RECIPE: SALTED BROWN BUTTER CRISPY TREATS

When was the last time you had a Rice Krispies treat? We recently went to a children's fundraiser with the customary face painting, sing-a-long music and bake sale. My friend made festive Rice Krispies treats in the shape of a heart with red sprinkles. I hadn't had one in ages and it was just as I remembered ... gooey, crispy and oh so tasty. Fast forward a couple of days and I found this recipe for salted brown butter crispy treats in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Does the fancy name make it sound any more adult?

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
One bag (250 gram) marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:
Butter an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. The butter 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 -- 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. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together.

Quickly spread into prepared pan. Use a piece of parchment paper to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners.

Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy!