Brains! Delicious, yummy BRAAAIIIINS!!!! (Strawberry Rice Krispy Treats, shaped like little brains)

Last year for my Halloween gathering I was looking for something "spooky" to serve, foodwise.  I found a kit at Target for strawberry Rice Krispy treat brains.  They were tasty and fun, but the kit only made a small number of treats (like, a sadly small number!) and was a little pricey.  This year, I decided to try to recreate the kit myself.  

Turns out that I not only figured out how to make them, but I  managed to improve upon the taste significantly.  And also, as a bonus upside, the flavoring process is definitely a winner.  So if you are interested in making flavored-but-regularly-shaped treats, Jello is the key ingredient!  

I also had a brainstorm (he, he!  See what I did there?).  If you wanted, I think you could make one large brain instead of many small ones.  Then people could hack off pieces with a big knife.  Let's all be honest: that could be really fun for a party!

Ingredients:

• 7 cups Rice Krispies
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 small (1.5 oz.) package of strawberry Jello 
• 1 package (10.5 oz.) mini marshmallows
• For Optional Decoration: Wilton "blood red" sparkle gel
   

Directions:

1. Measure out cereal in a large bowl
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan/small soup pan
   
3. When butter is melted, add marshmallows
   
   
4. Allow to partially melt (about 30 seconds)
5. Add vanilla
   
6. Stir with whisk
7. Add jello
   
8. Stir with whisk.
    
9. Once marshmallow mixture is smooth, turn off heat
   
10. Add cereal and stir until completely coated
     
11. Turn out onto waxed paper, spread out, and allow to cool to room temp (if you wanted to make regular treats, you would put in a 9x13 inch pan at this point)
    
12. Form into rough ball-shapes (if the mixture is sticking too much to your hands, put a tiny bit of vegetable oil or some Pam spray on your hands)
    
13. Using the dull side of a knife, make a groove down the middle to divide the "hemispheres" of your "brain" Hint: don't use the sharp side ofyour knife.  The sharp side will cut into the cereal and marshmallows, rather than smooshing them out of the way.  (However, be really careful that you don't hurt yourself while improperly using your knife. Real blood on the treats is a bad thing!)
    
14. When completely cool, drizzle red gel down the groove and on the two hemispheres...to add some bloody realism!