Mexican Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

I've been in the middle of a big sewing explosion.  Literally there is not a room in my house that does not look like a section of Santa's Workshop.  In addition to loving to cook, I also like to sew.  In particular, I make some darned cute up-cycled scarves from vintage t-shirts.  (You can see my SCARF FACTORY page HERE if you'd like to see them!)  Well some crafty, talented friends and I got together and decided to have a little Christmas shopping event so folks have a chance to check out our stuff for the holidays.  It's the first time I've really done anything like this and I've been pretty busy this month!  But life still goes on, and as you know football is a major part of my life.  Specifically Oklahoma Sooners football.  And last weekend they played our in-state rival: Oklahoma State in a game that's known as Bedlam.  It's a big game and one I was determined not to miss, in spite of the stacks of half-finished scarves screaming my name.  We were planning to watch the game with a group of friends and Mr. Devilish Dish volunteered to bring a big pot of his famous AWARD WINNING CHILI.  What I didn't know was he volunteered me to bring a dessert.  This was in addition to sewing about 60,000 scarves, making homemade cut-out sugar cookies for a friend's birthday party AND attending a Christmas party that evening.  By the time we made it home from the Christmas party I was running on fumes.  And still needed to come up with a dessert.  And he had the nerve to suggest peanut butter cookies.  Which are his favorite.  Which also require me standing in the kitchen and scooping out cookie dough all night and making that stupid criss-cross design on each one with a fork.  No thank you, not tonight.  I needed something festive since it's the holiday season, but something that filled a single pan and didn't take up too much time.  Mexican Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats fit the bill!  I've made SPICY MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES before and they were very well-received.  I figured why not adapt those flavors to everyone's favorite tailgating dessert:  Rice Krispie Treats!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cups marshmallows
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chile powder (SEE NOTE) or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal

Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.  In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter.  Stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Add cinnamon and chile powder (or cayenne).  Stir well to combine.  Add in marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat and stir in Rice Krispies.  Place mixture evenly into prepared dish.  Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Prep Time:  Approximately 5 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 20 minutes

NOTE:  Be sure to use Chil-E powder (with an E) which is just a dried, ground chile pepper.  I used Chimayo Chile Powder that provided hint of rich flavor and just a tiny kick of spice.  You don't want to use Chil-I powder (with an I) because this is a blend of ground chile, garlic powder, cumin and other ingredients.  If you don't have a plain ground chile powder on hand, use 1/4 (or less) cayenne pepper to provide the hint of peppery flavor and spice.  Don't omit it entirely, because it provides a really interesting flavor!