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I'll Take My Cereal with a Side of Butter and Marshmallows

I thought I'd share the recipe for my breakfast.  My breakfast for the last two days.  Salted.  Brown Butter.  Rice Krispie Treat.  I see nothing wrong with this picture.  It is cereal, with a touch of razzle dazzle.  Yes?  I have made, and I'm not joking, five batches of these in the last two weeks.  It's my way of spreading love and happiness throughout the world.

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 stick unsalted butter
10.5 oz bag mini marshmallows
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
6 cups Rice Krispies
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, heaping
extra marshmallows

-Coat a 9x13 pan with butter or non-stick spray.
-In a large, non-stick, pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Stirring frequently, the butter will melt, foam, and then start to turn golden.  Start watching it because it will start to turn brown and give off a nutty aroma.  You start to notice brown bits at the bottom, keep stirring to prevent burning.  You want a nice dark brown color of these bits, not burnt, it can be a blurry line so trust your instincts!  Once it reaches a nice brown color remove from heat.
-Add bag of marshmallows to butter, stir around until you can no longer see any marshmallow shape, you may need to add it back to the heat temporarily to make sure they are all melty and gooey.
-Add your vanilla and almond extract.  I always eyeball my amount, so the 1/4 tsp is a good estimate of what I think I add.  Stir around and mix well into the melted marshmallow.
-Add your Rice Krispies.  I generally measure over the pot, so we'll say it's a generous 6 cups.
-Sprinkle the salt evenly over the cereal.  Fold cereal into marshmallow mixture.  Folding is what I do instead of stirring so the cereal pieces don't get crushed into a powder.
-Once the cereal is coated, sprinkle in some marshmallows.  Fold those in until they are even throughout.
-Turn out into pan.  Wet you hands to where they are just slightly moist.  Press krispies down into pan gently, working the mix evenly around pan.  I don't like to press them down hard because I enjoy "fluffier" treats, not hard, dense ones.
- Let them cool long enough so you can make neat cuts. Enjoy!  And enjoy!  And then enjoy some more!

As you can see, I take my Rice Krispies seriously.  The brown butter and salt are new, but I've always added vanilla and almond extract for extra yummy flavor.  I love marshmallows, so adding extra marshmallows at the end seemed to be a logical decision.  They make the treats more special, because let's be honest, they are just Rice Krispie Treats!  These are about as elegant as these things can get; a slight nutty flavor with a hint of salt at the end of each bite.  These can be made quickly and they will go quickly!  It will be your, "What can I make last-minute, that still pleases everyone?" recipe.  Trust me.

1 comment:

  1. Rice Krispie treats have never been my thing. They've always just been that too sweet treat that people serve kids because it's easy. Then I came across your recipe a couple years ago and knew I had to try them. Browned butter...in a rice krispie treat...come on! I love that you doubled the butter from the original recipe because it makes these so gooey and much lighter than the brick of marshmallow and cereal most people serve theirs up as. Also, with the addition of both extracts, yum! Thank you for giving me a krispie treat I actually crave. Or maybe, no thank you!

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