I pretty much love browned butter anything. The nutty smell and caramel color – sometimes I feel like I could just drink it down by itself…but don’t worry, I don’t. I am, however, drawn to any unique recipes incorporating browned butter. This simple recipe for rice crispy treats is courtesy of the Smitten Kitchen, who never disappoints. They’re like an adult version of rice crispy treats – but kids will love them too!
Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats, makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars
4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.
As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.
Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I used a silicon spatula.
Let cool, cut into squares. Enjoy!
These look delicious 🙂