Would You Believe--Almost Sugarless Krispy Treats!!!??

Today I made what I would consider an experiment, since I had no idea how it would turn out, if at all.  I recently saw on The Cookie Blog a recipe for making marshmallows with agave nectar.  I've been using agave quite a bit lately and could not pass up trying out the marshmallow recipe when I found this new cereal!

The key word here being multi-grain.  I am/was excited about this and decided to try to make healthy krispy treats.  The recipe for making marshmallows with agave is so simple and really tastes good.  There is a slightly different taste, but that is expected, since it's not sugar.  And the Jumbo Krispies--they are good.  Not quite as light as a rice crispy, more dense, but good.  They are just slightly sweetened with a touch of honey. 

Agave Sweetened Marshmallow Recipe

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. Cool or Room Temperature Water
2 Packets Unflavored Gelatin

• Stir and then microwave for 30 seconds.

1 Cup Agave
2 tsp. Mexican Vanilla (I just used regular vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

Pour into mixing bowl. Add gelatin mixture, and mix on medium to high speed for 12 - 15 minutes. Should quadruple in size into a white marshmallow cream.  **At this point, for the krispy treats, I just beat in a little butter and added the cereal--no need to have the marshmallows sit for hours and then melt them down again.**

Coat a casserole dish with non-stick cookie spray. Coat with corn starch. Using a spatula, transfer your “batter” into the dish. Smooth out until you have a nice smooth, flat  surface. Let sit for 3 hours (over night is good to).

Turn batter out onto a corn starch covered surface. Using a hot or wet knife, cut into marshmallow squares.

Here is a link for a You Tube video about making the marshmallows.  (I used a different brand from the one in the video.)

From this, to this...

to this--marshmallow!

I colored it pink for Valentine treats.

AGAVE MARSHMALLOW JUMBO  MULTI-GRAIN CEREAL TREATS

16 oz. agave marshmallow (see above for recipe)

2 oz. unsalted butter, melted

10 cups Kelloggs Jumbo Multi-grain Krispies

4 cups puffed red wheat cereal

Combine all in a large bowl and stir together.  Spread in a 10 x 15 baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray.  Let set then cut into squares or shapes with cookie cutters.

Now, I just really didn't know if it would set up like traditional krispies.  But it tasted good.  I used pretty much a whole 11.5 oz. box of the Jumbo Multi-grain Krispies, measured out it was 10 cups.  I also used 4 cups of puffed red wheat for even more nutrition.

The moment of truth.

The krispies are a little more sticky than traditional, and the cereal is not quite as crunchy after sitting.  These remind me of those softer marshmallow treats that are made with puffed rice.  Maybe it's because of the puffed wheat I put in, but they are good.  I made them for Taylor's preschool Valentine party--but it isn't until Friday, so I guess we'll just wait and see if they are still good enough after sitting for a day and a half.  I'm keeping them chilled and each individually wrapped.  No matter what, I'm just excited that "the experiment" did work out and the only sugar in these is the small amount the Multi-grain Krispies are made with and the little heart sprinkles on top.  How cool is that?  Looks like the possibilities are endless.  Just look at this link to Volcanic Nectar for tons of recipes that Anna at Cookie Madness found recently.  Now if we could just get agave to not be SO expensive!

Happy Balentimes Day!  (I think Scott used to say it that way.)