Puffed Cereal Squares
by Brenda-Lee Olson
April 25, 2000

Stevia is a versatile plant from South America

(Gluten, dairy, soy and refined sugar free)



These oh so sweet and sticky squares are a variation on the Old Fashioned
Puffed Wheat Squares, and can be made with any safe puffed cereal including:
puffed rice, corn, quinoa or millet. The key ingredient, though, is a
refined sugar free syrup made with stevia, molasses and vegetable.gylcerine.

Begin by making the Maple Syrup. It takes a while to boil down to the right
consistency.



Puffed Cereal Squares
Ingredients:

Puffed Cereal
3/4 cup maple syrup blend

Instructions:

Depending on the size of the kernel in the puffed cereal, you will have to
vary the quantity used. Puffed millet needs about 6 cups, puffed corn about
8 cups, puffed rice somewhere in between.

Place the cereal in a medium mixing bowl. While waiting for the syrup to
reduce, use margarine to grease a 9 x 9 in cake pan liberally.

When syrup is reduce to right consistency (may take as long as an hour),
pour the syrup over the cereal and stir thoroughly to mix. Coat your hands
with another liberal dose of the margarine and work the syrup through the
syrup totally. Pat the cereal into the cake pan and bake in a medium oven
(about 325 F) for about an hour. Allow to cool before serving.

Enjoy.

Maple Syrup
(gluten, dairy, corn, soy and refined sugar free)



A taste which reminds me of Vieux Quebec and the forests of New England, the
maple in this syrup makes the whole house smell especially good. It is not a
quick syrup to make up though so give yourself time when preparing it. The
syrup itself is great for pancakes, French toast or waffles and the sweet
taste will make sure you don't miss the deadly white stuff. The syrup can be
made ahead and then warmed in the microwave for special buffets or brunches.
And as Martha would say, that is a good thing.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp Stevia
5 tablespoons plus 1 tsp of Vegetable Glycerin
1/8 co margarine
1/4 c molasses (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp maple flavouring OR 1/4 cup Maple Sugar

Instructions:

Warm the maple sugar in the microwave to make it easier to mix in. I pare
the sugar into a bowl, measure it and then warm it. Combine all the
ingredients in a medium saucepan, except the margarine. Place over medium
heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. When it reaches a rolling
boil and can maintain it when the stirring spoon is removed, stir in the
margarine and reduce heat to minimum. Stir a few minutes more until the heat
of the element cools some and then leave the syrup to reduce. When the syrup
has reached the right consistency, you will have a nice thick, dark syrup
with a buttery taste and about half of the liquid will have boiled away.