10 Amazing Crispy Rice Creations

Food artist Jessica Siskin gives us a peek into her new book,Treat Yourself!: How to Make 93 Ridiculously Fun No-Bake Crispy Rice Treats.

It all began with a cheeseburger: After graduating from New York University in 2007, Jessica Siskin joined the corporate workforce, managing sales at Elizabeth and James. But Siskin had a strong creative drive and was searching for an outlet into which she could channel that when she was suddenly struck with the impulse to shape a crispy rice treat into the shape of a cheeseburger. Using food coloring, mini marshmallows, and Cocoa Krispies® to recreate the actual patty, Siskin had found her calling.

A year later, the newly minted food artist began showcasing her work on Instagram. The next day, Misterkrisp received its first order and Siskin has since been featured in The Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, People, and The Today Show. Now, Siskin’s sharing the secret behind her amazing crispy rice treats with a brand-new book from Workman Publishing, Treat Yourself!: How to Make 93 Ridiculously Fun No-Bake Crispy Rice Treats.

Siskin—who hopes that her own story will help encourage others to revisit their childhood hobbies and indulge their imaginations—shared some of her amazing creations with us.

Jessica Siskin calls this creation, "The perfect way to celebrate for those who don’t love cake! Switch up the food coloring, the candles, and the icing to create the most thoughtful treat for your next special occasion."

"New York might have the best bagels, but these bagels taste like like Creamsicles with orange-flavored taffy 'lox' and white frosting 'cream cheese,'" says Siskin.

"This project is modeled after my family dog, Posey," says Siskin. "I didn’t think she could get any sweeter until I made her into a treat. If you want to make your own dog into a crisp too, my number one recommendation is to have a reference photo nearby. You can customize the food coloring to your liking!"

"If I could eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be a tough call between pizza and crispy treats," says Siskin. "With
this treat, I don’t have to choose. Plus the topping possibilities are endless: black M&Ms are delicious as 'olives' and sliced-up green sour punch straws pass for 'peppers.'"

"The trick to creating the 'popcorn' here is to take one mini marshmallow at a time, gently tear it open, separate the edges, and add icing," says Siskin. "As a snacking bonus, pair the crisp popcorn with real popcorn for that perfect sweet/salty mix."

"This watermelon with licorice 'seeds' was among my early Misterkrisp experiments and I love that there’s a performance element," says Siskin. "Yes, that’s right: make a show of slicing this green mound into wedges and show everyone what you are capable of in the kitchen!"

"The crisp that started it all! I’ve always loved doodling, painting, sculpting (and eating!) cheeseburgers so it’s no surprise that my first-ever creative crispy treat was this one," says Siskin. "Pro-tip: for some flavor variety, substitute chocolate crispy rice cereal in the patty."

This, according to Siskin, is "Dessert overload. Are they ice cream or are they crispy treats? Not only are these incredibly easy to make (I swear), but you can customize the sprinkles, food coloring, and even better the flavor—by using flavored extracts. I love mixing mint extract, green food coloring, and chocolate sprinkles to make mint chip!"

"'Food made out of food' is a Misterkrisp delicacy," says Siskin. "These donuts were one of my first experiments; they’re just as sweet as the original but chewier and more buttery. Plus you can decorate these to fit any holiday you very well please!"

Proving that her crispy rice art goes beyond food recreations, Siskin explains that "Crispies are my favorite canvas, and with this project, that becomes literal. Use different icing to fingerpaint a museum-ready piece of edible artwork."

For even more incredible creations, check out Siskin's Treat Yourself!: How to Make 93 Ridiculously Fun No-Bake Crispy Rice Treats, in bookstores now.