Dia de Muertos is a very special holiday for us.  We spend the week prior setting up an altar for my grandparents, searching for cempazuchitl (marigolds), papel picado, making sugar skulls and preparing a mole dinner while we reminisce the joyful times we lived with my grandparents.

This year is very special to us because my son is now at the age where he can participate in many Dia de Muertos activities and begin to understand the meaning of this special holiday.  Since sugar skull making requires lots of practice and patience and is difficult for small hands to maneuver, we decided to make fun Catrina pops out of our favorite cereal –Kellogg’s Rice Krispies.

Rice Krispies Treats are simple to make and everyone loves them — young and old! If this is your first time making them, don’t worry!  It’s a simple process and, most importantly, they are so much fun to make with your children.

Our first challenge was finding an easy way to shape the pops large enough for little hands to handle.  That’s where my chancla (flip-flop, sandal) cookie cutter came in handy.  The sandal shape resembles a skull shape and it was the perfect pop size.

To decorate, use flower candy cake decorations, oogly-googly candy eyes and writing icing to shape the mouth and adhere eyes, flowers and butterflies.

Catrina Rice Krispies Treat Pops

3 Tablespoons butter

1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows

6 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal

Supplies

Cooking spray

Cake decorations (flowers and butterflies)

Candy eyes

Writing icing

Lollipop or Popsicle sticks

Instructions

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.

Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat

Add Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal and stir until well coated.

Using a spatula sprayed with cooking spray, press mixture into 13x9x2-inch pan coated with cooking spray.  Let cool.

Use cookie cutter to carefully cut out skull shape.

Insert popsicle or lollipop stick at the bottom of each skull shape and decorate with candy eyes, flowers and butterflies.  Use the writing icing to make nose and mouth and to adhere eyes, flowers and butterflies.