Red and green Rice Krispies make such festive goodies! These easy Christmas Rice Krispie Treats stars are dipped in chocolate and dusted with sprinkles.
8cupsholiday red and green Rice Krispies cereal(or regular Rice Krispies)
8ouncessemisweet chocolate chunks or chips
1teaspoonvegetable shortening
Holiday sprinkles or crushed candy canes
Instructions
Make the cereal-marshmallow mixture:
Use a little butter (or nonstick spray) to coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Hold this aside.
Melt the ½ cup of butter in a large Dutch oven or pot (one that's large enough to hold all the cereal later) over medium heat. When it's all melted, add in the vanilla extract and salt.
Pour in the marshmallows. Stir them in the butter until they're all coated, and then continue stirring until the marshmallows have melted and the mixture is smooth. (If there are a few stubborn lumps not melting, use a whisk to break them down.)
Remove the pan from the heat.
Pour in the Rice Krispies, and stir until they're completely combined with the marshmallow-butter mixture.
Press into the pan:
Scoop the marshmallow-cereal mixture into the prepared baking pan. Use buttered hands, a buttered piece of wax paper, or butter wrappers to press the mixture into the pan.
It should fill the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Press the cereal down firmly and smooth the top out as much as possible.
Cool:
Let the mixture rest, uncovered, until it's cool to the touch on top—about 30 minutes.
Grease a piece of wax paper or parchment paper. Then, flip the marshmallow-cereal rectangle out of the pan onto the paper, so that the bottom is now on top.
Let the treats rest for another 30 minutes or so, until the treats firm up and no longer feel sticky to the touch. (This will make them easier to cut.)
Cut out the stars:
Use a 2¼-inch star cookie cutter to cut star shapes out of the Krispie treats. Press the cutter firmly into the treats, in five rows of three stars.
Pull the extra away from the stars gently, so that the stars don't get pulled out of shape. Place the stars on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper. If they're a little wonky, just press them lightly to flatten them back out, and pinch the ends into crisp points.
Gently press the leftover Krispie treat pieces back together, with the smooth tops facing up, and cut out more stars.
You can get as many as ten extra stars this way before the mixture begins to get too sticky—or until you get tired of it!
(Any leftover bits of Krispie treat can be saved for snacking.)
Melt the chocolate:
Place the chocolate chunks or chips and the vegetable shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Zap the chocolate in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one, until the chocolate is melted and smooth,
Be careful not to overheat the chocolate or it will sieze.
(You can also melt the chocolate on the stove over simmering water in a double boiler.)
Dip the stars:
Working one at a time, dip a Rice Krispie treat star into the chocolate—the top or dip half of the star shape. Gently tap off the excess and place the dipped star on the lined baking sheet.
Repeat until all of the stars are dipped.
Add the sprinkles:
While the chocolate is wet, dust the tops of the Krispie treat stars with holiday sprinkles, crushed candy cane pieces, or your own choice of little candies.
Let the treats cool at room temperature until the chocolate is set and firm—about an hour.
Keep the Krispie Treats stored tightly wrapped or in an airtight container to keep them fresh and gooey. They'll stay fresh for five to seven days at room temperature.
Notes
Try other chocolates with these treats, too, like white, milk, or dark chocolate.
It's important to store the treats in an airtight container or resealable bag—otherwise, they'll dry out and be hard to eat.
Do not put the treats in the fridge: the cold will make them hard to eat and will make the chocolate discolor. Keep the treats at room temperature away from heat and sunlight.