Memorial Day Rice Cereal Ice Cream Cone Treats

Memorial Day weekend is approaching, and I'm so excited to make some patriotic themed treats.  As you may know from my "about me" section of my blog, I am a field editor for Taste of Home Magazine.  Essentially, this means every month I make recipes published on their website and cookbooks.  After testing out the recipes, I give my opinion on any changes I made to the recipe.  When I came across these Ice Cream Cone Treats in Taste of Home's Comfort Cooking Makeover Cookbook, I decided to makeover this "makeover" dessert.  It wasn't because it needed changing necessarily, but because I love to put my own twist on recipes.  

One of the changes I made was substituting butter for an organic  butter spread.   I don't like using a lot of butter in baking, as it adds calories and doesn't "wow" me with flavor.  But organic spreads are light and fresh, taste natural, and are very flavorful.  To take the butter flavor to even higher heights, I added a small capful of Wilton butter flavoring.  This is another useful product when you want enhanced butter flavor but don't want to add actual butter to a recipe.  A little goes a long way, so don't add too much! 

Because the butter spread is softer than butter, I used an extra cup of rice cereal.  Also, instead of melting chocolate to coat the cones I bought pre dipped cones. 

And finally, to make the recipe appropriate for Memorial Day, I substituted multi-colored sprinkles for festive red, blue, and white sprinkles.  

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope you enjoy time with family and friends, and these colorful Rice Cereal Ice Cream Cone Treats!  Here's how I made them:

Ingredients: 7 cups Rice Cereal; 3 tablespoons butter spread; 1 capful butter flavoring; 4 cups mini marshmallows; 1 small container red, white, and blue sprinkles; 12 flat bottomed ice cream cones with chocolate rims

Directions: In a medium size heavy saucepan, melt butter spread and marshmallows over medium-low heat.  Stir frequently until melted.  Remove from heat.  Add the butter flavoring.  Add the rice cereal.  Stir until combined.  Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cones.  Use buttered hands to shape into a rounded "cone" shape at top.  Place sprinkles into a small bowl.  Roll the tops of cones into the sprinkles.