Cauldrons for Halloween

I started making these cauldrons a couple years ago when I saw them in a 3-in-1 Idea cookbook. I try to make this treat around Halloween each year. 

Ingredients
1 roll of sugar cookie dough--either bought or see the recipe below
1 14 oz bag of caramels
About 2-3 TBSP millk
1 cup crispy rice cereal
Mini M&Ms (or plain M&Ms if you can't find the mini ones--I couldn't this year)

Lightly grease a mini-muffin tin. Then, roll sugar cookie dough into 24 equal pieces, flatten with the palm of your hand and then stuff into the mini-muffin pan, pushing dough down gently and up the sides. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 9 minutes. Take out of oven and with the back of a spoon, gently deflate the cookie dough, pushing it up against the sides--but DO NOT break the dough. Place back in oven until the cookies are done--usually 1-2 minutes. Take out and let sit for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cool before adding the caramel mix.

Next, over low heat melt caramels with the milk. Once melted, add cereal and stir until well mixed. Spoon mixture into the cookie cups and top with M&Ms. Let cool before eating.

VERDICT: These never last long around here. In fact, we had some family members down, and the cauldrons were gone within 24 hours. :) Around Easter I hope to give you the recipe I use to make "Easter Baskets," which is based off of this recipe.


SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE:
Cream together: 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar.
Blend in: 1 medium egg (I use large and there's no problem)
Sift and add: 2 tsp baking powder and 2 cups flour (I don't sift, and I don't have problems)
Blend in: 1/2 tsp vanilla

Roll out into about 1 inch balls before flattening with your hand.