Red Velvet Rice Krispie Treats

It all started when I made Jessica's Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats this past Thursday.

As I was mixing the ingredients and letting them set so I could bring them in for my co-worker's birthday the next day, I began to think of the many different flavor combination's that I could make when adding cake mix to rice krispy treats.

Chocolate?--eh.

Lemon?--no.

Carrot?--maybe.

Red Velvet? --Yes!

I LOVE red velvet desserts. I loved them before they were cool.

As a 7th and 8th grader my friend Njeri would make red velvet cake for fun, and since we were 12 year old kids with nothing to do and no one willing to take us ANYWHERE, we'd just sit at her house eating cake and other fattening foods. 

It was kind of irresponsible.

I was a really chubby kid and had no business doing that. Like, at all. Yeesh...Wanna see little chubby Jihane? Look  below.

Sigh.

Yea, NO BUSINESS!

My mom, bless her heart, put me in dance class to get some exercise, but I'd go to dance classes and move my body, then go to my friends' houses and eat a ton of cake. 

Counter productive...

LOL! As embarrassing as it is I do love that picture though. It's so funny! Horrible, LOL!

Anyways, back to the Krispy Treats.

I figured that they should have a hint of chocolate flavoring and cream cheese mixed in somehow so I added red velvet cake mix and mini chocolate chips to the batter, and then made a thin icing of white chocolate and cream cheese to spread on top.

These were SO EASY to make and they're good!

I liked them a lot and so did my maintenance man who ate about 3 of them while he TRIED to fix my AC unit. Still not working by the way--next time, treats AFTER he completes the task.

They do taste Red Velvet-y especially with the cream cheese icing on top.

As you know already, a recipe developer I am not. So, if anyone decides to make these and could think of improvements, let me know!   :)

Recipe

• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  
• 1 10oz bag of mini  marshmallows
  
• 1/2 cup of Red Velvet cake mix sifted to remove lumps
  
• 4-6 cups of rice krispies cereal. (I like my treats sticky, so I veer towards 4-5 cups)
  
• 4 oz of cream cheese softened
  
• 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips (more or less depending on how much chocolate flavor you want) plus more for the top of the treats
  
• 2-3 oz of white chocolate (I used Wilton's vanilla candy melts because they were closer to reach than the white chocolate in my cupboard and they worked out.)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon of heavy cream

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan under medium heat and then add in the marshmallows until they are melted. Add the cake mix and stir until everything is incorporated. Add in the cereal and keep stirring. Don't let it burn and if you need to, remove the pan from the heat.

2. After everything is mixed, throw in desired amount of mini chocolate chips, mix and then  transfer it to an 8x8 square pan that has been buttered  or sprayed or lined with wax paper.

3. Let the mixture cool and get started on the icing.

4. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or on top of a double boiler. When melted, mix in the cream cheese until the mixture is smooth. **I like more of a cream cheese taste so if needed, add in more cream cheese until you reach desired flavor.**

5. Add the heavy cream to thin out the mixture,or if it is thin enough omit it all together.

6. Spread the mixture onto the cooled krispy treats and then sprinkle more mini chocolate chips on top. Stick the pan back in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set the icing.

7. Slice and enjoy!