Get in the Spirit! Edible Christmas Trees

Kristin O'Connor has done it again, folks! This week's recipe for crispy rice treats is so simple yet so GENIUS, she's got all of us asking, "why didn't we think of that?". And you've got just enough time to whip some up right before Christmas! 

The idea for this recipe came to me as I was reminiscing about holidays as a child spent with my great grandmother, hand rolling struffoli for an entire day. After the struffoli is dried and fried, you pour warm honey over the top (I know, seriously!). I noticed as a child, if we boiled the honey a little too long it became so hard we couldn’t get the struffoli apart — basically, it became candy.

I wanted to drum up a healthier alternative to marshmallow rice treats, so the thought occurred to me to just boil honey to make the rice stick together and then of course my favorite ingredient of all time to make it green - matcha! It worked! The recipe is below.

Matcha Crispy Rice Treats

Supplies

Small sauce pan

Parchment paper

Spatula

Spoon

Mini-chopper (or blender)

Large mixing big bowl

*and a touch of patience

Ingredients

2 cups crispy brown rice cereal

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon local honey, divided

¼ cup raw almond butter (or peanut butter)

1 tablespoon matcha powder (aka powdered green tea)

Hot water

Goji Berries or dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Pour rice cereal into a large bowl, set aside.

2. Spoon almond butter into your mini-chop or blender.

3. Turn your tea kettle on and heat up some water.

4. Pour honey into a small saucepan and set the heat to medium. Watch this closely (this is not the time to get the kids involved – hot sugar will burn), once the honey begins to bubble up, turn off the heat and pour over the almond butter in your chopper.

5. Blend the almond butter and honey while pouring about 2 tablespoons of hot water into the top of the chopper, this will just thin out your mixture and make it more workable.

6. Once combined, stir most of the matcha (about 2/3) into the honey mixture and stir to combine.

7. Pour this mixture over your rice cereal and toss to combine with a spatula (enter kiddos!). Once well combined, it’s time to roll these guys into trees.

8. You can use a piece of parchment paper and spoon about ¼ of the mixture into the center, wrap the parchment around the rice treats and use your hands to form them into a cone or tree shape. The other thing you can do is to use a funnel or the top of a water bottle and place a cone of the parchment inside, spoon the rice mixture into the parchment and press down into a cone/tree shape.

9. Once formed, leave the parchment around the rice treat and pop in the freezer for about 10 minutes, just to firm up that honey.

10. With the remaining matcha, add 1 tablespoon honey and a touch more of that boiling water (just about a teaspoon). Mix this together until there are no lumps.

11. Unwrap your trees and set on a serving platter or cutting board, using a pastry brush, paint the trees with the matcha-honey mixture to make them extra green and decorate with goji berries or cranberries! If the berries are not sticking, use extra almond butter as glue!

12. Have FUN!

If you want to store these guys to eat later, I recommend placing them on the lid of a glass container and then sealing the container on top (the container will be upside down!). Pop in the fridge and these will be great for a couple of days.

Honest Tip: Try experimenting with other types of natural food coloring to enjoy these treats all year round!

~Kristin O’Connor

Kristin is a published author and private chef focused on encouraging optimal wellness. The Kristin O’Connor brand of gluten-free, eco-friendly products is a true culmination of her passion for health and devotion to philanthropy, bearing a mantra as wholesome and pleasing as her food! For more inspiration, check out her website and Instagram.

 What are your favorite holiday treats to make with your kids? Let us know in the comments below!