Classic children’s treat is a snap to make

Sometimes we get so caught up being “foodies,” trying the newest super-food or the latest exotic ingredient, that we forget how happy we are with the simple classics.

But with a new school year starting and a happy kindergartener in my house, I’ve been thinking about children and simple food a lot.

And nothing defines a simple classic like Rice Krispies Treats.

Funny thing is, you don’t need to be a Hello Kitty lunchbox-toting 5-year-old to love that buttery, sticky treat.

According to Kris Charles, Kellogg Company spokesperson, the woman who would forever change the snacking landscape for children was Mildred Day, a Kellogg’s employee from Iowa who, in 1939, created Rice Krispies Treats as a fundraiser for a local Camp Fire Girls troop.

Rice Krispies cereal was introduced in 1928.

The recipe was introduced on packages of cereal in 1940. Today, Rice Krispies Treats remains the company’s most popular — and most frequently requested — recipe.

Day died in June 1996 at age 92.

Her concoction of melted butter, marshmallows and Rice Krispies is good and easy. But there are lots of variations, including one of my favorites, using Cocoa Krispies and chocolate marshmallows.

Drizzle melted white and milk chocolate on top and let the kids add their own touches with sprinkles and other decorations. Insert wooden sticks to avoid sticky fingers.

There are s’mores treats, chocolate Scotcheroos using butterscotch and semisweet morsels, and the list goes on.

So grab your little ones this week and make a batch. The recipe is easy enough that they can help.

Just don’t be surprised if they’re not the first ones in line for a taste.

The Original Rice Krispies Treat

Makes 12 servings

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 10-oz. package (or about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well-coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper, evenly press mixture into 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

Variation: For a chocolately treat, use Cocoa Krispies instead of the original Rice Krispies, and use chocolate-flavored marshmallows instead of traditional marshmallows.

Chocolate Scotcheroos

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter (I used almond butter instead)

6 cups Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies cereal

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1 cup butterscotch chips

1. Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well-coated. Press mixture into 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

3. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2-by-1-inch bars when cool.

S’mores Rice Krispies

Makes 9 servings

3 cups Rice Krispies

1 1⁄3 cups broken-up graham cracker pieces

3⁄4 cup chocolate chips

6 cups miniature marshmallows, divided

3 Tbsp. butter

1. Mix Rice Krispies, graham cracker pieces, chocolate chips and ¾ cup of marshmallows in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. When it starts to brown, add the remaining 5¼ cups marshmallows and turn heat to low, gently stirring until the marshmallows are melted.

3. Moving briskly, scrape the melted marshmallows into the cereal mixture and stir quickly to combine. Dump the whole mixture into a 9-by-9-inch pan and spread evenly into the corners. Let sit until set, then turn out and cut into nine squares.

Chocolate Yummies

7 graham crackers (rectangular cracker sheets)

2 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

12 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels

2⁄3 cup light corn syrup

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1⁄2 cup crunchy peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1. Coat 9-by-13-by-2-inch microwave-safe dish with cooking spray. Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in dish, breaking crackers as needed to fit. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over crackers.

2. Microwave on high 1 minute or until marshmallows are puffy. Remove from microwave. Cool completely.

3. In a 2-quart microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine chocolate morsels, corn syrup and butter. Microwave on high about 1½ minutes or until chocolate is melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter. Add Rice Krispies cereal, mixing until combined.

4. Spread evenly over marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Cut and store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

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