Kellogg’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats

When Kellogg’s reacted to spectacular sales of its Rice Krispies

Treats with two new varieties of the popular and addictive snack,

TSR got on the case. It seems we’ve all tasted the original Rice

Krispies Treats. The homemade version is the next homework

assignment in Cooking 101, after learning how to boil water.

And the Kellogg’s store-bought packaged version has been available

to the lazier of us for several years now. This variety, however,

puts that whole Reese’s “You got your peanut butter in my chocolate”

thing to work. The crunchy bar has just a touch of nutty essence

that builds nicely on the other familiar flavors. But don’t be

fooled by that dark “chocolatey” coating on top. It’s not actually

chocolate, but rather a melt-resistant custom blend of cocoa and

uh, stuff, that tastes a lot like chocolate; and that happens to

work better for the product from a manufacturing, shipping, and

shelf-life aspect. But here in kitchen cloning land, we don’t have

to worry about those things. So get ready to walk on the wild side,

people, as we step up to the microwave and melt some real chocolate

chips for topping our cinch of a crunchy clone.

1 tablespoon margarine

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips

non-stick cooking spray

1. Combine margarine, peanut butter, and salt in a large saucepan

over low heat.

2. When peanut butter and margarine have melted, add marshmallows

and vanilla and stir until marshmallows have melted. Remove from

heat.

3. Add Rice Krispies and stir until cereal is well coated with the

melted marshmallow mixture.

4. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a light coating of non-stick

cooking spray. Pour the Rice Krispies mixture into the dish and,

using wax paper or lightly greased hands, press down until it’s

flat in the dish. Cool.

5. Prepare the topping by pouring the chocolate chips into a glass

dish. Microwave for 2 minutes on 50 percent power. Stir gently.

Microwave for an additional minute on 50 percent power. Stir gently

once more until smooth. If the mixture hasn’t completely melted,

zap it again for another 30 seconds.

6. Use a spatula to spread a thin layer of chocolate over the top

of the Rice Krispies mixture. Cool at room temperature

(at least 72 degrees), or chill until firm. Slice into 16 bars.

Makes 16 bars.

Kellogg’s Cocoa Rice Krispies Treats

It’s the Rice Krispies Treat for all you chocolate lovers.

By simply replacing regular Rice Krispies with Kellogg’s

Cocoa Krispies, then adding a bit of cocoa to the recipe,

we can clone the exact flavor of the product you otherwise

have to buy in boxes in the grocery store. This recipe makes

16 of the crunchy brown bars, or the equivalent of two boxes

of the real thing.

3 tablespoons margarine

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 teaspoons cocoa

6 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal

non-stick cooking spray

1. Combine margarine and salt in a large saucepan over low heat.

2. When margarine has melted, add marshmallows and vanilla and stir

until marshmallows have melted. Add cocoa and stir well. Remove

from heat.

3. Add Cocoa Krispies and stir until the cereal is well coated with

the melted marshmallow mixture.

4. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a light coating of non-stick

cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the dish and, using wax paper

or lightly greased hands, press down until it’s flat in the dish.

Cool. Slice into 16 bars.

Makes 16 bars.

KC Masterpiece’ s Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

Serves 12

Ingredients

15 chocolate sandwich cookies

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

vegetable cooking spray

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 quarts chocolate ice cream

(7) 1.8 ounce packages milk chocolate covered peanut butter cups

(1) 8 ounce jar milk chocolate fudge topping

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor or blender,

blend chocolate sandwich cookies and peanuts until finely chopped.

Spray 9-inch pie plate with vegetable cooking spray. Reserve 1

tablespoon cookie mixture for garnish. In pie plate, mix butter

or margarine and remaining cookie mixture by hand. Press mixture

onto bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake 8 minutes. Cool crust

completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, place chocolate ice cream in refrigerator about 40

minutes to soften slightly. Coarsely chop milk chocolate covered

peanut butter cups. In a large bowl mix softened ice cream with

chopped peanut butter cups. Spoon ice cream mixture into cooled

cookie crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture on top. Freeze until

firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.To serve, let pie stand at

room temperature 15 minutes for easier slicing. Meanwhile, in a

1-quart saucepan over low heat, heat milk chocolate fudge topping

until hot; stir in coffee and liqueur until blended. Cut pie

into wedges and serve with warm fudge sauce.

Even though it’s now owned and produced by the Clorox Company,

the taste of Original K. C. Masterpiece barbecue sauce is the

same as when it was first created in good ole’ Kansas City,

USA. This is the sauce that steals awards from all the other

popular slathers on the market. It’s now even is sold in a

variety of flavors. But this is the clone for the original,

and you’ll find it very easy to make. Just throw all of the

ingredients in a saucepan, crank it up to a boil, then simmer

for about an hour. Done deal. And just like the original

Masterpiece, this stuff will make a work of art out of any

of your grilled meats, or burgers and sandwiches; and as a

dipping sauce or marinade.

2 cups water

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup vinegar

3 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat

and whisk until smooth.

2. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45

to 60 minutes or until mixture is thick.

3. Cool, then store in a covered container in the refrigerator

overnight so that flavors can develop.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Tidbits

Liquid smoke is a flavoring found near the barbecue sauces and

marinades. Use hickory-flavored liquid smoke if you have a choice.

Jacquin’s Peppermint Schnapps Liqueur

Here’s a liqueur that’s simple to make at home. All you need

is an inexpensive vodka and an empty bottle to store the

Schnapps in. This is another recipe that was created for More

Top Secret Recipes, but just didn’t make it into the final

version. Try storing it in the freezer for a cold shot on a

hot summer day. Whoof!

