Hoot-tastic Halloween Treats: How to Make Adorable Rice Krispie Treat Owls

It's almost Halloween aka the witching season my ghoulies! And let me share with you these adorable Rice Krispie Treat Owls! They're not only adorable and super easy to make but they're also delicious :) Try this easy, cute Halloween snack that kids and adults will both love.

I don't know about you Dear Reader, but I cannot say no to a rice krispie treat, especially a homemade one coated in chocolate (we cannot keep them in the house). They're chewy, gooey and stretchy and for a something so moreish they're very simple to make. Halloween-ifying them is easy: dip a home made rice krispie treat in chocolate and then use mini Oreos and m&m's to make the rest of the face! It's simple but visually effective.

I made two batches of these Owl Rice Krispy treats, one a black colour and one brown. They were a breezy joy to make as simple things are. I dipped them in chocolate, stashed them in the fridge and then came back to them the next morning once I had procured the eyes and nose. Originally I was going to make fondant or gum paste eyes but honestly that can be fiddly and then I remembered that there were mini Oreos so I made a run to the shop to get them. You could probably even use full sized Oreos on these to make comically enormous eyes on your owls too.

While I find owls endlessly cute and fascinating I don't think having an owl is ever going to be on the cards although a part of me would love to adopt a murder of crows or a unkindness of ravens (note: how fantastic are collective nouns?). Crows and ravens please DM me, I always have food. Let's look out for each other.

Another family member that loves birds is Milo. He loves running into a flock of birds watching them fly away. Every time I see it, he reminds me of George Costanza running into the flock of pigeons. He really makes us laugh - our dog sitter also told us that one day he got impatient with waiting for them to get ready for a walk. He already had his harness and lead on so he took the lead in his mouth and walked off by himself and took himself for a walk.

Despite how much they beg, Teddy and Milo aren't likely to nab themselves one of these rice krispie treats because dogs should avoid eating sugar. One thing that I always try to do is keep Milo's teeth clean because dental health is linked to heart health. We give him dental treats and we also brush his teeth every few days but that involves two people and I have found a way around keeping his teeth clean and white. Every night, when he is tired and asleep in his bed, I scrape his canine teeth with my fingernail. He has a white "Hollywood" smile but I have to be diligent about this.

Recently we were away in Thailand and Milo and Teddy were staying at Mr NQN's sister's house so he hadn't had any teeth brushing. I saw there was a bit of plaque on his teeth but it wouldn't come off with my fingernail so I wondered if Milo would mind if I took the blunt end of a tweezer to it and did some light dental work to scrape it off. Usually dogs need to be sedated for this but to my double surprise, it worked and the brown plaque came off and I could not believe it but little Milo slept through it all! Now there's no way that Teddy would let me do this but Milo is another story!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you have a dream animal you'd like to have or make a deal with? Do you like rice krispie treats?

Owl Rice Krispie Treats

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

Makes 9 owls

• 55g/1.9ozs butter

• 280g/9.8ozs marshmallows

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

• Fat pinch salt

• Brown or black food colouring (I made two batches one black one brown) omit if using coco pops

• 135g/4.7ozs puffed rice cereal (or cocoa pops)

To decorate

• 200g/7ozs dark chocolate
• 18 cashews
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 18 mini Oreos
• 9 orange or yellow mini m&ms

Step 1 - Line the base and sides of a 20x20cm/8x8inch square tin and spray lightly with non stick oil spray. Spray a silicon spatula too. Add the butter to a large 26cm/10.2inch or so non stick frypan with 2 inch high sides on medium heat. Once melted, add the brown food colouring and mix well until you get a uniform colour. Add the marshmallows, vanilla and salt and stir with the spatula to melt. Once everything is completely mixed, turn down the heat to low and add the puffed rice and stir well. Make sure that all of the rice is coated.

Step 2 -Scoop into the prepared tin and allow to cool for 3 minutes (the mixture is very sticky when its freshly hot). Then take the oiled spatula and press down firmly making sure that the rice cereal is compacted tightly. Get into the corners and spread it down flat. Cool for 10 minutes. Slide out of the tin and cut into 9 squares.

Step 3 - Line a large baking tray with parchment. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium heat until liquid and stir the coconut oil in well making sure there are no streaks left. Firmly but gently push in two cashews on top of a square (it is best to do this part just after they're made as they become harder upon cooling). Spoon the melted chocolate on top covering the cashews and the top 1/4 of the square. Place on the parchment lined tray and allow to set (pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so until set if you need to).

Step 4- Twist apart the mini Oreos and take the half with the frosting and spoon some chocolate on the other side and affix two of these to the owls to make eyes. Repeat for the rest. Then dip an m&m slightly into the chocolate and affix a nose. Then place the still melted chocolate into a small piping bag or zip lock bag and pipe small eyes on the white frosting. Make your owls cross eyed or looking in different directions.

Step 5 -Then using a serrated knife, cut the remaining uniced Oreo cookie in half (using a sawing motion). Dab some chocolate on one side and affix these above the eyes to make eyebrows. Allow the chocolate to set completely. Store in an airtight container with a layer of parchment between to prevent them from sticking. These will last for up to a week like this or freeze for up to 2 months. They do not need to be refrigerated.