No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert with Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust

Hot summer days are here again!
I don't know about you, but I don't even want to think about turning on my oven and heating up the kitchen. Instead, I like making no bake desserts that are quick to make and require minimum time in the kitchen. 

I believe this is the perfect recipe for beginning cooks. 5 ingredients is all it takes to make an easy and elegant chocolate cheesecake dessert. Your friends will think you worked for hours!



No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert with Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust
Ingredients
2 - 3.4 oz pkg of instant cheesecake pudding mix
2 - 3.4 oz pkg of instant chocolate pudding mix
6 cups of milk
12 chocolate chip cookies, crushed to fine crumbs
4 Tbsp. of melted butter

Directions

• Blend, process, or crush 12 chocolate chip cookies into fine crumbs.
  

• Add 4 Tbsp. of melted butter to the cookie crumbs.
• Stir until mixed well. Measure out 2 Tbsp. of the cookie crumbs and set aside.
• Press the remaining cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9" spring-form pan
  
• Pour 3 cups of cold milk into a bowl. Add the packages of chocolate pudding and beat for 1 minute. 
  
• Pour the pudding into the cookie crust and spread evenly.
  
• Set pudding into the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Pour 3 cups of cold milk into a bowl. Add the packages of cheesecake pudding and beat for 1 minute. 
  
• Pour the cheesecake pudding on top of the chocolate pudding layer. 
• Garnish with the reserved 2 Tbsp. of  crumbled chocolate chip cookie
• Chill until firm, about 2-3 hours
• Gently loosen the spring-form pan sides and lift away from the dessert.
• Slice and serve. If desired, top each slice with 1-2 Tbsp. of whipped cream, or whipped topping. 
  

Enjoy a slice of homemade happiness on a plate!

Kids Makin' Dirt Cups with a Gummy Worm

How about letting kids make their own dirt cups? No, not real dirt, Oreo dirt. After all, dirt cake, or dirt cups are FOR kids. This is an easy recipe, even a kindergartner can manage to make a dirt cup with a bit of assistance.

Ingredients and Materials for Eight Children

• 1 package of instant chocolate pudding
• 2 cups of cold milk
• 16 Oreo cookies
• 8 regular gummi worms - not the sour kind
• 1 can or whipped cream
• 8- 8oz. plastic party cups
• 8 snack size, zip top bags
• 8 plastic spoons
• 1/4 cup measuring cup
• 1 plastic knife for leveling the pudding
• 1 black permanent marker

Note: I make the instant chocolate pudding ahead of time. One package will yield eight -one fourth cup servings.

 Before starting, have each child write their name on their party cup with a black permanent marker. 

1. Give each child an Oreo cookie and have them put it in the zip top snack bag and crush it up. Resist the urge to help. It is okay to have larger chunks in your"dirt."

2. Demonstrate and explain how to use the back of the plastic knife to level the pudding in the 1/4 cup measuring cup.

• Assist as necessary with the leveling procedure. Then, the kids will use their spoon to scrape the pudding out of the measuring cup and into their cup. 

This is where I talked about the importance of measuring ingredients exactly when following a recipe. 

3. Each child can now dump the crushed cookie into the cup and stir it in.

The cookie filling will stick a little bit to the inside of  the bag, but that is okay because they are going to crush a second cookie.

4. Tell the children they are going to squirt about the same amount of whipped cream into the cup as they have pudding. 

• Then they are going to stir the whipped cream into the cookie/pudding mixture until it is all the same color, or well blended. 

This is why I use 8 oz. cups. the children can stir, but keep the mixture in the cup. 

5. Give each child a second cookie to crush in their zip top bag and a gummi worm.

•  Make sure they understand that they are not going to stir this cookie into the pudding even though their spoon is still in the cup. 

6. Have children dump the crushed cookie on top of the pudding mixture for topsoil and put the worm on top of the crumbs.

Remember - the plastic spoon stays in the cup.

7. Place "dirt" cups on a tray and refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes.

 This is just enough time to go on a walking field trip and look for different kinds of dirt, or have containers of potting soil, sand, and regular dirt for children to look at and examine with magnifying glasses. 

