Orange Dream Garden, Easy Marshmallow Snails, Fruit & Mallow Kabobs, Dipped Pretzel Blooms and Creative Critters

(Family Features) - It's spring! And Mother Nature is busy, busy, busy with blossoming flowers, tadpoles turning into frogs, new green shoots peeping up in the garden and fascinating insects awakening from their long winter naps.

Capture this spirit of spring in the kitchen with treats that are fun - and yummy - for the whole family to make. With a few basic ingredients, your family can create a pudding dream garden dessert full of tasty chocolate-covered marshmallow ants, pretzel blooms, marshmallow snails, cookie flowers and butterflies.

The two main ingredients you'll need are easy to find and easy to work with - if your family can resist the urge to sneak a few:

• A package of America's favorite chocolate sandwich cookies dressed up for spring with a new pastel purple creme filling. Use these whole or split in two. You can crumble the split cookies without creme filling to resemble dirt and use the creme filling half as the basis for a spring bloom. Use whole cookies to make creative critters.
• A bag of fresh-tasting, light and fluffy miniature marshmallows. Melt and stir them to make marsh- mallow snails or use them whole for decorating. Use large marshmallows to create Fruit & Mallow Kabobs for a fun- filled snack.

Your family will agree - this kind of yard work is fun!

Orange Dream Garden
Prep: 30 minutes plus refrigerating

16 Spring Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
2 cups cold orange juice
2 packages (4-serving size each) vanilla instant pudding
1 tub (12 ounces) prepared whipped topping, thawed
4 cups Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows
Easy Marshmallow Snails (recipe follows)
Flower Pops (recipe follows)
Gummy worms (optional)

SPLIT 12 of the cookies, keeping filling on one side of each cookie; set aside split cookies with filling. Coarsely crush 12 of the split cookies without the filling and remaining 4 whole cookies; set aside.

ADD orange juice to pudding mixes in medium bowl; beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping until well blended. Stir in marshmallows. Spoon into 2-1/2- to 3-quart glass bowl.

STAND the reserved 12 split cookies with filling around edge of pudding mixture, alternating filling sides of cookies facing in and out, and pressing cookies down into pudding mixture slightly. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over pudding mixture.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Decorate with Easy Marshmallow Snails, Flower Pops and gummy worms as desired just before serving. Makes 16 (1/2-cup) servings.

How to Split Cookies: To split cookies and keep filling on one side of the cookie, use the end of a metal spatula to separate one of the chocolate wafers from the filling.

To Halve: Recipe can be easily halved using 1 package pudding, 1 cup orange juice, 2 cups whipped topping and 2 cups marshmallows. Prepare as directed, spooning ingredients into a 1-1/2 quart glass serving bowl as directed.

Easy Marshmallow Snails
Prep: 15 minutes plus refrigerating

1-3/4 cups Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows, divided
1 package (4-serving size) gelatin, any flavor
1/2 cup warm water
24 (1-inch) pieces red string licorice
Ready-to-spread vanilla frosting

SET aside 12 of the miniature marshmallows.

MIX gelatin and water in medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1-1/2 minutes; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

STIR in remaining marshmallows. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until marshmallows are partially melted. Stir gently until marshmallows are completely melted. Pour into 9-inch square pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray.

REFRIGERATE 30 to 45 minutes or until set. Run sharp knife around edges of pan to loosen gelatin layer from pan. Starting at 1 edge, roll up gelatin layer tightly. Cut into 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices.

UNROLL each about 1 inch when ready to decorate. Stand 1 of the reserved marshmallows on unrolled portion of each spiral for the "snail's body," securing with frosting. Insert 2 pieces of licorice into each marshmallow for "antennae," securing with additional frosting if desired. Makes 12 servings, 1 snail each.

To Double: Prepare gelatin mixture as directed, doubling all ingredients. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate as directed. For ease in handling, cut gelatin mixture in half crosswise before rolling up. Roll each half separately to form 2 rolls. Cut each roll into 12 slices. Decorate as directed.

Fruit & Mallow Kabobs
Prep: 20 minutes

32 Jet-Puffed Marshmallows
16 strawberries, washed, stemmed
4 kiwi, peeled, quartered
16 cantaloupe cubes (1 inch)
16 wooden skewers (8 inch)
1 container (8 ounces) yogurt, any flavor

ARRANGE 2 marshmallows and 1 piece of each kind of fruit alternately on each skewer.

SERVE with yogurt. Makes 8 servings, 2 skewers and 2 tablespoons yogurt each.

Dipped Pretzel Blooms
Prep: 30 minutes plus standing

12 pretzel rods
1 package (8 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
12 Spring Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely chopped

DIP 1/2 of each pretzel rod into melted chocolate, turning to evenly coat end of rod.

ROLL in cookie crumbs.

PLACE on waxed paper-lined baking sheets; let stand about 1 hour or until chocolate is set. Makes 12 servings.

Have chocolate sandwich cookies and miniature marshmallows on hand - as well as shoestring licorice, mini pretzel twists, decorating gel, melted chocolate and ready-to-spread frosting. Now your family is ready to make ants, cookie flowers and critters to inhabit their dream garden.

Centipede

STACK 9 Spring Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies together, spreading ready-to-spread white frosting between each cookie to secure; stand on edge.

SECURE an additional cookie with "smiley face" design, slightly higher than the other cookies, to one end with additional frosting to form the "centipede's head."

ATTACH desired number of Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows to each side of centipede with additional frosting for "legs" and 2 small pieces shoestring licorice to head for "antennae." Makes 1 centipede (5 servings).

Cookie Frog

ATTACH 2 mini pretzel twists to the bottom of a Spring Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie with ready-to-spread white frosting for "frog's legs." Attach 2 Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows to top of cookie with additional frosting for "eyes." Color eyes with decorating gel, if desired. Makes 1 frog.

Variation - Cookie Butterfly: Attach pretzels to bottom of cookie as directed above for "butterfly's wings." Turn cookie pretzel-side up. Attach 1 Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallow in front of wings for the "butterfly's head." Insert 2 small pieces of shoestring licorice into marshmallow for "antennae." Use decorating gel to draw "face." Makes 1 butterfly.

Flower Pop

INSERT a wooden pop stick into a Spring Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie for top of "flower." Use ready-to-spread white frosting to attach Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows around outside edge of cookie for "flower petals." Makes 1.

Chocolate-Covered "Ant"

DIP 2 Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows in melted chocolate; attach end-by-end to form "ant's body." Place on sheet of waxed paper. Insert 6 small pieces shoestring licorice into sides of ant for "legs" and 2 pieces into front of ant for "antennae." Let stand about 1 hour or until set. Makes 1 ant.

For more information and fun ideas, visit www.kraftfoods.com and www.jetpuffed.com

SOURCE: Jet-Puffed® Marshmallows
Oreo® Cookies