4th of July Kids Recipe with Rice Krispies

My Cool Kid Cooks is a part of NC San Diego Cooking Classes and is dedicated to showing kids the great art of cooking. Learning to cook can help kids with self- esteem, kitchen math, a bit of practical chemistry and even some biology! To learn more about the classes and parties we teach go to: ww.MyCoolKidCooks.com.

Hope you will enjoy this post, my daughter found this when doing a search for projects for my Grandsons for the July 4th holiday. I thought they were so cute I wanted to share them with you. They come from a baker named Kate.

Her blog is called "Grin and Bake It". These would be a great recipe for any preschooler to make for the holiday with Mom or Dad.

Enjoy! 

From http://grinandbakeit.com/

Written on June 30, 2010 by Kate

Do you ever rack your brain trying to come up with an original idea… your very own, never been done, idea?

Finally, BOOM! ~ it hits you, something you’ve never heard of… something you’ve never seen… something you’re pretty sure no one else has ever thought of. Before actually claiming ownership of your original idea you Google it, only to find dozens of links to what you can only conclude is your not so original idea. I’m not a psychologist, but I think our psyches were better off pre-Google era. We could easily claim ownership of our original ideas, and spend a lifetime patting ourselves on the back for our brilliance.

As I was brainstorming more easy kid-friendly treats for the Fourth of July, it came to me… “Firecracker Krispies”. It seems only fitting with their “Snap, Crackel, Pop!” slogan. Could it be, I just invented “Rice Krispie Firecrackers”? I bravely typed “Firecracker Rice Krispies” into the search engine and pushed enter. A few links came up, but not what I envisioned. Hmm… I did a few more Google searches, and checked the Kellog’s Rice Krispie website. Nada. Nothing. Zilch!

So without further ado, I present to you my original Firecracker Krispie. Google never lies, but if by chance there is someone out there who has already done this, please I beg you, don’t burst my bubble… at least for a day.

These are really easy to make, and kids with clean hands can join in. You can try substituting pop rocks for sprinkles. Need a 4th of July favor? Put these in cellophane bags, and add a ribbon.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 
• Festive Fourth of July paper
• Waxed paper
• Non-stick cooking spray (optional)
• Chocolate wafers
• Sprinkles
• Licorice
• Star wire
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 3 tbsp. butter

Whip up a batch of Rice Krispie treats (recipe on the cereal box, or click here). Scoop the Rice Krispie/Marshmallow mixture onto a piece of waxed paper.

1. Take another piece of waxed paper and place it on top. Use your hands to smooth it out into a square shape. If you need to get in there with just your hands, forgo the waxed paper and spray a little bit of non-stick spray on your hands.

1. Once you’ve made a square-ish shape (no need for perfection), cut 1 ½” strips of the Rice Krispie mixture. Depending on how large you decide to make them, you may want to then cut the strip in half.
2. Use waxed paper and shape strip into a cylinder. You want to make sure that it stands up, so the bottom needs to be flat. Continue making these Rice Krispie cylinders until you’ve used up your mixture. I made 12 out of one batch (diameter approx. 1 ¼”, 4” tall)
3. Use a paring knife to hollow out a little hole in the top. This is where the licorice wick will go after you’ve dipped the firecrackers in chocolate. Melt chocolate in the microwave at thirty second intervals, stirring in between. Dip the top of the rice krispie treats into the chocolate, coating well, and shaking off any excess. Add sprinkles before the chocolate dries. Stand them up to set.
4. While the chocolate is setting, take the licorice piece and gently push it into the top into the hole that you made. As the chocolate hardens, it will help secure the licorice into place.
5. To finish these off, cut a strip of festive paper 1 ½” wide, wrap it around the circumference and use double-sided tape to adhere. Inside the licorice piece, put a few pieces of colorful, star wire.

Voila… my quite possibly, but I would never swear on it, original Firecracker Krispies. During my Google search, I discovered that Kellog’s was actually having a contest for a July recipe. The deadline was Tuesday. Thanks for bursting my bubble

My Cool Kid Cooks is located in North San Diego County, minutes from Carlsbad, Fallbrook, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Vista, Oceanside, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Costa, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe, Fair Banks Ranch, Solana Beach and Leucadia. Though we are located in the north county we travel to Orange County and most of San Diego County, call for more information.
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