Growing up as a youth I was a big fan of the cult 80’s show,
the A-Team. With the former US Special Forces men branded war criminals for
“crimes they didn’t commit”, it was the perfect blend of over-the-top action,
humor and mid-eighties sensibilities. But try as I might as a pre-teen to
identify with the scruff and unorthodox leader, Hannibal, the age gap was too
large to fill. But I will always remember the show’s most notorious line (famously delivered by Hannibal), uttered as the most preposterous series of actions seemingly saved the day, ‘I love it when a plan comes together!”
The echo of that childhood line often comes to mind while
I’m in the kitchen trying to make my most recent culinary epiphany come to
life. As my son and I prepare for our upcoming camping trip across the National
Parks of California, I couldn’t help envisioning the long star-filled nights
around the campfire and quenching our daily sweet quota with the classic
S’mores. This thought was dancing
through my head while I was currently working on a Rice Crispy Treat recipe. I immediately
thought, marriage made in Heaven…
Though many an accomplished chef has disdain for the most
simple of desserts (ALA Rice Crispy Treats), most will share that if you are going to focus on just a
few ingredients, don’t complicate. On a side note, we Firefighters are
notorious for complicating the most simple of incidents if given the time and
license. (For any of you fellow Firefighters, just ask yourself how the last
technical rescue incident went and if it all could have been made simpler). So when
I combined the Rice Crispy Treats and S’more, I knew not to dress it up more
then what it needed to be.
In this episode, I show you how to prepare the classic
version of Rice Crispy Treats, and then I take my culinary epiphany and bring
it to life with the invention of S’more Rice Crispy Treats. As a cook in the
kitchen, there is little better when invention breeds life into a recipe YOU
have created, so when the smiles of the ones I gave a slice of my invention
filled the room, I couldn’t help myself but think, I love it when a plan comes
together!
S'more Rice Crsipy Treats - When worlds collide! While getting ready for a West coast camping trip, the classic S'mores got mixed up with a recent tweaking to my Rice Crispy Treats recipe and a culinary epiphany happened. In this episode we discuss what Marshmallow Cream is, that every dessert needs a little salt and vanilla and that even big Firefighters have something to do in the kitchen.
Fuel
Rice Krispies Cereal (6 ounces or 3-3½ Cups)
Marshmallows (one 10 ounce bag of large gauge marshmallows)
Marshmallow Cream (or Fluff, ¼ Cup)
Unsalted Butter (3 ounces)
Chocolate (Hershey’s for an authentic take, Dark for any other,
8-10 ounces melted)
Graham Crackers (1 bag or 8 wafers crushed, not pulverized)
Vanilla (1 tsp.)
Salt (½ tsp.)
Tools
Baking Dish (I used a 9” x 9” Pyrex)
Large Pot or Dutch Oven
Parchment Paper
Small Glass Bowl
Plastic Bag
Skewer
Spatula
Tactics
Preheat Broiler set to High and the rack set 4-5” from the top.
Arrange the marshmallows in a single, uniform level in the baking dish,
reserving 4-5. Place the baking dish in the oven and continuously maneuver the
dish to achieve a nice toasting on the tops of the marshmallows. Remove when
browned. Place the reserved 4-5 marshmallows on the skewer and toast over an
open flame on the stovetop. Char on all sides but avoid bubbling if possible.
Place the Dutch Oven over medium heat and add butter. When melted, add the
toasted and charred marshmallows and mix to combine. Continuously stir until
the marshmallows begin to lose their shape then remove from the heat. Add the
vanilla and salt and continue to stir until no lumps remain. Place the Rice
Krispies Cereal in and mix until the marshmallow mixture is evenly distributed.
Add the Marshmallow Cream (in two installments) and mix till combined. Cut two
parchment papers that overlap the baking dish approximately 2” on all sides
(the excess will be used as handles to remove the treats from the baking dish).
Place one paper in the baking dish and then dump the Rice Crispy mixture into
the dish. Using the other paper, level out the mixture to ensure it is even on
all sides of the dish. Place the melted Chocolate on top and using a spatula,
ensure to cover the entirety of the top. Top with the crushed Graham Crackers
and reuse the parchment paper to compact all the ingredients. Place in fridge
and allow the chocolate to harden. Slice and serve.
Having just returned from a expedition across California, I'm eager to return to the kitchen (with new shows to follow). I was inspired by campfire cooking, California cuisine and being with family. During the excursion, I created some lasting memories whilst traveling with my son and father over 1,500 miles across the state. Introduced my son to some of the iconic spots along the way visiting San Clemente (surfing), Sequoia (General Grant's Tree), King's Canyon (one of the deepest canyons in the U.S.), Yosemite (more hiking then should be allowed), Big Sur (Redwoods on the coast), Monterey (arguably the greatest aquarium in the U.S.), and Disneyland (16 hours non-stop). Hope every one had a safe and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend spending time with family and friends over good food.
