They served a dessert called cocoa puff bars and I loved them. I can't actually now recall which lunch the bars went with, although I have never forgotten the green beans with the mac and cheese, the flabby pizza, and hot sauce with the Vietnam fried rice.
I remembered those bars a month or so ago and suddenly realized: I could make them! And eat them again! But alas, a Google search showed me that there are several versions of cocoa puff bars around (one, oddly, with a ganache topping; these are cocoa puffs, people, and they are not gourmet).
They are super-simple to make and the cocoa puffs give a delicious crunch in the rich peanut-buttery goo. If you can ignore the questionable nature of the puffs (what, exactly, are they?), these bars are wonderful.
I've made these bars twice now, and both times I finished the box by dumping the cocoa puffs into a finished batch of chocolate buckwheat granola with a fierce ironic glee. Health food: meet strange food! Wheeee!
Cocoa Puff Bars, the old-school Mennonite version
Heat together (I do this in a large pot):
1/3 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
Stir to melt. Turn off heat and add:
1 cup chocolate chips
Stir again. Fold in:
7 cups cocoa puffs
Press and smooth mixture gently into lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover. Cool to room temperature. Cut into bars.
Sounds yummy!
ReplyDeleteNow...do I dare substitute a "healthy" choc. puff cereal, or make this a real treat and just buy cocoa puffs. Hmmm.
huh. I never even thought to LOOK for a healthy cocoa puff cereal!! Is there such a thing?
ReplyDeleteSounds exactly like one more chocolate recipe I DARE NOT MAKE! Something like the peanut butter/butter/marshmallow/butterscotch chip squares that I dare not make.
ReplyDeleteLove your line "... with a fierce, ironic glee ..." - funny!
Just realized my squares don't even have chocolate in them. But ANY rich recipe is something I need to stay away from!
ReplyDeleteI've just re-read my comments from last night and, after laughing a bit I thought, oh my, I sound critical! I hope you guessed I was lecturing MYSELF. I've put on five pounds lately, and the culprits include chocolate :(
ReplyDeleteI miss the Chicken Corn Soup the PA Dutch ladies used to make in my Catholic school for lunch!
ReplyDeleteI say, everything in moderation, including moderation. The peanut butter and honey makes these healthy!
Yes! You can get big bags of the organic (I think even GF!) version of cocoa puffs.
ReplyDeleteI think the honey/peanut butter is an adorably necessary fixture in "healthy" 70s desserts.
This is completely off topic, but I read this article about a cookbook book club and immediately thought it sounded right up your alley. If you try it, I hope you'll write about it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.seriouseats.com/2015/10/how-to-start-a-cookbook-club.html
I just had to let you know that I made your cocoa puff bars this week and they were a big hit with my husband, mom and sister (oh, and me too!). Your recipe has already been passed on twice. : ) Thank you for sharing!
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