Rice Krispie treats
Encyclopedia
Rice Krispies
Rice Krispies is a breakfast cereal that was created by Clayton Rindlisbacher for the Kellogg company, and later marketed by Kellogg's in 1927 and released to the public in 1928...
, melted butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
or margarine
Margarine
Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter...
, and melted marshmallow
Marshmallow
The marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavourings, and sometimes colouring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites...
s. Sometimes marshmallows and/or cereal that is seasonal is used to make these treats holiday-specific. While they can be made at home, they can be purchased in stores, usually packaged under the Rice Krispies brand.
Rice Krispies Treats were invented in the 1920s or 1930s by Mildred Day and the staff at the Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...
home economics department as a fund raiser for Camp Fire Girls
Camp Fire USA
Camp Fire USA, originally Camp Fire Girls of America, is a nationwide American youth organization that began in 1910. The organization has been co-ed since 1975 and welcomes youth from pre-kindergarten through age 21. Camp Fire was the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in...
.
There are many variations to the treat -- adding caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
instead of marshmallows, adding condensed milk to the mixture before adding the Rice Krispies, using corn syrup and peanut butter, adding chocolate chips, nuts, flavoring agents, M&M's and others. Chocolate crackles
Chocolate crackles
Chocolate crackles are a popular children's confection in Australia and New Zealand, especially for birthday parties and at school fêtes. They are similar to the US Rice Krispies Treats...
are a similar item. Kellogg's has now produced commercial varieties of both the marshmallow and chocolate-based treats under the names of "Rice Krispies Treats" (in the U.S.), "Rice Krispies Squares" (in Canada and the U.K.) and "LCMs" (in Australia and New Zealand).