Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Rainbow Rice Krispies Treats

rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-15
Don't ask me what madness led to this. All I know is, I had a huge bag of marshmallows to use up (kindly donated by Frickin'LaserBeam Man) and an urge to do something with rainbows. Again. Since I've used up my s'mores quota for the moment I felt the need to make some Rice Krispies Treats! (Or Rice Bubble Bars/LCMs for the Aussies. I still don't know what LCMs stands for...) So why not make them all the colours of the rainbow?! And as I was stirring up a pot of bright purple melted marshmallow all I could think was, 'This is so disgusting.' What can I say, I'm in a crazy baking phase.
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-2
I'd seen other versions of rainbow rice krispies squares, but all the different colours were usually mixed together. I wanted to do something different, by creating super thin layers of each colour stuck on top of each other. And the best part, hiding it under a layer of regular old plain rice krispies so if you looked from the top (see above photo), you'd be none the wiser. Then you cut into it and...
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-4
Tada! So bright! So vivid. (Yes I still love the Double Rainbow meme) Isn't it preeeettyy??? It looks even cooler when you put those two pictures right next to each other, look:
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-5
And before I get any remarks about the evils of food colouring, use natural food colouring or don't make it at all. This was for fun! I was nervous to see if this idea was actually possible, it all sounded so fiddly and messy having to do each layer separately and spreading it out in a thin layer. But after a couple of layers I really got into the swing of things, the trick is to work really quickly while pressing it into the pan, using a piece of baking paper to help flatten out each layer. The most annoying part was having to wash out my saucepan after each layer. Use a non-stick pan if you can, the caked-on bits were a total pain to scrub off.
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-3
This doesn't really count as baking since it's just heating and mixing up ingredients in a saucepan but for something so simple it's a ridiculously satisfying snack. I know for sure that kids would love it because it really brought out the silly kid inside me. Plus the fact that I left the butter sitting on the heat too long for a few of the layers it ended up being browned butter rice krispies, which is pretty much the best mistake I've ever made. I mean, look at these ones on Smitten Kitchen, how amazing do they look??
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-7
There was some debate about if I should top these squares with a plain white layer of Rice Krispies or not. It might be unnecessary but in the end I think it was the right choice to have the white layer, to cheekily hide all the rainbow colours underneath (it made me think the most fantastic cake in existence, Whisk Kid's rainbow cake). Plus the having the red layer as the top layer looked a bit creepy.
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats
Rainbow Rice Krispies Treats
(Adapted from the Original Treats recipe, makes 25 squares)
1 x 400g pack of marshmallows (I used white & pink ones), about 7 cups
100g butter (approx 7 tbsp)
7 cups rice krispies/rice bubble cereal (approx 210g)
Food colouring (I used mostly liquid, though I did have some Wilton paste as well, use whatever you prefer)

Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Place about 1 tbsp (14 g) of butter and one cup of marshmallows (approx 60g) in a medium saucepan and place on low heat, stirring until completely melted. Add purple food colouring and 1 cup of rice krispies (approx 30g), take off the heat and stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or a piece of wax paper, evenly press mixture into the bottom of the lined tin, trying to make it as even and well-packed as possible. Repeat with the same amount for each other colour; blue, green, yellow, orange and red, pressing each layer tightly over the top of the previous one in the pan. Optional: top with another layer of with no colour added, making it 7 layers in total.
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-16
Set aside to cool and set. Lift out of the cake tin and cut into 25 square pieces using a long sharp knife. Best eaten on the same day but can be stored in an airtight container lined with baking paper in the fridge. Can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks.
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-6
So if you feel like a colourful, super easy treat, or you need something cute for a party - make these! It's worth the effort.
rainbow_rice_krispie_treats-8
Print Friendly and PDF Pin It

46 comments:

  1. WOAH!! What does it mean...? Love your cute cup!

    ReplyDelete
  2. These look so freaking cool. Would be awesome for kids parties! Remember chocolate crackles? You should totally do a grown up/pimped up version of them one day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. that is freaking brilliant! def love the white layer to hide the crazy awesome vivid colourful layers!

    ReplyDelete
  4. They look so beautiful, these would be a hit at work.

    I wish I knew what LCM stood for :( :( :( I was going to ask you, you don't know either. Wah :( :( :(

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a fantastic idea! I love the plain laye on top to hide the surprise rainbow.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So perfect for kids parties (big and small). Plain on top works really well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. adorable.
    i love ricey slicey treats.

    ReplyDelete
  8. SPRINKLES! No wait, er KRISPIES! I love rainbows. They make me happy xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. These look amazing! I love rice krispie treats in general, but this takes them to a whole new level!! MMM!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have no idea what LCMs stands for either and I live in Australia. I love rice krispies, these are the prettiest I have even seen. I love how the rainbow is hidden underneath the top layer.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks amazing!
    Rice Crispies were my favourite cereals since I was a child.
    Though I don't like that in almost every bar recipe there are marshmellows!
    But these are the most beautiful ones I've seen. I love how you coloured them.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, great work.
    I have already bookmarked your delightful recipe.
    Awesome ♥

    ReplyDelete
  13. You totally made the right choice by putting the plain layer on top. It makes all the colors so much more of a surprise!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would say good that you had the madness on cause this looks super cute and so very colorful. Perfect theme food I must say :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are beautiful! I'll have to try this!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Just like a rainbow only crunchy! This would be a huge hit at parties - for kids young and old!

    ReplyDelete
  17. LCMs = Luridly Coloured Marshmallows? Sorry, couldn't help myself... those look just fabulous - like fairy bread, but without the boring bits (and that's saying something). So fun and perky after a wet long weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  18. These are so fun and gorgeous= they definitely take the ever irresistible krispy treats up a notch!

