Nutella-Hazelnut Smiley Rice Krispies Treats

Make your kids happy with these quick and super easy smiley rice krispies treats

Perfectly gooey, crispy, nutty, chocolaty... and so much fun!

Rice krispies are so much fun! There are lots of ways to get creative with such simple ingredients.
Here is a sweet recipe made with rice krispies packed in individual round sizes, decorated with white and brown chocolate chips into smiley faces. Super easy and so cute!

You could really use this idea and decorate plain rice kripies treats. But why just stop at plain when you can have more?!? Rice krispies are very easy and quick to prepare. These are just as simple and as fast. All you have to do is add nutella (at the beginning with the marshmallows and butter), and crushed hazelnuts (later with the rice Krispies cereal). You can turn a simple snack into a delicious homemade goodness: perfectly gooey, crispy, nutty and chocolaty.

Listen up! Before you run to the kitchen and grab the marshmallows, here is an important advise.
Remember to set out and measure all the ingredients before you start with the microwave. You need to be quick and mix the cereals and hazelnuts to the melted mixture of mashmallows/butter/nutella when still warm. So I beg you please!  Don't try to figure out how to crush the hazelnuts when everything is cooling down and hardening into a big mass. You won't be able to incorporate the hazelnuts at that point, and it will be harder to shape anything into the muffin cups. So be ready ahead of time, and you will rock this recipe!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: to make about 24 treats

• 1 bag (10 oz = 285 gr) of mini marshmallows
• 4 oz (55 gr) of unsalted butter
• about 2/3 cup (about 220 gr) of Nutella, or other chocolate spread
• 6 cups (about 200 gr) of rice krispies cereal
• 1/2 cup (65 gr) of crushed, roasted hazelnuts
• white chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips for decoration

Preparation time:  20 minutes
Directions:
1. Crush the roasted hazelnuts. Set out and measure the rice krispies cereal in a bowl. So all ingredients are ready.

2. In a microwave safe large bowl, place the marshmallows, nutella and butter (cut in pieces). The bowl needs to be large, because the marshmallows in the microwave will inflate, and you don't want them to spill all over.

   
3. Microwave for 60 seconds. Check and mix. You will probably need another 30 to 40 seconds in the microwave to melt completely the ingredients. Mix again.

4. Add the rice krispies cereal and the crushed hazelnuts and mix quickly, until well coated.

5. Spoon the mixture evenly into about 24 round muffin cups. Press down with the back of a spoon to pack the treats into shape.

5. Flip the rice krispies (the bottom looks better than the top!). Decorate with the chocolate chips. I used 4 white chocolate chips for the mouth, two white for the eyes, topped with a mini (brown) chocolate chip to finish it up. Microwave the smiley faces for about 15 seconds, and let it sit there for  minute, so that the chocolate chips will slightly melt and stay in place (if not they might roll all over!) 

Store in an air tight container. And enjoy!

Nutella and Hazelnut Rice Krispies Hearts

Perfectly gooey, chocolaty and nutty rice krispies hearts with Nutella and crushed hazelnuts.

Great snack idea for your kids' Valentine's day party!

As you can see, today I have one more heart shaped dessert for you.
After my two other recipes  this week, the pear and ricotta cheese mini cakes and the meringue cups, I can now say I made full use of my no-longer-new silicone molds. If you don't have heart shaped muffin cups, you can always use regular round ones. But, as you might know, food looks and tastes so much better in a heart shape.
These rice krispies treats are perfect for your Valentine's day party, especially for the kids. They come in a cute size, that can also be easily packed and made into great valentines for the children. And they are really easy and quick to prepare. With the addition of nutella and hazelnuts, this simple snack becomes a delicious homemade goodness: perfectly gooey, crispy, nutty and chocolaty.
Then, for all Nutella lovers out there (and I know there's a lot of us!), why not drizzle, spread or dip the rice krispies with more nutella?!?
It's for Valentine's day after all, and nothing says "love" as much as chocolate.


Ingredients: to make about 10 cups

• 3 cups (90 gr) of rice krispies cereal
• 1/2 cup (65 gr) of crushed, roasted hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (115 gr) of Nutella, or other chocolate spread
• 3 cups (150 gr) of mini marshmallows

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Directions:
1. Crush the roasted hazelnuts and place the rice krispies cereal in a bowl, so these ingredients are ready. In a microwave safe large bowl, place the marshmallows, nutella and butter. The bowl needs to be large enough, because the marshmallows in the microwave will inflate, and you don't want them to spill all over.

2. Microwave for 60 seconds. Check and mix. You will probably need another 30 to 40 seconds in the microwave to melt completely the ingredients.

3. Add the rice krispies cereal and the crushed hazelnuts and mix quickly, until well coated.

4. Spoon the mixture evenly into heart shaped muffin cups, it should fill about 10 (mine are 2.5 x 2.5 in). As soon as the mixture cools down a bit, press it down to pack, and shape into a heart.

5. Let cool down for about 5 minutes, remove from the molds, and flip (the bottom should look better than the top!). If you'd like, you can serve by drizzling with melted chocolate, or melted nutella right before eating. Store in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Savory Prosciutto and Spinach Pinwheels

Delicious pick-up bite for your next party: crispy, cheesy and so yummy!

Here is a fabulous idea for a tasty stuzzichino, as we would  call it in Italy, something delicious that will for sure tickle your appetite!
These savory prosciutto, spinach and cheese pinwheels made with puff pastry are a fabulous way to start a night of entertaining, or can also be a fun afternoon snack for the children. You can't go wrong with these pick-up bites, whether you  want to wow your guests or hide those spinach in your kids' snack. Crispy, cheesy, and so yummy! These are very easy and fast to prepare. They take no more than 20 minutes to bake. And as you might have guessed, I used my new silicone baking mat from Kitchen Executive Chef.
You can now win a set of these mats too, by simply entering here:

Ingredients: to make about 12 pinwheels                                            Printable Recipe

• 1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted
•  about 3 large slices (2 oz) of prosciutto (I used prosciutto di Parma)
• a handful of fresh organic spinach
• about 1.5 oz of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• about 3 oz of fontina cheese, or other mild cheese, shredded

Preparation time: About 30 minutes, plus 40 minutes defrosting time for the puff pastry

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the pastry sheet on parchment paper or lightly floured surface. Place one thin layer of fresh spinach

Step 2: Add one layer of prosciutto.

Step 3: And one layer with fontina and Parmesan cheese.

Step 4: Roll up and seal the edge by rubbing it with some water and pressing down with your fingers.

Step 5: Cut in slices, about 1 inch wide. I ended up with 12 pinwheels.

Step 6: Place the slices onto the silicone baking mat. Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until golden.

Serve hot, warm or at room temperature... anyways delicious!!

Enjoy :-)