The 4th of July is a week from today! For all of my American readers, that means a day full of fireworks, BBQ, sunshine (hopefully), and celebrating America’s independence. I made cookies to celebrate!

If you are a new to decorating with royal icing, here are some helpful tips and links:

• I used my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe, which is listed below.  Another good cut-out cookie recipe can be found at Bridget’s wonderful Bake at 350.
• I used a royal icing recipe from Annie’s Eats, which is listed below.
• If you are new to decorating with royal icing, please visit this post by Annie’s Eats, which will teach you about outlining and flooding.  Bake at 350 is also a great resource for cookie decorating and ideas (I love Bridget’s book, too!).

Here are the specifics on how I made these cookies:

• I used a Wilton comfort-grip star cookie cutter (purchased at Hobby Lobby)
• I outlined and flooded the cookies using white royal icing
• The cookies were decorated with a variety of red, white, and blue sprinkles; some of the cookies were dipped directly into the sprinkles (’cause you can never have too many sprinkles, right?)

Omi’s Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream, and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients gradually. Chill the batter overnight or for at least 4 hours. Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350F until golden (in true fashion, my grandma didn’t give a specific baking time. I baked the cookies for about 8 minutes).

White Royal Icing
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons meringue powder
5 Tablespoons water

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes).  Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping.

My love for pink and white frosted animal cookies knows no bounds. Last week I posted Carousel frosted animal cupcakes, and a few years ago I made jumbo cut-out cookies. Today brings these little babies in rice krispie form. Hope you have enjoyed this week’s parade of rice krispie treats with a twist!

Circus Cookie Krispie Treats
Recipe source: Cookies and Cups
Print Recipe

5 Tablespoons butter
16 oz mini marshmallows
8 cups Rice Krispies
1 (13 oz) bag of frosted animal cookies, coarsely chopped
12 oz white chocolate, chopped finely
Rainbow nonpareils to garnish

1. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray, set aside
2. In large pot over low heat melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted.
Remove from heat.
3. Stir in krispie cereal and then cookies until coated in marshmallow mixture. Press into prepared pan evenly.
4. In a medium bowl melt white chocolate on 50% heat in 30 second increments until melted, stirring after each 30 seconds. Spread white chocolate over krispies and sprinkle with nonpareils. Allow white chocolate to set and cut into squares.

Okay, these don’t involve Rice Krispies — but they do involve cereal and marshmallow! Golden Grahams are a favorite of mine if I’m in the mood to throw health out the window and eat a sugary cereal for breakfast. But you know, I run a baking blog… so I guess I throw health out the window quite frequently. :) These treats kind of reminded me of s’mores – golden grahams, marshmallow, and chocolate – what could be better?

Golden Graham Bars
Recipe source: Brit + Co
Print Recipe

4 cups Golden Grahams cereal
1/2 cup chocolate chips
7 oz marshmallows (about 2/3 of a 10 oz bag)
2 Tablespoons butter

1. Spray a cake pan or baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Put marshmallows and butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir until melted and smooth.
3. Quickly add in the cereal and other add-ins and mix with a wooden spoon.
4. Pour the cereal mixture into the cake pan and flatten with the back of the wooden spoon.

Note: If you prefer a thicker bar, you might want to double the recipe. I ended up with really skinny bars the first time around (using a 9×9 pan). I think the best approach is to use a 9×13 pan and to double the ingredients!

These are the kinds of treats that you might find yourself consuming nearly an entire pan of…near midnight… while stressed out in school… not like I would know or anything. But I’m just sayin’. It could happen. You know… stress plus Nutella is a dangerous combination.

AHEM. ANYWAY.

Nutella Cocoa Krispie Treats
Recipe source: Country Cleaver
Print Recipe

1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows
1 cup Nutella
1 box (12 0z) cocoa krispie cereal (I used the chocolate version of Rice Krispies; but any puffed chocolate cereal would work)
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Non-stick cooking spray

1. In a 9×9 inch baking pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large non-stick pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add in marshmallows and stir together with butter and Nutella until marshmallows have melted and become creamy. Stir in vanilla extract.
3. Fold in cocoa krispie cereal until all marshmallows and cereal are evenly mixed together. Spread treats into sprayed baking pan. Press into pan. Place into fridge for 10 minutes to cool.

Gather ’round, Harry Potter lovers! Butterbeer rice krispie treats. Oh yes. OHHHH yes. I won’t ramble on except to say that butterscotch and browned butter are involved in these treats. Come on now.. you know you NEED to try them!

Butterbeer Rice Krispie Treats
Recipe source: bakingdom.com
Print Recipe

6 cups rice crispy cereal
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, browned
10 ounces marshmallows
1/4 cup butterbeer syrup (I used butterscotch ice cream topping)

1. Lightly coat cake pan(s) of desired size (I used 9×13) in cooking spray or melted butter; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cereal and butterscotch chips; set aside.
3. Combine the marshmallows, butter, and butterbeer syrupt (or butterscotch ice cream topping) in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Stir constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted. Stir in the cereal mixture until it is evenly coated with the melted marshmallows.
4. Once combined, press the mixture into the prepared pan(s). Allow to cool completely before frosting or serving.