1 silicone Minnie Mouse bow mold (see the tutorial for details)
Ingredients
4 ⅔cupsKellogg's Rice Krispies Cereal
4tablespoonssalted butter
¼cupHershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
½cup(3 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
10ouncesKraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows
4ouncesmodeling chocolate or fondant(red and white)
1teaspooncorn starch(to dust silicone molds)
Optional
1ouncechocolate chips, melted(to use as edible glue to attach the modeling chocolate decorations to the treats)
Instructions
Pour the Rice Krispies cereal into a well buttered (greased) mixing bowl and set aside.
Cut the butter into slices and begin melting them in a medium-large saucepan set over low heat.
Stir in the cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
Allow it all to melt stirring until smooth.
Stir in the marshmallows.
Continue stirring occasionally until about 75% of the marshmallows have melted. This should take 5-8 minutes depending on your stove and pan.
Remove from heat and continue to stir until completely melted. This will keep your marshmallows from getting too hot. Overheated marshmallows will cause your treats to be too hard.
Pour the chocolate marshmallow mixture over the cereal.
Stir until well blended.
Allow the cereal to cool for about 5 minutes until you can easily handle it.
Butter your hands and the inside of a 3-inch Mickey Mouse (Minnie Mouse) cookie cutter.
Gently press some of the cereal mixture into the cookie cutter, filling it completely.
Press on the cereal mixture, allowing the Minnie Mouse shaped treat to fall out of the cutter.
Set on a silicone mat or wax paper.
Repeat creating 15 Minnie Mouse treats.
Alternatively, you can spread all of the cereal treat mixture into a buttered 9x13-inch pan, allow it to cool for 15 minutes, then cut out the shapes using your cookie cutter. You'll get about 9 treats using this method.
To make Minnie's bows, press red modeling chocolate into a silicone bow mold, scrape off the excess using a sharp knife, and then unmold.
To add polka dots, roll out white modeling chocolate really thin, cut out circles by pressing a #2 or #3 pastry tip into the modeling chocolate. Cut several polka dots, then turn the pastry tip upside down and tap it on the counter. The white modeling chocolate polka dots will fall out.
Sprinkle some of the polka dots into the bow mold then press red modeling chocolate over the top. Scrape off the excess then unmold.
To create the half-moon-shaped dresses for Minnie, roll out red modeling chocolate and cut using the same Mickey Mouse cookie cutter. Then, cut it in half creating the half-moon shaped dress. Cut some polka dots using a #3 or #4 pastry tip then press them onto the red dress. If they won't stick, use a tiny bit of water to attach them. Brush the water onto one side of a polka dot then press that wet side down onto the red modeling chocolate.
Attach the bows and the red half-moon-shaped dress by simply pressing them onto the sticky treats. If they won't stick, melt some chocolate chips and use that as "glue" to attach the decorations.
Notes
Storage
Store these treats at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze the plain treats for up to 3 months. Decorate them with the modeling chocolate bows and dresses once the treats have been thawed.
Tips
We suggest using Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows in this recipe. If you use a store brand marshmallow, they may be denser and stickier. You might want to adjust the recipe by increasing the cereal by 1 cup.For the best flavor, use European-style salted butter.