Now it is time for the kids to eat their very own "dirt" cup. Yay! Homemade happiness in a cup!

Waffle Iron Brownies

Yesterday was a no-baking day. Just because I didn't feel like baking. Ever have a day like that? After our no-bake supper of pasta-n-crab salad, the hubby asked if there was anything for dessert. 

The hubby loves dessert and I didn't want to disappoint him. I looked through the pantry shelves and found a family-size box of brownie mix. Hmmm...I have made cookies with the waffle maker, how about brownies? 

So that is what I did. Following the directions for cake-like brownies, I mixed up a bowl of brownie batter while the waffle iron was heating up. 

Using canola oil pan spray, I sprayed the top and bottom waffle grids. 

How much batter? I decided to use about 1/2 cup of batter. Just enough to make a thick waffle, but not overflow the waffle iron. 

My next decision was cooking time. A waffle takes about five minutes. A brownie needs to be softer than a waffle. I decided to put batter in the waffle maker and check it every minute. Two minutes later, I carefully removed the brownie waffle by quarters.

It is necessary to remove the soft brownie waffle by quarters with a spatula and a fork. However, the soft quarters of the brownie waffle quickly firmed up as they sat on the cooling rack. 

I think I made about five or six waffles this way. Honestly, I forgot to count because I was concentrating on removing the waffle quarters to the cooling rack. Laser focused! lol...lol

Two waffle quarters,  sandwiched and topped with extra creamy whipped topping, was the dessert I served Bill. However, my mind is already full of all the fillings - toppings I can use to layer with brownie waffle quarters - cherry pie filling, chocolate, vanilla, or banana pudding, and chocolate mousse are some the fillings I want to try next!

Store the waffles in single layers with parchment or waxed paper in between. The moist waffles will stick to each other. I hope I have inspired you to grab your waffle iron and a box of brownie mix!

Chocolate Chip Oat Crispy Cookies

I love Cocoa Dyno-Bite cereal.  I eat it for breakfast, for a quick chocolate fix , and for a late night snack. Yep, I just love my crispy cocoa cereal that turns the white milk into chocolate milk. Yum! No other cocoa cereal will do for this woman.

So what does my love for cocoa dyno bites have to do with chocolate chip oat crispy cookies? Well, cocoa dyno-bites are the not-so-secret, secret ingredient in my cookies. I see your eyebrows heading for your hairline. Stop it!  It shouldn't surprise you that I am putting cereal in an oatmeal cookie. 

I found a lovely recipe over at Sweet Peas and Saffron for Butterscotch Oatmeal Rice Krispie Cookies. However, the hubby isn't all that crazy about butterscotch. I decided to adapt the recipe by substituting chocolate chips AND cocoa dyno-bites cereal. 

These tasty cookies have a little snap on the outside, a tender, cookie dough quality in the centers, and just get better as they sit in the cookie jar.

I like dark chocolate and the semi-sweet chocolate snuggled in a buttery, oaty nest of semi-sweet cookie is my idea of pantry-style cookie perfection. Love makin' homemade happiness on a plate!

We decided that these cookies are even better on the second day. I can't tell you anything about day three because........the cookies were gone.



Chocolate Chip Oat Crispy Cookies
Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
2¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, or 2 medium eggs and 1 egg white
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
2 cups Cocoa Dyno-Bites

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a one quart bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and oatmeal.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. 
• Add in the vanilla and eggs until well combined.

• Gently stir in the chocolate chips and Cocoa Dyno-Bites with a large spoon, or spatula
• Scoop out dough and place on the lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly before baking.

Left side - scoop of cookie dough

Right side - slightly flattened cookie dough

Note: My cookie scoop holds about 2 level Tablespoons, or 1/8 cup. 

• Bake for about seven minutes,or until lightly golden on the edges. Do not over bake. You want them slightly soft and they will firm up as they cool.
• Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bill and I ate warm cookies and cold cookies. They are yummy both ways. 

