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When it comes down to it, is there anything better than a crispy rice treat?

The archetype is so simple and so satisfying.  Yet the variations are endless.

While it’s probably obvious to you all, it took me a minute to consider adding my new favorite caramelized crispy rice to a rice crispy treat recipe.

I’m very, very glad my slow brain finally showed up to the party.  At first I was worried that it would make for an entirely too sweet situation.  However, a little extra salt balances the who affair out nicely.

I happen to like my crispy rice treats dense and tightly stuck together.  For this reason, I prefer to use corn syrup as the glue for my treats instead of marshmallows.  A long time ago I learned that while this made for my preferred treat structure, you can’t have a crispy rice treat without the marshmallows.  So, I add them in (mini of course) as their own ingredient.

Brown Butter Caramel Crispy Treats

Ingredients

  • 1ish batch Caramelized Crispy Rice
  • 1 C light corn syrup
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 4 TBS brown butter (it’s easy to brown a pound, keep it in the fridge or freezer and use as needed)
  • 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
  • 1 1/2 C mini marshmallows (more or less to taste)
  • 6 C puffed rice cereal

Directions

  1. Line a 9X13 inch baking pan with parchment and oil lightly.
  2. Add 5 C (note, you’ll still have a cup) of cereal to a large bowl, set aside.
  3. In a medium, heavy bottomed sauce pan, add sugar and corn syrup and heat over medium heat, mixing to combine.  Stir continuously until the mixture begins to bubble.  Allow to boil while stirring for a couple of minutes (don’t bother with a thermometer).
  4. Pull mixture from heat and stir-in butter and salt.
  5. Add liquid sugar mixture to bowl of cereal and mix to combine, adding in marshmallows and caramelized crispy rice.  You can also use that last cup of cereal to if the mixture isn’t holding together tightly.
  6. Add cereal mixture to prepared pan.  Press into pan until even.  Allow to cool before cutting.

 

Curiously Peppermint Brownies…a mash-update

I knew that I wanted to include my take on the famous Altoid Brownie in this year’s batch of goodies.  However, it wasn’t until I encountered these festive beauties that inspiration hit on how to make them holiday worthy.

Don’t get me wrong, the original recipe is lovely.  I just happen to prefer my own brownie recipe…with baby chunks of chocolate added.

After cutting the truffle-like treats into roughly 1X1 inch squares, I dropped each into a mixture of peppermint sprinkles and powdered sugar.  Slightly pink and smelling of (curiously strong) peppermint, these little cadeaux will be included in my holiday baking for years to come.

Soundtrack

Handel’s Messiah.  This piece of music (in its entirety) is easily my favorite holiday tune.  As a child we would see a production of it at the local college nearly every year.  As a college student and into graduate school, I would play this on my Walkman (yes, Walkman) on loop throughout final.  Now, starting the  Monday after Thanksgiving, the Messiah is my most oft played playlist.

Second favorite holiday album?  John Denver and the Muppets.

If you like this, you might like these

Altoid Brownies 

THE Brownie

Holiday Altoid Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 package peppermint Altoids, pulverized (I used my mini-prep)
  • 16 TBS (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 18 ounces bitter or semi-sweet chocolate chopped in or chips
  • 2 C granulated sugar
  • 2 TBS cocoa
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 eggs, room temp
  • 1 TBS vanilla
  • 2 C flour
  • 12 ounces mini chocolate chips
  • peppermint sprinkles (I found mine at Bristol Farms, also available here)
  • powdered sugar for dipping (2-4 C)

Directions

  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Line a 9X13 inch pan with parchment and butter both paper and sides of pan.
  2. In a heavy-bottom saucepan, melt butter over low heat.  Once melted, add chopped chocolate.  Let sit for 2-3 minutes and whisk until smooth.  Set aside an allow to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa and salt.
  4. Whisk-in eggs one-at-a-time.  Whisk in vanilla.
  5. Fold-in cooled chocolate and butter mixture.  Fold to combine.
  6. Sift flour over bowl of batter and gently fold until the flour is just incorporated.
  7. Add mini chips and fold a few more times to incorporate.
  8. Transfer to pan and into the oven.  Bake until an inserted skewer comes up with fine crumb (35-45 minutes).
  9. Remove from oven and allow brownies to cool completely.  I like to like them sit over night and settle.
  10. In a large ziplock bag combine peppermint sprinkles (to taste) and confectioner’s sugar.  Seal bag and shake for even distribution.
  11. Cut brownies as desired.
  12. Gently emerge a couple of cut brownies-at-a-time into the sugar mixture.  Gently shake-off excess sugar.  Store in air-tight container.