I’ve never made a batch of Original Rice Krispies Treats.  Every time I make them I scrounge my pantry to see what I can add to them.  I think it’s great how you can easily adapt them for any holiday by adding different colored candies and toppings.  To me, mixing together that those plain, light brown, little rice crisps with melted butter and marshmallows is like prepping a blank canvas for fresh paint.

When I was in my teens and early twenties I had a lot of Valentine’s Day expectations.  And if those expectations weren’t met by whoever I was anticipating would meet them I’d get upset.  I wouldn’t be mad at the person who didn’t buy me roses, chocolates, balloons, dinner, and a card.  I would just quietly pout and internally question their true feelings for me.

Now I like watching my kids go through these stages.  The other night Sam’s girlfriend decorated his room to look like a crime scene and left a mysterious note asking him to the sweetheart school dance.  She is such a creative girl!  It was fun to see Sam’s reaction. I love witnessing all the details of his life.

I’m looking forward to doing it all again with Will starting with the small paper Valentine’s traded in grade school. I’ve been trying to remember ones I picked out when I was in grade school.  I remember Sam picking out dinosaur and later Spider-man Valentine’s.  I also recall that we always waited until the last minute because I’m a huge procrastinator.  Sam and I would be up way too late Valentine’s Eve scribbling 20-30 children’s names across those minature squares of paper carefully torn from larger perforated sheets and then trying to stuff them into their tiny white envelopes along with a piece of candy.  Sometimes we just taped the candy to the outside of the envelope.

Then there were the decorated shoe boxes.  I loved those crafty projects in grade school! I wonder what Valentine card characters Will will choose when he is in school?

Print

White Chocolate Iced Krispy Treats for Valentine’s Day

Ingredients

• 5 c. Rice Krispies cereal
• 1-7.5 oz. about 2 cups bag white fudge coated pretzels (broken up)
• 1-9.9 oz. bag Red Velvet M&MS
• ½ c. butter unsalted
• 6 c. mini marshmallows
• 2-4 oz. Giradelli white chocolate bars
• 1 Tbsp. butter melted
• red food coloring a few drops

Instructions

1. Line a 9 X 13 cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Place the white fudge covered pretzels into a gallon sized Ziploc bag and brake into pieces by hitting them with a rolling pin.
3. In a large mixing bowl toss or stir to combine cereal and pretzels.
4. Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until they are completely melted.
5. Remove sauce pan from heat.
6. Add cereal, pretzels, and M&Ms to marshmallow mixture (add M&Ms last so they don't melt and discolor everything).
7. Stir and turn cereal in marshmallow mixture until all cereal is well mixed and coated.
8. Pour the cereal mixture into lined pan try to spread out evenly.
9. Press down a little (not too much or they will get too dense) with your hands. (I coated my clean hands in canola oil before handling the mixture, because it is extremely sticky)
10. Let treats sit for about 1 hour to cool.
11. Break white chocolate bars into small pieces.
12. Place chocolate in a small microwave bowl and microwave at high heat for 30 second intervals (stirring in between) until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
13. Add melted butter and food coloring. Stir to incorporate.
14. Scrape all chocolate into a small Ziploc bag.
15. Snip a small corner off the bag and drizzle the pink chocolate over the treats.
16. Once chocolate sets a little cut into squares and EAT!

Do you remember any of your grade school Valentine’s?