brown butter, sea salt and chocolate krispie treats

I have a terrible habit of making recipes I have never made before when we have guests over or when I bring food to friends.  Why do I do that?  Recently, I delivered the worst. casserole. ever. to our friends Katie and Seth.

Here’s what happened.  I wanted to lighten up Mom’s potato casserole so I made a few substitutions, mixed and baked.  It made enough for two pans so I delivered one to our friends and put the other one in the fridge for later that week.  When Whit and I finally ate the one I saved for us, I wanted to die.  It was awful.

They deserve a public apology.  Katie and Seth, I am so sorry for poisoning your tastebuds.

Really. Sorry.

Thankfully, I also sent these brown butter, sea salt and chocolate krispie treats to them, so I hope that helped make up for the horrid potato casserole.  I also saved some of these for Whitney and me, and I have to say, they were really decadent.

So start by making the brown butter, which has a delicious nutty flavor.   Melt a stick of butter over medium-low heat, then continue to cook (and stir) while it foams, then becomes clear, and finally turns brown.

Once it is the right color, turn off the heat.  Throw the bag of marshmallows into the butter and stir until they melt and the consistency is smooth.

Pour the mixture into the bowl of rice kris pies and mix, making sure all of the pieces are coated.

Line a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with saran wrap then press the mixture into the dish.  Stick the dish in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour so they set and cool.

Invert the dish onto a cutting board and slice into rectangles.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short intervals, stirring between each one until the chocolate is smooth.

Dip the ends of the krispie treats into the chocolate.  Put them in the fridge again for another 30 minutes, until the chocolate is set.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.

Brown Butter, Sea Salt and Chocolate Krispie Treats

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then continue to cook it until it turns brown.  But not burned!  It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty.  The browning happens quickly at the end so watch the pan!

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 then pour into the bowl of rice krispies. Quickly spread into a 9″ x 13″ dish that has been lined with saran wrap.

Place in refrigerator for about an hour, then remove and cut into rectangles.  Melt chocolate in the microwave in short intervals and dip rice krispies into melted chocolate.  Let cool, then serve or store in an airtight container.