Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Rice Krispie Squares

"Hello? Is it me you're looking for?" That's me, Lionel Richie beeteedubz, saying sorry. I brought squares to make it up to you! But let me tell you a little story about how these bars came to be. It all started back when this shining ray of light was brought to banana bread for the first time back in the late twentieth century. I'm totally not being dramatic at all.

Banana bread has always been my favourite thing to eat. I can down a loaf and the remaining batter, that was purposely left in the bowl, in less than twenty four hours. It's been done and it is never pretty. It involves a lot of rolling on the ground, staring at a treadmill and then falling asleep. Regardless, we always find our way back to each other. But I'm still always searching for new ways to bake bananas. 

 In my long list of banana recipes to bake, there was this. It contains everything that is right in the world: chocolate, peanut butter and bananas. It's like a rice krispie square on 'roids. In the best possible way.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Rice Krispie Squares
From Bakers Royale (check this site out, it will blow your mind.. and stomach) 

rice krispie square
6 cups Rice Krispies
5 cups marshmallows
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 banana (2.5 oz, approximately ½ of 1 large size one)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

topping
1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
1 tablespoon butter
½ banana (2.5 oz, approximately ½ of 1 large size one)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

To make the squares: Place marshmallows, butter, banana, peanut butter and chocolate chips in a non-stick pan and melt over low heat. Stir to combine. Quickly add marshmallows and Rice Krispies and stir to combine. Press mixture into an 11 x 13 pan. Set aside.
To make topping: Place marshmallows, butter, banana and peanut butter in a non-stick pan and melt over low heat. Stir to combine. Pour topping over Rice Krispie mixture. Melt chocolate and pour small dots of it throughout the topping. (Or be a dork like me and mix the chocolate into the topping.) Using a knife gently pull it through the chocolate dots to create a swirl pattern. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours fo the topping to set. Makes 24 bars.

 

S'more Rice Krispie Squares

You know quite a bit about me. After all, this blog is a written outlet of my life and the things that get baked up along the way. But what about you? If you are anything like me, you scour the internet for new recipes from your favourite blogs. You love baking at any hour of the day. You jump from blog to blog reading and watching until you force yourself to do something slightly more productive but think "screw that." But these are just assumptions.

Tell me about you. Let's start with something easy. Do you have a movie that you know like the back of your hand?

S'more Rice Krispie Squares

These are so easy and the perfect way to hit up some s'mores.. all day.

3 cups large marshmallows

1 heaping tablespoon butter

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups rice krispies

1 cup graham crackers, broken into coarse pieces

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Butter a 8 x 8 inch square pan. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, place the marshmallows, butter and vanilla in the microwave until the marshmallows begin to soften, about a minute. Mix with a spatula and microwave for another minute until the marshmallows are fully melted. Add the rice krispies until just mixed together. Add the graham cracker chunks and chocolate chips to combine. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Allow to cool and devour. Makes 16 smaller squares.

P.S. My brother thinks these are ridiculous.

Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

The minute I saw this creation from Picky Palate, I knew I would make them. She started with an Oreo cookie and then progressed to s'mores, peanut butter cups, you name it. So not only did I see it once but continued to have it put in my face for a few weeks. How can you deny it then? You can't. Here is some more reinforcement on her behalf.

Let me start by saying I loved them all. After all, it is simply chocolate chip cookie dough stuffed with more goodness. So I am putting them in order of which I liked best but let it be known even the last on the list was still liked! Now that the air is cleared, let's start. Skor was tied for last simply because the toffee doesn't melt and just become pretty hard to chew.

The pink marshmallow bunny is just a pink marshmallow. It was good but compared to the others out there it just didn't compare.

This is shocking. The fact that peanut butter cups are lower on the list is for one simple reason, and it is my fault, is because I used a mini peanut butter cup and not a large one. Therefore it did not compared to the others size wise. It is always number one in my heart.

This was pretty dang good. I think it was because of the cookie crunchy bits in the chocolate. This must only mean that an Oreo one is ridiculous.

The s'more one was just crazy. It was huge. The marshmallow, chocolate and graham just form together and it is like a rocky road cookie.

Symphony beat out s'more because I think the s'more taste didn't come through enough. I was expecting a s'more on chocolate chip cookie dough roids. This one was like Tom Arnold in True Lies. While everyone goes to see Arnold, it turns out the witty side kick steals the show. Great movie. 

My ultimate favourite. When I was raiding the house for things to throw in these cookies and I saw a bag of chocolate chip cookies. A chocolate chip cookie within a chocolate chip cookie? Oh yeah. (This is me. On top of that, he is voiced by Jason Segel. That just confirms it.)

Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookie recipe adapted from Gourmet and the brilliant beyond brilliant idea is from Picky Palate

cookies
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups milk chocolate chips
stuffing
Symphony chocolate bars, Hershey's cookies and cream bars, marshmallows, peanut butter cups, s'mores, skor bars and bloody chocolate chip cookies

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt and continue to cook until brown bits form at the bottom. Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs *and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips. Chill the cookie dough for at least 4 hours. Scoop out a hunk of dough and flatten it in your hand. Place one of the various stuffings on the dough and cover it with another mound of dough. Press and roll it together to seal in the stuffing.  Place similar sized cookies on one baking sheet at  least 3 inches apart. I used a separate sheet for the s'more and chocolate chip cookie stuffed ones because they were double the size. Form and place remaining cookies on additional sheets. Bake each sheet separately. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets. Makes a 3 dozen depending on the size.

* I just threw in 3 eggs. This was the directions as the original recipe says: Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1 3/4 tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute.

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispy Squares

My brothers do not like coconut. They like it in certain cookies were it is subtle but when it is straight coconut, it is a no go. But since my friends love coconut, they are a great outlet for my coconut lovin'. The PLL (Pretty Little Liars) finale was not to long ago and I brought these babies along. That finale was awful. Every story line was not concluded and everything was a straight mess. I mean come on. Normally the show concludes one issue and begins another (See vampire diaries, daws, etc.). Sweet heavens, kill me now.

Apologies. It was late, they weren't going to last until the morning and the camera was in Mexico (long story).

I clearly have a poor choice in TV shows but why fight it when one can embrace it. The worst of it was is when we ran to the computer to see when the series would start again we freaked out that weren't going to be home. Because we would be in Europe. We took a step back at that point and realized we were morons and then our minds shifted to how excited we were for Europe. Oh, if I only had a life. (Imagine that being sung Wizard of Oz style.)

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispy Squares

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

3 tbsp butter

5 cups marshmallows

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups rice krispies

Preheat the oven to 350º. Butter a 8 x 8 pan. On a baking sheet, spread out the coconut. Bake the coconut for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing halfway through. Do not leave it unattended as it can burn in a heartbeat. While the oven is heating up, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until brown bits begin to form on the bottom. Remove from heat. Place the marshmallows in a bowl big enough to fit in the microwave. Microwave the marshmallows for about 30 seconds, until they start to melt. Add the butter. Stir around and microwave for another 30 seconds or until the marshmallows are completely melted. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the rice krispies until fully combined. Press into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the coconut on top and press into the bars. Allow to set, if you can, and dig in. Makes 16 bars.  

S'more Cookies

"Less is schmore." This statement proves that idiotic behaviour and humour is genetic. I think I once wrote a psychology paper on that. My broha insists on saying schmore, not a s'more. He started incorporating it into everyday sentences too. Like I said, genetics.

These actually prove that schmore is schmore. Holy Helena, these are good. They have a chewy dough and a chewy component from the marshmallows. And on top of chocolate chips, the symphony bars make it that much more amazing with a crunchy from the almonds and toffee. Sheer brilliancy amigos. It is a schmore in a cookie.

S'more Cookies

Nearly Identical to Lovin' from the Oven

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 cup milk chocolate chips

1 - 1 1/2 cups large marshmallows chopped

2 7 oz. symphony (the large toffee and almond ones), broken into pieces

Preheat the oven to 375º. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, graham crumbs, salt and soda. Set aside. Beat together the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla until fully combined. Add in the flour mixture and stir until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Using a 2 tbsp icecream scoop, place rounds on a baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from the oven and place pieces of chocolate and marshmallows on top. Put the cookies back in the oven for another 4 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets and then transfer to a wire rack and store in an airtight container. Makes 4 dozen.

Rocky Ledge Re-vamped

Another favourite bar! Every year these come out of the oven at least once. Every year is different too but this is the best yet. Subtle changes make a big difference I tell yarrr. It is a new year, a new me. The new me is pirate. Anyway, these little changes made them better when they were already the best. Such changes like big instead of little marshmallows, additional peanut butter cups and honey roasted peanuts, chopped chocolate instead of chips, more vanilla, more pan space, more more more. In this case, as with most, less is not more.

 

May I present, the bars to die for, Rocky Ledge Bars.

Re-Vamped Rocky Ledge Bars

Adapted from Martha Stewart Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup large marshmallows, quartered
1 cup milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup mini peanut butter cups, halved

1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup soft caramel-candy cubes, quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two 8x 8 inch baking pans. Line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides. Brush parchment with butter (not overhang). Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture until combined. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chocolates, peanuts, peanut butter cups and caramels. Divide and spread batter into prepared pans. Scatter remaining marshmallows, chocolates, peanut butter cups, peanuts and caramels on top. Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Lift out of pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Remove parchment, and cut each pan into about 16 small or 8 large triangles. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Makes 16 or 32 triangles.

