The Best Rice Crispie Treat Method and Flavor Variations

Ok, here is what I've learned on how to make soft, fluffy yummy rice crispy treats! I very slightly altered Mel's Kitchen Cafe's recipe, but the method is different and much easier.

Browned Butter Rice Crispie Treats

6 T butter

16 oz marshmallows (new bags work much, much better)

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch kosher salt

8 c. rice crispies

Place the marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl.

Brown the butter in a saucepan. Pour over marshmallows and toss to coat.

Microwave for 1 minute. If they are soft enough, stir in the salt and vanilla. If not, microwave 30 seconds more at a time. (The less you microwave them, the softer the treats will be)

Spray a huge bowl with oil. Add the melted marshmallows and rice crispies and stir to combine.

Spread and lightly press into a greased 9x13 pan.

Variations:

Chocolate Coconut: Toast 1 c. shredded coconut (sweetened or not). Set aside about 1/3 c. Mix the rest with the rice crispies. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the coconut and mini chocolate chips and lightly press into bars. 

Coconut Lime: Toast 1 c. coconut as above; set aside. Add zest from 1-2 limes to the marshmallows and omit the vanilla. Add 2/3 c. coconut with the rice crispies. Sprinkle 1/3 c. coconut on top of bars and lightly press in.

Churro: Stir in 1 1/2 - 2 tsp. cinnamon to the melted marshmallows.

Dairy free: Use 4 T. coconut oil in place of butter.

Strawberry Crumble Bars

 These are so good! I somehow completely forgot about the almonds and they were fabulous so if you don't feel like using almonds, feel free to skip them. I also did not spray the parchment paper and there was no problem getting the bars out.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Crumble Bars

These melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Crumble Bars are so delicious and so easy to make. And if you love strawberries then you need to make these. Made with a combo of naturally sweet fresh strawberries, an easy buttery press-in crust, and an almond crumble they are one my favorite desserts to make.

Crust

• 2 3/4 cups (340 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

• 16 tablespoons (227 grams) unsalted butter melted, plus 2 teaspoons melted butter for the baking pan

• 1/4 cup toasted almonds roughly chopped

Strawberry Filling

• 1 pound (454 grams) fresh strawberries cut into small pieces

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

• 7 tablespoons (88 grams) granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour Bob's Red Mill recommended

Instructions

Prep the Strawberries

1. Cut up the strawberries and set them aside in a large bowl.

Make the Crust and Topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray or melted butter. Line the pan with parchment paper so there is overhang on all four sides.  Lightly brush the bottom and sides of the parchment paper with butter (optional).  

3. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl or on the stove but don’t let it burn.

4. While the butter is melting, place the flour, sugar, kosher salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and whisk together.

5. Pour the hot melted butter into the flour mixture. The butter must be hot to form a soft dough. If for some reason, the butter becomes too cool, gently reheat it until it is hot again before adding to the other ingredients. Use a spatula to combine the butter with the dry ingredients until no white bits of flour are left. You should have about 655 grams of crust. Measure 250 grams (or about 1 cup) into a separate bowl. Add the chopped almonds to this part of the crumble and mix together.

6. Press the remaining crust into the prepared pan until it appears even thickness across the bottom of the pan.

7. Bake the crust for 22-24 minutes or until the edges of the crust are brown and the center is light golden brown

Strawberry Filling

1. About 10 minutes before the crust is done, add the lemon juice and vanilla bean paste to the strawberries and gently toss to combine the ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and the tapioca flour.  Sprinkle the mixture over the berries and use a large spoon or spatula to gently fold the sugar mixture into the strawberries.

Assemble the Strawberry Crumble Bars

1. Remove the crust from the oven (leave the oven on at 350°F) and spoon the strawberry filling over the baked crust. Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture over the strawberry filling.

2. Bake the strawberry bars for 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbly along the edges of the pan and about 1 inch from the edge of the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Run an offset spatula or butter knife along the edges of the pan to loosen the crust from the parchment paper.