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 16-oz. bottle light corn syrup

2 cups 80-proof vodka

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart pan over medium

heat. Heat until sugar dissolves, stirring regularly

(about 5 minutes).

2. When sugar has dissolved, add vodka and stir well. Remove

mixture from heat and cover tighly with lid. Let cool.

3. Add peppermint extract to mixture and pour into a sealable

bottle.

Makes 4 cups.

If you live in one of the 15 Western states served by Jack in

the Box, you have no doubt cracked a gut from the hilarious

TV ads produced by this popular hamburger chain. In the spots

a suit-wearing “Jack” runs the company, even though he’s got

a bulbous antenna ball for a head with a giant smiley-face

painted on it. He has a private jet, plays golf, even has kids

with mini antenna-ball heads.

Jack also has a featured shake flavor that, it turns out,

is very easy to make at home with a blender, ice cream, milk

and a handful of Oreo cookies. Sure the drive-thru is convenient

and easy. But if you don’t feel like getting out, now you can

enjoy this clone at home from the first fast food chain in the

country to use a drive-thru window way beck when.

3 cups vanilla ice cream

1 1/2 cups milk

8 Oreo cookies

1. Combine the ice cream and milk in a blender and mix on low

speed until smooth. Stir the shake with a spoon to mix, if

necessary.

2. Break Oreo cookies while adding them to the blender. Mix on

low speed for 5 to 10 seconds or until cookies are mostly pureed

into the shake, but a few larger pieces remain. Stir with a spoon

if necessary to help combine cookies.

3. Pour shake into two 12-ounce glasses.

Serves 2.

Here’s a cool recipe that clones a favorite from the 30-store

Islands chain of restaurants. This California/Arizona chain

is known for it’s hand-made burger buns, specialty sandwiches

and taco platters with names like Shorebird, Pelican, Sandpiper,

Baja, Northshore and Island Fish. Some people, though, go to the

Islands just for a scrumptious salad that’s dressed with this top

secret formula. Here’s the Top Secret Recipes version of the

delicious Asian dressing that’s poured over the China Coast Salad

— it’s a huge bowl filled with sliced chicken breast, lettuce,

red cabbage, julienned carrots, fried noodles, sesame seeds,

mandarin orange wedges and chives. But’s it’s the dressing that

pulls it all together. In fact, many diners think the dressing’s

so good they ask for extra and discreetly smuggle it home. Well,

no more smuggling required. Now, with this simple formula, you

can make your own clone at home and use it on any salad combination.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

5 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with an electric

mixer until well-blended and sugar is dissolved. Chill.

During the holiday season this particular pancake flavor sells

like…well, you know. It’s one of 16 varieties of pancakes

served at this national casual diner chain. You can make your

own version of these delicious flapjacks with a little canned

pumpkin, some spices and traditional buttermilk pancake ingredients.

Get out the mixer, fire up the stove, track down the syrup.

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with oil cooking

spray.

2. Combine eggs, buttermilk, butter, pumpkin, sugar, and salt in

a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend ingredients.

3. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Add dry

ingredients to wet ingredients and blend with mixer until smooth.

4. Pour the batter in 1/4 cup portions into the hot pan. Should

form 5-inch circles.

4. When the batter stops bubbling and edges begin to harden,

flip the pancakes. They should be dark brown. This will take

from 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Flip the pancakes and cook other side for the same amount

of time, until dark brown.

Serves 3 to 4

This is a recipe for making what I believe is the best

hamburger in the world. The secret to duplicating this

and other fast-food burgers is getting the beef patties

real thin…about 1/4 inch-thick. If you like, you can

press the beef thin onto wax paper and freeze the patties

ahead of time. This makes them easier to work with on the

hot pan.

1 plain hamburger bun

1/3 pound ground beef

Dash salt

1 tablespoon Kraft Thousand Island dressing

1 large tomato slice (or 2 small slices)

1 large lettuce leaf

4 slices American cheese (Singles)

-or- 2 slices real American cheese

1 whole onion slice (sliced thin)

1. Preheat a frying pan over medium heat.

2. Lightly toast the both halves of the hamburger bun,

face down in the pan. Set aside.

3. Separate the beef into two even portions, and form each

half into a thin patty slightly larger than the bun.

4. Lightly salt each patty and cook for 2-3 minutes on the

first side.

5. Flip the patties over and immediately place two slices of

cheese on each one. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Assemble the burger in the following stacking order from

the bottom up:

bottom bun

dressing

tomato

lettuce

beef patty with cheese

onion slice

beef patty with cheese

top bun.

Makes one hamburger.

This nationwide chain, which is known for it’s big bargain

breakfasts, serves an impressive number of non-breakfast

items as well. In 1997, I.H.O.P. dished out over 6 million

pounds of french fries and over half a million gallons of

soft drinks. But it’s the Country Griddle Cakes on the breakfast

menu that inspired this Top Secret Recipe. The unique flavor

and texture of this clone comes from the Cream of Wheat in the

batter. Now you can have your pancakes, and eat your cereal too.

nonstick spray

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/3 cup instant Cream of Wheat (dry)

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Apply nonstick spray.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer set on

high speed. Mix until smooth.

3. Pour the batter by 1/3-cup portions into the hot pan and cook

pancakes for 1-2 minutes per side or until brown. Repeat with

remaining batter.

Makes 8-10 pancakes.