When we challenged each other to make or craft something with Lucky Charms for St. Patrick's Day, I couldn't get the idea of marshmallow treats out of my head. But just butter, marshmallow, and cereal is a basic recipe, so what could I do to turn them into something special?

Turn them into shamrocks, of course!

The trick to making these Lucky Charms marshmallow treats is to melt the regular marshmallows completely, and then when you stir in the cereal to do it quickly and without stirring too long. The Lucky Charms color marshmallows tend to start melting fast and your treats will become a disgusting purplish rainbow. Set the treats to cool completely before cutting with your cookie cutter, it's easier that way. I decided to pipe the edges with a little green royal icing, but that's totally optional.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats

1/4 cup of butter

1 bag of marshmallows

6-10 cups of cereal

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the marshmallows. Cover and lower the heat until the marshmallows are melted. Add the Lucky Charms. Work quickly to stir the cereal in so that the color marshmallow charms don't start to break down. Line a pan with non-stick sprayed parchment paper and pour out the mixture. Spread quickly with greased fingers, and then using another pan, press down to create a flatter surface. Allow mixture to cool for about 30 minutes. Cut out shamrock shapes with a cookie cutter.

Optional Royal Icing:

1 egg white, slightly beaten

Dash of salt

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Green food coloring

Beat egg white slightly with a whisk in a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar until it's thick (not runny, but not a paste.) You might need to add more powdered sugar. Add food coloring to desired hue. Fill a piping bag with a small tip and pipe along edges of the shamrocks.