Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large bowl and a sturdy spatula with non-stick cooking spray (If you are making rice crispy treat squares, also spray an 8″ x 8″ or a 9″ x 9″ square pan.) Wipe most of the spray off your bowl, spatula, and square pan (if using one).

Spread the crispy brown rice cereal out on a half sheet pan, then put the pan in the oven to toast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes. When the timer goes off, turn the oven off but leave the pan in the oven. 

While the cereal is toasting, add the Earth Balance to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the Earth Balance is mostly melted, add the vanilla, salt, and color if you are using it.

Add the marshmallows, and stir them around to get them coated with the Earth Balance mixture. Continue stirring while the marshmallows start to melt. It will take a few minutes, so be patient and keep stirring continuously. (Also, remember to turn the oven off after five minutes or your cereal will burn!)

As soon as all of the marshmallows have melted, take the pan off the heat, get your cereal out of the oven and into your prepared bowl, and scrape all of the marshmallow fluff onto the cereal. Fold the mixture and the cereal together, gently but firmly enough to mix. Keep mixing until there are no streaks of marshmallow. I use my hands (spray them with some nonstick spray first) after getting started with the spatula.

If you are making squares, press the mixture into your prepared pan. Let it cool completely, then turn the big square out onto a cutting board, and cut into nine squares. Enjoy!

If you are making letters, get one-fifth of the mixture (about 100 grams) and squish it first into a log shape and then into the letter of your choice. It is easier to do this if you work on a piece of waxed paper on a table. Repeat until all five letters are shaped, then allow them to cool fully before packaging them.

I put each letter on a red plate, then wrap them in plastic wrap. Enjoy!