    ReplyDelete
  19. So frickin cute! I especially love your process photos.

    ReplyDelete
  20. i love your pics/posts! i also love rainbows so double win :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm a big fan of Rice Krispies Treats, but making them rainbow-colored makes them so much more fun!! Great job!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Awesome party treat! Especially being able to make em and freeze em. If, you know, you have any freezer space available. I think the frozen bananas in mine are multiplying.

    ReplyDelete
  23. So stunning! Love these. I posted a link on ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. These are so much fun! Love them!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Loved this post, thank you for sharing! Where did you get that cute little "love" cup, it's adorable?!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Seemachine - Thanks! The cup was kindly shared with me by my friend Justine who I think bought it from a ceramics sale that was on at her uni, it's lovely isn't it? You can see the matching jug in my hot cross bun ice cream sandwich post.

    ReplyDelete
  27. It was this post that attracted me to your blog, it also got me into blogging.
    For that I must say thank you.
    also I'll me making these for a friends birthday very soon x.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks for your wonderful tutorial. I made these... I thought you might be interested in seeing. Thank you Thank you Thank you!
    http://aubreypettit.blogspot.com/2011/08/rice-krispies-treats.html

    ReplyDelete
  29. LCM is apparently does not stand for anything, someone called Kellog's helpline and they said it's just a marketing trademark :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. love your blog. Found you on pinterest. Can't wait to follow. Tracy Fisher (www.tfisherart.com)

    ReplyDelete
  31. just made these for Christmas with red and green food coloring. delicious! I needed a little more cereal and marshmallows though

    ReplyDelete
  32. Found this through Pinterest and just tried to make these for a St. Patty's Day get together. I followed the instructions exactly & they turned out horribly - rock hard! Also the color was not nearly as vivid as in your photos. Not sure what I did wrong! Too bad, because they look so adorable in your pics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So sorry to hear your rice krispie treats didn't work out :( If they were too hard then you may have overheated the marshmallows. Try reducing the heat or removing the pan from the heat before the marshmallows have completely melted. Also you could try adding more marshmallows/less rice krispies to make sure that the mixture stays soft. Also, make sure you remove them from the fridge and let the treats come back to room temp before eating them, they soften up a lot as they warm up. As for the colours, I used wilton gel colours which are very bright, if you use liquid colouring you will have to add quite a bit before it is bright enough. I hope that helps!

      Delete
  33. I had some trouble with this recipe too. I thought the marshmallow ratio was a bit high, so I used slightly less. BIG MISTAKE!! The slice didn't bind properly, even after a couple of hours in the fridge. I took the pan off the heat before adding the rice bubbles, still many of them "popped". I was concerned this would flatten the slice. I'm not sure that the overall height was compromised - but my fears for the aesthetics of the slice became a secondary concern as the crumbly bits I left on the bench tasted stale by the afternoon. I wondered if this was because they had popped. Maybe the addition of white chocolate to the mix would improve the end result?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry you had troubles with it. But I'm not sure why you decided the marshmallow ratio was high, and it's not surprising that it didn't bind well if you didn't use enough marshmallows. Feel free to use a rice krispies treat recipe that you are more comfortable with to do the same kind of layering effect, but this one has worked well for me and for many others and is the one posted on the official site of the company that sells the cereal. As for it tasting stale, well that's to be expected if you didn't put those pieces in the fridge in an airtight container, as stated in the recipe.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for your reply, Steph. I certainly learnt my lesson in relation to meddling with recipe quantities. I just wanted to try and stretch it a bit further when I saw all the moisture still in the pan. Unfortunately, I can botch almost any recipe, so please don't be offended :-)
      I was first introduced to your recipe through a mum who made it for our school cake stall. Everyone was impressed, and rightly so. However, the slice was dropped at school at 9am and not sold until 3pm. Throughout the day it was kept on the bench. My concern about the slice going stale was with reference to using it for cake stalls in the future. Marshmallow keeps at room temperature, so the only element that ages is the cereal. I thought perhaps some chocolate might harden and either give it a longer shelf-life or perhaps provide another element of taste. My comments were not intended to criticise. At any rate, it was a top seller and I'll give it another whirl, properly this time, and no doubt it will be perfect. Regards.

      Delete
  34. I made these today as a tester to use at my wedding sweety table next august and they look amazing!
    I've left them in the fridge for about 4 hours but they are still abit sticky, I'm worried about cutting them incase they fall apart. Are they suppose to remain sticky or go abit harder? Not sure if I messed up somehow!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kristina, try freezing the slice to get some of the excess moisture out of it. Hopefully that will make it less sticky!

      Delete
  35. These look amazing and I can't wait to make them! Quick question - how to you suggest freezing these? Can I freeze all of them at once, or to the squares need to be individually wrapped? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would make sure you cute them into squares, then freeze them wrapped in baking paper in an airtight container. This will make it easy for you to place the container straight into the fridge to defrost it later.

      Delete
  36. LCM came from marketers who interviewed children and asked them what their favourite letters were and then put them together - No... I am not kidding!

    ReplyDelete
  37. also do Red and Green for Christmas or orange, yellow and brown for the fall....very fun

    ReplyDelete
  38. I just made these and they turned out amazing. I reversed the order of the colors so I didn't have to clean the pot between every color. Worked out just fine!! Made a giant slab of treats before we cut it, thats for sure!!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated and will be published ASAP. If you are viewing this on your phone, you might have to click the Preview button before posting your comment for it to work. People who comment make my day! ♥