What's Cooking: Rice Krispies Pumpkins

Need a quick Halloween treat for a party? These Rice Krispies pumpkins are a fun and easy dessert that can be made in an afternoon, with help from your kids. Using the icing, everyone can decorate their own pumpkins with leaves and vines or turn their pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. 

Don’t feel like orange pumpkins? Change up the food coloring and make them purple, green or another color. And while the marshmallow can be a bit sticky and messy, the clean up is very easy and shouldn’t intimidate you (hot water will dissolve the marshmallow in seconds). 

So roll up those sleeves and happy baking!

► Prep time: 5 minutes

► Cook time: 45 minutes

► Servings: Approximately 12 medium pumpkins

Recipe:

► 3 tbsp unsalted butter

► 4 cups mini marshmallows

► ¼ tsp kosher salt

► ¼ tsp orange gel food coloring (or color of your choosing)

► 6 cups Rice Krispies or other puffed rice cereal

► 6 Tootsie Rolls, sliced in half

► Black and green royal icing

► Canola oil, for hands to shape pumpkins

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

► Large saucepan

► Wax paper

► Two small sealable bags or piping bags

► Paring knife

► Silicone spatula

► Ice cream scoop

Steps:

1. In large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add salt and marshmallows, and stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Stir in gel food coloring until color is consistent. Remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispies and stir to coat. Allow to cool slightly before scooping out portions with an oiled ice cream scoop (oil will help prevent sticking). Place scoops on wax paper and allow to cool more before shaping into pumpkins with oiled hands. If the pumpkins aren’t holding their shape, continue to cool and try again.  

3. Place Tootsie Roll pieces in top of pumpkins to serve as stem. Reshape as needed. Allow pumpkins to cool completely before decorating with icing. 

4. Place black and green icings in piping or sandwich bags and use a small piping tip to decorate with faces and leaves. Set aside and allow icing to set.

5. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container.