Munchie Monday: No-Bake Cereal Cookie Bars

Dear One is always on the prowl for a sweet treat, or something else to eat in a pinch.  Several weeks ago I found a recipe for No-Bake Cereal Cookie Bars.  I found them on "I Sing in the Kitchen" blog.  Feel free to go there to see the (her) original recipe which came from Taste of Home website, I think.

The way I made these cookie bars:

4 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups Corn Flakes
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil
scant 1/2 cup honey
16 ounces miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup M and M's

In 8-10 quart bowl measure out the Rice Krispies, rolled oats, Corn Flake, and flaked coconut.  I large saucepan melt coconut oil then, over LOW HEAT,  stir in the marshmallows until they are completely melted.  Add in the honey and stir well.  (Actually, this last bit is NOT how I did it.  It did not read the recipe thoroughly so what I did was put all the marshmallows in the pot, then the coconut oil, then the honey, and stirred like a son of a gun for more than 5 minutes to get it all melted and combined.  The wrong way worked. I bet the right way would work better...)

Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereals and stir very well until every bit of cereal is coated with fluffy sugary mixture.  Add in the miniscule amount of M and M's and stir again.  Have ready a 15 by 11 (half-sheet pan) that has been well-greased, pour in the mixture.  Using VERY WELL GREASED CLEAN HANDS mush the cereal mixture into the pan until evenly level.  

I thought I would be smart and smush it a lot more M and M's onto the top to make them more fun.  Well, that did not work very well.  I think if you want more chocolate in the bars, you should add them with the rest of the ingredients....

After cooling 30 minutes on the counter, cut into 36 small cookie bars.  They really are pretty small. You could make them bigger if you like sugar highs.  If I make them again, I resolve to make the effort to go to the cellar for more old-fashioned oats instead of  putting in more Corn Flakes. I also will NOT put in honey.  Too sweet.  There is enough sugar in the marshmallows.  At least, that is my plan.  As it turns out, I added too much honey (this is from looking back at the recipe which called for 1/4 cup honey, not 1/2 cup honey.  Oh well)

When Dear One came home from his daily kayak paddle he had a bar.  He said, "They are pretty soft."  Well, they were, so I put them into the refrigerator.  Most of them are stored in plastic containers in the freezer with waxed paper separating the layers.  Want to have some treats available with small fry come to visit Grammie...