Neapolitan Nice Crispy Bars

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This article was published 19/12/2017 (3181 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just a few store-bought ingredients upgrade no-bake, crisped rice bars into tri-colour treats.

You’ll need an 20-by-10 cm or 22-by-12.5 cm (8-by-4-inch or 9-by-5-inch) loaf pan, preferably with square corners.

MAKE AHEAD: The slab of bars needs to be refrigerated for one hour before cutting. The bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Freeze-dried strawberries can be found in the dry-goods section of grocery store produce departments.

Based on a recipe from Yum Universe Pantry to Plate: Improvise Meals You Love — From What You Have/Plant-Packed, Gluten-Free, Your Way! by Heather Crosby (The Experiment, 2017).

Neapolitan Nice Crispy Bars

Makes 12 to 16 bars

Ingredients
750 ml (3 cups) gluten-free crisped rice cereal or brown rice cereal
180 ml (¾ cup) bittersweet chocolate chips
125 ml ½ cup) freeze-dried strawberries, crushed to a powder (see headnote)
Cooking oil spray or liquefied coconut oil
180 ml (¾ cup) corn syrup, (may substitute brown rice syrup)
60 ml (¼ cup) honey
7.5 ml (1 ½ tsp) vanilla extract
Sea salt
30 ml (2 tbsp) strawberry jam

Place 250 ml (1 cup) of the cereal in each of two medium bowls. Add the chocolate chips to one bowl and the strawberry powder to the other bowl. Use cooking oil spray or the coconut oil to grease the loaf pan; alternatively you could line it with parchment paper.

For the bottom layer: Combine 60 ml (¼ cup) of the corn syrup, 15 ml (1 tbsp) plus 5 ml (1 tsp) of the honey, 2.5 ml (½ tsp) of the vanilla extract and a pinch of the salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a full boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Turn off the heat; stir in the chocolate chip-cereal mixture, until well blended, then transfer it to the loaf pan and spread it to cover the bottom evenly. Cool for 2 minutes, then use your lightly greased hands to press it into a firm, even layer.

For the middle layer: Rinse and dry the saucepan. Combine 60 ml (¼ cup) of the corn syrup, (1 tbsp) plus 5 ml (1 tsp) of the honey and 2.5 ml (½ tsp) of the vanilla extract in the saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and the strawberry jam. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and stir for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the strawberry-flavoured cereal mixture until well incorporated (and pinkish).

Spread this evenly to cover the previous layer. Cool for a few minutes, then use your lightly greased hands to press into a firm even layer atop the chocolate layer.

For the top layer: Rinse and dry the saucepan. Combine the remaining corn syrup, honey and vanilla extract and a pinch of the salt in the pan, over medium-high heat.

Once it comes to a full boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir for 3 minutes, or until well thickened.

Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining cup of cereal (without flavouring). Cool for 2 minutes, then use your lightly greased hands to press the mixture into a firm, even layer atop the strawberry layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until quite firm. Cut into 12 to 16 bars of equal size before serving or storing.

— Washington Post