Friday, November 2, 2007

The best rice crispy bars

On Halloween I joined some friends on the front porch of their house where we ate pizza and passed out candy to the kids. As if candy weren't enough on Halloween, a friend of mine made this recipe for rice crispy bars from the New York Times food section. I immediately noticed these were not the usual. They had a rich, nutty flavor thanks to browning the butter and the marshmallow before stirring in the cereal. It is a grown-up twist on a kid's treat! I asked her for the recipe:


Caramelized rice crispy treats from NYT, 10/30/07

8 ounces butter, salted or unsalted, preferably cultured, plus extra for pan
1 10.5-ounce bag marshmallows
1 12-ounce box Rice Krispies cereal.


Line rimmed sheet pan w/ parchment paper or wax paper, or butter it well. 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. Watch closely and stir often.


When butter is evenly browned, stir in marshmallows. (If using unsalted butter, stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt.) Melt and cook, stirring often, until mixture turns pale brown, then stir constantly until lightly browned but not dark, 3 to 5 minutes.


Turn off heat, add cereal, and mix well, preferably with a silicone spoon or a spatula. Scrape into prepared pan and press down lightly. If necessary, butter hands to press mixture flat. Let cool, and cut into squares or bars.

Yield: 30 to 50 treats.

1 comment:

Marsosudiro said...

If anyone makes these, please free to send excess my way.

I've never been able to make the treats come out right. The "sauce" always collects at the bottom of the pan.