Lemon Poppy Seed Rice Krispy Treats

So I was talking to a friend and mentioned how my little girl and I went to the beach the other day. Her response was an immediate gush of how lucky I was and how fun it must be to be a stay home mom. I just smiled and agreed that it was great, but in the back of my mine I had this urge to crush her dreams about what being a stay home mom really was. What actually happens when I "go to the beach" with my child. Here's some of the scenarios I'd like to paint for her:

Carrot Cake Rice Krispy Treats

I'm walking up to the checkout line at Target the other day when I looked down at my little babe in the cart in front of me. There she is, happily kicking away with one shoe missing. Ugh. Worst Situation Ever... is it worth it traipsing back through the whole store to find it? How much did I pay for that thing anyways?...

Red Velvet Rice Krispy Treats

Crumb Cake Rice Krispies

So my husband and I were up in Los Angeles last week. He had some training for work so the babe and I decided to tag along for 1 night. (staying in a hotel with a 7 month old = bad idea. Will not repeat.) Anyhoo we decided to have a night on the town that evening. (read that as in eating dinner at 5pm and being back in the hotel for the little one's bedtime at 6:30pm...and subsequently mom and dad's bedtime at 6:30pm. We live on the edge.)

Anyhoo so our night on the town. Ok, I will be the first to admit that I have been out of the social scene for awhile. There's something about spending your days with Winnie the Pooh and Elmo that puts a damper on your hipness. I must have been in denial though because I didn't feel I was that much out of the loop. Until this trip.

Before our 5pm  dinner date, we walked around one of LA's outdoor malls. Which leads me to my favorite pasttime: people watching. But this time my mind was blown. Um, when did rolled pant cuffs come into style for guys? And grandma sweaters? And I lost count how many of them were wearing ridiculously low v-necks. And I'm mentioning all this to my husband every 2 seconds. "Look at those guys,... what are they wearing?! Is that in style?... Who wears that?..."

Are we worried about flooding or something?

Then it hit me.

OH MY GOSH. I am turning into my parents. I've done it, I've reached the age where I am lost to the current trends. I never thought this day would come. You always give your parents a bad time for not understanding fashion and being behind the times. ITS HAPPENING TO ME!

Wait, I'm too young for this! I'm not ready yet! I need more time!

Ah, I spent most of dinner contemplating this midlife crisis. And I eventually made peace with it. I've accepted there is nothing I can do. It's like a rolling snowball, it just can't be stopped.

So, to commemorate this new stage in my life, I decided to get in touch with my more mature side in the kitchen. And I thought, what is more mature then a good old fashioned Coffee/Crumb Cake? I always imagine a grandma making one of those. It's just not something I picture a young hip person making. They would be making tiramisu, or creme brulee, or something cool like that.

So I give you the Crumb (or Coffee?) Cake Rice Krispy Treats! A cake flavored krispy base with a thick, sugary cinnamony crumble topping that will melt in your mouth. This honestly was a delicious treat. And ready in 15 minutes?! Who needs to be in style, I got my coffee cake!

Crumb Cake Rice Krispy Treats

4 Tbsp butter
6 cup marshmallows
1/2 cup dry cake mix (white or yellow)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
6 cup krispies
1 recipe Crumb Cake Topping (recipe below)


Pour the rice krispies in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are mostly all melted (this will take a few minutes--low and slow is key for perfect texture) then stir in the cake mix, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Once fully melted, take them off heat and pour over the rice krispies. Stir lightly to combine. Dump everything into a greased 9x9 pan. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then with greased hands go in and flatten the top. Allow them to cool about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile mix up the crumb cake topping. Once the treats are cool, dump the crumb topping on top and press into the rice krispies to create a thick layer. Cut into squares and enjoy!



Crumb Cake Topping

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter on top and stir until crumbs form.

Cake Batter Rice Krispies

Cake batter rice krispy treats. I know what you're thinking, it's been done before. I'm late to the party. But I figure since this is a rice krispy treat blog it's something I need to make at least once. And it also just happened to be my girl's 7 month birthday! Whoo Hoo! (Who celebrates 7 months? Ahem, I strongly believe in taking every opportunity to make a dessert.)

So while originality may be slightly lacking in today's post, I figured I'd make up for it by throwing in a cute picture of my little one. Although maybe they are just cute to me. Typical parent who thinks their child is adorable. But she really is isn't she???

Anyhoo so these cake batter krispies are first flavored with a healthy dose of cake mix. To pump things up I even took the time to bake a cake and toss real cake pieces in with the krispies. Just because I love you guys so much. It has nothing to do with the fact that I am going to eat these after I finish writing this. None. These little chunks added to the chewiness of the treats.

Then of course there are the necessary rainbow sprinkles. Lots of sprinkles. Everywhere. Sprinkles all over the krispies, sprinkles all over my counter, sprinkles all over my floor... And then the frosting. Because who eats a cake without frosting? (I have strong opinions about frosting on cake. I believe the ratio should be somewhere along the lines of 50/50. No questions.)

And there you have it! I highly recommend you celebrate your 7 month birthday with these treats. Or your 8 month, or 9 month,.... or  9 1/2 month, I don't judge.

Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats

4 Tbsp butter
6 cup marshmallows
scant 1 cup dry cake mix (yellow, white, or funfetti)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups 1-inch cubed cake pieces (I just baked up 1/2 the box of cake mix I used above, or if you have leftover cake from something use that, or you can just leave this out if you must... I may not speak to you though)
6 cup krispies
Rainbow sprinkles
Canned cake frosting (or homemade for you superstars)

Mix together the rice krispies and cake cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are mostly all melted (this will take a few minutes--low and slow is key for perfect texture) stir in the cake mix and vanilla.

Once fully melted, take them off heat and pour over the rice krispies. Stir lightly to combine. I added my sprinkles here while mixing to ensure they were evenly added. Dump everything into a greased 9x9 pan. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then with greased hands go in and flatten the top. Allow them to cool about 20 minutes. 

Now you can get creative or go simple. The simple way s to just frost the tops of your bars and call it a day. Definitely a winner. Or you can get extra crafty and make a layer cake: dump out your cooled bars on a flat surface. Cut n half with a serrated knife to create 2 "cake" layers. Frost the top of one, then place the second layer on top of that. Frost the top and sides as you would a cake and decorate with more sprinkles (of course). Bonus points if you cut out circles to make mini cakes! Enjoy!