Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Rice Krispy Treat Troubleshooting

Ok, today is a no recipe post! Mostly because I'm too lazy to edit pictures,... ahem... but also because I need to address several questions I repeatedly get.

So, sometimes in life things don't turn out just as we hoped. My Tax Refund. The Bachelor Finale. The NCAA Bracket. My Car's Smog Check.... just to name a few. And sometimes, dare I say it, my cooking falls into this category as well. And it stinks. Especially when you put a lot of work into making something and then it comes out wrong. And the only thing that is worse is having no idea what went wrong.

So here are some of the top issues I've heard of/seen/had happen to me in regards to rice krispy treats:



1.) "My marshmallows melted into a gummy blob."

The number one reason I find this happens is because you are using old marshmallows. As soon as they start getting that dry exterior, their melting capacity goes down the drain. Save yourself the hassle and set those marshmallows aside for s'mores.

If your marshmallows aren't old, it could also be the brand you're using. Certain store brands just don't melt as well.



2.) "My treats have a soggy/stale texture."
This is most likely due to too much butter. I've tried a few variations that use more butter and I often end up with this weird soggy/stale texture. Next time try reducing the amount you are using and see if that helps.
Another reason could be if you are using margarine. Some margarines have worked out fine for me, some haven't. Check your brand for the oil/water %. If it is too high this makes your cereal turn out soggy. Either try switching to butter or a margarine brand with a lower % of liquids.


3.) "My treats are hard instead of soft and chewy."
How high was your heat when you were melting your marshmallows? If you crank up the heat and zoom through melting them, they will dry to a hard texture instead of a soft gooey one. So take the extra 5 minutes and melt them over low heat, stirring constantly. Show them a little love :)
If you did melt them slow and they are still hard, you most likely need to use more marshmallows. In my recipes I always use very full measurements. So if I say "6 cups of marshmallows", I meant 6 Full cups, don't skimp.


4.) My treats are overly gooey/sticky.

The only answer for this is that you used too many marshmallows. (I know, is that even possible?) I like to keep around a 1:1 ratio of marshmallows to dry cereal, so try to stick close to that unless you like your treats super gooey. Also be sure to spray your pan/bowls with nonstick spray or butter - that helps eliminate a lot of mess.





5.) My Marshmallows are Stuck Together in a Big Clump in the Bag.
Now, you may have ventured into unusable marshmallow territory (See Problem #1 above). But they may be salvageable. To unstick your mallows, sprinkle 1-2 tsp of corn starch or powdered sugar into the bag, seal it, and shake vigorously to evenly distribute and coat the marshmallows. They should begin to come apart  a few moments.


Ok, that's that! Let me know if there are any other problems you have!


14 comments:

  1. Just a suggestion because my home is gluten free we use rice chex ceral and like your ideas made with rice chex better even.

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    Replies
    1. Yum - that sounds like a great idea! I also know that Kellogg's has a gluten free rice krispy cereal now too - I still need to them out. Thanks for visiting :)

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    2. I bet u couldnt wait to twll someone u were gluten free

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    3. "Rice Crispy" the ingredients are in the name. There is no gluten.

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  2. I follow Kellogg's recipe exactly and my rice krispy treats are always extra gooey. Not usually a problem, but when I make them for class parties and things like that, they fall apart so easily. Should I start using less marshmallows than what they call for?

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    Replies
    1. My rice Krispy treats taste like the smell of soap. :(

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  3. My crispie treat is set and cut but too sticky to remove it from the pan. I can't send it to school. Is it an option to melt it again and add more rice crispies?

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    Replies
    1. I'm having this problem. Going to add more rice. Hope it works.taste is what hat I wanted texture a mess. MN MN

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  4. Can i reheat up the batch i already made n add more cereal n marshmellows to make them more firm

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  5. i make mu own marshmallows at home from scratch. really good . everybody likes them . when i go to make krispy treats they come out a it soggy. not as crispy as i would like. what do you think

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  6. I just want to add I bought some Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats that were soggy, smelly, and bad. Not related to home made preparing but just to let people know if Kellogg's puts out a bad batch to retail. Trying to get a case going with Kelloggs on this.

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  7. I’ve tried making homemade marshmallows using agave & gelatin, but it turns the cereal stale/soggy. Is it because of the liquid sugar (too much moisture)? I also don’t let the freshly whipped marshmallows set overnight because they’re just going to be melted again the next day, but maybe that is a mistake?

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  8. I FINALLY FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM WITH STALE TASTING RICE KRISPIE TREATS!!!! You have to use the LARGE MARSHMELLOWS WITH BUTTER. I always used the small marshmellows and apparently you do not need butter with them!!! YOU ARE WELCOME!!!!

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