Lemon Buddies

I don't know a single person who doesn't love muddy buddies. You know Chex or Crispix coated in chocolate peanut buttery powdered sugar goodness. But that is not an option when you have a nut allergy. Lemon buddies from Real mom kitchen are a nice summery alternative for those folks who are sadly deprived of the joys of eating nut products.

This is another recipe I made way back in June for Relay for Life.  One of the other kids on our team happened to be allergic to peanuts. It was nice to have a snack that was safe for him to eat.

The lemony flavor was a much better fit for a summer treat than the muddy buddies would have been.  While the muddy buddies are addicting like crack, they are heavier somehow.  Maybe it's not the flavors, it's the metric ton that gets consumed in one sitting.

The Lemon buddies were good, but not quite as good as the original muddy buddies.  That was probably a good thing with all the walking we were doing that night.  Consequently, there were quite a few leftovers.  Maybe because of the humidity, the lemon buddies lost their crunch after the first day.  I've never had that problem with the muddy buddies, then again I've only ever made them in the fall and winter.

Lemon Buddies from Real Mom Kitchen
9 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 1/4 cups white vanilla baking chips
1/4 cup butter
zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons juice from the zested lemon
2 cups powdered sugar

Measure rice chex into a large bowl; set aside. In 1-quart microwave safe bowl, microwave chips and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 20 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Then stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour the melted mixture over cereal, then carefully until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; gently shake until well coated. Spread on a cookie sheet to cool. Once cooled, store in airtight container.