Transcription
[Music] Hi guys, happy holidays! I'm so excited for today's video. I'll be showing you all the secrets to achieving perfect Rice Krispy Treats, except we're not using a mold for this quick and easy method that only requires a third of the amount of chocolate while resulting in clean treats with super sharp edges. Plus, helpful tricks for slicing even rectangles and four fun flavors that everyone will enjoy. These pigment-inspired designs spread all the holiday cheer, so be sure to comment down below which one is your favorite, and let's create something magical.
To make the most perfect Rice Krispy Treats without using a mold, there's only a few basic essentials you're going to need. Number one is a straight-edge pan. Number two, some parchment paper. The other game-changers are a brownie slicer, followed by a fondant smoother, and last are your chocolate melting wafers and a thinning agent.
The key for achieving nice sharp edges is using a pan that's completely straight. The one I recommend is the 9x13 Magic Line pan, which ensures all the treats are evenly sized, even the corner pieces, and there's no waste from slicing off the edges. Most baking pans are designed with a slightly rounded edge. For example, you'll notice how the type of pan makes all the difference in the results. Since our Magic Pan is perfectly straight, it will automatically be more tricky to pop out and release, so the pan should always be greased and lined by spraying with nonstick. Then, I center it over a sheet of parchment paper. It's important to leave several inches of paper to overhang. That way, it could easily be lifted to remove and continue cutting each of the corners wherever it lines up. Lining will prevent damaging the pan instead of having to scrape around with a knife, and also avoid scratching the surface of the chocolate. So, remember to line and grease for easy release. Finish folding all four sides and press inside of the greased pan. Another important tip is to secure the parchment with clips to keep the paper flat and free of creasing, which will lock it in place for all the layers to have a crisp and clean look.
The fun part is all the unlimited flavor combinations of delicious homemade Rice Krispy Treats. The first one I'll be showing you is the cookies and cream flavor with Oreos and extra marshmallows as the mix-ins. Keep in mind that not all of these recipes are created equal. The flavor provides, IES will vary in the amount of butter or cereal so the treats don't dry out. I went ahead and coarsely chopped 20 Oreo cookies. Keeping them coarse eliminates a whole bunch of powdery crumbs and as more of the crunchy cookie pieces, and set them aside while we prepare the recipe on the stove.
Be sure to grab a large pot and give it a spray with nonstick. First, I'm starting off with 10 tablespoons of butter, melting that over low heat. By the way, all these recipes have already been doubled to make taller, thicker rectangles. A smaller batch would be too flat to fill out the pan. Once the butter is completely melted, it's time to drop in 20 ounces of mini marshmallows. It's really two of the 10-ounce bags, stirring continuously to combine into what looks like a marshmallow sauce that's smooth without chunks. As soon as that's done, it's ready to remove from the heat so the crispy treats don't brown or harden from overcooking. Into the marshmallow sauce, let's add 260 grams of Rice Krispy cereal, which is equal to 10 cups. I like measuring the gram weight on a scale for more accuracy. This is a bit of a workout, so it helps to incorporate half at a time to fully coat with the marshmallow mixture. After that, fold in the mix-ins, which are the 20 coarsely chopped Oreos and an additional one cup of mini marshmallows.
Now is a good time to pause and grab a pen to jot down some notes for what I call the flipping method. Transfer everything into a greased Magic Pan, scraping as much as possible out of the pot, and spray down your palms as well. Pressing evenly throughout to pack into an even layer. Feel free to take your time shaping. It stays super pliable without hardening too quickly when the recipe directions are followed correctly. The goal is to get everything mostly spread out. Here is where my fondant smoother comes in. This tool is a must-have to sharpen the corners really well and glides across the surface, especially if there's chunky toppings like the Oreos.
After part one is complete, part two of the flipping method is to take a large cutting board and flip the whole Rice Krispie onto the pretty side and push it right back into a greased and lined pan that's fully prepped and ready to go. Running over it again with the fondant smoother. Having two Magic Pans on hand is optional but helpful. However, it's completely okay if two pans aren't in your budget. All you would do is complete part one of the shaping in your greased pan and flip it onto the board, then line the same pan right before part two. All that matters is the pan is lined and clipped prior to pouring the chocolate layer.
