Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (97 page)

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

General Description:

These candy bars combine puffed, crispy rice cereal with melted butter and marshmallows for a sticky-sweet treat
. Much of the appeal of these bars comes from their ease of creation and their crispy yet gooey texture. Undoubtedly the most well-known form of this sweet is Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats, made from their Rice Krispies cereal. However, it is possible to make these bars from any puffed grain cereal.

History:

Sweets made of puffed grains mixed with molasses or honey were first made in America in the 19th century and called
popcorn balls
whether or not they contained popcorn. Recipes for puffed rice bars appeared in
cookbooks in the early 1930s. Rice Krispies Treats were created in 1939 by Mildred Day, a Kellogg’s employee, for a Campfire Girls fundraiser. The recipe proved so popular that Kellogg’s began printing it on cereal boxes in 1941. In 1995, Kellogg’s began selling premade Rice Krispies Treats, a sign of America’s enduring love for this sweet.

Serving Suggestions:

Crisped rice treats are a great spur-of-the-moment confection because of the few ingredients and quick assembly. Let children add in chocolate chips or colorful sprinkles of their choice. They can also form the rice mixture into shapes by hand or with cookie cutters.

Candy-Making Notes:

Although these treats are not difficult to remove from the pan, lining it with a sheet of parchment will ensure that the entire piece comes out in one go.

1.
Line a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease with butter.

2.
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

3.
Add cereal to the mixture and stir until well coated.

4.
Turn out mixture into prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly.

5.
Let cool. Remove from pan and cut into squares or use cookie cutters to make shapes.

Yield:

About 24 squares

Storage:

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

General Description:

This old-fashioned, deliciously sweet confection is a classic American homemade candy
. The date-nut roll, also called a
date roll
or
date loaf
, is a soft, chewy sweet made of dates, sugar, and pecans. Most recipes for this candy call for rolling up the candy in a tea towel and storing it in the refrigerator, a charming reminder of the days before plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

History:

Dates are naturally sweet fruits that have been enjoyed since the dawn of civilization. They are used in confections such as
sugarplums
and
stuffed dates
. Date-nut rolls are a distinctly American creation. Most date-nut roll recipes are treasured family secrets passed from generation to generation.

Serving Suggestions:

Keep the date-nut roll wrapped in a damp tea towel in the back of the refrigerator, and slice off a few pieces at a time to savor.

Candy-Making Notes:

If you have trouble forming the roll on the towel, lay a piece of wax paper on top of the towel and form the mixture there.

Recipe:

1.
Combine sugars, milk, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a boil.