Spooky Rice Krispie Treat Halloween Mask!

College poses many obstacles. It tells me, “Hey, write five in-depth, multiple-step essays in 90 minutes for your honors pysch midterm,” and, “Sit through a 3-hour night class where you learn how to use Microsoft Word, even though you learned that in middle school,” then, “Make a two-faced mask out of ‘found materials’ for Art class.”

Wondering what all of this has to do with Halloween or Rice Krispie Treats? Well, I may not be a psychology expert or physically capable of staying awake through three-hour night classes, but I am okay at art. Initially, when my art teacher asked us to make a mask, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Quickly, however, that feeling diminished as a light bulb illuminated approximately 2 inches above my head. I realized I had an opportunity here to do what I do best: work with food. Dread quickly turned into excitement.

I’ve never sculpted with Rice Krispie Treats nor worked with fondant before this, but I figured I could work it out easily enough using knowledge acquired from religiously watching Food Network (and Cake Boss on TLC). It really wasn’t all that bad. I whipped up some Rice Krispie treats, molded them while the marshmallows were still molten, let it set, frosted it, covered it in fondant, then decorated it. And there you have it: a 100% edible, two-faced Halloween mask!

The Jack-O-Lantern Side.

The Skull Side.

Although I wouldn’t recommend using this for your Halloween costume (unless sticking your face into Rice Krispies is your thing), it would make a welcomed addition to any Halloween party, as well as an awesome centerpiece to a Halloween-themed table-scape. Once you’re done admiring it, you can eat it!

You can also get creative with how you decorate the face. You could make it half-Frankenstein, half-Corpse Bride or half-mummy, half-zombie. You don’t even half to make it two-faced. Make a ghoul, a witch, a skull, or whatever you like! Pick your favorite creepy character!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking Sculpting:

1. If you don’t have time to do this all in one day, you can make the Rice Krispie mask a day ahead, then frost, cover, and decorate it the next day. I wouldn’t recommend making it any earlier than one day in advance because the Rice Krispie Treats will get stale and soggy. Also, do NOT do the frosting or fondant a day ahead; only mold the Rice Krispie treat mask. Again, the fondant and frosting will make the treats soggy.
2. You can use homemade frosting and fondant. I was short on time, so I just used store-bought. It’s up to you! Let me warn you though, that store-bought fondant requires some SERIOUS muscles to roll out!
3. If you’ve never had fondant before, it’s more for aesthetics than it is for taste. People often peel off the fondant when eating a cake. Therefore, I recommend applying a double layer of frosting so that the fondant does tear it all off if someone should choose to remove the fondant before eating.
4. Rice Krispie Treats are a versatile medium! You could sculpt anything you want, really.
5. I used mini-marshmallows instead of the large marshmallows, which I believe attributed to a less-marshmallowy treat. That being said, I also think it made the treats more dense and, therefore, easier to mold.
6. You can buy premade fondant at almost any craft store in the baking section.
7. Below, I have listed the exact colors and materials I used that you’ll need to recreate my mask, but feel free to switch it up if you’re making something different.
8. You must work with the Rice Krispies while they are still malleable and slightly warm. Obviously, don’t try to mold them if they’re smoking hot, but as soon as you can touch them without burning yourself, get going!

Spooky & Edible Rice Krispie Treat Halloween Mask

by Colleen Bierstine

What You Need:

For the Rice Krispie Treats:

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows OR 4 cups  miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups  Rice Krispies® cereal
• nonstick cooking spray

For decorating:

• 1 container vanilla frosting
• 1 24-oz. package of ready-to-use white fondant like this
• 1 .75-oz. tube of black writing gel
• 1 .75-oz. tube of orange writing gel
• 1 1.5-oz. can of Orange Color Mist, like this
• 1 1.5-oz. can of Black Color Mist, like this
• Any additional desired decorations like bows, edible glitter, sprinkles, etc.

To Make the Mask:

1. Make the Rice Krispie Treats: Melt the marshmallows and butter in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat. When they are completely melted, remove from heat and immediately stir in Rice Krispies. Mix until evenly coated then pour onto a baking sheet (or whatever surface you intend to work on; I recommend working on the same surface you’ll be presenting the mask on so you don’t have to risk trying to move it).
2. Liberally spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray. While the Rice Krispie treats are still warm and soft, mold them together into a clump and work into a basic head/mask/face shape:
3. Add the details: sculpt a nose by gathering krispies into the center of the face. Use your thumbs to create concave eye sockets, circular in shape, by pushing the krispies down and out. Make the forehead slightly rounded in shape. Add a rounded chin and cheek bones to give the face dimension.
4. Once you are satisfied with your face, let set for at least an hour.
5. Once set, cover the entire mask in frosting. Be gentle when spreading so you don’t distort the shape of the face (the treats are pretty sturdy. You shouldn’t have a problem with messing them up unless you’re being REALLY rough with that frosting). Let icing set for a few minutes then add a second layer. Use the entire container of frosting.
6. Roll out the fondant until it is about 1/4 inch thick (depending on the consistency of the fondant you’re working with). Don’t roll it too thin; it will tear. However, don’t roll it too thick or you’ll have trouble shaping it to the mask.
7. Roll the fondant around the rolling pin then carefully unroll it over the mask (this avoids trying to transport the thin fondant with your hands and inevitably tearing it). Gently smooth it over the surface of the mask so that it molds to the shape. You may have to press it down and smooth it out to get it to fully outline the different forms.
8. Once fondant is completely smoothed out and molded, use a pizza cutter to cut off the extra fondant around the mask, leaving about 1/2 an inch. Tuck the extra fondant under the mask.
9. Decorate as you please! Here’s what I did:

• First, cover half the mask in wax paper, using tape to keep the wax paper in place, then spray the exposed half with the orange color mist to achieve the split-color. Let dry completely before removing the wax paper!
• Next, I used to black color mist as paint by spraying it onto a piece of wax paper then painting it on with a paintbrush. I painted cracks and little details like the shadow around the cheek. I also painted a black triangle on the nose to create the cavernous nose that exists for both the skull half and the jack-o-lantern half.
• Use the orange gel to draw straight, vertical lines down the jack-o-lantern half, creating the grooves that exist in a pumpkin. Make as many or as few as you like (I made two).
• Use the black writing gel to fill in the skull’s eye socket. Then, use it to draw a triangle over the jack-o-latern’s eye socket.
• Draw in the skull half’s teeth and the jack-o-lantern’s grin using the black writing gel. All of the skull’s teeth will be exposed and I gave the jack-o-lantern two square teeth.
• Add any additional details or decor that you want. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to present/eat.

As far as attractiveness goes, that face has me beat.