As for chocolate, a fluid, pourable consistency will set smoothly and be softer to slice. To 20 ounces of white melting wafers, I'm adding 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of refined coconut oil to thin it out. Note that milk chocolate is more runny and may not need as much thinning agent. The brand that works best for the method is Merkin or Giradelli, heated to a temperature of 90 degrees. Put the melted chocolate in an oxo pouring cup and empty the contents into the pan, turning to flow into every corner. A huge plus is saving on chocolate, only using 1/3 of the amount compared to the mold, which for each individual cavity can take 3 and 1/2 ounces each.
While the cookies and cream is setting, the second recipe is for these sweet and unique strawberry treats. I'm melting 10 tablespoons of butter in my pot and mixing in a 3-ounce box of strawberry Jell-O powder, stirring really well with your silicone spatula until completely dissolved. Throw in 20 ounces of mini marshmallows for a marshmallow sauce that's pretty in pink. Once melted, remember to remove from the heat. We don't want our pink treats to turn brown. There's more cereal this time at 320 grams, which equals 12 and 1/2 cups. Being that there's Jell-O powder in the mix, it tends to be even more gooey than normal. Be sure to scrape really well from the bottom to coat the cereal thoroughly. Proceed following the same flipping method, whether you have one or two pans. The flipping method is the technique for cleaner, more compact treats. Anyone that's used a mold before, the fondant smoother will become your new favorite for accessing the corners without overpacking. Flip the strawberry Rice Krispie and place into a prepped pan.
In a few moments, I will show you the secrets of slicing perfect rectangles that are even in size to match the strawberry treats. I colored the Merkins with Color Mill oil-based coloring in the shade baby pink. Allow the chocolate layer to completely solidify for 2 hours at room temperature and remove the clips when ready to release. Gradually lift the paper to loosen the sides, or if it's taking a while, the alternative is to carefully flip onto your board. The layers are looking good so far. All that's missing is staying on point when cutting even rectangles. This step-by-step guide will walk you through all the best tricks I've learned along the way.
Fresh out of the pan, you'll spot a ledge of excess chocolate. A quick fix is to shave it down, dragging across with a toothpick until clean, then dust off the shavings with a large brush. Softer bristles are best to avoid scratching the chocolate. Here's an idea of how it looks after. The secret behind eliminating the guesswork and creating perfectly even slices is the brownie slicer from Chicago Metallic. I will link this along with all the other products in the description box down below. The slicer comes along with a brownie pan as a set, however, the pan is rounded and not ideal for this project. Pick up the brownie slicer and center the grid the best you can, checking with a ruler that each end measures equally in width from the edge. Mine is 2 and 1/8 inches. Firmly hold the brownie slicer as you trace the grid with the cookie scribe without moving the divider until all markings are traced. This hack is foolproof and much easier by far than all the other methods I've tried. I know this sounds silly, but keep in mind the slicer is only an aid for markings. Don't use this to slice through the chocolate as you would for brownies, and lift away to reveal a grid as a guide for cutting 18 fabulous Rice Krispy Treats. I like to deepen all the score lines and run over them with a knife before scoring all the way through. The knife should be a straight blade, not serrated, for clean cuts. The process will be effortless to slice completely through the layers without cracking the coating, all because the chocolate is softer from thinning it out. There's no right or wrong way to do this. It's all about what's most comfortable for you. To streamline, I go straight down to get all the vertical cuts done first, then go across and section into bars. Maintain a clean workspace with a brush to dust off loose shavings and paper towels to clean off your knife in between cuts. And we have our flawless Rice Krispy Treats without a mold that have just the right chocolate and treat ratio.
The third fantastic flavor is confetti cake batter with cake mix and sprinkles as the mix-ins. The ingredients are 12 tablespoons of butter, melted on low, in addition to two 10-ounce bags of mini marshmallows. The flavor is much more authentic with actual cake mix rather than a flavoring oil. Add in 2/3 a cup of white cake mix in any brand of your choice. Avoid a yellow cake mix, or it will stain the color of your treats. Remove from the heat before incorporating 320 grams or 12 cups of cereal, and all the fun is folding in one cup of sprinkles. My favorite are the pastel Sweet Tooth Fairy jimmies. Working quickly so the colors don't bleed. It really is that simple to whip up a quick batch of these 18 treats. They can be knocked out all in one pan instead of individually coating the mold. And for all the original Rice Krispie fans out there, I'll be sharing a plain recipe with a twist right after this one.
I decided to top the confetti cake batter treats with a wintry icy blue color by mixing Color Mill in the shade baby blue into the Merkin's wafers. Pouring the chocolate in the pan and waiting 2 hours to slice. You can't go wrong with an original recipe coated with a chocolate shell. Let's melt 8 tablespoons of butter over the stove. After that, stir in 20 ounces of mini marshmallows, followed by folding in 320 grams or 12 cups of cereal. If you're short on ingredients, this recipe only includes three, but you can take it to the next level by coating with flavored wafers like peanut butter or gingerbread. I poured Merkin's peanut butter wafer over the top as a flawless canvas for decorations.
Finally, we can get decorating. The first design is a reindeer friend. I molded her pretty pink nose in this sphere mold out of pink chocolate and attached it towards the bottom with a dot of royal icing. Right above the nose, I drew on her eyeliner and lashes in black edible marker. Saving the ears for last leaves enough space for the design. I piped two diagonal lines in white royal icing, followed by shorter lines on each side, similar to a V-shape. The secret to super fine lines is a tipless piping bag and a very small hole cut at the corner of the bag. Just allow the icing to dry before glamming up her golden antlers with gold edible paints. To mix it, I take a spoonful of gold luster dust and drop in small amounts of Everclear, swirling together until it becomes a painting consistency, and lightly dab onto the icing with a thin paintbrush. Feel free to mix in more liquid if the Everclear evaporates and becomes too thick or chalky. Now, the golden antlers are sure to stand out when they slay the North Pole.
Another to join our cheerful Christmas crew is Mr. Gingerbread Man. Onto the peanut butter Krispy treat, I'm piping a scalloped rickrack border across the top and bottom, and his black beady eyes with a squeeze of black icing, paired with a curved smile. A sweet idea for the cheeks are a pink heart sprinkle. Mine were from this Walmart Valentine sprinkle mix in my collection. Simply attached onto the corners of his mouth. Since Mr. Gingerbread is the expert baker, his suggestion is to get a royal icing mix as a great alternative to decorating with chocolate because it doesn't need reheating and it's easy to adjust the consistency.
A simple but elegant design that makes a statement are these presents. Dress up your plain pastel treats using basket weave tip number 47 on the flat, non-textured side, piping across to resemble a band of ribbon. You can leave it matte or add a touch of sparkle with white pearl dust brushed on once the icing has dried. All the details go a long way, which is why I made a DIY three-dimensional gold bow out of fondant. Any small cookie cutter shaped like a lemon or cat eye will work, and the Satin Ice Gold Shimmer fondant is a beautiful base. Roll out your fondant and cut two of the lemon shapes for the loops. Then I cut three long strips with the pizza cutter. Set the strips aside and flatten out the lemon-shaped piece a bit and fold it over to resemble the loop. Repeat those steps with the second piece and overlap both of the loops together, meshing the fondant with a little water and lightly pat down with a gum paste tool. Once they're connected, wrap one of the strips to fit and cover over the loops, trimming the excess off for the center part of the bow. Finish by sliding the two remaining strips underneath and cut the ends on a slant to complete the bow. Although the fondant already has a gold shimmer to it, a light dusting of gold luster let a finish pop even more and secure your beautiful bows with a V of icing to tie the whole look together.
