Ian and I got a couple of bags of store-brand crisped rice cereal for a ridiculous price recently, and I proclaimed my intention to make them into rice crispy squares almost immediately, but as I mulled it over, I started wanting to elevate them from a middle school bake sale favorite to something yummy and exciting. I’ve always got a taste for somethign sweet and lemony, so that was a gimme. From there, lemon became Meyer lemon — because it is sweet, tart, and something I haven’t worked with much. Ian suggested making a marshmallow frosting to top them with, and it wasn’t until a couple of days later, after he arrived home from work and I announced that we were having “purple” for supper — the blackberry ginger glazed salmon with purple cauliflower posted on Thursday — that I thought of combining the Meyer lemons with blueberries and possibly lavender for a fruity, herbal frosting that would add visual interest as well as flavor.

I suggest simply peeling the Meyer lemons and putting the peel — with as little pith as possible — into a food processor, as the skin is really tender and not very easy to zest in the usual ways.

Meyer Lemon Rice Crispy Bites

4 tbsp butter

1 bag mini marshmallows

6 c crisped rice cereal (or your choice of crisped grain cereal!)

zest and juice from 2 Meyer lemons

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add zest and juice, stirring well, then crisped rice cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 9×11-inch pan coated with cooking spray. While cooling, make marshmallow frosting:

Blueberry Lavender Marshmallow Frosting:

2 large egg whites

2 c sugar

1 c boiling water

1/3 c dried lavender blossoms

9 marshmallows

1 1/2 tbsp fresh Meyer lemon juice

2 tbsp pureed blueberries

Place boiling water and lavender blossoms in a heat-safe vessel and allow to steep; strain out blossoms and squeeze as much liquid out as possible. Discard blossoms. Top the water up to a cup again, if necessary. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lavender water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until a thin syrup forms that drops in a thin thread from spoon — about 15 minutes. In a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. With mixer on medium speed, gradually pour half of the syrup into egg whites and beat until soft peaks form; keep remaining syrup at a simmer. Add marshmallows, one at a time, to syrup mixture until the marshmallows melt down. Gradually beat syrup into the frosting mixture until it reaches spreadable consistency. Beat in lemon juice and blueberry puree and refrigerate.

Cut into small squares, top each bite with a bit of frosting and a fresh blueberry, and serve.