Spooky Rice Krispie Treats

Today is Ben's Birthday!  Ben (better known as Bug) is the cousin of one of my best friends, Alex.  He is the most adorable kid in San Francisco and I can't believe he is 2 already!  

His birthday falls so close to Halloween, that I decided to make him Spooky Rice Krispie Treats!   I am not sure where I got the idea for this dessert.  I have been looking at recipes for Halloween treats for awhile now and none have grabbed my attention.  I am sadly not a baker at heart and only know how to make a few dessert recipes.  Rice Krispie Treats are easy and require no baking.  I spruced the original version up a bit with chocolate and apricot.  The apricot added a bright flavor and almost transformed the treats into granola bars.  I use the term "almost" quite loosely, since at the end of the day the yummy treats still fall into the "dessert" category.

Happy Birthday Ben!

Spooky Rice Krispie Treats

Adapted from Kellogg's Rice Kripsie Treats

Ingredients:

6 Cups Rice Krispies

Approximately 20 - 30 Apricots Chopped 

10 oz Marshmallows (I believe I counted 50 Large Marshmallows)

1 Bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 tsp Salt

4 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Directions:

Line a large glass baking dish with foil.  Add chopped apricots.  Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat.  Meanwhile melt marshmallows, butter, salt, and cocoa powder in a large pan over medium low heat.  When both the chocolate and the marshmallows are melted (it's all about timing with this recipe) add the Rice Krispies to the melted marshmallow mixture and turn off the heat.  Pour chocolate over the apricots.  Pour the Rice Krispies over the chocolate and press down until the surface is flat.  Let sit for a few hours until chocolate is solid again.  I put mine in the freezer for about 10 minutes once the Rice Krispie were cool to speed up the process.  If you do the same let the Rice Krispie sit for awhile (1 hour) prior to serving.   Flip over, cut, and serve.