Update my dinner status, I'm making this tonight.

40 chefs marked this as Favorite
4 chefs marked this as Try Soon

Servings: 20 Servings
Total Time (median): 8 : 00 Active Time: 2 : 00

US/Metric: [convert to metric]

I make two-three separate batches of Rice Krispies Treats® rather than doubling or tripling it because doubling or tripling it makes too much of the sticky stuff to handle at one time.

The top of the carousel is made by pushing one of the batches into a Bundt® type baking pan which has been lightly buttered or sprayed with cooking spray, filling it only about half way up.

Then make the base of the carousel by pushing part of the second batch of Rice Krispies Treats® into a pie plate the same diameter as the Bundt® pan. Make sure the pie plate has been lightly buttered or sprayed with cooking spray. When you take the Rice Krispies Treats® out of the pie plate, you can put colored sprinkles on it if you like.

Finally, make the pillar in the center by shaping a free form cylinder at least five to six inches in diameter and about an inch shorter than the candy sticks.

Flatten out more Rice Krispies Treats® dough and using a cookie cutter, cut the snowmen from the Rice Krispies Treats®. It is easier to decorate the snowmen before you assemble the carousel, but then you must let them dry before trying to place them on the sticks, sleds or onto the carousel.

After you decorate the snowmen, you are ready to make the sleds. Use two small candy canes for each sled. Using Royal Icing® "glue" the two candy canes together and let them sit to dry at the same time the snowmen are drying.

Once the snowmen are decorated and the icing on the snowmen has dried enough to make them easy to handle, turn them over, decorated side down and use Royal Icing® to "glue" the snowmen to the candy stick poles and onto their candy cane sleds. Put some of the snowmen toward the top of the sticks and some down toward the bottom of the sticks to give the illusion of movement up and down when it is assembled. Remember to leave at least an inch on the stick at the top and bottom to insert into the canopy and base. Let these dry until the snowmen are securely fastened to the sticks and the sleds

It is actually best if you let everything sit 4-6 hours before you try to assemble the carousel.

Once the snowmen are secure on their sticks, cut a six-seven inch piece of string licorice and using kitchen shears put a fringe on each end of the licorice string. Then carefully tie the string loosely around each snowman's neck and around the back of the candy stick.

When you are ready to assemble the carousel, carefully push the bent end of four standard size candy canes, which are evenly spaced from one another, into the center pillar to give the pillar a little bit more stability for holding up the canopy of the carousel. The canopy will actually rest on the candy canes.

The flags for the top of the carousel canopy are made by wrapping about 2" of the YoGos® or any other fruit roll up around a pretzel stick and carefully inserting it into the canopy. To make the stripes on the canopy cut extra YoGos® and drape them across the the top. From here, you can really decorate this any way you like. Use your imagination and add whatever candies you want.