Southern Made Simple

BY LAURA TUCKER

October is such a glorious time of year. The summer heat is finally beginning to settle down and events like Fall festivals, county fairs, school bake sales, Halloween festivities and tailgate parties begin to pop up on our daily schedules. I’ve found that having an arsenal of quick and easy treats to prepare for these types of events is particularly helpful when the Fall season gets busy, and one of my absolute favorite treats to make during this time of year is these Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats. Peanut butter and chocolate go together better than just about anything in this world and adding in the light crispy and crunchy flakes from rice cereal creates this irresistible dessert that’s good right down to the bone.

These aren’t your typical back-of-the-box Rice Krispie treats, but don’t let that frighten you away from making them! You can certainly make these with original rice cereal, but I reached for the Cocoa Krispies to make these chocolaty treats instead. The kicker in this recipe is the chocolate almond bark that’s melted right in. It creates a delectable melt-in-your-mouth effect that is shockingly spectacular. Add in a smidge of peanut butter, some marshmallows and a heap of Reese’s Pieces and you’ve got a killer concoction that’ll be a hit with anyone who sneaks a bite!

Ingredients 4 1/2 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal 1 pound chocolate almond bark (most packages of almond bark are 2 pounds, so just break 1 package in half) 1 cup peanut butter 2 cups miniature marshmallows 1 cup Reese's Pieces candy

To get started making these treats, you’ll want to use a double boiler, which I like to affectionately refer to as my “cauldron” during this time of year. Melt down 1/2 of a package of chocolate almond bark. Add in the cup of peanut butter and stir until it’s perfectly creamy and smooth. Add in cereal, marshmallows and candy in a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal and stir until everything is well coated.

Pour into a well-greased brownie pan or 8×8 casserole dish. Pro tip: Spray your hand or the back of a spoon with nonstick cooking spray so you can press the mixture down evenly into the pan without making a mess.

Also, if you’re looking for a foolproof way to get perfect and evenly cut bars, I highly recommend using a brownie pan with dividers to get clean, crisp cuts on your treats every time.

Here’s another rundown of how to make them:

Instructions 1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate almond bark and stir continuously until smooth 2. Add in peanut butter and stir until well combined 3. In a large bowl, combine cereal, marshmallows and Reese's Pieces 4. Pour melted chocolate and peanut butter over cereal mixture and stir until well combined 5. Spray a brownie pan or 8X8 baking dish thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray 6. Pour mixture into pan and press into all corners using your hand or a well-greased spoon to make sure mixture spreads as evenly as possible 7. While mixture is still wet, add a few more candy pieces and cereal for garnish if desired 8. Allow to sit on counter until mixture firms up enough to cut - at least 2 hours 9. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Once the treats have dried and set, just slice and serve! These Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats go great with a tall glass of milk, and they’re perfect to serve for Halloween or Fall celebrations!