Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispies

Back in college, my best friend Vivian was the sweetheart for SigEp. Like a good fraternity sweetheart, she decided to bring rice krispy treats to one of their chapter meetings. Like a good friend, I helped her make them.

Vivian and I started making the treats, when I noticed one essential ingredient was missing: butter. Vivian figured that since she rarely used the full 1/2 stick called for in the traditional recipe, it wasn't a necessary ingredient.

She was wrong. It was a complete mess. Without the essential fat in the recipe, the marshmallows didn't adhere properly to the rice krispy cereal. We ended up with a giant ball of melted marshallow, with rice krispies stuck to the side.

Yes, the boys still ate them; we learned an important lesson though, butter is important!

Today's recipe not only has butter, but it has DOUBLE the butter of a traditional rice krispy treat. These are the most amazing rice krispies I've ever had. They have a nutty, caramely, salty flavor thanks the flaky sea salt and browned butter.

Five extra minutes totally elevates this dish into one that is worthy enough to bring to parties, serve at the end of dinner parties, and bring into work for a colleague's birthday.

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispies

From Smitten Kitchen

1 stick butter
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 10oz bag of marshmallows
6 cups puffed rice cereal

Butter an 8-inch square pan so the rice krispies don't stick!

Melt the stick of butter over medium heat. The butter should melt, start to foam, and then become a golden brown color with a nutty smell. Once it reaches this golden brown point, remove the pan from the heat!

Stir in the flaky sea salt, then add the marshmallows. The residual heat from the butter should melt the marshmallows.

Add the 6 cups of cereal, and stir until well-coated and mixed. Pour rice krispy treat mixture into 8-inch buttered pan.

Let sit until cool, slice, then eat!