Keep the kids busy after school with these monster crispy treats

You won’t believe how easy it is to rustle up these little monsters and they look awesome. They are so yummy, having both a delicious sweet marshmallow flavour as well as a crispy texture. But be warned, this is a sticky affair! You will need to use the stove for one part of the recipe, so if you’re not yet at the stage to cook over a stove, just get an adult to help with that bit and you can finish off. The monster decoration adds to the fun and makes these great for a party, but they are just as good served plain – whatever takes your fancy!

Monster Crispy Treats

Makes 12 large or 16 small

Ingredients
40g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
150g puffed rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon salt
285g miniature white marshmallows
½ tsp vanilla extract
90g of each colour of candy melts you want to use
1 tsp vegetable oil for each candy melt colour, plus extra if needed
edible candy eyes (or chocolate chips)

Method
1First things first, you need to grease your equipment. Melt a large knob of butter in a small bowl in the microwave, or in a small saucepan over a low heat. Dip a pastry brush into the melted butter and brush it all over a 23cm square baking tin, a medium saucepan, a spatula and also a large mixing bowl (one that will comfortably hold all your cereal). This is to stop everything sticking!

2 Pour the puffed rice cereal into the greased mixing bowl.

3 Put the 40g (3 tbsp) butter and the salt in the greased saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir constantly with your greased spatula until the marshmallows have completely melted.

4 Add the vanilla extract to the pan and mix again. Pour the mixture over the cereal in the mixing bowl and stir with the spatula until the cereal is coated in the marshmallow gloop.

5 Pour the mixture into the greased baking tin and, with the greased spatula, gently press it down until you have a flat surface. Put the tin into the refrigerator until the mixture is firm. When it is completely cold, use a knife to cut the mixture (still in the tin) into 12 or 16 rectangles. Remove the treats from the tin.

6 For the monster coating, put one colour of candy melts in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir with a small spoon and then microwave again for 30 seconds at a time until completely melted. Repeat with the other colours.

7 Add the oil to the melted candy melts and stir until it is completely mixed in. Add a little more oil to make the melts smoother if you need to, but only add it a little bit at a time.

8 Holding a treat by one end, carefully dip it into the candy melt mixture, then place it on a cooling rack or plate. Gently press some candy eyes or chocolate drops into the candy melt icing – make your monster look however you want!

9 Continue making more little monsters with the same colour, or repeat steps 6-8 for each different candy melt colour you’d like to use.

10 Be patient and wait at least 45 minutes, until your monster crispy treats have hardened, before eating them!

Extracted from Fantastic Eats! & How to Cook Them by Angellica Bell (Quadrille, approx €18). Photography © Ellis Parrinder.