Start With a Box Orange Sandwich Cookies

Oh my gosh! I just ate an orangesicle sandwich cookie that I made for dessert. Crisp, tender, buttery, creamy orange exploded the minute I bit into my cookie and started to chew. Then, another orange explosion rocked my ecstatic taste buds  when I encountered the sweet candy bits that are like hidden flavor treasure inside each cookie. 

You are not going to believe this - BUT I used a boxed cookie mix.  However, I am NOT abandoning my "pantry-style, make it from scratch" attitude. The boxed cookie mix is another gift given to me by my friend who is moving out of state.

As I was looking through the pantry shelves for a dessert inspiration, I noticed a lone box of orangesicle cookie mix. Curious to see what was needed to make the cookies, I picked up the box and read the directions. Guess what? I only had to add two ingredients, a stick of butter and 1 large egg. Cookie making doesn't get any easier than that. 1 stick of cold  butter was soon on the counter to begin softening at room temperature.

After supper was over and the dishes were washed, I turned on the oven to begin preheating the oven to 375°F. Next, the cookie mix was turned into cookie batter by stirring in 1 stick of softened butter and 1 large egg. The directions said to use a teaspoon to measure the batter, but I never make cookies that small. Never. Ever. 

Instead, I used my cookie scoop, which holds 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of cookie dough when leveled off.Needless to say, my way of measuring cookie dough made 22 single cookies and that turned into 11 sandwich cookies.

Pick Your Filling

My cookie filling is homemade butter cream fondant that I had left over from decorating a cake. However, if you do not have the time to make the fondant, I have a really quick and tasty copy cat oreo cookie filling recipe that I found over at Cookies and Cups. I have used this filling to fill cupcakes, dip, and cracker spread. 

copy cat oreo cookie filling recipe                                         Click HERE

homemade butter cream fondant recipe                              Click HERE      


Start With a Box Orange Sandwich Cookies

1 box of Pillsbury Orangesicle Cookie Mix 
1 stick of butter, softened
1 large egg

Directions

1. Mix and bake cookies according to package directions. 
2. Cool cookies on a wire cooling rack until completely cool.
3. Assemble sandwich cookies
4. While cookies are cooling, decide on your filling and whip up a batch of fondant, or copy cat oreo cookie filling. 

To make these cookies REALLY quick, use store bought frosting for your filling.

Fondant Filling

• Roll fondant to desired thickness and cut out circles of fondant that are slightly smaller than the cookie. 

Assembling a Sandwich Cookie

• Pick up a cookie and turn it upside down, bottom up.
• Gently press the fondant circle onto the cookie bottom. 
• Place another cookie, bottom side toward the fondant, on top of the fondant. 
• You now have your first sandwich cookie assembled.

Copy Cat Oreo Cookie Filling  
Time to Assemble Ingredients and Mix: 10-15 minutes

• Follow above directions for assembling a sandwich cookie, except smear on some yummy cookie filling until you have as much filling as you want.

Double Caramel Apple Treats

Caramel apples were my inspiration for these marshmallow cereal squares! Apple flavored cereal rings, caramel and vanilla marshmallows, and homemade caramel drizzle combine wonderfully well to recreate the flavors found in a caramel apple!  The caramel drizzle not only coats the top of these cereal bars, but it forms layers of caramel throughout the double caramel apple treats. Plus, these caramel apple treats are ready to eat in about an hour and ten minutes. 

Apple Treat Ingredients                                   Time: about 20 minutes

7 cups of apple flavored cereal rings

10 oz. bag of caramel and vanilla marshmallows

4 Tbsp. butter, or margarine

Directions

• Lightly coat the inside a 13" x 9" baking dish, or cake pan with butter, or margarine and set it aside.
• Place butter, or margarine in a microwave safe, two and a half quart bowl.
• Microwave for 15 seconds and stir until melted. If necessary, microwave an additional 10-15 seconds.
• Put the caramel and vanilla marshmallows into the bowl and stir until the marshmallows are coated.
• Microwave for 30 seconds and stir for a minute or two.
• Microwave for an additional 15 seconds and stir until the marshmallows are melted and smooth.If necessary microwave for another 15 seconds.
• Stir the apple flavored cereal rings into the marshmallow mixture until the cereal rings are coated evenly. 
• Spoon the coated apple rings into the 13" x 9" baking dish and level the mixture. Using your clean, buttered hands, gently press the cereal treat mixture down into the pan until it is packed into a uniform layer.
• Set aside and begin making the caramel drizzle.

