Cutie Cookie Dough Crispies

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Dare I mess with a classic? Crispie Rice treats have always been a favorite of mine, but sometimes messing with a good thing doesn’t *necessarily* make it better. LOL who am I kidding? Adding cookie dough to everything makes it exponentially better. And then when you dip it in chocolate and dust it with some sprinkles at the end… game changer! It takes this basic dessert to the next level and beyond! And the shapes? Sure, they could just be normal squares, but I’m extra and these should be too!!

CUTIE COOKIE DOUGH CRISPIES

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes // Servings: 24

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH

  • 2 1/4 cups heat-treated all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

FOR THE TREATS

  • 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 1 (10 ounce) bag mini marshmallows

  • 6 cups crisp rice cereal (I use Rice Krispies)

  • Heart cookie cutter

FOR DIPPING

  • 1/2 cup Valentine’s Day sprinkles

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided in half

DIRECTIONS

TO MAKE THE DOUGH

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the heat-treated flour and salt. Set aside.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and mix on medium until light and fluffy; about 4 minutes will do the trick. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.

  • Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds.

  • Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, make the treats.

TO MAKE THE TREATS

  • In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and add the cereal. Stir until the cereal is well coated. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

  • Measure 3⁄4 cup cookie dough. Drop tablespoon-size chunks of this cookie dough into the cereal mixture and gently stir to incorporate, making sure the cookie dough chunks stay intact. Too much stirring will cause the melted chocolate to spread too much!

  • Use cooking spray to grease a 9"x13" pan, a 1/3-cup measuring cup, and your fingers (this will make the mixture easier to handle). Use the 1/3-cup measuring cup to make 15 portions of cereal mixture. Scatter these portions in the pan in a checkerboard formation, ensuring that the corners are filled with cereal mixture and there are gaps between the cereal mixture portions.

  • Remove the rest of the cookie dough from the refrigerator and use it to fill the gaps between the portions of cereal mixture. Once the cookie dough is used up, use a piece of waxed paper to smooth the treats into an even layer. Allow to chill in the freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes.

TO MAKE THE DIP

  • In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon coconut oil in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments. Stir well between each increment. Repeat just until melted.

  • Repeat with white chocolate chips and let both chocolates cool slightly.

  • Spray the heart cookie cutter with cooking spray. Remove the crispies from the pan and use the cutter starting in the corner. Press the cookie cutter firmly into the treats and remove once it is cut all the way through. Pop the heart shape out if it got stuck in the cutter. Repeat across the whole rectangle until you have cut out as many as possible. (If you don’t have a cookie cutter you can just cut into 24 squares). You may want to re-spray the cutter with cooking spray if needed. Eat the scraps or cut them into bite-size pieces to dip.

  • Dip half of each treat into the chocolate. Remove from the chocolate and immediately dust with sprinkles. Lay on waxed paper until the chocolate sets. Once set they are ready to serve!

  • These treats are best served the same day but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Kristen Page