Salted Brown Butter Krispy Treats

There is a place in Chicago called Summerhouse with the most perfect Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats that melt in your mouth as you walk out the door. 

I have always wanted mine to taste like theirs--2 inch squares of chewy, buttery rice krispy treat goodness--but mine never have until I discovered Smitten Kitchen's version tucked in the back of the cookbook! 

I will forwarn you that this is not microwave krispy treats--attention is required along with a little extra equipment (and maybe practice to brown the butter) to get the prize. But, don't let those issues deter you from trying something so delish!

Salted Brown Butter Krispy Treats

Equipment:

Large 5-qt pot

Large mixing bowl

8" x 8" non-stick pan with 2" sides
Butter, for greasing pan
Seran Wrap, for spread gooey goodness easily
Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

6 cups rice crispy cereal

1 (10oz) bag mini marshmallows

8 Tbls butter (1 stick)
1/4 tsp flaky sea salt (Maldon Salt)

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Prepare all equipment and ingredients.
3. In a large pot, melt 1 stick butter over medium-low heat. 

Note: I have 1 1/2 sticks butter in picture because I was making 1 1/2 batches

4. Pay attention and do not leave--the butter will melt, foam, and turn clear golden.
5. Turning golden brown will occur very quickly along with a nutty aroma filling the air--make sure you are stirring the butter mixture frequently...and, do not walk away.

6. Once the butter is brown, turn off the heat, sprinkle salt into butter and add the marshmallows--these should melt fairly quickly into a smooth texture--but, if you need to, add a little heat briefly to melt remaining puffs.

Because of the browned butter, the melted marshmallows will look slightly dirty!

7. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cereal until all of it is evenly coated.
8. Scrap the cereal mixture into the prepared and buttered 8" x 8" dish.
9. Use plastic wrap to smooth the top and flatten without getting your hands sticky.

10. Set aside in the fridge briefly to facilitate cooling and setting, but then...who's watching...get your friends and dig in...I know you want one!

Kitchen Sink Marshmallow Treats

Sometimes you just have to improvise in life! Same thing with certain recipes like pasta dishes, salads, monster cookies and rice crispy treats--sometimes you just have to use what's in your cupboards. These recipes, other than the basic batter or basic sauce, are open to your imagination.

This variation of the classic rice krispy treat is basically a marshmallow treat on steroids! (Let me be clear, however...nothing replaces the original rice crispy treat!!) The original recipe from Jelly Toast (www.jellytoastblog.com) calls for Chocolate Chex cereal, but I only had Rice and Wheat Chex in available at the grocery store. So, I went with that, because I wanted marshmallow treats now; and, well, that shouldn't stop you, right?

See what you come with! You could add chocolate chips or bulk up the mix with a variety of leftover cereals, but remember Math 101 and make sure you have the right ratio of marshmallow filling to dry ingredients, i.e. enough marshmallow batter to coat all of the dry ingredients you want in your mix! 

Great easy dessert 4 college cooking and for using up leftover cereals--leave no waste behind!

Kitchen Sink Marshmallow Treats

Equipment:

9" x 13" Pyrex Dish, lightly greased

Large Mixing Bowl

Spatula

Microwave

Ingredients:

1/4 unsalted butter, melted

1 (10.5 oz) bag of Mini-Marshmallows

5 cups Chocolate Chex (or any Chex cereal or other cereals)

2 cups Chocolate Coconut granola

4 oz chocolate chips, melted

1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Grease pyrex dish. 

3. Have cereals measured and combined.

4. In the microwave, melt butter in 30 second intervals and add marshmallows. 

5. Work quickly stirring the marshmallows until a smooth white batter remains.

6. Add cereal and granola.

7. Press mixture into greased pyrex.

8. Drizzle with melted chocolate chips. 

9. Top off with toasted coconut flakes.

10. Let set at room temperature before cutting and consuming!

Krispy Kraze

Really don't need to say much about learning this skill. Anyone--college or no college--should know how to make Rice Krispy Treats, right?  Once you have the base recipe down, there are no limits to the number of variations you can make--Chocolate-Cherry, Lemon-White Chocolate, Trail Mix--if you can dream it, try it out.  (Cooking Light's most recent magazine edition features several variations on this treat)

The two recipes that I have decided to feature from this Krispy Kraze are: Candy Corn Krispies and Chocolate-Cocoa Krispies, just in time for halloween.

Equipment:
9" x 13" Pyrex / Glass Dish, greased
PAM Spray
Large Mixing Bowl
Rubber Spatula

Ingredients:

a. Candy Corn Krispies
4 Tbls butter
10 oz marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup Candy Corn
1/3 cup M & M's

b. Chocolate-Cocoa Krispies
4 Tbls butter
10 oz marshmallows
3 cups regular Rice Krispies
3 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies
2/3 cups dark chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Wash Your Hands
2. Prepare the pyrex dish.
3. Place the butter in the middle of the marshmallows in a large bowl.

4. Microwave the butter-marshmallow mix on HIGH for 2-3 minutes.

5. Remove and stir.  The butter will still look semi-formed at this point.
6. Microwave again until the marshmallows  begin to puff up.

7. Remove and stir.  Add a dash of vanilla if you want.

8. Add the entire amount of krispies.  Fold the krispies into the marshmallows. It should look like spider webs.  That tells you that the ratio of krispies to marshmallows is correct.  Very sticky here.

9. Press the mixture into the prepared pyrex dish.  (I spray PAM on my hand to avoid sticking)
10. Sprinkle your chosen flavor combo on top and gently press into mixture.

11. Cover and place in fridge to chill x 10 minutes before cutting.