What's Cooking (a guided descriptive essay)

I did not have to think long about what to make for the “What’s Cooking” writing assignment I was given in my English 101 Class. I have always been a big fan of rice krispie treats, both making and devouring them. The recipe couldn’t get much simpler, as it only has three ingredients: Rice Krispies cereal, butter, and mini marshmallows. 

More specifically, my recipe calls for the following: 

11 ½ cups of Rice Krispies cereal

One stick of butter

One 16 oz. bag of mini marshmallows

Let’s get started!

First, giving a messy cook like myself a fighting chance at limiting spillage, I reached down into my cream colored cabinet containing all of my pots and pans and pulled out the tallest, most round, and shiniest pot I own. I felt the cold, stainless steel handles as my fingers curled around them, pulling it forward, past all other options and placing it on the stove. After removing the wrapper that hugged a single stick of buttery, yellow goodness, I dropped it into the center of the silver, reflective vessel, making a soft clanking noise. For those wild enough to measure it out, the equivalent is eight tablespoons of butter, but I caution you that this will add minutes to your clean up time. 

 

The secret to moist, mouth-watering rice krispie treats is to allow the butter to take its sweet time melting down to its pale liquid form. 

If you rush it and the creamy yellow, almost clear coloring turns to the slightest tinge of brownness, you will force your treats to be dry and crumble out of the mouths who want to enjoy them. 

 Once the butter has completely melted, pour in the entire sixteen-ounce bag of mini marshmallows. I tend to gravitate to the light, fluffy, squishable “Jet Puffed” marshmallows made by Kraft. As with the butter, you want to allow these tiny, white clouds of loveliness to soften and liquefy gradually.

 

 Before pouring in the snap-crackle-pop cereal, choose your weapon of mixture and give it a quick spurt of cooking spray. This will allow your instrument to glide through the gluey and bumpy combined textures without unwanted resistance. Be sure to thoroughly coat the entire mass, repeatedly scraping along the bottom of the pan and looping back up to the top, through the middle, and invading every crevice. 

Once you are finished combining the ooey-gooey liquids and the crispy, chunky solids you are ready to dispense the entire blend into a 13x9 non-stick pan. I suggest that you very lightly spray the interior of the pan with cooking spray because I have yet to come across a pan that is truly non-stick. In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to top off my dessert with a two-tone combination of green sprinkles as a finishing touch.

After allowing the dish to cool, cut into squares and share your pan of delectable treats!

  It was a beautiful day and there were several children playing outside in the courtyard. It took about thirty seconds for me to return inside with an empty plate after having gazed upon many little, smiling faces full of thanks.

My favorite thing about rice krispies treats is that you can add just about anything sweet to add your personally desired wow factor. Whether you add peanut butter or chocolate chips, your treats are sure to be amazing! Want something colorful? Try using Fruity Pebbles cereal for a delightfully adorable Easter dessert full of color!