S’Mores Rice Crispy Treats

I made these s’mores rice crispy treats to use up leftover graham crackers and marshmallows and from summer camping, before they go stale and the mallows inevitably become a sad, sticky amalgamation of once-pillowy puffs…If you’re already a fan of cereal treats, you probably don’t need any further convincing, but if you think rice crispy treats are a bit disappointing, then hear me out. They don’t have to be plain! In this version, brown butter and salt add a little extra something on top of classic s’more flavors. Serious sweet tooths of all ages can rejoice! As another plus, these are quick to make and they don’t require turning on the oven.

Notes: This small-batch recipe uses about half a bag of mallows. If you want those thick squares you see in bakeries, double the recipe and use an 8×8 square pan. If you have regular or jumbo size marshmallows lying around, no worries, just go by weight instead of volume and use a clean, oiled pair of scissors to snip about 1/5th of them into little pieces for the portion you save for stirring in at the end.

Based off of Ruth Tam’s Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats.

Ingredients
Makes 8 small bars

• 100g milk chocolate
• 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter
• 5 cups (213g) mini marshmallows, divided (see below)
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 cups (80g) rice crispy cereal
• 3 sheets (40g) graham crackers (or sub digestive biscuits)

Line a 9-inch loaf pan with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

Place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, or crush them in a large mortar and pestle. You want some crumbs and some bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Soften the chocolate in the microwave; it doesn’t have to be fully liquid, but it should be very soft.

Put the butter in a medium pot over medium heat and cook until it becomes a nice nutty brown color. Turn off the heat immediately and add about 4 cups of the marshmallows, along with the salt and vanilla. Use a heat-proof spatula to stir until the marshmallows are completely melted, being sure to scrape all that brown buttery goodness off the bottom of the pan. Add the cereal and stir until fully coated.

Working add the chocolate, graham cracker bits, and remaining marshmallows and stir until it becomes marbled with chocolate, but not fully combined. Scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and press down with the spatula into one even, lightly-packed layer.

Allow to cool to room temp and then use a chef’s knife to cut into 8 squares. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, separated by parchment paper, or wrap individually in  cling film until ready to eat.