Rice Krispies Tree Trimmer Treats turn the timeless rice crispy treats into edible Christmas decorations
Cookie cutouts are a holiday standard, but those running short on time might consider three fun Christmas recipe ideas to make with the kids.
Anyone who has ever made Rice Krispies Treats knows how fast they come together. Rice Krispies brand has a recipe that doubles as a crafty project, turning melted marshallows and cereal into ornaments that can hang on the tree -- if they last that long!
Borrowing the Rice Krispies Treat formula, the Popcorn Board has a fun wreath colored with lime gelatin powder. (Also try using different gelatin flavors to add different colors to the ornament recipe.) The butter blog, GoBoldwithButter.com turns rice crispy treats into white-chocolate-covered wreaths. Tinted green and flavored with peppermint extract, these also can be made with corn flakes.
A good tip from the maker: Use softer cinnamon candies, such as Hot Tamales, and snip them in half for the red decorations on the wreaths. Little hard hot candies don't complement these treats.
With the following recipes, there's no need to make a big production of mixing up dough, rolling it, cutting shapes, baking and then decorating. Just grab some kids, melt down a few marshmallows, mix in the crunchy textures of your choice and decorate. Those are the steps to make any of the following three edible Christmas decorations. Beyond displaying them as Christmas ornaments, offer them at a holiday party and, of course, they'd make cute gifts.
Baking with kids: Edible Christmas ornament recipes
Rice Krispies Tree Trimmer Treats
Makes 12 edible ornaments
12 (6-inch lengths) red or black string licorice
12 miniature marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal
Frosting
M&M'S chocolate candies
1. Fold each licorice string in half and push ends through centers of the 12 miniature marshmallows. Set aside.
2. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add the remaining marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal and stir until well coated.
3. Using a 1/2-cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray, divide the warm cereal mixture into 12 portions. Using buttered hands, shape each portion into a round ornament shape around the licorice ends. Cool.
4To decorate, spoon each chosen frosting color into a small zip-top bag. Snip of a small bit from the corner of each bag and squeeze to pipe frosting designs onto ornaments. Use a dab of frosting to hold the chocolate candies in place. Best if served the same day.
MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and the 4 cups of marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes until smooth. Follow steps 2 through 4 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.
Holiday treats made with popcorn borrow the rice crispy treats formula, using melted marshmallows to hold everything together and lime gelatin mix for color.
Popcorn.org
Holiday Wreath Popcorn Treats
Make eight 5-inch wreaths
3 quarts popped popcorn
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups miniature marshmallows
3 tablespoons (half a 3-ounce box) lime gelatin dessert mix
Decorations: small red candies, jellybeans, red fruit leather, etc.
1. Spray a large mixing bowl lightly with cooking spray and place popcorn inside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in marshmallows and gelatin dessert powder until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over popcorn and mix well until coated.
2. Spray hands with cooking spray and press firmly to form into 9-inch logs and then bend to form 'wreaths'.
3. Place 'wreaths' on waxed paper. Press candy decorations onto wreath to decorate; add a 'ribbon' cut from fruit leather. Serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap for storage. Add a ribbon tie to plastic wrap as a decorative closure.
Clean-up tip: Soak saucepan before cleaning.
-- Courtesy of popcorn.org
Christmas crispy treats: Melted marshmallows and cereal are blended and coated with tinted white chocolate for these peppermint-flavored edible Christmas decorations.
goboldwithbutter.com
Peppermint Wreaths
Makes 20-22 cookies
1 stick unsalted butter, plus one tablespoon at room temperature
1 10-ounce package of miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 teaspoons green food coloring
1 cup white chocolate chips
4 cups toasted rice or corn flake cereal
1/3 cup chewy cinnamon candies (such as Hot Tamales®) cut in half
1. Prepare baking sheet with wax paper. Butter wax paper and set aside.
2. In large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows and stir continuously until melted, scraping sides of pan so sugar crystals don't form.
3. Turn heat to low. Add peppermint extract and green food coloring and mix well. Add white chocolate chips and stir until melted. Add cereal and mix well until all cereal flakes are well coated.
4. Coat hands with some of remaining tablespoon of butter. Take about 1/4 cup of cereal mixture and form wreath shapes on wax paper coated baking sheet. Decorate each wreath with 3-6 cinnamon candy halves, cut side down.
Allow to cool for about an hour before serving. Store in an airtight container in single layers separated by wax paper or on baking sheet covered in plastic wrap for 4-5 days.
-- Courtesy of GoBoldwithButter.com
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