Rice Krispie Treats to Please Kids and Parents Alike

I tend to be overly ambitious in my cooking and baking. I’ve never paid much attention to the advice that one shouldn’t try a new recipe on guests. I rarely make the same thing twice. Experimentation in the kitchen is one of my favorite pastimes. And yet. Sea Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats are the easy exception to my rule.

With only four ingredients and mere minutes in the kitchen, these treats are a no-brainer choice for a potluck or a gathering–if you can get them out of your house without making too big a dent in the pan. They’re pleasing for the whole family, with just enough sophistication to please the parents at the party and plenty of kid-friendly sweetness for the children. You’ll be deemed a genius by friends and family–and you’ll find yourself making these again and again.

Adapted from Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen, I’ve doubled the salt and decreased the cereal, but you can play around a bit with your own preferred proportions. Just don’t skimp on the butter. This is a dessert, after all!

Ingredients (makes approximately 16 squares) 

• 1 stick unsalted butter, plus 1 T for the pan
• 1 10-ounce bag marshmallows (preferably the mini-marshmallows)
• Generous 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 5 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal (a little less than half of a 12-ounce box)

Directions

Butter an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides. (Non-stick spray is an ok substitute.)

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Watch closely as it melts and then foams and turns a clear golden color. Stir frequently as the butter starts to brown and nutty. Do not turn your back on the butter; rather, stir often, making sure the it does not burn and scraping up any nutty brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

When the butter is 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, and it’s easier melting if you use small marshmallows, but you can always turn the heat back on low if necessary.

When the marshmallows and butter are a smooth, combined mixture, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cereal and salt. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, spread into prepared pan. Press down with hands or a piece of lightly buttered wax paper.

With any willpower, you’ll let them cool before cutting into squares and eating with abandonment.