No-Bake-Mars-Bars-Coco-Pops Muffins

Perfectionist cook's Note:

Rich, small, delectable and adorable. They taste like a Mars-bar flavoured chocolate crackle. I made these for my son's 5th birthday party and the kids (and adults) loved them. The recipe is from the Women's Weekly Cupcake book which I adapted for mini muffins. Edited to add: I recently made these as normal cupcake-sized muffins and it was much faster and more convenient to make them in this way.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 60 mini-mu ...

• 5 (60 g) Mars bars
• 50 g butter
• 3 1/2 cups Coco Pops cereal (can use Rice Bubbles)
• 250 g chocolate (milk or dark depending on your preference)

Directions:

1. Line 2 mini muffin pans with paper cups.
2. Take one Mars Bar and slice it into thin wafers and then cut those in half so you have tiny squares of Mars Bars. (Refrigerating the bar may help it from becoming too mushy when you slice it).
3. In a large saucepan over a low heat melt the butter and remaining 4 of the Mars Bars until it is a runny caramel.
4. Do NOT overcook as the butter and Mars Bars will become a toffee if you leave it to heat too long. The minute it has no lumps and is runny take it off the heat.
5. Immediately add the Coco Pops and stir until combined.
6. Put one teaspoon full of mixture into each paper cup and press down firmly so that it takes the shape of the cupcake. Put the filled muffin pan in the fridge while you do the other one.
7. By the time you finish the second pan the first will have set so tip out the muffins onto a large tray and put more paper cups into the pan.
8. Continue in this way until all of the mixture has been done.
9. Melt the chocolate and place about a teaspoon full over the top of each muffin and smooth it gently.
10. Finally add a square of sliced Mars Bar to decorate.
11. Edited to add: I made this recently with jumbo sized cereal balls which I had chopped roughly with a knife as I couldn't find Coco-Pops and it was very nice. (Some even preferred the Nesquick chocolate cereal ball version.) I also made these as normal muffins and they were just as wonderful in a larger version.