Every year I get more and more press releases about Thanksgiving and 4th July – which I love, because I’m a foodie hipster and I was into this before it was cool (do you have that on record?). This year, I was asked if I’d like to try some Post cereals, and of course, I said yes, because if there’s one thing Americans know how to do, it’s add sugar to stuff that’s already sweet, and make it even more awesome that it already is.

Yes, I love healthy breakfasts, avocado on toast, granola, poached eggs, etc, but you know, sometimes you just want a bowl of cereal and milk, simple, sweet and delicious. Bleary eyed and morning-breathed, hunched on the sofa and counting down the minutes to work, or bleary eyed and tousled-haired, hunched over the sink eating a midnight snack, a bowl of cereal is always a tasty treat. But I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here. Of course, if you portion it right, cereal is actually a low-cal option, as both the cereals I was sent were around 120 calories a serving…

So what’s the link between cereal and 4th July? Well, these are the perfect bases to create serious sugary treats to celebrate the most American of all days – Independence Day. As a Brit, I like to view this holiday as the day the kids moved out and got their own place – you’ll miss ’em, but they have to stand on their own two feet. (Although, if you ever need a monarchy back, we’re up for sharing again. We’re very good at that.)

To celebrate the kids moving out, or Independence Day, as they like to call it, grab yourself some boxes of outrageously delicious American cereal, and whip up some sugar-filled treats to propell you through the day. Fireworks not included, because I’m British and we prefer to watch those while we’re freezing our nads off in a field holding a sparkler in gloved hands.

Waffle Crisp Cupcakes

I promise you, these are worth making. I based these on Mary Berry’s vanilla cupcakes, but the addition of crushed Waffle Crisp cereal (or your cereal of choice) adds a gorgeous, sweet, malty flavour. All you need to do is blitz the cereal up in a food processor, to create a fine crumb.

• Cake ingredients
• 175 g salted butter, softened
• 150 g self-raising flour
• 100 g caster sugar
• 100g finely crushed Waffle Crisp
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2-3tbsp milk
• Frosting ingredients
• 175 g salted butter
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 350 g icing sugar, sifted
• Waffle Crisps for garnish

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade. Put the cake ingredients apart from the milk into the bowl of a food mixer, and mix until thoroughly combined. Add milk if needed to loosen the mixture.

Place cake cases into a cupcake tin, and divide the mixture evenly – this mix should make a dozen cakes. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

Prepare the frosting ingredients by mixing together everything except the Waffle Crisps in your mixer. Then, simply dollop or pipe the frosting on the cakes, and top each one with a Waffle Crisp!

Chocolate Marshmallow Mateys Bars

These are a variation on chocolate tiffin bars / rocky road bars / refrigerator cake, where the idea is to create a buttery, syrupy base, and stir in crushed biscuits – or in this case, chocolate marshmallow cereal! If you’re making this with a lighter coloured cereal (like Waffle Crisp), try using white chocolate instead!)

• 75g butter
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 100g dark chocolate
• 55g marshmallow
• 130g Chocolate Marshmallow Mateys

Melt together all the ingredients except the cereal in a pan on a low heat. When it’s melted, mix in the cereal.

Line a tray with baking parchment and pour in the mix, smoothing it down and making it even. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours until firm, then cut into slices!

So there you have it – 4th July treats made with American cereal to celebrate Independence Day! Make ’em and take ’em into work – they’ll be lovely with a cuppa, in true Brit style!

You can buy Marshmallow Mateys, Cocoa Pebbles and Waffle Crisps from Post Cereals in Tesco and Morrisons. Check out Post’s website here for more recipe ideas!

I was provided with a couple of boxes for the purposes of this post. Photography etc is my own.