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I whipped these simple homemade goodies up when the kids needed something green for their Christmas celebration at school. Found some matcha powder tucked away from when I tried eating healthy and leftover marshmallows from a camping trip we canceled. My first try turned everything—including my fingers—completely green, but the kids went wild saying they looked just like tiny Christmas trees dusted with snow. These days, our house fills with sweet tea and marshmallow smells every December while family members hover around trying to snatch pieces.
These Will Win You Over
These bars make a perfect quick treat that seems a bit fancy! I whip up a batch on Sundays for our hectic morning routine - they're so handy to grab as you rush out. My children didn't trust the green tea flavor at first, but now they constantly ask for them. They don't need baking either, which really helps when summer gets too hot. And if you're a matcha fan like me, you'll enjoy that mild green tea taste combined with sweet crunchiness!
Stuff You'll Want
- For The Tasty Part:
- real butter not the fake stuff
- fresh mini marshmallows since old ones get too hard
- sweetened milk for extra gooiness
- vanilla because everything tastes better with it
- premium matcha powder worth spending on
- rice cereal whatever brand you have
- melting white chocolate chips
- festive sprinkles for that Christmas touch
Creating Holiday Wonder
- First Steps
- Slowly melt butter on low heat since I burned my first try and the house stank all day. Throw marshmallows and condensed milk in, keep mixing until they look like melting clouds. Mix in matcha but sift it well or you'll bite into green clumps nobody wants.
- Blend Everything
- Mix the green mixture with cereal carefully so it doesn't get crushed. My kids think it looks like we're mixing the Grinch's hair but say it smells way nicer. Push into your pan gently or you'll end up with a dense green brick like I did first time.
- Shape Your Trees
- Cut into triangles after it firms up while kids fight over the biggest pieces. Dribble white chocolate to create a snowy effect. Sprinkle quickly before chocolate hardens—I waited too long once and found sparkles in my carpet for weeks.
Lessons I've Learned
I've made these many times now and figured things out mostly through mistakes. Only use new marshmallows because stale ones make treats too hard. Spend extra on good matcha unless you want your treats tasting like lawn clippings. Greasing your hands before pressing the mix saves tons of cleanup time—I'm still finding sticky spots from my first attempt. And maybe spread paper everywhere because green stuff ends up in surprising places.
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Newly Made Matters
Store them in an airtight container and they'll stay good several days if your family doesn't finish them immediately. You can freeze them too, though I've never needed to since they vanish so quickly. The best thing is making them ahead as gifts—teachers really appreciate something different from the usual cookies everyone brings.
Holiday Favorite
These little trees have become popular at every Christmas gathering now. My kids' friends start asking when the green trees are coming back around November. Even our school principal wanted the instructions after trying them at a class event. It's amazing how some cereal, marshmallows and tea powder turned into a whole Christmas custom, but that's exactly how family traditions begin, isn't it? With sticky, green, marshmallow-covered moments.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → What matcha’s best here?
- Culinary variety’s fine. Fancier kinds won’t show much difference in a sugary dish.
- → Why sift the powder?
- It skips clumps in your mix. Matcha likes to stick together when warm.
- → How to manage sticky dough?
- Rub butter on your palms or tools. Don't flatten too hard or it'll get firm.
- → Tips for neat cutting?
- Cool them fully first. A warm knife dipped in water does the trick.
- → What's condensed milk doing?
- Makes them softer and creamier and avoids making them rock-hard.