White chocolate cherry crispy rice treats: a recipe

White chocolate and cherry crispy rice treats

Ah, rice crispy treats -- who doesn't love them?

Seriously, I mean who? Can you even imagine anyone saying, "You know, I really can't stand those rice crispy treats. They're just so nasty."

See? You can't. No one would say that.

Rice crispy treats are wonderful in their simplicity, particularly the no-bake aspect. Melting, yes, but, baking? No.

In fact, I'm not even going to insult your intelligence by including my usual how-to photos as part of this recipe. Really, do you need me to show you how to melt butter? I didn't think so.

What's great about this recipe from Cook's Country is that it is all about grown-up rice crispy treats, with a more sophisticated flavor than your childhood favorite. The addition of white chocolate and dried cherries give them that not-to-be-wasted-on-fussy-children, enjoy-with-a-cup-of-coffee-not-milk lagniappe.

Additionally, these treats are made in a slightly smaller pan than you might be used to, yielding a thicker individual treat.

Yum, more for you in each bite.

And swapping out the type of chocolate and add-in opens up so many other flavor combinations, too. What about dark chocolate and candied orange peel? Or peanut butter chips and crushed peanuts?

Oh lordy, I think I just need to stop talking about them now.

White Chocolate and Cherry Crispy Rice Treats (slightly adapted from Cook's Country)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 bag full-sized marshmallows (usually 10 ounces)
2-3 ounces white chocolate, broken into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups Rice Crispies cereal (I strongly urge you to avoid the store brands -- they usually include HFCS while the Kellogg's version does not)
1 cup chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet but dark would be good, too)

Directions:
Spray an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.

Melt butter in a deep pot over low heat. Add the white chocolate, marshmallows and salt and stir until the mixture is all melty and smooth. Stir in the vanilla and remove from heat.

Add the cereal and cherries and stir until well combined. Place mixture into prepared pan, firmly pressing the mixture into the corners and the bottom. Cool for at least 1 hour.

In a small bowl, melt the chips in the microwave and pour into a small zipper-closure bag. Cut a tiny bit off the tip of one corner to make a faux pastry bag. Drizzle the chocolate in a snazzy decorative pattern all over the cooled pan of treats. Cut into 16 bars.