Cereal Bowl Made of Marshmallow and Dried Fruit with Three Toppings

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour
• Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Cereal Bowls

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 5 cups marshmallows
• 1 box (about 10 cups) rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
• 1 1/2 cups mixed colorful dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, pineapple, and apricot), diced

For the Maraschino Cherry Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

For the Candied Cinnamon Bacon

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces (about 14 slices) thinly sliced bacon

For the Cheater Caramel Sauce

• One 11-ounce bag wrapped caramel candies, such as Kraft, unwrapped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

For Garnishing

• Vanilla ice cream
• Sprinkles
• Chopped nuts
• Crumbled cookies

Instructions

1. Make the cereal bowls: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until fully melted. Take the pan off the heat, then fold in the cereal and dried fruit until everything is evenly coated.
2. Shape the bowls: Line six 2- to 3-cup cereal bowls with plastic wrap. Spoon the cereal mixture into the bowls (about 1 1/2 cups per bowl) and press it against the inside using a spatula or lightly greased hands. Refrigerate for about 1 hour to set while you prepare the toppings.
3. Whip the cherry cream: In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and maraschino cherry juice. Beat with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
4. Prepare the bacon: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray.
5. Coat the bacon: In a large resealable bag, combine 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and a pinch of black pepper; toss gently to mix. Add half of the bacon, seal the bag leaving an air pocket, and toss until the bacon is coated. Transfer to one prepared baking sheet, spacing the slices apart. Repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of black pepper, and bacon.
6. Bake the bacon: Bake until the sugar melts and the bacon is slightly crispy, rotating the pans halfway through, 17 to 22 minutes.
7. Cool and cut: Remove from the oven and let cool. The bacon will harden slightly as it cools completely, making it easier to cut into small pieces.
8. Make the caramel: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the caramel candies and heavy cream. Stir until melted and smooth, with the consistency of a thick, pourable sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the sea salt.
9. Assemble and serve: Take the cereal bowls out of the fridge and carefully unmold them by peeling off the plastic wrap. Scoop vanilla ice cream into each bowl. Set out the caramel sauce, cherry whipped cream, candied bacon, sprinkles, nuts, and crumbled cookies so everyone can build their own sundaes.

Notes

As the bacon cooks, the brown sugar melts and spreads across the baking sheets. Let it cool completely, then break it into pieces and add them to the candied bacon—these bits are essentially bacon fat and brown sugar candy. If some bacon slices come out of the bag without sugar on them, that's fine; the brown sugar melts and coats everything during baking.