Evil Special K Bars

Home-made Special K bars are like crack, only more delicious. Let me clarify: I've never eaten crack, but I imagine these bars taste better than crack (would taste if you ate it.)

I got this recipe two weeks ago and I've already burned through two 9X13 pans of them. They're so delicious that I couldn't focus long enough to take good pictures of them at our 4th of July Feast. What I'm trying to say is, prepare to welcome another addiction to your life.

Do you have room for another addiction? Next to your devotion to iced coffee or Harry Potter or to toe socks? Scoot them over and make room for Special K bars on your Shelf of Addiction.


My delightful coworker Nate brought these bars into my life. In addition to sharing interests in politics and public radio, Nate and I also share a Midwestern background. It's pretty cool to have a Minnesota boy in the house. He understands the draw of programs like A Prairie Home Companion, the power of casseroles, and when you call him "Mr. Sjol," he replies, "Please. Mr. Sjol is my father's name."

Nate's mom, Janet, created (or simply perfected) Special K bars. I've never met her, but I already know she is a genius. She had the vision to take an over-branded, over-priced cereal that promises to shame you into skinnier jeans....and to add sugar, corn syrup, chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips.

Oh, baby.

They taste nothing like Kellogg's chemical-laden bars of cardboard masquerading as "health food." Their purpose is to delight, not to shame. Special K's dry, crispy texture creates the ideal foundation for these bars, a texture that reminds me of Rice Krispie Treats. They're magically addictive.

Nate says, "My mom got to the point where she refused to make them because my dad and I would go through a whole pan in a day or two. Even now, I have to keep Special K out of my house as much as possible....Because Special K is good for you, it makes it easier to rationalize. It's seriously like crack. I'm almost getting the shakes just thinking about making a pan."

I there's a picnic or a barbecue or a hike in your future, I suggest you bring a pan of home-made Special K bars. They take 10 minutes to make, and sharing them will dramatically improve your social life. I smuggled a dozen bars into the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2 yesterday...and immediately gained new friends.

At Marigold Terrace, celebrating fire, Special K bars and freedom

Sjol Family Special K Bars*
makes 1 giant 9 X13 pan of addictive treats

• 8 cups Special K
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (about a cup)
  
• 8 oz. butterscotch chips (about a cup)
  

Pour the Special K in a giant bowl, and drop the peanut butter on top of the cereal.

Bring the sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan, then immediately pour the boiling sugar mixture over the cereal/peanut butter. Stir well with a wooden spoon, then smooth the cereal into a baking pan. Let the cereal cool.

Wash the saucepan, then melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in it on low heat. Smooth the topping over the top of the cereal in an even layer. Place the pan in the fridge for a few minutes to let the topping set. (Nate adds here, "Try to restrain yourself from eating the whole pan in one sitting, because man, they're delicious.")

Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice the treats into squares. They'll keep for a week covered in the pan, or you can wrap individual bars in plastic wrap for treats on the go.

**I found a variety of recipes for home-made Special K bars online, but I particularly like the Sjol family spin--with butterscotch and chocolate--on the treats.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

Rocky road brownies
Thinish Mint cookies
Cherry chili chocolate chip cookies

Devil with the green dress on

Hello! Happy 4th of July weekend (and late Canada Day, to all my Canadian homies.) I've got a quick recipe for you today/tonight, since you're all busy and you may be--at this very moment--too occupied with surviving these 100+ degree days of summer to bake. So! Here's a little number that takes only 10 minutes and a buzz in the blender.

Have we talked about chimichurri sauce? No? Let me correct that error now. I discovered this herbed sauce three weeks ago while flipping through my trusty Betty Crocker; since then, I've made two double batches of the stuff. I haven't fallen this hard in love with an accompaniment since I discovered Sriracha, and you know my love for Sriracha is forever.


However, this jar is full of love. Green, parsley-filled love. That's how chimichurri looks like straight from the refrigerator; the olive oil has solidified, turning the usually silky dressing into a spreadable garnish. Besides parsley, that jar is filled with sharp garlic, perky vinegar, salt, and a dash of dried red pepper.

Whether you spread chilled chimichurri with a knife or dip french fries in it when it's a liquid is up to you. I'm calculating all the ways I can incorporate this Argentinian dip into my 4th of July festivities. I see it smoothed over a burger, melting on corn on the cob, or as an alluring dip for crudites. It's the devil with the green dress on. (Lord, have mercy!) Please make some - soon! Before you know it, you'll be smothering everything with chimichurri.


Chimichurri sauce
adapted from The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 10th Edition

makes 1 cup sauce, but the recipe doubles easily (so you should make twice as much)

• 1 bunch parsley (about 1 cup packed), chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup Spanish olive oil
• 1/4 white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until well pureed. You may need to tweak the recipe based on the amount of parsley you use. If the sauce is thick, add a little more olive oil and vinegar. If it's too thin, add more parsley. Taste as you go until you've got a fresh, herbal sauce with a small vinegar kick. Cover the sauce and refrigerate for two hours before serving.

If you want to make chimichurri sauce deluxe (because you deserve it), substitute raw pumpkin seed oil for up to 1/3 of the olive oil. Not only will the sauce turn deeper, more devilish green, but the earthy notes of raw pumpkin play well with the fresh flavor of parsley.

Chimichurri keeps well in the fridge for weeks! Keep a jar on hand as often as you'd keep around a bottle of hot sauce or a jar of mustard.

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:
Cranberry walnut fudge
Radish top basil pesto
Three-minute strawberry salad with spearmint