Coconut Cashew Cornflake Bars

Are there people in the world who don't like rice krispie treats? I don't think it possible but, then again, I know lots of people, including The Chef, who eat the devil weed known as cilantro willingly and on purpose.

These sweet and slightly salty bars use cornflakes instead of rice krispies and are chock-full of toasted coconut, salty cashews, and crushed banana chips. I also can envision adding some carob or chocolate chips as well.

The Chef ate one of the bars, came back for a second right after the first one was gone, and returned a last time, leaving the kitchen with two more. I guess he liked them.

For a pan of bars that likely won't last too long:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10.5 ounces mini marshmallows
• 1 cup banana chips, placed in a ziploc bag, and crushed with a rolling pin, hammer or whatever other weapon is convenient
• 1 cup roasted, salted cashews, coarsely chopped, leaving some whole
• 2 cups raw, unsweetened shredded coconut
• 4 cups cornflakes
• 1 small pinch of sea salt

Prepare a square 9 or 10 inch pan by lining it with wax paper, making sure the paper hangs over two sides, and spray it with cooking spray.

In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add the coconut and, stirring and shaking the skillet constantly, lightly toast it. It can go from pleasantly toasty to bitterly burnt in no time. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir frequently until melted. Add the rest of the ingredients, turn the heat off, and stir quickly and thoroughly making sure everything is well distributed. Pour and spoon the contents into the prepared pan. I found the easiest way to deal with the sticky bars was to coat my hands with cooking spray and firmly press the bars into the pan with my hands.

Set aside and let cool. Lift the bars out of the pan with the wax paper, turn it over onto a cutting board and peel the wax paper off. With a sharp knife, cut into square bars and store in a covered container for several days.