Nearly every American child has probably had, at one time or another, a Rice Krispies Treat. I have distinct memories of standing next to the stove with my mom, waiting to pour in cup after cup of Rice Krispies as she stirred the marshmallow mixture. My grandmother was also fond of making these, and she employed a range of cereals, from Cocoa Krispies to Frosted Flakes, to create her own versions.

According to Wikipedia, the original recipe for Rice Krispies Treats was pioneered in 1927 by Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day, two employees in the Kellogg Company home economics department, as a fundraiser for the Camp Fire Girls. Later, these treats were popular additions to care packages for soldiers stationed abroad during the 1940s. And while they are currently available in store-bought varieties, I think the best treats are still the kind you make on your own stove, waiting for that melted marshmallow smell to waft out of the pot.

The recipe below is an adaptation of the original, using one fewer cup of cereal to yield a more pliable, marshmallowy texture.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• green liquid food coloring
• 5 cups Rice Krispies
• shamrock sprinkles, optional

Preparation

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

In a large pot, melt margarine over medium heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted; add as much green liquid food coloring as desired to achieve the shade of green you’d like.

Add Rice Krispies and stir until completely coated with marshmallow mixture; immediately pour into your prepared pan and smooth out using a spatula. Sprinkle with shamrocks, if desired, using the spatula to press sprinkles into the Krispies.

Allow to cool completely, then turn out onto a sheet of parchment. Spray a shamrock cookie cutter with nonstick spray and cut into shamrocks; reserve the scraps for snacking.