Rice Krispie Treat Pool Table

My latest Rice Krispie Treat + Candy Melt creation is a pool table. I had a lot of fun figuring out how to make it. I'm particularly pleased with how the cue stick turned out. Can you guess how I made it? Read on to find out! Affiliate links below. 

Rice Krispie Treat Pool Table

Materials: 

• Rice Krispie Treat
• Wilton Candy Melts (green and dark cocoa)
• Parchment paper
• Wilton Sugar Pearls *
• spaghetti
• powdered sugar

Steps: 

Unwrap two rice krispie treats (or cut two rectangles if you made your own RKTs). Use a rolling pin to flatten one of them. 

Place the flattened RKT on parchment paper, then cover it with green Candy Melts. I spooned it over the top, then used an offset spatula to smooth it out. Let the candy set. 

Spread a puddle of melted Dark Cocoa Candy Melts onto the parchment paper, then dip the edges of the green RKT into the puddle. 

Cover the unflattened RKT with Dark Cocoa Candy Melts. 

Break a piece of spaghetti in half, then roll it in the puddle of Dark Cocoa Candy Melts. Dip the tip of one end into powdered sugar.

When the candy has set, you're ready to assemble your pool table. Use a glob of melted Dark Cocoa to attach the tabletop to the base. Then dip each Sugar Pearl into a tiny bit of melted Green and place it on the table. Lean the cue stick against the table.

* While searching for this link, I discovered that Wilton has flavored Sugar Pearls! I found Orange Sherbet, Bubblegum, and Green Apple. I cannot wait to my hands on some! I also found pineapple- and flamingo-shaped sprinkles that are totally adorable. Ooh, and airplanes. So many fun choices!

Rice Krispie Treat Pineapples

Summer is almost here, so I've been crafting up pineapples.

Rice Krispie Treat Pineapples, that is! I had so much fun making them and they're surprisingly easy to do. Give them a try! (Affiliate links below). 

Rice Krispie Treat Pineapples

Materials:

• Rice Krispie Treats
• Wilton Candy Melts (Yellow, Dark Green, and Dark Cocoa)
• parchment paper
• round toothpicks
• warming tray (optional)

Steps: 

Use a sharp knife to cut each rice krispie treat into thirds. Gently round the corners and edges to make the pineapple shape, as I've done with the one on the left below. 

Follow the directions on the Candy Melts packages to prepare a dish of yellow and a dish of dark green. Dip each rice krispie treat into yellow Candy Melts, then move them to parchment paper to set. Then place a glob of green on the parchment paper and drag a spoon (or a toothpick) through it to create the leaves of the pineapple. 

Add a single dark cocoa Candy Melt to the leftover yellow candy. Reheat, then stir until you get a uniform honey color. Use a toothpick to draw diagonal lines across each pineapple. 

Gently peel the pineapple tops from the parchment and turn them upside down. Remelt the green candy and put a glob on the back of each pineapple top. Roll a toothpick in the melted candy, then lay it flat in the center. Let the pineapple toppers set up.

By the way, if you prefer not to have to keep remelting the candy, you can keep it warm while you work with a simple warming tray on its lowest setting. It's really handy, particularly if you're new to candy or tend to work slowly.

When the pineapples and the toppers are completely set (pop them in the fridge to speed up the process if your work area isn't cool enough), use a clean toothpick to poke a hole into each pineapple (much like you'd drill a pilot hole into wood). Remove the toothpick, then gently slide a pineapple topper into the hole. Arrange them on a plate and serve!

Rice Krispie Treat Flamingo

I had so much fun with the rice krispie treat pig that I made a flamingo. 

Rice Krispie Treat Flamingo

Ingredients:

• Rice Krispie Treat
• Wilton Candy Melts
• Lollipop stick
• Parchment paper
• Wilton candy eye

Steps: 

Use a sharp knife to carve away the corners of the rice krispie treat, as shown on this piece of paper.

Working on a piece of parchment paper, use the corners to shape a neck and head, making sure they're firmly attached to the body. Pop the flamingo (still on the parchment paper) into the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up. 

