When I was a little kid, cereal was meant for one thing: Eating for breakfast. With a bowl of milk. Periodically my mom would make rice krispie treats, but it was usually as a classroom treat for one of our birthdays. We never had chex party mix or scotcheroos or muddy buddies or even no-bake cookies with cereal in them. Of course, cereal also didn't last long at our house either. Four kids eating a bowl (or two if you're my brother) of cereal every morning for breakfast?? Gone baby, gone.
Now, cereal with milk (or even dry for that matter) has no appeal for me. I ate it for breakfast because that's what we had. Until one glorious morning my mom served us some sliced cheese, lunch meat, apple slices, and a piece of toast. Cereal was a rare thing for me after a breakfast like that was served. And I learned to microwave scrambled eggs. Which are delicious to a teenager who dislikes cereal as much as I did. I've just never been a fan of cereal that pretty much becomes immediately soggy when submersed while the milk takes on the flavor of said cereal while coming to room temperature.
When I met Adam, chex mix was an integral part of his family's holiday celebration. And sometimes muddy buddies too. So, I learned to make them both and while I don't care for chex mix at all, the muddy buddies are edible in small doses. I recently came across a recipe for Lemon Muddy Buddies and thought it might be a good twist to the regular chocolate/peanut butter combo. Plus, we had a nice harvest of lemons from my mother-in-law's meyer lemon tree. The combination of the white chocolate and lemon gave these muddy buddies a light flavor. Great for spring or summer snacking. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, even Adam, who usually passes on anything with white chocolate.
Lemon Muddy Buddies
9 cups chex cereal (I used all rice, but a combo of rice and corn wouldn't be bad if you're trying to use up some boxes of cereal)
1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
Measure the cereal into a large bowl that has an airtight lid. In a large measuring cup, add chocolate chips and butter. Melt in the microwave on low heat for about 1 minute. Stir in lemon zest and juice. If the chips are still not completely melted return to microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one. It is important to not heat the white chocolate to high for too long otherwise it will become a dry, clumpy mess. Heat low and slow. Pour melted chocolate over cereal and toss to coat thoroughly. Add in powdered sugar. Place airtight lid over bowl and shake until powdered sugar has coated the cereal. Most instructions say to do this step in a large ziploc bag, but I prefer to not have the extra waste. Store cereal in an airtight container.
Source: Adapted from Smashed Peas and Carrots
Now, cereal with milk (or even dry for that matter) has no appeal for me. I ate it for breakfast because that's what we had. Until one glorious morning my mom served us some sliced cheese, lunch meat, apple slices, and a piece of toast. Cereal was a rare thing for me after a breakfast like that was served. And I learned to microwave scrambled eggs. Which are delicious to a teenager who dislikes cereal as much as I did. I've just never been a fan of cereal that pretty much becomes immediately soggy when submersed while the milk takes on the flavor of said cereal while coming to room temperature.
When I met Adam, chex mix was an integral part of his family's holiday celebration. And sometimes muddy buddies too. So, I learned to make them both and while I don't care for chex mix at all, the muddy buddies are edible in small doses. I recently came across a recipe for Lemon Muddy Buddies and thought it might be a good twist to the regular chocolate/peanut butter combo. Plus, we had a nice harvest of lemons from my mother-in-law's meyer lemon tree. The combination of the white chocolate and lemon gave these muddy buddies a light flavor. Great for spring or summer snacking. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, even Adam, who usually passes on anything with white chocolate.
Lemon Muddy Buddies
9 cups chex cereal (I used all rice, but a combo of rice and corn wouldn't be bad if you're trying to use up some boxes of cereal)
1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
Measure the cereal into a large bowl that has an airtight lid. In a large measuring cup, add chocolate chips and butter. Melt in the microwave on low heat for about 1 minute. Stir in lemon zest and juice. If the chips are still not completely melted return to microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one. It is important to not heat the white chocolate to high for too long otherwise it will become a dry, clumpy mess. Heat low and slow. Pour melted chocolate over cereal and toss to coat thoroughly. Add in powdered sugar. Place airtight lid over bowl and shake until powdered sugar has coated the cereal. Most instructions say to do this step in a large ziploc bag, but I prefer to not have the extra waste. Store cereal in an airtight container.
Source: Adapted from Smashed Peas and Carrots
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