Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups Crispy Rice Cereal
- 10 ounces Mini Marshmallows (fresh is best)
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
- 1 Whole Vanilla Bean (split and scraped)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- Extra butter or cooking spray for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Step 1: Preparation Grease a 9×9-inch square baking pan generously with butter or line it with parchment paper. Leave a little overhang with the parchment paper to make the treats easy to lift out later. Set the pan aside so it is ready as soon as the mixture is hot.
- Step 2: Brown the Butter and Vanilla Place a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the stick of butter and let it melt completely. Once melted, continue cooking the butter, stirring occasionally, until it begins to foam and turn a light golden brown. It should smell nutty. Immediately stir in the scraped vanilla bean seeds and the sea salt. This infuses the fat with that deep vanilla aroma.
- Step 3: Melt the Marshmallows Turn the heat to the lowest setting. Add the mini marshmallows to the browned butter. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula until the marshmallows are about 90% melted. Remove the pot from the heat and continue stirring until the mixture is completely smooth. Residual heat will finish the job without overcooking the sugar, which keeps the treats soft.
- Step 4: Incorporate the Cereal Pour the crispy rice cereal into the marshmallow mixture. Use your spatula to gently fold the cereal into the gooey marshmallow base. Ensure every piece of cereal is evenly coated with the vanilla-speckled mixture. Work quickly but gently to avoid crushing the cereal pieces.
- Step 5: Press and Set Transfer the mixture into your prepared pan. Use the back of a buttered spoon or a piece of wax paper to gently press the mixture into the corners. Do not pack the treats down tightly; a light touch ensures a chewy, tender texture rather than a hard, dense block. Let the treats sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before slicing into 16 squares.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes