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Bunny Butt Easter Crispy Treats

April 10, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Bunny Butt Crispy Treats for Easter // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This seasonal treat can be found all over the Disneyland resort.

We’re back again today with another Disneyland park inspired Easter treat. Similar in style to yesterday’s Bunny Butt Cake Pop, today we’re not getting quite so technical with this Bunny Butt Easter Crispy Treat.

Yes! Disneyland did it again with some super cute crispy treats shaped like Peter Cottontail’s, er, cottontail. I just loved seeing these and the cake pops on my last few visits to the park in March. It was hard to narrow down what treats to make for Easter, but in the end, the bunnies won.

Unlike the smaller cake pops, these treats use flaked coconut to make a big tail for these Easter rabbits and the feet decorations are piped on. (And if you’ve got a large Mickey Mouse cutter at home, you’re in luck, since these use that shape, but flipped upside down to create the bunny butt!) Our batch below makes 3 generously sized crispy treats but you can definitely double this recipe using the handy button in the recipe too!

If you’ve saved your leftover white chocolate from yesterday, then you should still have plenty leftover to coat these and do some piping work. If not, no worries! These are still super easy to make even with a little extra time melting chocolate.

One trick I learned with these this time, is that you can speed the firming up stage by sticking these straight into the freezer for a little bit right after pouring the mixture in the pan. Then go straight to cutting out the shapes. I’d still stick them back in the fridge after cutting so they don’t un-firm up quickly though before coating and decorating. This trick came in handy when I realized I was late for snack time this week and needed to put something in front of my kids ASAP.

Speaking of kids, this is a fun treat for kids to decorate. I like to stay clear of small hands touching the molten marshmallows, but that cools down very quickly once it’s out of the saucepan and into the baking pan to set.

Ok, now let’s make some bunnies! And don’t forget to check the notes below for more tips!

Bunny Butt Easter Crispy Treats

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 3 Bunny Butt Crispy Treats 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Sweet, chewy, crispy treats get the Cottontail treatment in these cute, Easter themed Bunny Butt dessert. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the crispy treat:

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2–1/2 cups mini marshmallows or 25 regular sized marshmallows
2-1/2 cups crisped rice cereal

For the decoration:

1 cup white chocolate, finely chopped (or candy white candy melts)
1/4 cup light pink candy melts
2 marshmallows, cut in half
1/3 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Specialty Tools:

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the crispy treat:

Before beginning, line a loaf pan with parchment.
Combine the butter and marshmallows in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until marshmallows have melted and mixture is smooth.
Immediately dump in the crisped rice cereal and mix to combine.
Pour into the prepared pan and gently press mixture into place with a rubber spatula (or damp fingers). Set aside for at least an hour in the refrigerator (or 20 minutes in the freezer) so that the mixture can firm up enough to cut shapes.
When the treats have firmed up, use a Mickey Mouse cutter to cut out your shapes. Set aside.

For the decoration:

First, melt the white chocolate (or candy melts) in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting.
Dip the top of the treat into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip off back into the bowl. Repeat for other treats.
Then attach the half marshmallow, cut side down, into the center of the largest part of the crispy treat. Repeat with all the treats and set aside. (You’ll have half a marshmallow left over)
Next, pour all the remaining white chocolate into a piping bag. Set aside.
Melt the pink candy melts now in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively melt directly in a heavy duty piping bag. If you haven’t melted in a piping bag, transfer the melted candy melts to one now. Set aside.
Start piping the feet with the melted white chocolate first, outlining the circles for the feet. Then over the marshmallow with white chocolate and immediately press the shredded coconut onto it to create the cottontail.
Then, using the pink candy melts, pipe the feet decorations. Start by squeezing until a large circle forms, and then using a quick motion, pipe three small dots.
Let the treats firm up at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a smaller pan than you think you’ll need for this. As the marshmallows melt into the butter, if there’s too much space in the pan, they will start to dry out and form strings. Keeping the marshmallows closer together in the pan will ensure they melt more evenly, creating a better mixture to add the cereal into.
When mixing crisped rice cereal into the melted marshmallows, keep the mixture on the flame so that marshmallows stay liquid. Removing to mix in can seize up the liquid before the cereal is fully mixed.
If crisped rice cereal is unavailable right now, use any kind of puffed grain, or cereal. Fruity Pebbles would work here too!
After you’ve cut out your treats, extra cereal/marshmallow mixture can be recombined by hand and cut again (or just combined and shaped into another treat by hand).
Melted white chocolate is thinner than candy melts. If you find your first dip in the white chocolate is too thin, wait 5-10 minutes and then dip a second time AND THEN adhere the marshmallow.
At the parks, they use marshmallow creme to hold the coconut tail in place. If you’ve got fluff in a jar, that would work here too!
Save any extra white chocolate or candy melts to reuse for another treat within a week for white chocolate and a month for candy melts. Let harden and then seal in an airtight container.
Treats can be kept in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Bunny Butt Easter Cake Pop

April 9, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 2 Comments

Bunny Butt Cake Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This seasonal treat can be found all over the Disneyland resort.

On one of our last visits to the park we were lucky enough to catch the appearance of all the Easter/spring treats hitting the bakery shelves. Out of all the adorable items, the bunny cake pops were definitely a favorite (for both the kids and the adults). So we’re making up a batch today for our Easter festivities this week!

These bunny butt cake pops are the standard chocolate cake pops found at Disneyland, with two marshmallows for the feet, and a bit of marshmallow for the tail. It’s dipped in white chocolate, and then gets pink candy melts for decoration.

After a bit of trial and error, we found the best and most efficient way to put these together, and that require a double dip in the white chocolate. We used baking white chocolate instead of white candy melts here and to get a nice, solid, opaque coating, dipping twice is essential. Dipping twice is also how we firmly adhere the marshmallows on so they stay in place to fully cover the cake pop.

Please check out the notes below for our tips working with white chocolate for coating. Especially if you’re having trouble with the white chocolate “breaking” when you dip in your cake pops.

Kids can help through many of the steps here. Adult supervision is required for melting the chocolate, and for using the oven, but otherwise kids can mix, bake, dip, and decorate this cute Disneyland-inspired Easter treat!

Ok, let’s make some bunnies! And remember to hop back over here this week for another cute Disneyland-inspired Easter treat!

Bunny Butt Easter Cake Pop

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 5 Bunny Butt Cake Pops 1x

Print Recipe

Description

These cute bunny cake pops are filled with chocolate cake, and adorned with marshmallow feet and tail, all covered with white chocolate and pink candy melts. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake pops:

2 cups crumbled chocolate cake, lightly packed (or check out our post on making Mickey cake pops for cake recipes including chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet)
1/4 cup cream cheese frosting

For the decoration:

2–1/2 cups white chocolate
6 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons pink candy melts

Special tools:

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the cake pops:

Combine the cake crumbles and cream cheese together until smooth and no white streaks remain (either with a mixer, or by hand).
Form into a 1/2″, 5″x5″ block (I use half of a loaf pan to help keep the shape), and let sit, refrigerated, overnight or for at least 6 hours. This helps the cake pops keep their shape. You could alternatively let these sit in the freezer as well for an hour or two depending on how cold your freezer is. Do not let them freeze.
After the form has rested, using a 1-1/2″ circle cutter, cut 5 circles out of the block. Any extra cake can be combined to form new shapes, or can be formed into balls and frozen for later use.
Insert lollipop sticks and set aside.

For the decoration:

First, cut the 5 marshmallows in half (I found kitchen shears were the best tool for this job). Set these aside for the feet. Then take the 6th marshmallow and cut or rip sections off to form the tails. Set aside.
Next, melt the white chocolate. You can do this one of several ways:
1. Melt in a candy pot until smooth (Wilton makes this one for their candy melts I use for dipping projects like this). This can take up to 20 minutes to get fully smooth chocolate or candy melts (see notes below about melting white chocolate). Follow the directions for your particular pot!
2. Melt in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth.
3. Melt in a double boiler on the stove. In a medium saucepan, bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Place a glass bowl on top and add candy melts. Stir until melted and smooth.
Make sure the cake pops have come to room temperature. If they’re too cold, the chocolate will seize up and harden too soon.
Next, dip each cake pop into the white chocolate, tapping each stick against the bowl to pop any air bubbles and to remove all the excess chocolate. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and place the marshmallow feet and tail on the cake pop, pressing lightly to help adhere. Repeat with the rest of the cake pops and then let them firm up a little before doing the second dip.
Once the cake pops have firmed up slightly, dip the whole cake pop a second time, again, tapping it against the side of the bowl to pop any air bubbles and to remove excess chocolate. Place back on the parchment and repeat with the rest of the cake pops.
Let the cake pops firm up slightly again and melt the pink candy melts to finish decorating the cake pops. To melt the pink candy melts, microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. You can alternatively use a double boiler for melting or melt candy melts in a piping bag, kneading the candy melts between microwaving.
If not melting directly in a piping bag, transfer melted candy melts into a piping bag and cut a small amount of the tip off to decorate.
Draw on the feet with the piping bag on each cake pop. Set aside and let firm up at least a half hour, or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Notes

Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
I like to dry the cake crumbles out a bit before mixing with the frosting, and then letting that mixture sit overnight in the fridge to set up. This ensures a more solid cake pop when dipping.
Boxed cake and canned frosting will also work for the cake pops if you don’t want to make them from scratch. Just follow the amounts for the crumbled cake and amount of frosting on those recipe pages listed above.
If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
Pure white chocolate, as opposed to candy melts, will have a thinner texture and may show dark spots after one dip due to its translucent nature. The first dip will also ensure that your marshmallows will adhere and not slide off into the chocolate on the second dip. If your kitchen is particularly warm, stick in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden slightly before second dip.
White chocolate can get too hot very easily. If the white chocolate looks like it is seizing on your spoon when you have dipped in the chocolate and let it drip off, it is too hot. Keep stirring the white chocolate to cool it down. It will be the right consistency to dip the cake pops in when it drips smoothly off your spoon. This can take anywhere sometimes from 20 to 30 minutes to melt, and then cool down to the right consistency.
If your white chocolate or candy melts is still very clumpy and thick, add a 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil into it and continue mixing. This should thin out your mixture and get a smoother consistency.
Save any extra white chocolate to reuse for another treat within a week. Let chocolate harden and then seal in an airtight container.
Cake pops will last up to one week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Raspberry Rose Mickey Macarons

March 29, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 2 Comments

Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat can be found at the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in Disneyland.

Right now I’m missing so many Disneyland treats being stuck at home during this quarantine. Although I love the specialty treats, some of the perennial treats are those I long for the most. One of those treats is the Raspberry Rose Mickey Mouse Macaron, and that’s what we’re making today.

I received a package of raspberries in my grocery delivery this past week and finally made that extra step to stick them in a vinegar bath to make them last longer. I wanted them to last a few days so I could try out a few techniques for making macarons during this bizarre food shortage, although this week I’ve been happy to report that eggs seem to be plentiful on the grocery shelves, at least here in LA. So perhaps the panic buying is starting to slow down now.

And let’s talk about replacing egg whites here! The good news is that if you don’t have fresh eggs you can make a macaron. The bad news is that many issues can arise and that I never really got them looking perfect. The first substitute I considered was aquafaba. Aquafaba is a fancy name for the liquid of cooked chickpeas. I’ve written extensively about using aquafaba in place of egg whites in cocktails on my other site and have also found this a great substitute for meringues. However, when making macarons I found them to be less stable than egg whites. I had instances of macaron batter leaking and tops cracking. And then I tried using pasteurized carton egg whites. Again, many wrinkled tops and unstable shells. They were definitely edible and held their shape, but did not have the smooth, risen tops I would have like to see. So, if you just want some cookies and aren’t too picky about how they look, and don’t have fresh eggs, you can consider one of these subs. I’ve included all the substitutions in the recipe below.

Now on to the flavor of these. Raspberry is definitely the most dominant flavor with these macarons. The rose I’ve always found so faint it was hardly detectable. At home though, you can adjust to your own liking. I wouldn’t though go too overboard with the rose water as it can overpower the whole treat. If fresh raspberries are hard to come by right now, sub in some raspberry jam in the center, or mix right in to the buttercream.

Kids can help pipe the macarons (even if they don’t do Mickey Mouse they can make some shapes). They can also help assemble the cookie as well.

One last note I’ll leave here is the glittery decoration on the outside of the macaron; this is called luster dust (or edible glitter). First, I only had silver so that’s what ended up on the macarons today. It is usually gold but I wasn’t doing an Amazon order just for one tiny container. Second, decorating works best with a high proof alcohol. I know that some states don’t allow certain high proofs, so use what you got. I happened to have a bottle of Everclear from another project and that is 95 proof. You want a higher proof to quickly evaporate and just leave the glitter on the macaron without leaving the cookie soggy. Remember, this is totally optional too! The cookie tastes great without the glitter.

I’ve highlighted these notes in the notes section below. Also, if you are having lots of issues with the macarons not looking like how you’d expect, I’d highly suggest you YouTube some real time macaron making videos to see techniques. Sometimes seeing is better to understand than reading.

3 inch mickey macaron template

1 file(s) 86.41 KB

Download

Ok, let’s bake!

Raspberry Rose Mickey Macarons

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 3 Raspberry Rose Mickey Macarons 1x

Print Recipe

Description

These Mickey Mouse shaped macarons are filled with sweet-tart raspberry buttercream and a hint of rose. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the macarons:

130 g (1 cup plus 3 tablespoons) almond flour
130 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
pinch salt
90 g egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
100 g (6 tablespoons) superfine sugar
2 drops red food gel (Americolor Super Red used here)

For the filling and decoration:

114 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
1/4 cup or 2 medium egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
1/8 teaspoon rose water, optional
9–12 whole raspberries
gold luster dust
Everclear or neutral high proof spirit

Specialty Tools:

Mickey Mouse cutter (or use our free printable Mickey template)
mesh strainer
clean cake decorating paint brushes

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the macarons:

First sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt back and forth four times between two bowls using a mesh strainer. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Using a pencil, trace 6 Mickey Mouses uses the cutter as a guide, leaving at least an 1″ between shapes. Flip parchment over so that you can still see outlines, but the graphite will not transfer to macarons. Set aside. Or print out our free template linked above and slip under the parchment. Pipe on parchment and remove template gently before baking.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add in the egg white and whisk until slightly foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks appear. Then slowly pour in the sugar. Whisk on high until stiff peaks form, adding in the food gel right at the end.
Sift a third of the dry mixture into the egg whites and fold until barely incorporated, about 10 turns. Repeat twice with remaining dry mix. Mix gently until all of the almond mixture has been absorbed and there are no visible lumps in batter. Then continue to fold the mixture, pushing the batter against the sides of the bowl and scraping until it falls off your spoon in ribbons like cake batter. (This technique for mixing is called macaronage and I highly suggest looking up some videos on this if you’re serious about getting a great macaron.)
Add batter into a piping bag and pipe shapes onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Let the batter sit about 30 minutes to 1 hour. You want the macarons to form a skin, so that when you touch them, no batter comes off on your finger.
Preheat your oven to 350°f. Place cookies in oven to bake, and then lower the temperature to 320°f. Cook for 17-18 minutes.
Let the macarons cool at least 20-30 minutes before decorating.

For the filling and decoration:

In a mixing bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and salt over a medium saucepan filled with 1/2″ of water.
Bring the water to a simmer while constantly whisking the mixture. Once the mixture reaches 160°f, remove the bowl from the pan.
Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture until it forms stiff peaks.
Then, add chunks of the butter in, one at a time, until incorporated into the mixture, scraping down the bowl a few times during mixing.
Add in the raspberry extract and rose extract if using and beat an additional 30 seconds.
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag. Cut off the tip and pipe on one side of the macaron in three circles. Set aside and repeat with remaining macaron halves.
Next, place 3-4 fresh raspberries into the buttercream and top with the other half of the macaron. Set aside.
Mix together 1/2 teaspoon of a neutral high proof spirit (like Everclear, or a high proof unflavored vodka) and a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of the luster dust. Mix together with a clean paintbrush and tap off any excess liquid and then paint a stripe across the top of the macaron. Repeat with the others.
These can be eaten straight away, or sealed in an air tight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Notes

Sifting the almond flour and powdered sugar together is necessary for the absorption of oils and to prevent clumping of batter.
As mentioned in the copy above, aquafaba can be subbed 1:1 for egg whites however macarons are not as stable. Carton pasteurized egg whites may also be used, but make sure they are solely egg whites and be aware that some brands add water in which will weaken the meringue and you may not reach stiff peaks or also have issues with stability in baking.
Using gel based food coloring will give a much deeper, and vibrant color, than standard food dye.
Any left over macaron batter can be piped into smaller cookies and baked off for 15 minutes.
Swiss buttercream heats the egg whites to 160°f to kill off any bacteria.
Leftover buttercream can be stored in the fridge up to two weeks, brought to room temperature, and whipped before using. It can also be stored in the freezer up to 3 months.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to one week.

Winnie the Pooh’s Hunny Pot Crispy Treats

March 19, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Winne the Pooh Hunny Pot Crispy Treats // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat can be found in Pooh Corner in Critter Country in Disneyland.

Fun fact, my nursery, 30…*cough* almost 40 years ago was Winnie the Pooh themed. My baby blanket was the Hundred Acre Woods and just this past year my mother sent it to me across the country, in perfect condition. So, it’s probably no wonder that Pooh is a favorite of mine. And I thought it high time to show a little love to that chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff with these Hunny Pot Crispy Treats inspired by those found in Disneyland.

There’s starting to be quite a number of these variations on the site and that’s because Disneyland just does the cutest job on these. I also love these because they’re not super hard to make.

Winnie the Pooh's Hunny Pot Crispy Treats // magicaltreatsathome.com

Right now the outside world is looking mighty different for many, if not most, of us. And while we’re all stuck indoors, many of us with one or more kids, now also stuck indoors with us, finding some projects like this to work on together can hopefully provide a bright spot in the day.

Also, let’s be real, crispy treats are great plain on their own too. So if you need a quick snack to whip up with very few ingredients, this works. But if you do want to try your hand at decorating these, please do! You don’t need to be an artist and if your kids start distracting you while decorating and you suddenly forgot what you were doing and mess up the words *ahem*, it’s still OK.

The decoration on here is a simple combo of semisweet chocolate chips and yellow candy melts. The golden hue to the “honey” and lettering is achieved through adding a little of the melted semisweet chocolate to the yellow candy melts. I use a plastic piping bag to color in the honey and letters, but you can also do this by hand, or if you have it around, use a squeeze bottle for a bit more precision (I’ve seen the candy makers at Disneyland do this but they’re working with volume and have a lot of candy melts in that bottle to work with. Just putting a little bit in will cool them off quickly and you’ll need to keep a warm water bath nearby to prevent this.).

If you make these treats in a loaf pan, shaping them is also quite easy. Divide the rectangle into three equal-ish parts, and then shape with a sharp knife. You basically need to round the corners off and these cut through without much give. Just be careful that you’re not leaving them out too long from the fridge to cut and then dip, or they’ll soften up too much.

Sounds pretty sweet, huh? Ok, let’s melt some marshmallows!

Winnie the Pooh’s Hunny Pot Crispy Treats

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 3 Hunny Pot Crispy Treats 1x

Print Recipe

Description

A favorite at Pooh Corner! This chewy, crispy, sweet Hunny Pot Crispy Treat is a snap to make and decorate. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the crispy treat:

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2–1/2 cups mini marshmallows or 25 regular sized marshmallows
2-1/2 cups crisped rice cereal

For the decoration:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 tbsp reserved
1/2 cup yellow candy melts

Specialty Tools (Optional):

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the crispy treat:

Before beginning, line a loaf pan with parchment.
Combine the butter and marshmallows in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until marshmallows have melted and mixture is smooth.
Immediately dump in the crisped rice cereal and mix to combine.
Pour into the prepared pan and gently press mixture into place with a rubber spatula (or damp fingers). Set aside for at least an hour in the refrigerator so that the mixture can firm up enough to cut shapes.
Once firm, use parchment to lift out crispy treats and cut into 3 roughly equal sized rectangles.
Using a sharp knife, round off the corners so that the treat resembles a honey pot.

For the decorating:

First, melt the semisweet chocolate in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting.
Dip the top half of the treat into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip off back into the bowl. Repeat for other treats. Refrigerate for 15 minutes so that the chocolate can firm up before the second dip.
Next, melt the yellow candy melts with the reserved chocolate (or use a tablespoon of already melted chocolate mixed in with the yellow if you have leftovers) in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. You can alternatively use a double boiler for melting or melt everything in a piping bag, kneading together to mix colors between microwaving.
Transfer the melted candy melts and chocolate to a squeeze bottle or a piping bag with a small portion of the tip cut off. Fill in the top of the treat to resemble honey, and write “Hunny” on the pot. Repeat until all treats are decorated.
Let the treats firm up, at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a smaller pan than you think you’ll need for this. As the marshmallows melt into the butter, if there’s too much space in the pan they will start to dry out and form strings. Keeping the marshmallows closer together in the pan will ensure they melt more evenly, creating a better mixture to add the cereal into.
When mixing crisped rice cereal into the melted marshmallows, keep the mixture on the flame so that marshmallows stay liquid. Removing to mix in can seize up the liquid before the cereal is fully mixed.
You can sub in light candy melts for the semisweet chocolates.
If crisped rice cereal is unavailable right now, use any kind of puffed grain, or cereal. Cocoa Pebbles would work here too!
Treats can be kept in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twists

March 15, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat can be found at Maurice’s Treats in Disneyland.

Tucked away just off the side of Sleeping Beauty Castle you might just miss Maurice’s Treats. And that would be a shame. Because then you would also miss this super sized, carb lovers treat: the Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist. And in case you have, now you can make it at home!

When I polled over on Instagram a few weeks ago if people would like to see more savory treats, there was a resounding YESSSS! I also have heard from readers that not everyone likes to make dough from scratch. I hear you, and today this recipe hits upon both those notes. So, unless you are deathly afraid of popping open a tube of dough, you can have this cheesy, garlicky, everything bagel topped treat in no time at all!

I used the French bread dough tube here, but it wasn’t always available at all the grocery stores near me (I made sure to check for you all!). If that happens to you, sub out the crescent rolls and just be prepared for a flakier twist (which, honestly doesn’t sound that bad). I’m also using specifically the Trader Joe’s everything bagel topping mix. If you don’t have a TJ’s near you, don’t fret, Amazon has so may alternatives, including the TJ’s mix, so you can always find that there. Or check your pantry! You might have all the ingredients on hand to make your own (I’ve included an easy recipe in the notes below if you do want to try making your own).

Now, you can stuff these with as much or as little cheese as you’d like, but keep in mind, the finely grated cheese will incorporate better into the dough. I loved the idea of chunks of cheese in my first round, but it mostly melted straight out of the dough. Also, I found that after flattening the dough out and filling with ingredients, folding the dough over on itself from end to end and then twisting kept all the ingredients in a lot better.

This is a fun, interactive treat, and kids could definitely get involved here. From rolling out dough, to filling, and even adding the egg wash and toppings. If they have fun with Play-Doh this is a step up (because you will let them eat the *cooked* dough, and they won’t poop purple later).

So let’s crack open a roll of dough and get baking!

Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twists

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Elana Lepkowski
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 30
Yield: 4 Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twists 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Warm, garlic scented bagel twists are stuffed with cheddar and topped with everything bagel mix. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

1 refrigerated tube of French bread
1/2 cup finely shredded cheese
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon Everything Bagel Mix

marinara sauce for dipping, optional

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°f and line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.
Open the tube of dough and cut into 4 equal pieces.
Roll out the first piece into a flat rectangle and sprinkles in a few pieces of the garlic and about a tablespoon of the cheese. Use your fingers to push the garlic and cheese into the dough.
Then, fold over the dough on itself end to end, and then twist both ends and flatten the dough down slightly. Pinch together any open parts, or places where the cheese and garlic might be peeking through. Set on the parchment and repeat with the other three pieces.
Next, mix together the egg white and water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the dough with the mixture, careful not to saturate the dough. Sprinkle the everything bagel mix over the tops of the twists.
Bake 25-28 minutes until golden brown.
Let rest 5 minutes out of the oven, and then serve. Marinara makes a great dipping sauce for these!

Notes

If you cannot find French bread, crescent rolls could also be used in place, or even puff pastry. The texture will be more crisp and less chewy though.
If your rolls start to unravel while twisting, roll each hand in alternate directions while pressing down lightly on the dough.
We use cheddar here like the park’s version, but pepper jack would also be great!
If egg whites are not available, you can sub in a tablespoon of cream or milk with the water and use that on the tops to hold the toppings in place.
For extra garlic flavor, add finely sliced garlic pieces on the top of the bread in addition to chopped garlic inside.
To make your own everything bagel seasoning recipe, mix together 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion pieces, 1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic pieces, 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt.

Firefly Chips

February 22, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat can be found at the Refreshment Corner in Disneyland.

It’s not always sweet treats around here, and today we’ve got a super yummy, super spicy savory treat. If you’re a fan of Frito Pie in a Bag, then you’re gonna love these Firefly Chips!

Crunchy, salt corn chips are smothered in a bean and meat chili, and then topped with cheese and spicy jalapenos. This hits allll the right notes for me when I want a savory treat at the parks, or at home.

Now, I’m including a recipe for our favorite family chili below, but you could also turn this into a 5 Minute Treat if you opt to use canned chili instead. We love a good short cut and since you don’t need a huge amount of chili to make this, go right ahead and crack that can open if you want!

I made this into a kid DIY snack station and both kids (5 and under), had a lot of fun putting on their own toppings. Sure, it’s a few more dishes to wash, but giving them these small opportunities in the kitchen I feel really helps to improve their independent kitchen skills and foster self-confidence in cooking… even if it is just piling on more cheese than anyone needs.

If spicy is not your thing, there are some companies that make ‘mild’ jalapenos that have much less of a spicy factor than regular jarred ones. And if you just hate spice, well, leave ’em off! Maybe add a dollop of sour cream because that would be the delicious thing to do.

Alright, let’s make some chili!

Firefly Chips

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Author: Elana Lepkowski

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Description

These spicy, crunchy Firefly chips are layers of corn chips, meat and bean chili, shredded cheese, and jalapeno peppers! A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the chili:

1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1–1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
2 cans red or pinto beans or mix of both with liquid
1 cup chicken or beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

For the Firefly chips:

corn chips, like Fritos
meat and bean chili (see recipe above, or canned chili is also fine)
shredded Mexican cheese blend
jalapeno pepper slices

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Instructions

For the chili:

In a large dutch oven, warm the avocado oil over medium-high heat.
Add in the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks and browns.
Add in the yellow onion, salt, garlic, and tomato paste. Saute until onions begin to turn translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
Next, add in chili powder, cayenne powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, beans, and broth. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook about 20-25 minutes.
Remove the cover and continue to simmer an additional 10 minutes if you’d like a thicker stew, or remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving. Salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the Firefly Chips:

Pour a layer of corn chips in the bottom of a small bowl (or if you’re serving for multiple people, a serving sized bowl).
Top with chili, shredded cheese, and jalapeno pepper slices.
Enjoy!

Notes

Chili can be cooled to room temperature and stored in an airtight container refrigerated up to 3 days.
This recipe can be scaled to individual portions, or served as an appetizer to a large crowd.
The Refreshment Corner also a hotdog topped with Firefly chips and I think you all should try doing that with this recipe at least once.

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pops

February 8, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pop // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat can be found throughout the Disneyland resort.

These Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pops are part of the three variety series. See the intro post here!

Let your young bakers help cut out shapes, dip chocolate, and decorate the cake pops. If you want your ears to be more precise, you might want to take over that part, or let older bakers help.

Mickey Mouse Red Velvet Cake Pops

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Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 8 1″, or 4 2″ Mickey Mouse Chocolate Cake Pops 1x

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Description

Red Velvet Mickey Mouse shaped cake pops have hidden marshmallow ears, covered with semisweet chocolate, and drizzled with red candy melts for a fun treat! A Disneyland-inspired recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

For the chocolate cake pops:

4 cups loosely packed chocolate cake crumbs (either from cake cuttings or from recipe below)
1/4–1/3 cup cream cheese frosting (store bought or homemade)
1/2 ounce white candy melts
16 mini marshmallows, or 4 regular sized marshmallows cut in half
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, divided
1 ounce red candy melts

For the red velvet cake:
Adapted from Dessert for Two

95 g (3/4 cup) flour
4 teaspoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil or neutral oil
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup (99 g) granulated sugar
scant 1/4 cup (57 g) Greek yogurt
1 egg
Red food coloring (see notes below for type and amounts)
1/4 tsp vanilla

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Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°f and grease and flour a 6″ round cake pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil, warm water, granulated sugar, Greek yogurt, egg, red food coloring, and vanilla.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Pour into prepared baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, turn out the cake onto a cooling rack, and let completely cool at least one hour.
Cake can be wrapped until ready to use, or crumbled for the cake pops. Crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.

For the cake pops:

Combine the cake crumbs and frosting in a stand mixer until fully combined. Mixture should stay together when pressed in your hand.
Next, line a loaf pan with parchment and press mixture firmly into about 1/2 to 2/3 of the pan. You want a solid brick to be able to cut out shapes later.
Refrigerate the pan 1-2 hours, or 30 minutes in freezer.
Next, using either a 1″ or 2″ round cookie cutter, cut out the shapes and set aside. This mix yields 8 1″ and 4 2″ circles. You can recombine scraps to cut out more shapes if you’d like, or roll into balls for classic shaped cake pops.
Insert lollipop sticks into each circle.
To attach marshmallows, melt the white chocolate in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Place a small dollop at the 10 and 2 marks on the circle (like a clock), and immediately place the marshmallow circle facing outwards. Set to dry by placing in the fridge 20-30 minutes. You want to keep your cake pops firm before dipping into chocolate.
Next, temper the chocolate. In a microwave safe bowl, add 2/3 of the chocolate. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again and microwave in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until chocolate has uniformly melted and has reached between 114° – 118°F. Then add in some of the remaining chocolate, stir to completely melt and then add more (I did three batches). Continue to stir the chocolate until it has cooled to 88° – 89°F. The chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. (Alternatively, you can heat in a double boiler on the stove.)
Remove the cake pops from the refrigerator for 5 minutes before dipping.
Then either dip directly into the chocolate, or use a ladle or spoon to pour the chocolate over the cake pops. Gently tap the lollipop stick to remove any air bubbles and get off any excess chocolate, scraping the back side on the side of the bowl as well. Set aside on a sheet of parchment and repeat until all the cake pops have been covered.
Finally, melt the red candy melts in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (or directly melt in a heat proof piping bag). Cut a small amount off the tip of the bag and make zig-zagging lines across the face of the cake pop. Let set at least 15 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

If cocoa powder is lumpy, sift before using.
If you are using grocery store food coloring, you will need about 1-1/2 teaspoons of red food coloring to get the cake a nice bright red. If you were using a gel paste from like Americolor, you will need about a quarter teaspoon or two big squirts from the bottle.
Cake crumbs should be small and no larger than a pea.
To be efficient, after all your cakes are made in this series, you can assembly line adding the marshmallow ears, and then the chocolate dipping.
Cake balls should not be too wet or too dry to hold their shape properly. If too wet, add more cake crumbles. If too dry, add more frosting a small bit at a time.
You can use a combination semisweet/bittersweet at 75/25% for a less sweeter chocolate coating.
If cake balls are slipping off the sticks, dip lollipop stick tip in the melted chocolate and insert into cake ball. Refrigerate a few minutes to set.
If you do not pop the air bubbles, then moisture from the cake will seep out as the chocolate dries. If this happens, gently wipe away anything that has seeped out, and coat a second time in the melted chocolate. You can also store freshly baked cake a day or two in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap, to dry it out a bit before crumbling.

Tempering Chocolate tips:

Tempering chocolate creates a glossy sheen and a crisp snap
Using short bursts of time makes controlling the temperature easier
Keep all moisture and liquids away from the chocolate while tempering
Use an instant read candy thermometer with a clip (we like this one)
If chocolate starts to cool, microwave for 5-10 seconds
If you do not have a candy thermometer, read this article on tempering without one: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-temper-chocolate-without-a-thermometer-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-196475
And if you don’t have the time to temper your chocolate, just melt and dip and eat!

Churro Gears (aka Churro Doughnuts)

January 29, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski 1 Comment

Churro Gears (Doughnuts) // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat can be found at Maurice’s Treats at the Disneyland resort.

There are now multiple ways to get your churro fix at Disneyland beyond an actual churro (like churro toffee or a churro marshmallow wand), and today we’re over in Fantasyland for their latest one: Churro Gears, AKA Churro Doughnuts. Yes, you’re going to make doughnuts (or donuts if you prefer) at home today. And it’s going to be so easy.

First, let’s talk about the doughnuts. At the park you get them served to you WARM, which, honestly is the only way to eat these. Although, coming in a strong second is cold and hours old. That is also a delicious option. These are yeasted doughnuts which means, unfortunately, there is some waiting. However, I’ve outlined below the best option for making these and having them for breakfast that does not include waking up at 4am.

Yeasted doughnuts though provide for a chewy, soft interior with a slightly crisp outside. Similar to the style of a churro, and these too are covered in cinnamon-sugar and hence the name Churro Doughnuts. The dough itself is twisted to look like a “gear”, and while that might not be necessary with your homemade batch, what that does do for your doughnut is provide lots of pockets for that sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar to fall into. YUM.

Can kids help with this recipe? Absolutely, but know your kids first. Older kids with some experience in the kitchen might find it a fun challenge to roll out and shape the dough. And younger kids can flip the cooled doughnuts around in the cinnamon-sugar. Just beware of the very hot oil on the stove, and also the doughnuts stay warm for awhile, so test them out before handing them off for sugaring.

BONUS: This recipe only calls for a handful of ingredients and with just one change, swapping out the milk for a non-dairy alternative, means you can also have VEGAN doughnuts too. I tried this recipe with almond milk and got excellent results. Also, extra bonus, any small chunks of dough leftover can be rolled into balls and made into doughnut holes! See notes below for instruction.

Don’t wake up at 4am for breakfast doughnuts! Start them the night before!

The night before, mix up the dough and instead of having it sit out to double in size for an hour and a half, cover and refrigerate it at least 8 hours and up to 12.
The next day, take them out of the fridge, let the dough sit for 5 minutes uncovered, and then roll out and proceed with making the doughnuts.
Once shaped, doughnuts need to rise for 45 minutes before frying off. So, during this time you can brew some coffee, scroll Instagram, make lunches, heat the oil, and whatever else eats up all that precious morning time every day.
You should definitely though start heating the oil around 15-20 minutes before your timer goes off. I start on high to get it warmed up quickly in my dutch oven, and then ease on down to medium-high or medium at around 320°f or so. Otherwise it can reach temp and then get too hot and you don’t want that to happen.
And from there you’ll start frying off doughnuts and have them ready to eat within 10 minutes!

I believe that making a batch of these Churro Doughnuts at home is easy for a few reasons. First, it’s a small, doable amount of ingredients and I bet you have most, if not all of them, at home (and if instant yeast is not in your pantry I’ve linked to that below in the ingredient list). Second, the steps to making them are pretty straightforward. There isn’t a technique here that is only going to be taught in pastry school. YOU GOT THIS. If the dough is sticking to everything (that can happen), and you’re not getting perfect circles, don’t worry they’ll still taste amazing. And third, it’s mainly hands off time. Yes, from complete start to finish it’s a few hours. But if you break it up and start the night before, and fill the wait time with something else, making the actual doughnut is fairly quick! And you’ve got doughnuts! At home! And they’re fresh and warm!

Ok let’s make doughnuts! Churro doughnuts!

Churro Gears (aka Churro Doughnuts)

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Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 5–6 Churro Gears 1x

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Description

Chewy, crispy, cinnamon-sugar laden Churro Gears (AKA Churro Doughnuts), are an easy treat to try day or night! A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Adapted from Food52

Ingredients

Scale

For the doughnuts:

1/2 cup whole milk, buttermilk, or almond milk (for vegan version) 
1 tablespoons refined coconut oil 
1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoons sugar 
1 teaspoon (6 grams) instant yeast
 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups to 1/2 gallon (8 cups) avocado oil (or other high heat oil)

For the topping:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Instructions

In a glass measuring cup, pour in milk or milk alternative. Add coconut oil. Microwave at full power 15-20 seconds. Using at instant read thermometer, bring the milk down (or up, microwaving in short bursts of 5 seconds) to 110°f.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt.
Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine using a rubber spatula. You only need to just incorporate the ingredients. Do not over mix (some lumps in the batter are fine!).
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and leave on a counter away from drafts for one and a half hours, or until doubled in size. (If prepping overnight, follow timeline above in post or in notes below)
After dough has doubled in size, flour your counter and turn the dough out. The dough will be very, very sticky. Make sure to flour your surfaces, your hands, and your rolling pin.
Roll out about 1/2″ thick into approximately a 8″x8″ square.
Using a dough cutter or bench scraper or sharp knife, cut dough into about 1-1/2″ thick strips. You should get about 5 strips with a small section left over. The small section can be cut into small squares and rolled into balls for doughnut holes.
Flour your hands again and carefully lift the first section. Fold the dough in half and then twist the dough. Take the ends and pinch together. Set aside on floured counter. Repeat with other strips.
When all the doughnut shapes are ready, cover lightly with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let sit 45 minutes until puffy.
In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
About 15-20 minutes before the dough has finished its final rest, pour the avocado oil into a dutch oven until the oil reaches 345°f on a candy thermometer.
Working in batches, carefully lower the dough down into the oil. Do not plop it in or it will splash and burn you. You can also use tongs to lower, see notes below. Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on one side, and cook for an additional 1-1/2 minutes on the second side. Use a spider or strainer to remove the cooked doughnuts and place on a paper towel lined sheet pan. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. If making doughnut holes, cook for a few seconds less.
Let doughnuts cool at least 5 minutes, and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar mix, spooning on extra sugar to fully coat. Place on a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Enjoy warm!

Notes

To start doughnuts the previous day: the night before, mix up the dough and instead of having it sit out to double in size for an hour and a half, cover and refrigerate it at least 8 hours and up to 12. The next day, take them out of the fridge, let the dough sit for 5 minutes uncovered, and then roll out and proceed with making the doughnuts. Start the second rise and proceed with the rest of the instructions above.
Oil temperatures are extremely hot. Please use caution in the kitchen! Wear gloves, an apron, closed toe shoes, and use a candy thermometer. Keep children away when handling hot dishes.
If you are absolutely terrified of dropping anything into the oil with your fingers, or think you might get burned, definitely go ahead and flour a pair of high heat proof tongs to put the doughnut down into the hot oil.
Wait for oil to come back to temperature before adding next batch of doughnuts to the pot.
Cooking oil can be fine strained and stored again for another use. I strain back into the bottle it came from. Well strained oil can be stored in a cool, dry place and used up to several times.

Peanut Butter Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treat Pops

January 20, 2020 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Mickey Mouse Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat Pops // magicaltreatsathome.com

Where can I find the original treat?

This treat can be found throughout the Disneyland resort.

Are your eyes deceiving you? Is that the iconic Mickey Cookie… on a rice krispie treat?! Disney sure knows what they’re doing with the treats. Combining two of my favs from the parks, and then covering them in peanut butter and chocolate? YES please! And besides being so tasty, our latest recipe is so easy to make too.

With most all of the holiday treats cleared out of the cases now, most of us treat lovers have been anxiously awaiting what’s next. Well, it seems every day something new is slowly trickling in. This crispy rice treat is the standard treat pop, with a thin layer of peanut butter coating on the front to represent the Mickey Mouse cookie, and chocolate icing and sprinkles (instead of the nonpareils like the cookies) for decoration.

Kids can help a lot here too! From dipping the rice krispie treats to adding sprinkles. All levels of experience can participate.

BONUS: if you really love peanut butter and you want to make this even more peanut butter-y, go ahead and add in about a 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips (you’ll have extra left over from the bag) when you mix in the crisped rice cereal.

So, if you’re a peanut butter chocolate lover, I really think you’ll love this recipe. There’s a great balance so that one ingredient doesn’t necessarily overpower the others (sometimes peanut butter can do that). And they just come together so quickly and easily, that you can double or triple this if you’re in need of a class treat or something for a pot luck (please take photos and send them to me if you bring these to a pot luck). And remember, lots of helpful tips below the recipe, so please read it all the way through before starting.

Peanut Butter Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treat Pops

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Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 3–4 Peanut Butter Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treats 1x

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Description

Crispy, chewy Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treats are dipped in peanut butter sauce and topped with chocolate icing and sprinkles just like the iconic Mickey Mouse cookie. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the rice krispie treat:

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
157 g (2 cups) mini marshmallows or 20 regular sized marshmallows
2 cups crisped rice cereal

For the topping:

3/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 teaspoon refined coconut oil
1–1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
sprinkles

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Instructions

For the rice krispie treat:

Before beginning, line a 8×8″ baking pan with parchment for thinner treats (you should yield 4 with the cutter listed above), or a loaf pan for thicker treats (you’ll yield 3 using cutter above).
Combine the butter and marshmallows in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until marshmallows have melted and mixture is smooth.
Immediately dump in the crisped rice cereal and mix to combine.
Pour into the prepared pan and gently press mixture into place with a rubber spatula (or damp fingers). Set aside for at least an hour in the refrigerator so that the mixture can firm up enough to cut shapes.
Once firm, use parchment to lift out cereal and marshmallow mix. Use a Mickey Mouse shaped cutter to cut out shapes and set aside.

For the decorations:

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the peanut butter chips and the coconut oil.
Continually stir until smooth and no lumps remain.
Remove from heat and pour into a shallow, flat bottomed, heat-proof bowl.
Dip the smooth side of each treat into the sauce, setting aside on a parchment lined sheet pan until all are coated. Refrigerate through the next step to harden.
Then, melt semisweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting. You can also melt directly in a heavy duty, heat safe, piping bag using the same microwave method (I find this easiest when I will be piping without a tip on the bag).
Remove the treats from the fridge and transfer chocolate to a heat-proof piping bag. Chocolate should be warm, not hot. Cut the tip from the piping bag.
For each treat, pipe 5 sided stars (without filling in the centers, since it should look like the cookie decoration) on each ear, and in the center of the treat. Immediately cover the chocolate with sprinkles. Set aside and repeat with remaining treats.
Let the treats sit at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to harden, and then enjoy!