Frosty the Snowman is staying fashionable this season with a matching hat and scarf. You can achieve the knit pattern with a textured mold like this one, and I suggest mixing 50/50 fondant and gum paste for extra structure. Simply press the sheet of fondant into the mold, peel it away, and cut over the impression with a circle cookie cutter. Then slice across a little less than halfway and a second strip directly below to transform into a little beanie. Tap off the hats with a glistening pearl dust for a snowy effect, and we can't forget Frosty's scarf by cutting another strip of textured fondant. Before building your snowman, set aside the fondant pieces to harden for a few days so the hat doesn't flap over. Go ahead and dress a white coated crispy treat by assembling the hat and cuff towards the top end and the scarf on the bottom. Embellish the wintry hats with fondant snowflakes and sprinkle on some white edible glitter. First, I brush a thin layer of edible adhesive on the fondant and shake on the glittery snow. A light amount of adhesive is all you need for the glitter to stick right on. A silver sugar pearl right in the center brings all the winter wonderland vibes, and my go-to essential for handling small sprinkles or pearls is this sprinkle grabber, which is linked in my Amazon store. Stick the snowflakes onto the hat, and it's almost time to bring Frosty to life. The only detail that's missing is a furry pom-pom to go on top. For best results, use a white coarse sanding sugar and slide a mini marshmallow onto a toothpick. Give it a quick dip into some water and shake off the excess, then immediately cover the top, bottom, and sides to the marshmallow with a generous coating of sanding sugar. Remove the pom-pom from the toothpick and secure with icing as the glue. Frosty is cozy just in time for the snowstorm. Pipe on his two black button eyes. For the carrot nose, build up a bead and drag it out in orange royal icing, and several dots in the shape of a smile. It's beginning to look a lot like a pastel pink Christmas. It's hard deciding whether the pink or blue is my favorite. Our snow buddies here would pair perfectly with a snowflake design.
And guys, if you're enjoying all these ideas so far, be sure to join the party and subscribe for more fun treat tutorials, and hit that bell to receive all notifications. Create your snowflake by piping a cross with an X, then two V-shaped arrows on each line. A stiff consistency royal icing will hold the definition of the details. A fine sanding sugar is the best type to sprinkle on some flurries of snow. Try not to be heavy-handed, literally a couple of light shakes to prevent distorting the shape, and avoid a coarse green sanding sugar, which can appear too thick. Crown the middle of the snowflake with a silver sugar pearl for a spectacular spin on a classic snowflake.
Last but not least are these gorgeous glittery ornaments. My camera doesn't do them justice at all. A different design idea is to cut out mini cookie shapes. The dough can either be gingerbread like mine or a sugar cookie dough, as long as the recipe is no-spread to retain the shape from turning into a blob. And prepare a tray of baked cookies with your favorite mini Christmas cookie cutters. Feel free to decorate however you wish. All I'm doing for the ornament is cutting pink fondant with the same cookie cutter and slicing off the base, then applying the royal comet luster dust in the shade blush pastel pink to enhance the cutter. Without glitter, the base is going to be gold, so I trimmed out the section I needed in gold shimmer fondant and applied gold luster dust. Any luster should go on the fondant before placing on the cookie to prevent fallout. Let's jazz up the other ornaments with different shades of glitter in silver, gold, and a light blue. The edible adhesive is brushed on in a thin layer, just as we did for the snowflake, and the magic appears when the glitter is dusted on with a shaker. Shake, shake, shake, and clean around the cookie with a clean, dry brush. The glittery ornaments are so eye-catching. We're going to adhere the cookies on the front of the crispy treat with a generous smear of royal icing as the glue, and pipe a thin loop so it's ready to hang on the Christmas tree. Cover the loops with gold edible paints after the icing is set.
As the final touch, I hope you guys enjoyed all of these tips and tricks for fabulous Rice Krispy Treats and you learned something new. Give this video a thumbs up if you did and it inspires you to try them out. For Pink Miss, it's Christina here. Thank you so much for watching, and I'll see you in the next video. [Music]