3. Let the bars cool for about 20 minutes and then use the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan. Cut the bars into 16 2-1/8 x 2-1/8 -inch squares or nine (9) 3x3-inch squares.

Storage

1. Room Temperature: The bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. If the inside temperature is above 75°F, the bars can be stored for up 1 day at room temperature.

2. Refrigerator: Store the bars in airtight container for up to 5 days. The longer they sit, the softer the base and crumb topping become, but they're still delicious.

https://bakesbybrownsugar.com/strawberry-crumble-bars/#recipe

 

Crispy Potato Wedges with Lemon Aioli

Potato Wedges

5 Medium Russet Potatoes

approximately 2 pounds

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 Tbsp  Parmesan Cheese

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Lemon Aioli

1 cup  Mayonnaise

1 tsp Chopped Garlic

1 Medium Lemon, zested, juiced

1 pinch Kosher Salt

1 pinch Black Pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Wash and dry the Russet Potatoes and cut them into similar-sized wedges. 4-6 wedges per potato work best.

3. Place potato wedges in a large mixing bowl and add Olive Oil, Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasoning,Garlic Powder, and Kosher Salt. Toss to combine until the olive oil and seasonings are well coated on all of the potato wedges.

4. Place seasoned potato wedges on the prepared sheet pan making sure they are evenly spaced and in one layer.

5. Roast potato wedges in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until they are fork-tender and crispy and browned on the outside.

6. While potatoes are roasting, combine Mayonnaise, Garlic, Lemon Zest and Juice, Kosher Salt, and Black Pepper in a small bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Serve as a dipping sauce for the crispy potato wedges.

Recipe from https://www.sidechef.com/recipes/67133/crispy_potato_wedges_with_lemon_aioli/

Lava Flow Hawaiian Tropical Drink

 

Lava Flow Hawaiian Tropical Drink

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 15minutes mins

Total Time: 15minutes mins

Ingredients

• 24 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed slightly
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 3 ½ cups pineapple juice
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cream of coconut (see note)
• 1 cup half-and-half
• Ice

Instructions 

• In a blender, puree the slightly thawed strawberries with sugar and 1/2 cup water. The mixture should be syrupy and thick. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup or bowl and chill in the refrigerator while prepping the other ingredients.
• Fill blender 2/3 of the way with ice. Add the add the pineapple juice, cream of coconut and half-and-half until it comes up to an even height with the ice. Blend until thick and slushy (add more coconut/pineapple mixture if it is too thick to blend easily or more ice if it's too thin). Depending on how many drinks you are making, you may need to continue to repeat this step until all drinks are made/all the pineapple mixture is blended.
• Add about an inch of the cold strawberry mixture into a 12- to 16-ounce cup. Pour the icy coconut/pineapple mixture into the center of the strawberry mixture in the cup until the cup is filled. If desired, gently swirl the mixture with a straw for the "lava" effect.
• Garnish the rim of the glass with a wedge of fresh pineapple, if desired. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Cobbler

 

Blueberry Cobbler

Ingredients

Cobbler

• 8 cups fresh blueberries completely dry
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Crumble Topping

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 13 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Crunchy Topping

• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass or ceramic dish. Avoid metal, it can alter the flavor. Zest lemon to get 1 teaspoon zest. Juice lemon to get 1 tablespoon juice. Set aside.
• Make sure blueberries are fully dry. In a large bowl, gently toss blueberries with lemon zest & juice, both sugars, cinnamon (if using), cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Stir to coat, then pour into the greased pan (scrape out all juices). Bake for 15 minutes.
• Melt butter and let it cool to room temp. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and vanilla until just combined. Don’t overmix. Mixture should be crumbly. Add 2–3 tablespoon flour if it feels too wet.
• Crumble the topping over the warm blueberries (don’t press down). In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle evenly on top. Bake for 45–50 minutes or until topping is golden and berries are bubbling at the edges (see note 1).
• Let sit for 20–30 minutes before serving to allow it to thicken. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.