Notes

These scale very easily at a 1:1 ratio of marshmallows to cereal. Mini marshmallows you can scoop but I like to weigh out the regular or jumbo sized marshmallows. The butter though you do not necessarily need to scale along with the other ingredients. 1-3 cups use 2 tablespoons, 3-5 cups use 3 tablespoons.
Use a smaller pan than you think you’ll need for this. As the marshmallows melt into the butter, if there’s too much space in the pan they will start to dry out and form strings. Keeping the marshmallows closer together in the pan will ensure they melt more evenly, creating a better mixture to add the cereal into.
When mixing crisped rice cereal into the melted marshmallows, keep the mixture on the flame so that marshmallows stay liquid. Removing to mix in can seize up the liquid before the cereal is fully mixed.
You can add in a 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips when combining the cereal to the marshmallows for extra peanut butter flavor.
You can combine some extra rice krispie treat scraps into the mold to shape additional Mickey Mouse treats.
To smooth out the chocolate when piping the decoration, use a scribe or toothpick to move the chocolate into the pattern you’d like while also removing any air bubbles.
Treats can be kept in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Christmas Tree Churro

December 9, 2019 by Elana Lepkowski Leave a Comment

Where can I find the original treat?

This holiday treat is located in Critter Country.

I haven’t counted, but I would bet there are more holiday churros out there than candy apples or rice crispy treats this year. There are just SO many to choose from, and narrowing down which I was going to choose came down to two things: flavor and nostalgia. And that churro was the Christmas Tree Churro.

Here’s the weird thing about this particular churro, it was made differently from the posted photo, and I’ve seen it look different even from other people’s photos of it. So, I have to approach this recipe with a caveat: it might be different from what you had, but one thing everyone had in common was that it came with the cherry dipping sauce.

Now, it’s this cherry dipping sauce, with a very jelly-like consistency reminiscent of a doughnut or pie filling, that filled me with nostalgia. When I was younger, my Grandmother would make mini cheesecakes topped with jarred cherry jelly for every occasion. I’m talking birthdays, holidays, baby showers, pretty much any gathering we attended in the ’80’s and ’90’s always included a tray of these treats. And I loved them. Really, really loved them. I could probably eat 10 of these if no one was looking. I think I can pinpoint to these treats starting my obsession with cheesecake that still is going strong decades later.

Anyways, these churros are the classic churro rolled in cookie crumbles and sprinkled with green (and apparently sometimes red) sanding sugar. The side comes with it (as opposed to costing extra), and altogether make for a classic looking holiday treat. I really love the buttery flavor the cookies impart here (similar to those Banana Pudding Churros from earlier in the year), and the tart cherry flavor cuts the sweetness back a bit, so combined it’s well balanced.

After these are fried up, kids can lend a hand to help decorate. Rolling in cookies (even crushing the cookies), and sprinkling toppings are all kid friendly here.

So, find some holiday music, heat up the oil, and start frying these tasty holiday treats! Enjoy!

Christmas Tree Churro

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Author: Elana Lepkowski
Yield: 10–16 churros (depending on tip size) 1x

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Description

This Christmas tree inspired holiday churro is decked out in red and green sanding sugar, edible stars, and rolled in buttery cookie pieces. A Disneyland-inspired treat.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
big pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 package of Walker’s shortbread cookies (about 9 fingers), crushed
2 tablespoons green sanding sugar
2 tablespoons red sanding sugar
edible stars
cherry jam or pie filling

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Instructions

First, line two half sized sheet pans with parchment, set aside. Mix together 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and cinnamon in a long shallow bowl or loaf pan, set aside.
Next, crush cookies in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin until finely ground. Alternatively, you can pulse in a food processor until a sand-like consistency forms. Set aside in a large, shallow bowl.
In a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, or until butter has melted.
Turn burner to low and pour in all the flour at once. Stir until there are no visible flour lumps and dough has begun to stick together in a ball and pulled away from the sides of the pan.
Remove pan from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Then stir in each egg until incorporated. Dough will appear to break or become lumpy. Continue to stir until it forms a smooth, sticky dough.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1 M open star tip (for thinner churros) or with a Ateco 847 closed star tip (for thicker churros, shown in this post) half full with batter (see notes below on filling pastry bags).
If not frying immediately, pipe 6-8″ long dough onto the sheet pan. Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes and up to two days. Batter will stiffen the more it sits, so let the dough come to room temperature before frying.
If frying immediately, fill a dutch oven or deep frying pan with vegetable oil at least 2″ up the side of the pan (I found a 1/2 gallon of avocado oil worked for me in my large dutch oven. See note below about reusing oil.). Heat oil to 340-350°f, using a candy thermometer to keep the temperature constant. You may need to adjust heat up or down during cooking a few degrees.
Place (if piped earlier) or pipe churros 2-3 at a time into the cooking oil for 6 minutes, turning after 3 minutes with a spatula or spider. Wait until oil comes back to temperature before adding next batch. Thicker churros may need an additional 30 seconds to one minute to fully cook through.
Using a spider or large spatula, remove churros from oil and drain on a cooling rack over parchment or on a paper towel. Wait at least a minute and then toss the churro in the cinnamon sugar, tapping off any excess. Then roll churro in the cookie crumbs, lightly pressing to adhere. Set churro aside. Repeat with all the churros.
Next, sprinkle churros with red and green sanding sugar, and edible stars.
Finally, serve churros with a small dipping bowl of the cherry filling.

Notes

Do not overfill your pastry bag! Fill in two to three batches. If there is too much dough, it will seep out the top and will be hard to pipe.
Slowly pipe out dough all of a consistent size, smaller spots on the churro can cause them to become more fragile while handling and can break in the oil or while coating in sugar.
Churro dough can be piped out onto parchment and covered in the fridge up to 48 hours.
If you want to make you churros immediately after making dough without the chilling time, once oil has reached temp, starting about one inch above the oil, pipe a small line of dough down into oil and either snip end with scissors, or break the dough off the pastry tip on the side of your pan. Follow directions above for frying.
Thicker churros will require a longer cooking time to fully cook through the center. Test one churro first to adjust your cooking time.
Cooking oil can be fine strained and stored again for another use. I strain back into the bottle it came from. Well strained oil can be stored in a cool, dry place and used up to several times.
Churros curling? That could be one of a few reasons. One is that it will naturally shrink and change shape as the dough hits the oil and puffs up. I found that the stiffer dough from sitting in the fridge resulted in straighter churros while fresher dough tending to curl more. Also, if you’re using a circular pot like a dutch oven, churros may rest against the inside edge of the pan while cooking causing them to take on the curved shape of the pan. To prevent this, nudge your churro with the spider or spatula immediately after placing in oil when it pops back up to the surface. Continue to nudge gently back and forth for about 20-40 seconds or until the dough has gotten stiff in the oil.

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Don’t wake up at 4am for breakfast doughnuts! Start them the night before!

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