Despite the previous pirate talk, I am not a big new years resolution gal. But I do apologize if these ruin yours.

S'more Tart

Too many cookies have been flowing around here lately. It's not a bad thing just sort of boring. Mind you, prepare for another cookie recipe on Friday! To get out of the cookie slump that I often fall in, s'mores brought me out. Since every Friday a cookie recipe has to be posted, I was going to do a s'more bar. Change of plans and out came a tart. This was actually for my baby Bacon, I've mentioned her quite a bit, since it was her birthday yesterday! It was a pre-birthday gift in a way. So if you are reading this Bacon, Happy belated birthday, you animal.

This recipe is really from all over the place and I am glad that it just worked out to be honest. The crust was a bit crumbly but other then that it was good. Crust, pudding, toasted marshmallows? Yeah that's s'mores.

S'more Tart
Pudding adapted from Cooking Light

crust
9 whole graham crackers or 18 regular sized ones
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
pudding
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp cornstarch
hefty pinch of kosher salt
3 cups skim milk
1 cup half and half
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
topping
1 1/2 cups big and mini marshmallows*
kitchen torch necessary

crust Butter a 10 inch tart pan. In a food processor, grind the graham crackers to fine crumbs. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and foaming. Add the brown sugar and mix until nearly combined. Remove from heat and add the graham cracker crumbs, mixing until it is combined. Press the crust into the tart pan and allow to cool completely. 

pudding In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 eggs yolks till slightly beaten. Take a large bowl and put a load of ice in it, about half full. Place a medium bowl on top of this ice. In a large saucepan, add the sugars and salt. Sift in the cocoa and cornstarch into the saucepan. Over medium high heat, gradually add the milk and half and half, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and once it is boiling cook for one minute. Keep constantly stirring the whole time. Remove from heat and gradually add it to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Whisk until it is fully combined and then pour back into the saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the pudding constantly for 5 minutes so it can thicken. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl over ice. Let it cool for 15 minutes, stirring it occasionally. 

assemble Pout the cooled pudding into the cooled crust. Chill in the fridge overnight or for a couple hours. Once it is chilled, assemble the marshmallows on top of the tart. Using your kitchen torch, toast the marshmallow topping. Serve this puppy immediately. Serves about 10.

Cinnamon Rice Krispy Squares

Addiction is hard to deal with. I mean when the object of desire just sits there in front of you, you can't help but give in. Even if I hide it in the other room I manage to come back for more. This is the story of my life when it comes to baked goods. Addiction.

On the bright side, as an addict, I am not ready to give it up. Odds are never will. 

When ever I think of rice krispy squares I think of my Mum. Lots of things make me think of my Mum and these are one of them. She used to bake all the time when we were little and if she didn't have a lot of time, she made rice krispy squares. We would all devour them within minutes. In fact, we seldom let them cool off. With these rice krispy squares, I merely tweaked the classic but it really makes a huge difference. The extra marshmallows make it so much chewier, which is the best way with these squares, and the cinnamon and vanilla work great together. My little brother even came upstairs and asked why he smelled cinnamon buns. 

Cinnamon Rice Krispy Squares

Adapted from the original, look on zee box

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
50 marshmallows, nearly all of 450 g. bag
scant 1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups rice krispies
cooking spray
 
Spray/butter a 9" x 13" pan. Put the salt, cinnamon, butter and marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave until the butter and marshmallows are melted, about two and half minutes. Mix in the vanilla and put it back in the microwave for 15 seconds. Fold the rice krispies in and mix until they are fully coated and combined. Spray a spatula with cooking spray, and spread the mix into the pan. Let cool, if you can.

Rocky Ledge Bars

These are one of my favourites. They are sweet, chewy, crunchy, perfect, etc. I found them a couple years ago in my beloved Martha Stewart's Cookie book. I don't know what else to say other than you must make these! The great thing about them too is that they literally can have anything thrown in. The original recipe calls for butterscotch chips and cut up caramels but over the years I have just started to throw in what ever I have. Also, I am not that fond of butterscotch.

Rocky Ledge Bars
Martha's recipe here

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup toffee bits like Skor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the longer sides. Brush parchment with butter or cooking spray (not overhang). Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture until combined. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chocolates, peanut butter chips, and toffee. Spread batter in prepared pan. Scatter remaining marshmallows, chocolates, peanut butter chips, and toffee on top. Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes (the original says 35 but that has never worked for me). Let cool on a wire rack. Lift out of pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Remove parchment, and cut into about 20 or 16 triangles. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week but I prefer to keep them in the fridge.