Food/Cooking

UNIQUE RICE CRISPY SNACKS!!!!

These sweet snacks are like the pot of gold at the end of your family's feast. With their yummy peppermint and marshmallow flavor, they'll make even those without Irish hearts happy. And they'll have the cook smiling, too, because they're so easy to assemble. Try involving the kids, we think they'll enjoy it and feel proud :)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

4 cups large marshmallows (about 40)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

6 cups crisp rice cereal
6 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped
4 drops green food coloring, optional
Green sprinkles

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add marshmallows; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in extract and cereal. With buttered hands, press mixture into a greased foil-lined 13-in. x 9-in. pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Turn onto a cutting board; remove foil. Cut with a 3-in. shamrock cookie cutter; reshape shamrock stem if needed (save scraps for another use).
In a microwave, melt candy coating at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Stir in food coloring if desired. Spoon over cutouts and spread evenly. Decorate with sprinkles. Let stand until set. 

Yield: 15 servings.