Rice Crispy "Coal" Snacks

My son is 4. And as much as we try to teach him the true meaning behind the holidays, and assert what we find to be most important, there is still plenty of room for fun not only as a family, but also because...well, he's 4. What a fun age for nearly every endeavor! 

That being said, I found a version of this recipe online and tweaked it (of course) and fell in love with it. It is really quite simple and the results are hilarious as well as delicious.

Rice Crispy "Coal" Treats

Begin with your standard recipe for rice cereal treats:

• 6 cups of mini-marshmallows
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp black food coloring
• 5 cups rice cereal
• Approx 6 mega-stuff Oreos, crushed (around 1 cup)

-Melt the butter in a large pot. When it is melted, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and food coloring. 

-Swirl the combination until the food coloring has melted throughout the butter.

-Add the marshmallows and turn down the heat - allow to melt into the butter folding regularly.

-While the marshmallows take their dirty bath, crush the Oreos as much as possible (the mega-stuff prevents this somewhat) and mix into the rice cereal.

-Keep stirring the marshmallow mixture. I tried to squish the remaining lumps to help them melt faster. Try to ensure that the black is spread throughout the mixture.

-Toss everything together while the marshmallows are still warm. Be sure to fold gently. Spread parchment paper on your pan and drop by spoonfuls onto the pan so they look more like coal. Place in the refrigerator (or outside, depending on where you live!) until hardened.

-Eat and enjoy! They were truly yummy - the extra cream filling adds an interesting flavor to the standard crispy treat, enhancing the vanilla and subtly sweeter. And the cinnamon adds just a hint of spice that warms you on the cold nights.

Fair warning, though - the black food coloring does have its repercussions. We had a LOT of fun determining who was affected the most. No worries, though - as the night progressed and we continued to munch on chips, cookies, etc., the color wore off. I did look a little Goth for awhile with dark lips, though.

Fun times - especially if you can keep the black mouths a secret until everyone looks around and realizes what happened! I hope you enjoy and have someone "deserving" of coal!