Tag-Archive for ◊ butter ◊

30 Sep 2010 Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

In our recent taste tests, these were definitely the winners!   I think these won because they tasted the most like traditional  Rice Krispie Treats, but they were cranked up a notch, a big notch. The browned butter and the sea salt makes such a DIVINE difference. You’ll know when you taste them. Look at all that was left to photograph! My older daughter wants me to throw out the original recipe for Rice Krispie Treats and just use this one from now on.

I didn’t want to up this recipe to use a 9 x 13 pan, because there is quite a bit of butter in this recipe–and it has to be browned, which can be a tricky step.  I’d suggest making two batches, rather than one larger batch, if you are trying to feed a crowd.

I did put my batch in a 7×11 pan, rather than the specified 8×8 pan.

I found this recipe at Smitten Kitchen.

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

4 ounces (¼ pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter
10 ounces mini marshmallows
Heaping ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt, I used Maldon Sea Salt (plus extra for sprinkling)
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (6 ounces)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute. As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan, pressing firmly and evenly into the edges and corners (butter a spatula or use the paper from the butter for this job). Let cool and then cut into squares.

05 Feb 2010 Swedish Butter Cookies Three Ways

The weekend is upon us and it sounds as if it’s going to be cold and wet almost everywhere. Let’s make cookies!  Here is my favorite recipe for butter cookies. It’s an easy one, and the cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  I have been baking these cookies exactly as the recipe specifies since the mid-1980s when my friend Kathy gave me the recipe (which she acquired from one of her students).  Just a few days ago, emboldened by all the foodie pages I have been looking at, I decided to play with the recipe a bit.  What fun!  One version, adding lemon peel, was only so-so, but the other two were excellent.  Now I am anxious to create a coffee/latte version. If I get one to work, you can be sure I’ll post it.  Let me know if you come up with any winning variations…, but don’t miss the originals, they are to die for!

Swedish Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat butter and sugar and corn syrup together with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes.  Stir in flour and baking soda.  Divide dough into 4 equal parts.  Roll each part into a roll about 6 inches long and 1 inch thick.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Cookies will spread a lot, so space them equidistantly. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes.  Cut bars, at an angle, into slices while still hot.  I cut off the rounded ends, then slice each roll into 6 slices to make 2 dozen cookies per batch.  Cool on paper towel.

Coconut Butter Cookies (my favorite version)
Mix dough as above, adding in 1/2 tsp coconut extract with corn syrup.  Cover each roll with 1/2 to 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut.  Press coconut on roll, slightly flattening the rolls in the process.

Nutty Butter Cookies
Substitute 1/3 cup brown sugar for the 1/2 cup of white sugar.  Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds with flour.  Partially flatten the rolls before baking (with nuts, the dough doesn’t spread as much). Bake at 325 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.

Lemon Butter Cookies
If you want to try it, I just added the grated rind of 1 large lemon… But the results weren’t nearly as tasty as the original version.  You simply have to make the originals!

What do you think?  Are you going to try this?
Whatever you decide, thanks for stopping by,