Caramel Drizzle Ingredients                                  Time: about 20 minutes

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 3 Tbsp. butter, or margarine
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

• Put brown sugar, flour, milk, and butter in an eight inch sauce pan. 
• Stir until mixed fairly well.   
  
• Cook over medium to medium high heat stirring occasionally until the caramel mixture comes to a rolling boil.
• Boil for a minute and a half.
• Immediately remove the pan from the heat and cool for five minutes.
• Stir the caramel mixture until it begins to thicken.
• Add the vanilla to the caramel mixture and beat for about a minute and a half. The mixture should have the consistency of thick syrup.
• Drizzle across the top of the caramel apple treats using a zig-zag motion.
  
• Let the pan of double caramel apple treats set for at least thirty minutes before trying to slice the treats. I have found that a fine tooth, serrated knife slices cereal treats with ease and doesn't crush the cereal.
• After thirty minutes you can cut the cereal treats into squares and enjoy eating your treats. The bottoms will still be a little sticky, but the treats can be handled. 

Total time: about an hour and ten minutes

Chocolate Caramel Coconut Bites

The dog days of summer arrived in central Missouri this week. Every day this week ended with temperatures in the mid nineties. Ninety degree weather and baking do not pair well in my opinion, so I decided to make this Samoa-like, no bake cookie.

I adapted the original recipe by changing the shape of the cookies and adding the chocolate bottom.

Bill and I love the rich sweetness of the chocolate caramel sauce combined with the flaked coconut and oat mixture. Even though one or two bites get eaten immediately by Bill and I, we are in agreement that the bites taste even better the day after I make them.

The lusciousness of the chocolate caramel sauce gets absorbed into each strand of flaked coconut. Then, the coconut caramel flavor creates the perfect union of sweet coconut and chocolate caramel goodness. 

Chocolate Caramel Coconut Bites Recipe

Quick Oatmeal and Sweetened Flaked Coconut

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 2 Tbsp. baking cocoa
• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 2 cups quick oatmeal
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 squares chocolate almond bark from a 24 oz package
• optional: semisweet chocolate chips for decorations.

Directions

• Place liners in a mini muffin pan.

• Set aside

• Bring butter, evaporated milk, sugar, and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. This is your caramel sauce.
• Boil gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in the cocoa with a small wire whisk. This can take a minute or two. Now you have chocolate caramel sauce. Yum!
• Cool slightly.
• Stir in flaked coconut, oats, and vanilla.
• Stir until mixture is blended well.
• Set aside.

• Place 3 squares of chocolate almond bark in a pastry bag, or zip top bag.
• Place the open bag of chocolate into the microwave.
• Microwave for 30 seconds.
• Gently squeeze, or smoosh the chocolate squares in the bag. Leave the top of the bag open so the air can escape.
• Microwave for 15 seconds.
• Gently squeeze, or smoosh the chocolate in the bag again until the lumps are gone.
• Microwave for another 15 seconds if necessary.
• Gently squeeze the chocolate into the bottom of the pastry bag, or corner of the zip top bag.
• Close the bag.
• Snip the end off of the pastry bag, or zip top bag. 
• Squeeze about 1 tsp. of chocolate into the bottom of each mini muffin liner, until the chocolate is gone.
• Stir coconut oat mixture. 
• Spoon the mixture into each muffin liner, packing lightly, until full.
• Place pan into the freezer for five minutes to set the chocolate in the bottom.
• Ready to eat while soft, or allow to dry overnight. Bill eats one or two soft, but we prefer to wait until the next day when the coconut caramel oat flavors have blended and the bites are firm.

