Two words. Brown. Butter.
That is it. I could be done right here and would have forever changed your baking game with those two words.
Friends if you have never experienced the gift of brown butter you need to stop what you are doing right now and go make these. I mean butter is delicious all on its own, we know that, but stick it in a skillet to slowly melt to the point it starts turning brown and you have discovered a whole new dimension of good. There is a depth of flavor that cannot be explained. Nutty, toasted, rich, aromatic-smell-up-your-whole-house kind of good. It may seem difficult or be intimidating to achieve, but with an extra 5-6ish minutes and lots of love, you will be blown away at the results.
I have added brown butter to chocolate chip cookies (life changing), pound cake (so good), and numerous other baked goods. It adds a richness that you can’t quite put your finger on if you don’t know what it is. Adding it to these Rice Krispie treats was a pretty iconic idea if I do say so myself.
Fall is here. October is here. We are all about all the things Keeneland, college football, tailgates, Halloween parties & fall festivals. We all love and grew up on the Rice Krispies treats and it is here to make its sophisticated and upgraded debut in fall 2017.
I always forget just how easy they are to make, only requiring (technically– not my version) 3 ingredients and less than 10 minutes. They make a ton to feed a crowd and no one can say no to them.
Not much is different to these EXCEPT the butter. I increased the normal amount the original recipe calls for. Slowly melt a stick of butter over medium heat until melted and browned. It is easier to see if you have a white bottom skillet but I don’t have one so I make due with what I have. Once it starts to bubble stir every so often and keep an eye on it. You will start to see a deep amber color start to form and tiny brown speaks at the bottom of the pan. It will smell nutty and caramelly and salty all at once. Keep a close eye on it towards when you think it will be finished. It can go from perfection to burnt in about 30 seconds or one look away to get a drink (not that I know that from experience or anything….). It took me around 6 minutes to get it where I liked it. Yours may vary depending on your stove but that is a rough ballpark for you.
Once that is complete then the rest of the assembly is the same. I decided to add vanilla and a pinch of the salt for another notch of flavor. Marshmallows. Stir. Rice Krispies. Stir. Press down in pan. Cool. Cut and enjoy. Super simple and super delicious.
So this month while you are enjoying all the tailgates and Fall parties, let this be your easy dessert to bring for all the guest. They will love you for it. I promise!
- 1 stick of butter
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 10oz bag of mini marshmallows
- 6 cups of Rice Krispie cereal
- In a large pot, add 1 stick of butter and melt on medium heat. Let melt until browned, stirring occasionally and watching carefully. Brown for 5 to 6 minutes or until it is a deep amber color and you can smell the toasty and nutty notes.
- Remove from heat and add marshmallows, salt, and vanilla stirring constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted.
- Add in Rice Krispie cereal and stir until everything is mixed thoroughly and no dry cereal is left.
- Press into a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper(or any size pan you have, I used one that is around a 7x10. The smaller the size the thicker and smaller the bars are).
- Let cool and set for about 30 minutes, or pop in the freezer for 5, then slice.
- I cut 16 good sized bars out of my pan and could easily cut 32 for more bite sizes squares to feed a crowd.
- Enjoy!
