Krispy Rice Pumpkins
- 3 Tbls butter or margarine
- 1 bag miniature marshmallows
- 8 drops orange food coloring (more if you’d like a brighter color)
- 7 cups crispy rice cereal
Melt the butter in a dutch oven or 6-8 qt. pan over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from the stove and add the orange food coloring. Stir in the rice cereal. Have the children dip their hands into cold water and shape small balls out of the rice mixture and place on waxed paper. Flatten the balls slightly with the palms of their hands to resemble a pumpkin. (We colored pumpkin seeds green and then roasted for the stem, but it is a rather time-consuming process. IF you’d like: dry the seeds well and place in a bag with 1Tbls. vinegar and 15 drops green food coloring. Squeeze and shake the bag well to coat all of the seeds. Place the seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 325 degrees for 1/2 an hour (turning the seeds twice during that time). The kids will enjoy the treats with or without the stems!
Pumpkin Dip and Spice Drop Cookies
Spice Drop Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups butter (can use butter flavored Crisco if desired)
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 Tbls. vanilla
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white chocolate baking chips
Pumpkin Dip – 1 cup canned pumpkin, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, and 1 package of cream cheese – mix all together and store in the refrigerator until needed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (it helps the cookies brown evenly). Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs and milk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (can use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if you don’t have the individual spices, but the cookies taste a little differently.) Mix in the flour/baking soda/salt a little at a time (no need to sift the ingredients together.) Add 2 cups of white chocolate chips (we’ve tried oatmeal, pecans, and dark chocolate as additions, too.) Drop the cookie batter onto the parchment lined cookie sheets and bake just until the cookies lose their shimmer in the center…approx. 8 min. Be careful NOT to over bake. Let cool and store in an airtight container. These cookies get BETTER after the first day or two in storage.
These cookies make your entire home alive with the fragrant aromas of FALL (they are delicious, too). For more great ideas see our Fall Theme or our Preschool and Kindergarten Themes for Active Learning and Play!
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