I only have one mini muffin pan and have extra coconut oatmeal mixture left.

I make 10-12 cookies with the extra mix. 

• Place rounded Tbsp. of mix onto a wax paper lined pizza pan. 
• Gently flatten.
• If desired, melt one square of chocolate almond bark in a zip top bag.
• Snip bottom corner.
• Drizzle cookies with chocolate.

Drizzled with chocolate bark and ready to eat. 

Tropical Strawberry Banana Crispy Treats

This is my third original recipe for crispy treats. My family ate the initial test batch and declared them to be good. I hope you enjoy your first batch of Tropical Strawberry Banana Crispy Treats, too!

If you enjoy the Tropical Strawberry Banana recipe, try my  Strawberry Chocolate Cereal Hearts recipe, or Crispy Chocolate Mint Shamrock Treats recipe.

Enjoy some homemade happiness on a plate today!

Ingredients

Sugar Free Strawberry Banana Jello                  
10 oz. bag Tropical Trail Mix        
10-16 oz. bag marshmallows                
4 Tbsp.of salted butter  
1 Tbsp. corn syrup                    
6 cups rice cereal

Tropical Trail Mix can be found at your local dollar store.
 The mix contains raisins, banana chips, papaya, pineapple,
cashews, and apricot.

Directions

• Place butter and 1 Tbsp. corn syrup in a large, microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 second. 
• Stir once or twice.
• Microwave for an additional 15 seconds, or until the butter is melted.
• Remove bowl from the microwave. Add marshmallows to the bowl and stir until the marshmallows are coated with the butter and corn syrup mixture.
• Place the bowl of coated marshmallows in the microwave.
• Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir mixture once or twice.
• Repeat this step twice, or until the marshmallows are melted.

Marshmallows coated with corn syrup and butter.



• Add the packet of dry jello. Stir until mixed well and the mixture is uniformly pink. You will still see very small flecks of pink jello, but that is okay.

Melted marshmallow/strawberry banana jello mixture. Add rice cereal and tropical fruit mix.

  Stir until marshmallow mixture is well blended with cereal and 

tropical fruit. I would recommend breaking the banana chips into

 smaller pieces, or use a dried fruit mix without the chips.

• Place the blended mixture into a buttered, rectangular, casserole dish.
• Press the mixture lightly into the pan with buttered hands.
• Butter a knife and slice into 12 large, or 24 small portions.
• Let the treats sit for about an hour, or until the marshmallow mixture is no longer sticky.
• Your treats are ready to eat!

Place mixture in a buttered casserole pan.
I used a 2 quart baking pan (8 x 11.5 x 2) and sliced the treats into
12 large portions. You can also slice into 24 small portions.
The mixture is sticky so I buttered my knife before slicing.

A Five Star Pizza Crust Recipe

Today, I want to share an absolutely, amazingly easy, pizza crust recipe that will make an extra large, 16 inch thin crust pizza, or two, 12" pizzas. Take-out pizza will no longer be needed at the Bonham house because this recipe is better than any take-out pizza I have eaten. Why order take-out pizza when you can make something better? No more waiting for a delivery to arrive on Friday or Saturday night. Make a great home made pizza in 35 minutes.
Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water, or 110 degrees Fahrenheit I use water that feels just a little warm when I drop one water droplet on the inside of my forearm. Just like testing a baby's bottle when you heat it. 

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. 
• Mix in oil and warm water. 
• Spread out on a lightly oiled, large, pizza pan. 
• Top as desired. Click here, pizza post , to see what I used. 
• Bake in your preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. My pizza was done in 20 minutes.

The original recipe was posted by Gudny Bjorg Kjaerbo at Allrecipes.com. 

Sallee B's Strawberry Chocolate Cereal Hearts

This post began to take shape when I decided to combine two of my favorite flavors into a heart-shaped, cereal treat. Chocolate and strawberry. Sounds good doesn't it?
Cocoa Dyno-Bites would provide a nice, cocoa-chocolate flavor. However, I wasn't sure about how to flavor the marshmallows. After spending some time looking through the pantry, I eventually decided to use a package of sugar free, strawberry jello. A kitchen adventure was about to begin because I had no idea if the gelatin would dissolve in the marshmallows. 

