Sure, they might look like the squares you've made dozens of times, but there are subtle differences that make these ones irresistible. Most notably, brown butter and sea salt. As you can see from the photo, this recipe comes from Deb Perelman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (or 1 stick or 1/4 pound) of unsalted butter (plus more for greasing the pan)
- heaping 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- one 10-ounce (or 285 gram) bag of marshmallows
- 6 cups (170 grams) of Rice Krispies (or more generically, puffed-rice cereal)
Instructions:
Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan.
Now here is the somewhat tricky part...browning the butter. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large pot (ultimately, it needs to be large enough to hold the marshmallows and cereal too) over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn a golden colour and then start to form brown bits. Stir the butter frequently, scraping bits from the bottom as you stir. You must not leave the pot unattended since there is a very fine line between browning and burning the butter.
As soon as the butter takes on a nutty colour, turn off the heat and sprinkle on the salt. Stir in the marshmallows. If there is not enough residual heat to melt them, turn the heat to low. When the marshmallows are mostly melted, remove the pot from the heat and fold in the cereal until it is evenly coated. Then turn the mixture into your prepared pan and gently press it with the back of a spatula until flat. Let cool and cut into squares.
Try not to eat all the squares yourself.
