Twelve days of sweet designs, Day 2 – Polar Bear Treats

You’ll need:

Rice Krispies Treats (store bought or homemade)

marshmallow cream (aka. marshmallow fluff)

white modeling chocolate, recipe here*

black food coloring*

food handling gloves (highly recommended to use when adding color)

powdered sugar, to dust work surface

cutting board

rolling pin

egg cookie cutter – 2″ wide by 2 1/2″ tall

1″ round cookie cutter

5/8″ round cutter

#12 round pastry tip

food only paint brush

knife or pointed fondant tool

* I used dark modeling chocolate to create the eyes, but you can simply color some white modeling chocolate with black food coloring instead.

Instructions:

Pinch off some white modeling chocolate and color it black for the eyes and nose (or use dark modeling chocolate, as I have.) For detailed coloring instructions, go here. This is where I wear those food handling gloves, otherwise my hands turn colors.

Dust a cutting board lightly with powdered sugar. Roll out the white and black (or dark) modeling chocolate to 1/16″ of an inch. Use the egg cookie cutter to cut out the polar bear heads, and a 1″ round cutter to cut two ears and a snout for each polar bear. Then cut one 5/8″ round circle from the black (or dark) for each nose. Use the small end of the #12 round pastry tip to cut two small circles for each of the bear’s eyes out of black or dark. To do this you’ll want to press the pastry tip, tip side down, into the modeling chocolate cutting a small circle, then turn it upside down and tap on counter and the circles will drop out the larger end of the tip. I usually cut a bunch of circles, before turning the tip upside down.  Pinch the dark circles in between your finger and thumb to shape them into a tear drop for the eyes.

Note: To get the pieces of modeling chocolate out of other small cutter, use something with a rounded edge, to gently push the pieces out.

To make the eyebrows, use a knife or a pointed fondant tool to lightly carve curves above the eyes. For the mouth lightly carve a straight line down from the nose on the snout. Then carve a small mouth at the bottom of the snout.

For more detailed instructions on cutting shapes, see the post featuring my modeling chocolate penguins.

Cut the cereal treats using your egg shaped cookie cutter. If using store bought .78 ounce bars, your treats might be too short to fill the entire cutter, so you’ll need to smash the edges of the treat slightly and press it into the egg cutter.

Frost each of the eggs with marshmallow cream/fluff. Press one polar bear decoration on top.  Store in an airtight container or package in clear cellophane bags tied with a ribbon and give as gifts.

Up next – one of my favorites, an Eskimo topped brownie.  Be sure to stop back by to see it.