Valentine's Day Krispie Hearts!

I just had to share these adorable Rice Krispie hearts that my daughter & I made today.  She LOVES to help me in the kitchen and even has her own aprons and kitchen utensils.  I am always finding ways to let her help me make dinner or make a special treat. Well tomorrow the Valentine's Queen is coming to visit our house.  The Queen leaves a little treat for kids on Valentine's Day (just another way for us to bribe them into behaving!). So of course we just had to make a treat for her when she arrived.

I figured I would make the Rice Krispie treats into hearts and then dip them in chocolate.  My daughter could then decorate to her hearts delight!

I doubled the recipe to yield 16 small hearts and lots of left over pieces!

• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 2 10oz. packages of large marshmallows or 8 cups of mini-marshmallows
• 12 cups of Rice Krispies

1. Melt butter over low heat
2. Once butter is completely melted, add in marshmallows
3. Stir until marshmallows have completed melted
4. Add Rice Krispies 

• I buttered 2 9/12 inch aluminum trays 
• I then split the mixture into the two pans
• Grease your hands using butter flavored cooking spray or plan butter and pat the mixture down into the pan so it is even
• Let it sit and cool for at least a half hour
• Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut into the rice krispie treats
• I was able to get 8 hearts out of each tray
• Lay the hearts on waxed or parchment paper

Chocolate Dip 

• 8 ounces milk chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
• 1 Tbsp. shortening (ie crisco)

1. Over a double broiler on LOW heat (or you can place metal bowl into a small saucepan) combine chocolate and shortening
2. Stir until completely melted

I covered half of my hearts then let my daughter sprinkle them with various decorations.  Set back on wax paper to cool