Spooky Rice Krispy Treats

Rice Krispy Treats are one of my favorite desserts for a crowd: they're cheap, relatively healthy, can be made in minutes, and always result in an empty pan. I stick to the classic recipe, more or less. You'll need 4 cups of FRESH mini marshmallows (or 40 large, which increases the melting time), 6 cups of Rice Krispies (I think it's worth it to splurge on Kellogg's; leave the generic on the shelf), half a stick of butter, and a very full teaspoon of vanilla. You'll also need a heavy pot, a wooden spoon, and a greased 13x9" pan. Keep some butter handy to grease your fingers during a later step. 

 Melt the butter over medium heat.

 Add the mini marshmallows…

 …and stir until they're melted.

 Add the teaspoon of vanilla (which should be in a mise en place bowl, so you don't need to fumble around with the vanilla bottle, the teaspoon, etc.).

 Add the Rice Krispies, remove from heat, and stir until evenly coated.

 Dump the mixture into the greased pan. You can use the knife from cutting the stick of butter in half earlier to remove every last bit of the mixture out of the pot (without scraping the pot, of course). Grease your hands and press the mixture flat into the pan.

 While the mixture is very sticky and still a bit soft, stud the surface with royal icing eyeballs, or any other decorations. You can also tint the marshmallows with food coloring at the same step when you're adding the vanilla. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the pan to keep the mixture chewy until you're ready to serve (this step is especially important if you live in a dry climate).