Salty Sweets: Treats for Grown-Ups

By Jeannette Ordas of Everybody likes Sandwiches


I've had a nagging craving for those ubiquitous childhood treats, the rice krispie square, for quite a while now. When I was a kid, I made them all the time. It was easy - margarine, cereal and marshmallows - and making a batch felt like a real accomplishment. When I got older, I'd catch myself picking up a square from a coffee shop for nostalgia purposes.

But then the New York Times wrote about making rice krispie squares with brown butter. Think about it. Brown butter is the magical elixir that results when you cook butter a few minutes longer than usual. In french it's called Beurre noisette which translates into "hazelnut butter" which makes sense because the butter not only turns brown, it gets downright nutty. It's a wonderful substance.

So you can imagine that using this warm, nutty butter would impart some serious flavour into your favorite childhood treat. It does. Along with a generous pinch of flakey kosher salt, this is a treat that might be fine for kids, but why waste it on them? This is a decidedly delicious treat for adults. Sharing not required.


Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
5 oz mini marshmallows (half a bag)
1/8 t kosher salt
3 cups rice krispies

Grease up an 8x8 square baking pan with butter and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. It will start to get foamy, and after a while, it will turn golden brown and start to smell nutty. Stir frequently to scrape off any bits from the bottom. Watch the pot carefully, because brown butter and burnt butter can happen in an instant.

Once you've achieved brown butter, remove from heat. Add in marshmallows and stir until melted. Stir in the salt and the cereal and quickly spread the mix into your prepared baking dish. I used a flexible silicone spatula to push this gooey mass into each corner.

Let cool and cut into squares. Makes 9 good sized squares.

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Vancouverite, foodie, crafty, freelance designer, Jeannette Ordas from the popular food blog, Everybody Likes Sandwiches joins us every Wednesday enticing us with her hearty and simple recipes!