If eating popcorn while watching movies has gotten boring, try whipping up some "puppy chow." If chomping on trail mix has got you down, just give it a try. Don't worry, it is only called "puppy chow" because when the Chex mix is coated with chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar, the shape bears a slight resemblance to the dog food mix. It will taste much, much better than any dog food or puppy chow you may have tried as a small child, promise.
Getting Started
Gather the following ingredients:
- Chex mix (brand name or store brand, either is fine),
- Chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate are fine),
- Smooth peanut butter
- Powdered sugar
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Sauce pan
- Plastic bag
- Wax lined cookie sheet
- Container for final storage
Puppy Chow Recipe
Making puppy chow is surprisingly easy.
- First, pour about 9 cups of the cereal into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Then, slowly melt one fourth (1/4) cup of butter with one (1) cup of the chocolate chips along with one half (1/2) cup of peanut butter.
- When the butter, chocolate and peanut butter mixture is smooth and completely melted, remove from heat and add just a quarter (1/4) tsp of vanilla and be sure to stir well.
Putting it all Together
- Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl of cereal. Use a spatula to get as much of the mixture as possible.
- Use the same spatula to lightly toss and turn the cereal so that it develops an even coat. Note that very often, clumps of the cereal bunch together and whole pieces will go uncoated. Do your best to make up any chunks without compromising the shape of the individual cereal squares. In other words, be gentle during this step so that you do not crush the cereal.
Using the Powdered Sugar
- Once the cereal has been sufficiently coated, pour one and a half (1 1/2) cups of powdered sugar into a plastic bag with no holes.
- Add the cereal, close off, and shake vigorously until well coated.
- Lastly, gently remove the puppy chow from the bag and smooth out over a wax-lined cookie sheet to cool.
Storing
To store, just simply place in an airtight container, try to use within a few days. This also works as a great party snack, if you bundle it up into smaller single serving amounts and tie up in party favor bags. It's a great finger food and more than satifies even the strongest sweet tooth.
