Snowman Treats for Kids

I like to include some kid-friendly treats with a Christmas tray. Here are two I've used. There are many versions of them on the internet, but most likely I got the ideas from Family Fun magazine.

Pretzel Snowmen

Ingredients:

white chocolate chips or white candy bark (often called almond bark)
rod pretzels
mini chocolate chips or baking M&M's
orange gel food coloring
gummy rings: peach, etc.
gum drops/bells
fruit by the foot

Directions:

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 - 60 seconds until melted. You can add 1/2 t. of oil if it seems too thick. Hold one end of the pretzel and use a spoon to coat 1/2 -2/3 of the pretzel. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set each pretzel down. Stick on the mini chocolate chips or M&M's for eyes and buttons, leaving a space for the scarf. Cut about 6-9 inches of fruit by the foot with food scissors; fringe the ends. Put the scarf criss-crossed around the snowman's "neck" and secure with more white chocolate (put it back in the microwave if it hardens). Attach the gummy ring and gumdrop to the top with white chocolate to make a hat. Make a carrot nose with the gel, or just use one of the orange M&M's.

Note: you might find it easier to do the decorating while the snowman is standing up in a glass. I use the baking pan, though.

Marshmallow Snowmen

The picture is a bit different from mine - it's on Twizzler skis, which is really cute!

Ingredients:

large marshmallows
white chocolate/white candy bark
fruit by the foot
pretzel sticks
cracker/twisty pretzels/square pretzels
mini chocolate chips/baking M&M's
orange food gel

The process is basically the same as in the previous example - although you use the white chocolate as "glue," and you don't cover the marshmallows in chocolate. Use the cracker/square pretzel as an anchor, then attach three marshmallows with white chocolate. Break stick pretzels in half and push into second marshmallow for arms. The mini M&M's and chocolate chips are for eyes and buttons, and the fruit by the foot is for a scarf. Make a carrot nose with the gel, or just use one of the orange M&M's. I don't use a hat because these are prone to tip over, but I think a mini Reese's PB cup would be cute.