When my copy of Baked Elements arrived in the mail, I immediately started flipping through it. My husband Tom walked by when I happened to have the book open to the very first recipe, "Good Morning Sunshine Bars." He pointed to the picture and said, "I want those." I promised to make him a batch.
Even though making the bars is "embarrassingly simple," Matt and Renato declare this to be one of their "All-Time Favorite Recipes." I would describe the bar as similar to a Rice Krispies treat, except that it has Chex instead of Rice Krispies, and peanut butter instead of marshmallow. Oh, and it has salted peanuts and milk chocolate too.
Like Rice Krispies treats, the Good Morning Sunshine Bars also require no baking. You heat dark brown sugar and corn syrup until they boil, add smooth peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, and pour the mixture over plain, crunchy cereal (Matt and Renato recommend Rice Chex; I used Corn Chex) and peanuts. You coat the cereal and press the mixture into a parchment-lined pan. After the bars have cooled, you drizzle on melted milk chocolate. That's the whole recipe.
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Because the pieces of Chex are fairly large, it's a bit tricky pressing the mixture into an even layer without crushing the cereal. These bars are very peanutty/peanut buttery and definitely have the sweet-salty contrast that many people find irresistible. They are dense and chewy. Matt and Renato describe them as "a bar that is absurdly transcendental -- salty, sweet, crunchy, and addictive." While Tom and other tasters definitely enjoyed them, I didn't love the bars. In fact, when it comes to cereal bars, I far prefer the "Peanut Butter Crispy Bars" from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.
I think the reason I prefer the peanut butter crispy bars (and probably a classic Rice Krispies treat as well, for that matter) is that Rice Krispies retain their superlight and airy texture even when coated in chewy marshmallow. To me, the chewy-crispy texture contrast is the best part of a Rice Krispies treat. But here, I felt that the light crunchy texture of Chex was diminished in these bars, and they were a bit dense and heavy overall. I'd like to give them a try with Rice Krispies to see what happens.
Recipe: "Good Morning Sunshine Bars" from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
Previous Post: "A First Foray into 'Baked': No Baking Required," January 6, 2009.
Even though making the bars is "embarrassingly simple," Matt and Renato declare this to be one of their "All-Time Favorite Recipes." I would describe the bar as similar to a Rice Krispies treat, except that it has Chex instead of Rice Krispies, and peanut butter instead of marshmallow. Oh, and it has salted peanuts and milk chocolate too.
Like Rice Krispies treats, the Good Morning Sunshine Bars also require no baking. You heat dark brown sugar and corn syrup until they boil, add smooth peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, and pour the mixture over plain, crunchy cereal (Matt and Renato recommend Rice Chex; I used Corn Chex) and peanuts. You coat the cereal and press the mixture into a parchment-lined pan. After the bars have cooled, you drizzle on melted milk chocolate. That's the whole recipe.
.JPG)
I think the reason I prefer the peanut butter crispy bars (and probably a classic Rice Krispies treat as well, for that matter) is that Rice Krispies retain their superlight and airy texture even when coated in chewy marshmallow. To me, the chewy-crispy texture contrast is the best part of a Rice Krispies treat. But here, I felt that the light crunchy texture of Chex was diminished in these bars, and they were a bit dense and heavy overall. I'd like to give them a try with Rice Krispies to see what happens.
Previous Post: "A First Foray into 'Baked': No Baking Required," January 6, 2009.
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