[Sca-cooks] OOP: Rice Syrup: Crispy Rice Treats

[Lilinah]

Some time ago someone - Eibhlin, IIRC - asked about uses for rice syrup.

The idea of eating marshmallow "creme" makes me gag mentally, so i 
was looking for alternatives and found this recipe on the 'net. It 
ended up being too sweet for me, but it was pretty good, if you like 
this sort of thing, and definitely better than what it is imitating, 
unless you actually like marshmallow "creme" :-P

Crispy Rice Nut Treats

1/2 cup rice syrup
3/4 cup natural peanut butter (i used chunky) or other nut butter
3/4 cup cashews or your favorite nut, toasted and chopped
2 cups brown crisp rice cereal

Bring rice syrup to boil in medium saucepan.
Lower heat and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Stir in peanut butter and turn heat to low.
Mix thoroughly, about 3 minutes.
Combine cashews or other nuts with crisp rice cereal in mixing bowl.
Add peanut butter-rice syrup mixture to rice crisp cereal mixture and combine.
Press into oiled baking dish and let cool.
Cut into bars and serve.

I also stirred in some natural "M&M" clones - colored with natural 
vegetable colors, they were much more chocolatey than M&Ms, but the 
thin sugar shell was a little thicker. I happen to prefer the nice 
beet pink and carrot orange (and other colors) of these things.

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I also found several other recipes i haven't yet tried...

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Here's one with less peanut butter, more crispy rice...

Rice Cereal Bars

1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
4 cups crispy rice cereal
-- the recipe author mentions:
---- Barbara's Brown Rice Crisps,
---- New Morning Crispy Brown Rice Cereal,
---- Erehwon Crispy Brown Rice

1. Combine peanut butter and brown rice syrup.
If the mixture seems too stiff to stir, heat it gently in a double boiler.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter/brown rice syrup with cereal
(you may find it easier to oil your hands lightly and mix with your hands).
Transfer mixture to a lightly oiled 8" square cake pan, and with the 
back of a spatula,
press mixture very firmly into the pan.

3. Chill for at least an hour, then cut into 12 bars.
Will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

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Here's one that really interests me...

Crispy Rice Squares Recipe

1/4 cup Almond Butter
1/4 cup Tahini
1/2 cup Rice Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Salt (optional)
2 cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
1/3 cup Almonds, roasted and chopped (optional)
1/3 cup Carob or Chocolate Chips (optional)
1/3 cup Coconut (optional)

1. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine almond butter, tahini 
and rice syrup until soft.
2. Turn off heat. Add vanilla and salt.
3. Fold in cereal and optional ingredients. Mix well.
4. Press into a lightly oiled 8" x 8" pan.
5. Chill in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
Makes 18 bars.

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And finally, i also found a fairly standard "Rice Crispie Treats" 
recipe that adds
1 cup raisins
and
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
to
6 cups rice cereal
along with all the other usual stuff.

-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita