with two tricks for best results!
This is quite possibly the easiest and quickest recipe that involves no actual baking. Like many people, I loved Rice Krispies treats as a child, remembering when my mom would make them at Christmas time. But for some reason, we stopped making them at some point and kind of forgot about them. Until I met my husband and soon realized that it's one of his favourite treats. I started making them again and by sheer accident, I came upon two tricks that turned into the best rice Krispies treats I have ever made/eaten.
I was using slightly stale and large marshmallows, leftover from a bonfire, that just wouldn't melt down completely. I tried everything but was left with a lot of chunks. However, there was no way I was going to waste ingredients so I continued to mix the cereal and plopped it into the pan feeling defeated and just lightly pressed down to even out the top. Well, those pockets of marshmallow chunks and the light and airy texture were incredible, but I definitely don't recommend using stale marshmallows. So here are my two simple tricks for the best rice Krispies treats:
always reserve whole marshmallows to mix in at the end (I find mini marshmallows easier to use than large and the fresher the better)
never press down too firmly in the pan. Just press gently to even out the top in order to leave lots of air pockets. This will result in light and chewy treats, that are not dense and likely to break a tooth.
Rice Krispies Treats
Yields one 9x13 inch tray (about 24 squares)
Ingredients
170 g unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks or 3/4 cup)
600 g mini marshmallows
300 g rice Krispies cereal (about 9 cups)
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Procedure
Lightly oil a 9x13 inch tray and line with parchment paper.
Reserve about 2 cups of marshmallow and set aside until the end.
Melt the butter is a large pot on medium heat. Once all the butter is melted, add the remaining marshmallows and stir to combine. Slowly mix while allowing the marshmallows to melt and incorporate with the butter. Careful not to let it burn, keep mixing with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and salt and mix. When the marshmallows are just about all melted, remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the cereal. Mix carefully without crushing all the cereal and making sure to incorporate all the melted marshmallow completely. Lastly, add the reserved whole marshmallows and gently stir until only partially melted but still letting whole pieces remain. Do not overmix!
Press GENTLY into the prepared pan without pressing down too firmly, just enough to sort of even off the top. The secret is to never compress them too hard so you end up with light, airy and chewy squares, instead of dense and hard squares. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to set for a couple of hours or overnight. When ready to cut, simply pull out the parchment paper and cut into even squares.
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. You can also freeze them in an airtight container up to 6 weeks. Just let them stand at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Of course you can get creative with different mix-ins and flavours of toppings but I'll always love the good ol' classics best.
Comments