Quadruple-Layer Rice Krispie Treats

I skipped going to the gym to make these. And of course, staring at me from the back of the box as I dumped out seven cups of cereal into sweet, swirly vats of marshmallow and creamy chocolate were the faces of Olympians. Of course. Rice Krispie boxes apparently have a collect-a-card series featuring some of the U.S.A’s most prolific Olympic athletes going on right now. And unless stirring marshmallows and dark chocolate chips over a burner for 5 minutes or lifting a cast-iron pot off of the stovetop counts as an olympic event, you can count me out of the competition. You can count however, on me whipping up another of these rice krispie quadruple-layer treats to snack on while I watch the Olympics in a few weeks. I mean, watching athletes run marathons at blazing paces counts as a workout, right? Okay, maybe don’t answer that one.

If it wasn’t bad enough that the Olympic athletes were staring at me make these decadent, super-over-the-top, feed-Michael-Phelps-for-a-day treats, my mom and brother came home from the very gym that I skipped out on to find me dancing around the kitchen in my gingerbread boxers at 10:30. Yes, it’s summer. Yes, gingerbread boxers are always in season. And yes, dancing around your kitchen to the new Zac Brown Band cd until the middle of the day is the best way to make these rice krispie treats. Between all of the dancing, stirring, singing, and pouring, I’d say I earned a big ole slice of rice krispie heaven. Which is exactly what I gave myself.

These treats are perfect for feeling out of shape while watching the Olympics giving that peanut-butter chocolate monster inside you something to really sink it’s teeth into. The textures of rice krispie treats interspersed with a thick, creamy layer of peanut butter ‘frosting’, and topped with some solid dark chocolate are perfect. Can I just take a second to tell you I was swooning while spreading the peanut butter frosting?

And don’t even get me started on the perfect scent of melty dark chocolate just beckoning me to pour it all over the top of the treat. Liquid gold people, liquid gold.

So do what the Olympians do and uh, practice, practice, practice! Start making this treat before the Olympics get here so by the time they do, you’ll have perfected that triple back handspring stirring action and your giant, three-layer treat will be ready to serve to hungry spectators. Trust me, you’ll be a gold-medal winner in anyone’s book if you serve this up.

Quadruple-Layer Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
For the chocolate rice krispie base:
2 tablespoons butter
5 oz. (half a bag) of jet-puffed marshmallows
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
4 cups rice krispie cereal
For the peanut butter ‘frosting’:
1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk
1/2 cup extra chunky peanut butter
For the peanut butter rice krispie layer:
2 tablespoons butter
5 oz. (half a bag) of jet-puffed marshmallows
1/2 cup extra chunky peanut butter
3.5 cups rice krispie cereal
For the dark chocolate layer:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
How To
1. Line the inside of a rounded cake-baking pan with aluminum foil.
2. Make the chocolate rice krispie base first. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add in marshmallows and chocolate chips, stirring continuously until all ingredients have melted and mixed. Turn off heat and remove the pot from burner. Immediately pour in cereal and mix until cereal is all very well coated.
3. Transfer mixture from pot to cake-pan and press down well so that the surface is even. Let cool for 30 minutes and then remove carefully from pan.
4. Make the peanut butter rice krispies. Line the same pan with foil (you can re-use foil if it’s still intact). Repeat the same steps as the chocolate rice krispies but note that the amount of cereal is slightly different. While  you’re waiting 30 minutes for krispies to cool in the cake pan, you can make the peanut butter ‘frosting’.
5. In a small pot over medium-low heat, mix condensed milk and peanut butter, stirring continuously. Once mixed, remove from heat and set aside until later.
6. Once the pb krispies are cool, remove them from the pan. At this point, you’ll want to make sure you’re working on a surface that is appropriate for assembling the treat. I recommend a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.
7. First, set the chocolate rice krispie treat onto the surface. Carefully cover the top of the chocolate treat with peanut butter ‘frosting’.
8. Once it’s covered, set the pb krispie treat on top of the ‘frosting’. Last, pour 1 cup dark chocolate chips into a microwave-safe dish. Microwave chips for 30 second increments (stirring between each round), until the chocolate has melted. Spoon on top and spread around quickly. Let the treat set for 30 minutes or more before eating! Enjoy!

Tagged as: Cereal, Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Dessert, Easy, Olympics, Peanut Butter, Rice Krispie Treats