Four batches later, my original recipe has proven to be a winner! A coworker asked me to make two and a half dozen for a Valentine's Day raffle. I was and am thrilled by the success of my dynotastic treats.

Sallee B's Strawberry Chocolate Cereal Hearts

This recipe is husband tested and approved. Updated on February 13, 2014 

Yield: about 16 to 20 three inch hearts

Equipment

1 baking sheet

1 large, microwaveable glass bowl

1 large spoon

1 dry measure measuring cup
1 Tbsp. measuring spoon
1 three inch heart cookie cutter

1 self-closing snack size plastic bag

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. butter      1- 10 oz. bag miniature marshmallows             6 cups Cocoa Dyno-Bites cereal

1 package sugar free strawberry jello    1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1/4 cup white, vanilla flavored chips      Valentine's Day coated, chocolate candies
 
shortening to lightly grease the baking sheet, cookie cutter, and hands

Directions for Cereal Mixture

• Grease baking sheet lightly with shortening. Set aside.
• Place butter and 1 Tbsp. corn syrup in a large, microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 second. 
• Stir once or twice.
• Microwave for an additional 15 seconds, or until the butter is melted.
• Remove bowl from the microwave. Add marshmallows to the bowl and stir until the marshmallows are coated with the butter and corn syrup mixture.
• Place the bowl of coated marshmallows in the microwave.
• Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir mixture once or twice.
• Repeat this step twice, or until the marshmallows are melted.
• Add the packet of dry jello. Stir until mixed well and the mixture is uniformly pink. You will still see very small flecks of pink jello, but that is okay.
  
• Add the cereal to the hot marshmallow mixture.
• Stir carefully until well blended.

Method 1

• Place the bowl on top of a pan that has about 2 inches of warm water in it. Do not simmer. Keep the bowl warm, not hot, so the cereal mixture will remain pliable. Stir occasionally. 
  
• Lightly grease your hands. 
• Carefully press the hot mixture into the lightly greased cookie cutter that is sitting on the baking sheet.
  
• Remove the cookie cutter from the heart shaped cereal treat. Repeat until the cereal mixture is gone. 
• Set pan aside to cool

Method 2

1. Press the cereal mixture into a greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan
2. Press the cookie cutter into the mixture.
3. Level the marshmallow cereal mixture by removing or adding small amounts of the cereal mixture.
4. Remove the hearts to a wax paper covered cookie sheet.

Decorating the Strawberry Chocolate Hearts

• Place 1/4 cup of white vanilla chips in the snack bag. 
• Microwave for 30 seconds. Check to see if the chips are melting. 
  
• Microwave another 30 seconds. Gently squeeze the chips inside the bag until all of the lumps are melted and the mixture is smooth. 
• Make sure the top is locked securely, snip bottom corner of the snack bag and drizzle the chocolate cereal hearts with the melted chips. 
• Then, place a small dot of melted chocolate on an M&M.
•  Place in center of a heart. Repeat until all the hearts have been decorated.
  

What I Have Learned

1. The flecks of jello will not be noticeable when the chocolate cereal is stirred into the marshmallow mixture.
2. I thought a whole package of sugar free jello made for an intense, strawberry flavor. However, three separate tasters disagreed with me. I'm not going to argue with happy eaters.  
3. It is necessary to add some liquid to the marshmallow/jello mixture. So I settled upon one tablespoon of light corn syrup.
4. Each batch will vary slightly because: a. the cereal is at the top of the bag is bigger than the cereal at the bottom of the bag. b. different varieties of marshmallows melt differently.
5. If your marshmallows won't melt, try this:

• Add one Tbsp. of milk and stir for two or three minutes. 
• If your marshmallows STILL won't melt, try adding 1 tsp. of corn syrup and stir for another two or three minutes. 
• Still won't melt? Your marshmallows are too old and you need to start over with a fresh bag.