Whenever I made rice crispies with my ma, we always made them in this big, blue stockpot—the same one we’d use to make stews and soups. It was the biggest pot we had, and even though there were only five of us, we’d make enough to feed a classroom. We’d heat the butter ‘til it puddled, add the bags of marshmallows, and keep stirring with a long spoon until there was a sticky mass of fluff. Then I’d dump in the cereal. Afraid everything would harden into a rock before it was time, my little arm would start mixing with panic, until the soft crackling of the puffed rice folding into the sugar would soothe me. I’ve made variations of this inspired by some of my favorite flavors.

　　

Ingredients

3 Tbsp (42 g) butter

　　1/4 cup (60 g) pureed sweet potato (about 1 small sweet potato)

　　1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract

　　1 tsp salt

　　11/2 tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon

　　1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

　　1/3 cup (50 g) toasted pecans, chopped

　　1 (10-oz) bag marshmallows

　　6 cups (210 g) brown rice cereal

　　

Step 1

Have an 8 x 8-inch or a 9 x 9-inch baking dish lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray nearby.

　　

Step 2

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the pureed sweet potato, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted pecans. Add the marshmallows and continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the marshmallows are melted. Add the cereal, folding gently to combine, and then, working quickly before the mixture stiffens, transfer it to the prepared baking dish, packing the mixture into the pan with a sheet of parchment or wax paper to make an even and dense layer. Allow to cool completely to harden, about 30 minutes, then slice into nine 3-inch squares and serve.

　　From Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing © 2018 by Jerrelle Guy. Reprinted with permission from Page Street Publishing CoBuy the full book from Amazon.