10 October

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October 13, 2019

M&Ms Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

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M&Ms Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

October 13: National M&M Day

More than two decades ago, as newlyweds on our first visit to Highlander’s sister Linda R.’s home northeast of Reno, Nevada, her family welcomed us hungry travelers with a plate of colorful M&M treats. Our niece, Nichole, noticed how we devoured enjoyed snacking on them that she offered to write down the recipe from her mother’s cookbook. At the time, she was just a young grade schooler learning how to write letters (she is now a newlywed herself)!

Whenever we visit the family, they prepare other delicious snacks for us, showing their hospitality and love. M&Ms peanut butter cereal bars remind us of Nichole whose lucky husband Dylan N. is now enjoying her cooking. And everyone can also devour these delicious M&Ms peanut butter cereal bars with this recipe especially on National M&Ms Day.

Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Combine cereal and M&Ms in a bowl. Set aside. In a large pot, melt the butter, peanut butter and salt together.

Stir in the marshmallows and mix until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Fold in the cereal and M&Ms, making sure everything is combined well.

In a greased 10×10 inch square (or 9×13 inch rectangle) pan, gently press the cereal mixture. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into 9 thick squares or 12 bars.

Notes

  • We welcomed niece Nichole and her new husband Dylan with this snack and her handwritten recipe when they came to visit us while RVing across America for a belated honeymoon. She was happily surprised that we saved that handwritten recipe after all these years. The cookbook from which she copied the recipe cannot be found and is no longer published. So this handwritten keepsake can be passed on to others, including her future children.
  • Sometimes we change out the colors of M&Ms to red and green and make these peanut butter bars and package them for Christmas treats.
  • Make more M&Ms treats, like peanut butter cookies.
  • Cook the classic Rice Krispies treats (regular or chocolate).

 

 

October 13, 2019

M&M Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , |
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M&M Cookies

October 13: National M&M Day

Those who love chocolate chip cookies like us will certainly enjoy its colorful, crispy “cousin”—M&M cookies. The candies are a festive substitute for the chocolate chips and can be made with the colors of the season (warm oranges, yellows and chocolate M&Ms for fall; red and green M&Ms for Christmas; pastel M&Ms for spring and Easter, etc.). But we followed the classic M&M cookie recipe for our blog post today in observance of National M&M Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from M&Ms)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cup (1 package) M&Ms

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this into the butter-egg mixture. Stir until a smooth dough is formed.

Fold in the M&Ms, reserving a few to press onto the top the cookies (optional). Scoop one-inch balls onto a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving them about two-inches apart. Flatten slightly for flatter cookies (optional). Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Yield: Approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Notes

  • We recommend letting the cookie dough rest after folding in the M&Ms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for half an hour before scooping into balls. This also helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
  • Adjust baking times for softer cookies (10-12 minutes) or crisper cookies (12-15 minutes).
  • Learn more about M&Ms from the official candy website at http://www.mms.com.

 

October 7, 2019

Mocha Frappuccino

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Mocha Frappuccino

October 7: National Frappé Day

Before we switched to mostly drinking tea, Highlander would spend several dollars a day at Starbucks drinking coffee—and that, when added up, was a budget buster! So sometimes it made “cents/sense” to make our own blended coffee drinks, such as a mocha frappuccino, at home for a whole lot cheaper. And we could control the amount of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate and whipped cream added to the coffee to suit our tastes. We still go to Starbucks once in a while, but not as frequently as before, to indulge in a frappé. But instead of buying one today, we made our own to observe National Frappé Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups espresso or strong brewed coffee (we used leftover Kona)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup chocolate syrup
  • ice cubes
  • whipped cream

 Directions

In a blender, pour the coffee, milk, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.

Add the chocolate syrup. Top off the blended with ice cubes. Blence until smooth. Pour into two tall glasses. Swirl some whipped cream on top. Add a straw and enjoy cold.

Notes

  • We halved the above recipe for the two of us and still had an extra serving left over.
  • Add about ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the recipe for some texture and flavor.
  • We drink more tea now (just plain—no sugar or milk/cream) than the sugary blended coffees but still indulge in a frappé once in a while. Although it saves us more money than buying Starbucks drinks daily, sometimes good quality organic tea can get pricey, too.
  • We bought a Starbucks frappucino and saved the logo cup, cover and green straw to drink the rest of our homemade frappé.
 

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