Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats

Ok, I couldn't take the Black and White theme anymore. I had to change the colors. I feel better already! I am trying to give the blog more of a Fairbanks feel, but the grey was just too much. After all, it's almost the new year and with solstice behind us the days are getting longer. They say the temperatures are supposed to get up to 20 degrees by this Saturday. That is 20 above zero. I notice as time goes on that we just say it is 20 degrees, when it is actually 20 below.
I have made these Rice Krispy treats several times since they were first posted on the Smitten Kitchen blog. They are the grown up version of rice krispy treats. What does that mean exactly? Well, with the addition of salt, they become quite addictive. They have that whole salty sweet thing going on. I'm not a huge regular rice krispy treat fan, but every once in a while I want something with that chewy texture. These really do the trick. I always have to make sure to make them when I am going somewhere, otherwise half the pan disappears and innocent people (puppies) get blamed.

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats
adapted (barely) from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
4 ounces (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

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Watch closely. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Once it starts to turn slightly brown begin whisking and don't stop. This will allow is to brown evenly. 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. I spary my hands with cooking spray to press the mixture into the pan.

Let cool, cut into squares