There was me just saying that I’m not that big on Halloween, and here I am with another Halloween recipe for you!
I’ll be honest though, these Monster Rice Krispy Squares are not a new recipe for me. I have been making them for the boys for years now. In fact, I think the first time I made them would have been for John’s P1 Halloween disco, when he wanted to dress-up as a Postman (like Papa). He’s now nearly 11 and wants to be a killer clown this year. Oh, how times have changed!
I initially made these spooky Rice Krispy Squares, alongside a batch of Pumpkin Biscuits, knowing they’d go down well with a rowdy bunch of 5 year olds. Turns out they also go down well with an even rowdier bunch of 8 and 10 year olds!
Not only are Monster Rice Krispy Squares popular with kids of all ages, they are incredibly easy to make. They are just pimped up Rice Krispy Squares after all.
Simply melt your marshmallows with a little butter/margarine and add some food colouring, before mixing through your rice crispies. Press the mixture into a greased tin, and cut to your appropriate monster size after a few hours. Then comes the fun part – the decorating!
I have gone for a Frankenstein Rice Krispy Squares with the green but you can channel any monster you like. You could use a purple or orange food colouring, in-keeping with the Halloween vibe. Or one I’ve always wanted to try is a blue food colouring, and opt for more of Cookie Monster look!
Ingredients:
Marshmallows
Marshmallows play the important role of making the rice crispies stick together, as well as giving that sweet flavour and chewy texture. You can use whatever marshmallows you have available, big or small. And don’t be too concerned with the colour of them either, as you will adding food colouring to make your monsters have a ghoulish appearance.
Butter or Margarine
It’s important to add a little butter or margarine to the marshmallow mixture. Not only does it help thin the marshmallows out a little bit and make them easier to melt & mix, it also prevents the marshmallows from sticking to everything quite as much (they will still be incredibly sticky though!).
Rice Crispies
A somewhat obvious ingredient I suppose.
Dark Chocolate
This is where the decorating comes in to play. I like dark chocoalte for creating that iconic Frankenstein look, of dark hair and a creepy smile. But depending on what monster you are going for, you can get creative with the decorating. Why not try drizzling some white chocolate for creating bandages? Or white chocolate with some red food colouring through for a blood-like finish?
Granny's Top Tips
• For the best colour in your Monster Rice Crispy Squares, use a gel food colouring. They offer the best colour pay off – a little goes a long way.
• If you can’t find any Edible Eyes, try using white chocolate buttons and dabbing a dot of darker chocolate to the centre to make your own DIY eyes.
Love this? Try this:
Ingredients
- 25 g Butter or Margarine
- 200 g Marshmallows
- 100 g Rice Crispies
- Food Colouring
- 100 g Dark Chocolate
- Edible Eyes
Instructions
- Generously grease a 11x7 inch tray with some butter/margarine. Set aside.
- In a large pan, melt your butter/margarine over a low heat.
- Add your marshmallows to your pan and allow them to melt, stirring occasionally to avoid them burning and sticking.
- Once your marshmallows have completely melted, add your food colouring and mix through. Remove from the heat and add your rice crispies.
- Mix in your rice crispies as quick as possible, before transferring the mixture to your prepared tray. The mixture will be sticky, so work fast. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into the tin - greasing the spoon in a little excess butter/margarine will also stop the mixture sticking.
- Allow your rice crispy squares to set for a couple of hours. Once set, cut to your desired size. Have a sheet of greaseproof paper to hand for decorating also.
- Melt the chocolate over a bain marie, or in short bursts in a microwave. Dip your rice crispy squares into the chocolate, letting the excess chocolate drip off, before transferring to your piece of greaseproof paper.
- Using a little dab of chocolate, stick the edible eyes onto your rice crispy square. Add a mouth and any additional features by drizzling a little chocolate with a small spoon or a cocktail stick.
- Allow the chocolate to set completely before enjoying.
Free-from & Vegan
Gluten-free: Check your rice crispies and marshmallows for gluten (they aren’t ingredients that would automatically include gluten but it can often be hidden in them anyway) and this recipe can easily be made gluten-free.
Nut-free: No nuts are used in this recipe. Just be sure to double check your individual ingredients for any hidden nuts.
Egg-free: No eggs are used in this recipe. Just be sure to double check your individual ingredients for any hidden nuts.
Dairy-free: As long as you use a dairy-free margarine and a dairy-free dark chocolate, this recipe can easily be made dairy-free.
Vegan: Swap out your marshmallows for vegan marshmallows and use a dairy-free margarine & dark chocolate.
