Puffed Wheat Squares

Quick, simple and delicious.  A favourite in our house and perfect to make for occasions when you need to send a homemade snack to school or for a potluck.  I'm not sure if this is a western Canadian phenomenon or not?  But I grew up eating puffed wheat squares and have had friends from other parts of the world who have never heard of them.

Puffed Wheat Squares
1/2 cup butter or margarine (I usually use the hard Parkay margarine since it is nicely premeasured)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons cocoa (use 4 Tbsp. if you like them extra chocolatey)
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 cups puffed wheat
1 cup sunflower kernels, if desired

Melt butter in large saucepan.  Add honey, brown sugar and cocoa.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring.  Remove from heat, let cool for a minute and stir in vanilla.  Stir in puffed wheat and mix to coat evenly (and sunflower seeds if desired).  Press into buttered 11x17 pan with the back of a spoon and let cool before cutting into squares.

A couple of tips: Don't boil the mixture for too long.  I take mine off of the heat as soon as bubbles form and the sugar is dissolved.  I find the puffed wheat squares get hard if the chocolatey mixture is boiled too long. 
Also, don't try to add too much puffed wheat.  The squares are better and stick together much better if there is enough chocolate syrup to go around, if you know what I mean.

Most puffed wheat square recipes I have seen use corn syrup rather than honey, so if you don't have any honey you could probably substitute the syrup.  I'm not sure if they turn out exactly the same way?   If I don't have liquid honey, I just melt the solid stuff in the microwave and measure out a half cup.  Enjoy!