Insert a lollipop stick to make the leg of the flamingo. Melt 8 white Candy Melts with 1 red Candy Melt to get the perfect shade of Flamingo Pink. (I did 45 seconds at 50% power in small glass container, then stirred until it was smooth. Every microwave is different.) Use a butter knife to spread the melted candy on the flamingo. Some will puddle between the neck and the body, which is good. This will hold the neck in place when the candy sets up. Use the knife to swipe two teardrop-shaped globs of candy on the parchment paper. These will be the wings. Let the candy set up completely. (Notice I still have candy leftover in the glass dish. You'll need this to 'glue' the eyes and wings in place.)

When everything is hard, peel the wings and the flamingo from the parchment paper. Remelt the pink candy (about 20 seconds on 50% power) and spread use it to adhere the eyes and wings. Let them set. 

Melt a tiny bit of black Candy Melts and dip the tip of the beak. (Yes, it's worth the effort. It makes a big difference.)

I have more rice krispie treats in the pantry. What animal(s) should I make next?

Rice Krispie Treat Pig with Chocolate Mousse Mud

You guys, I am ridiculously pleased with myself because this pig turned out even better than I'd planned. It's inspired by friend Doreen. Doreen has a pet pig (Hamlet) and she is constantly showing off yummy desserts on her blog. 

My pig is made of Rice Krispie Treats and is sitting in chocolate mousse. Hamlet is black, not pink, and is a house pig, so I don't think he does much mud-wallowing. So I took some artistic license with my creation. 

But I didn't forget the curly tail. 

Read on to learn how I made it. Once I figured everything out, it was actually quite easy. (And delicious.) Affiliate links below. 

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Rice Krispie Treat Pig with Chocolate Mousse Mud

Ingredients:

• 1 c. whipping cream (thought I might have found something Amazon doesn't sell - nope)
• 6 oz. good-quality chocolate
• Starburst (pink)
• Rice Krispie Treat
• Wilton Candy Melts (white and red)
• Lollipop stick
• Parchment paper
• Wilton candy eyes

Steps: 

Put 1/2 c. cream into a bowl and gently warm it (I did 30 seconds in the microwave). Use a serrated knife to chop the chocolate. Put half of the chocolate into the warm cream and let it sit for about two minutes, then whisk it together. Add the rest of the chopped chocolate and whisk until it is smooth. (Congrats - you've made ganache!)

Pour the remaining 1/2 c. cream into a large bowl and whip it to medium peaks. Gently fold half of the cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest of the cream. (Congrats - you've made mousse!) Gently spread the mousse into a shallow container and put it in the refrigerator to set up. 

Unwrap a pink Starburst and roll it out on a clean surface. 

Cut out a snout and two ears. I used a knife for the ears and an ancient cookie cutter for the snout (but I totally want this set. Imagine the possibilities!!) Don't eat the Starburst scraps (yet). First, roll a snake then twist it into a tail. Roll two itty bitty balls, then flatten them and put them on the snout to make the nostrils. Now you can eat the scraps. 

Now it's time to coat the rice krispie treat to make it pink. I melted 8 white Candy Melts with 1 red Candy Melt and it was the perfect amount for a single pig. (I did 45 seconds at 50% power in a glass container and then stirred, but every microwave is different).

The easiest way to get good Candy Melt coverage without too much waste or too much mess is to insert a stick into the short end of the rectangular rice krispie treat and spread the melted candy on using a knife. When it is covered on all sides, set it down on a piece of parchment paper. 

Let the candy set up for a minute or two, then place the snout, eyes, and ears in position. Let the candy firm up completely, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. (Don't put it in the freezer, as it turns out that the condensation makes the eyeballs run when it comes to room temp.) Peel the pig up from the parchment paper. It would make a fun treat just like this, but the mud/mousse makes it more awesome. 

Remove the mousse from the refrigerator. It should have set up considerably so that it holds the pig upright without slumping. (If not, return the mousse to the fridge sans pig and try again later.)

Finally, nestle the pig's tail behind the pig into the mousse. 

Adorable, if I do say so myself! And sooooo yummy!