rice Krispie treats. As a child they were one of my favorite snacks. Through the years I have made and sampled many variations of the traditional recipe. I have used different cereals or added peanut butter or frosting . . . and they were all good. But I finally discovered my most favorite version of the treat this summer on the campus of Black Hills State University. When I got home, I sought out and modified a version of the recipe for Neapolitan Rice Krispie Treats. My family loves them and so do I, of course.
Layer 1:
I have always loved Rice Krispie treats. As a child they were one of my favorite snacks. Through the years I have made and sampled many variations of the traditional recipe. I have used different cereals or added peanut butter or frosting . . . and they were all good. But I finally discovered my most favorite version of the treat this summer on the campus of Black Hills State University. When I got home, I sought out and modified a version of the recipe for Neapolitan Rice Krispie Treats. My family loves them and so do I, of course.
Layer 1:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups mini marshmallows
3 ½ teaspoons strawberry Quik
4 - 6 drops red food coloring
½ cup strawberry preserves
4 ½ cups Rice Krispies
Layer 2:
Layer 2:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups mini marshmallows
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups Cocoa Krispies
Layer 3:
4 1/2 cups Cocoa Krispies
Layer 3:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 ½ cups Rice Krispies
Butter the sides and bottom of a 9” x 13” pan.
Melt butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl (45 seconds on high). Stir Strawberry Quik and food coloring into melted butter. Use enough red coloring to get a dark pink hue. Add the strawberry preserves and stir. Add the marshmallows and stir to coat. Microwave mixture for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until the marshmallows are melted and smooth. Add cereal and stir to coat. Empty into the pan and press down well, using buttered fingers to prevent sticking.
Rinse out bowl and repeat melting procedure with Layer 2. Add chocolate chips to melted marshmallows before stirring in the Cocal Krispies. Empty onto strawberry layer and press down as neatly as possible, using buttered fingers.
Repeat the melting procedure with Layer 3. Add Rice Krispies, stir to coat, then layer on top of the chocolate layer. Press flat. Let sit for at least 1 hour. Cut into 12 or more squares.
The Science of Marshmallows
Most American children know all about marshmallows. The fluffy, chewy, sweet treats are often used to make Rice Krispie treats and other desserts. They are roasted over campfires and used to make s'mores. Marshmallow cream is a spreadable marshmallow product that can be used to make fudge, top an ice cream dessert, or add a sweet layer to brownies. Marshmallow Peeps appear in the stores around Easter. Their soft structure, crunchy sugar coating, and adorable shapes have become a beloved Easter tradition for many people. In many homes around the country, marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes are a staple at the Thanksgiving table.
The original marshmallows were named after the root of the marshmallow plant that were included in the recipe to make them. The roots and leaves of the marshmallow plant contain mucilage, a slimy-textured demulcent used for soothing inflamed or injured skin. It has also been used as a homeopathic cough suppressant and as an herbal treatment for minor digestive issues, but it is no longer used to make marshmallows, its namesake confection.
Marshmallows are mostly sugar and water wrapped around a bunch of air bubbles. When you cook marshmallows in your microwave oven, several things happen at once. The microwave makes the water molecules vibrate very quickly—which makes the water heat up. The hot water warms the sugar, which softens a little. The hot water also warms the air bubbles. When you warm air in a closed container, the gas molecules move around faster and push harder against the walls of the container. As the air in the bubbles warms up, the air molecules bounce around faster and faster and push harder against the bubble walls. Since the sugar walls are warm and soft, the bubbles expand, and the marshmallow puffs up. If it puffs up too much, some air bubbles burst, and the marshmallow deflates like a popped balloon. When you take the marshmallow out of the microwave and it cools off, the bubbles shrink and the sugar hardens again. When the microwave marshmallow cools, it’s dry and crunchy. That’s because some of the water in the marshmallow evaporates when the marshmallow is hot. If you cook your marshmallow for too long, it turns brown or black inside. That happens when the sugar gets so hot that it starts to burn.
Marshmallows make excellent tools for studying science. They can be used to determine the speed of light, to show the effects of pressure changes in a vacuum, and many other things.
Butter the sides and bottom of a 9” x 13” pan.
Melt butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl (45 seconds on high). Stir Strawberry Quik and food coloring into melted butter. Use enough red coloring to get a dark pink hue. Add the strawberry preserves and stir. Add the marshmallows and stir to coat. Microwave mixture for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until the marshmallows are melted and smooth. Add cereal and stir to coat. Empty into the pan and press down well, using buttered fingers to prevent sticking.
Rinse out bowl and repeat melting procedure with Layer 2. Add chocolate chips to melted marshmallows before stirring in the Cocal Krispies. Empty onto strawberry layer and press down as neatly as possible, using buttered fingers.
Repeat the melting procedure with Layer 3. Add Rice Krispies, stir to coat, then layer on top of the chocolate layer. Press flat. Let sit for at least 1 hour. Cut into 12 or more squares.
The Science of Marshmallows
Most American children know all about marshmallows. The fluffy, chewy, sweet treats are often used to make Rice Krispie treats and other desserts. They are roasted over campfires and used to make s'mores. Marshmallow cream is a spreadable marshmallow product that can be used to make fudge, top an ice cream dessert, or add a sweet layer to brownies. Marshmallow Peeps appear in the stores around Easter. Their soft structure, crunchy sugar coating, and adorable shapes have become a beloved Easter tradition for many people. In many homes around the country, marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes are a staple at the Thanksgiving table.
The original marshmallows were named after the root of the marshmallow plant that were included in the recipe to make them. The roots and leaves of the marshmallow plant contain mucilage, a slimy-textured demulcent used for soothing inflamed or injured skin. It has also been used as a homeopathic cough suppressant and as an herbal treatment for minor digestive issues, but it is no longer used to make marshmallows, its namesake confection.
Marshmallows are mostly sugar and water wrapped around a bunch of air bubbles. When you cook marshmallows in your microwave oven, several things happen at once. The microwave makes the water molecules vibrate very quickly—which makes the water heat up. The hot water warms the sugar, which softens a little. The hot water also warms the air bubbles. When you warm air in a closed container, the gas molecules move around faster and push harder against the walls of the container. As the air in the bubbles warms up, the air molecules bounce around faster and faster and push harder against the bubble walls. Since the sugar walls are warm and soft, the bubbles expand, and the marshmallow puffs up. If it puffs up too much, some air bubbles burst, and the marshmallow deflates like a popped balloon. When you take the marshmallow out of the microwave and it cools off, the bubbles shrink and the sugar hardens again. When the microwave marshmallow cools, it’s dry and crunchy. That’s because some of the water in the marshmallow evaporates when the marshmallow is hot. If you cook your marshmallow for too long, it turns brown or black inside. That happens when the sugar gets so hot that it starts to burn.
Marshmallows make excellent tools for studying science. They can be used to determine the speed of light, to show the effects of pressure changes in a vacuum, and many other things.
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