Fleur de Sel & Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats

 

Have you ever been out to eat with kids and find yourself envying their simple dish of macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza or chicken fingers? Sure, you're waiting patiently for your filet Mignon, Oscar-style. But, boy does it look good! That starchy-cheesy dish is reliable and you know it tastes good. I feel somewhat similar about Rice Krispies treats and today I'm sharing a twist on the classic no-bake dessert.

 

Rice Krispies treats are reliable. I know I love them and I often overlook them. I too often get distracted by new recipes and challenging ones at that. The truth is I can't remember the last time I made Rice Krispies treats before this grown-up version.  Years, people. Years. Rice Krispie treats are fantastic as is but...

Two simple changes to Kellogg's traditional version make all the difference in the world and open up the gate to deeper, more complex Rice Krispies treats! The secret? Simply brown the butter before adding marshmallows and add an abundant 1/4 teaspoon of my favorite French sea salt, fleur de sel. 

 

Fleur de Sel & Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

adapted, barely from kellogg's, completely delicious and smitten kitchen

Yields: 9, rather large perfectly-sized squares

Ingredients:

1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter

10 oz. fresh marshmallows

1/4 fleur de sel, heaping

6 c. Rice Krispies cereal (half a 12 oz. box)

Directions:

Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low to medium heat. Stir continually until butter turns a deep golden caramel and smells nutty. This should only take a few minutes. Don't leave butter alone, making sure to not let it burn.

Lower heat to low or extra low and add marshmallows. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and add fleur de sel and mix until absorbed. Add Rice Krispies cereal to marshmallow mixture. Spread into buttered pan, pressing down to even out top. Cool for 20-30 minutes, if you are that patient. Cut into large squares and serve.

Other posts you may like:

Strawberry Shortcake Rice Krispie Treats on Sweet Treats and More
Biscoff Rice Krispie Treats on Sweet Basil
Crispy Butterfinger Cookies on Two Peas and Their Pod

Gourmet Live - Favorite Takeout Coast to Coast: Putting Provo on The Map

 

Remember when I featured Provo's Mountain West Burrito in my Utah Local Love series last fall? Well 'ol Becky here is singing more sweet praises to this local joint. I've teamed up with Gourmet Live in their search for the best takeout spots from coast to coast. 

There are some fabulous selections in road trip, and from a variety of cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco and yes, little Provo. Head on over to Gourmet.com to read all about it. After that, if you're local...you best be making a visit to Mountain West Burrito. No worries, you can stay inside and eat too. They've got a fun set-up over there.

Check out more local Utah business in my Utah Local Love series.

Black Rice Risotto with Peas

When I find a new ingredient that I love, I hang on to it. I think about it day and night and tell everyone I know about it. Even though I'm singing praises it still takes a while to get in the kitchen and cook. This black rice adventure has been no different. A few weeks back, I made Grilled Pineapple with Black Coconut Sticky Rice for an easy summer dessert. We loved it yet it took me three weeks to experiment with this savory dish.

Nothing brings savory comfort to me like risotto: Italy's traditional rice dish cooked in broth until it reaches the perfect creamy consistency. Yes you'll spend an hour stirring in front of your stove. But it's worth it. This black rice variation brings in a healthy component.

Black rice is full of antioxidants and contains 18 amino acids along with vital nutrients. It is grown in Asia and is an unmilled rice, meaning it has not had its fiber-rich husks removed. It's also known as forbidden rice and has a mild, nutty flavor which I found perfect in this risotto.

Cauliflower and Carrot Top Puree (or Mash)

I've loved cauliflower my entire life. At every family or church function you would see me basically throwing elbows around the veggie tray for cauliflower florets. Flash forward twenty-some-odd years and I still love those darned cruciferous vegetables.

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite applications for cauliflower, a mash or puree. It's more method than recipe as the end result depends on the contents of my fridge. This particular day, a few weeks back,  I was looking to use up carrot tops from my La Nay Ferme CSA share. I love the flavor and nutrients that come from carrot tops and knew that cauliflower was a fantastic canvas for such distinct and tasty ingredient.

Try this recipe, yes. But remember the components and methods for a cauliflower mash. It goes as follows:

Cauliflower Puree or Mash Components
- Cauliflower (steamed, roasted or what have you)
- Fat (butter, heavy cream, sour cream, greek yogurt, cheese)
- Seasoning & Garnish (salt, pepper, spices, herbs and sometimes cheese)

Take those components and run with them. I make this recipe different each time.
- Thin (add broth, cooking water or more fat)
--- This is perfect for plating beef or a very rich protein over it. It's pretty, too.
- Bake it (spoon into a baking dish and load it with cheese!)
- Pat it together, coat with bread crumbs and pan fry it. (yep, i just went there.)
- Mash it (you don't have to have a food processor, do it by hand and leave some big lumps.)

Cauliflower and Carrot Top Puree (or Mash)
by Becky of Project Domestication

Ingredients:
1 med-lg. cauliflower head
1 TB. unsalted butter
1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt (non-fat)
1 TB. sour cream
1/2 c. carrot tops, minced
1/2 TB kosher salt  (or to taste)
1/8 tsp. black pepper  (or to taste)

Directions:
Chop cauliflower into florets. Steam cauliflower (stovetop is my preferred way, just pour 1/2-1 cup of water in depending on your pan size).  Reserve about 1/4 cup water. Place cauliflower, salt and butter in food processor. Pulse 5-8 times. On this particular time I left the consistency between a mash and puree, with a few small chunks. Pulse again till desired texture is achieved.

If mixture is looking dry add reserved cooking water one tablespoon at a time. Add all but a small handful of minced carrot tops and pulse once to combine. Spoon into serving bowl and garnish with remaining carrot tops and a bit more salt and pepper.

Utah Local Love: Cupcake Ice Cream Cones from Dippidee in American Fork, Utah

It's almost officially summer. And what better way than to celebrate than with an adorable ice cream cone-shaped cupcake from Utah's Dippidee. Bite through that crunchy cone to creamy smooth buttercream and an old-fashioned Dippidee cupcake. Grab them in a multitude of colors (and flavors). And while you're there, grab a Dippidee Butterscotch Cupcake. It will remind you of a dilly bar.


Dippidee - A Place of Sweet Surprises
476 North 900 West, Ste D
American Fork, UT 84003

Web site: http://www.dippidee.com/index.html
Blog: http://dippidee.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dippidee

Phone: 801-756-4383
Email: dippidee@msn.com

Justin's Peanut Butter & Bonne Maman Preserves

Some days the perfect lunch consists of your favorite sandwich bread and the classic combo of peanut butter and jelly. When I have my way, that peanut butter and jelly sandwich includes my favorite peanut butter by Justin's and my favorite French jams by Bonne Maman. These are by far my favorites and I had to share.

I recommend all of both brands' flavors but other favorites include:
Justin's Chocolate Almond Nut Butter
Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves
Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves
Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves

Wash it all down with a cold glass of milk and you're good to go!

Other recipes you may like:
Grown Up Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Strawberry Jam Cookies with Crystallized Ginger and Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
Peanut Butter Bars
Peanut Butter Crisscrosses
Peanut Butter Chews

Utah Local Love: Mango-Raspberry Tart from Gourmandise Bakery in SLC, Utah

The Mango-Raspberry Tart from Gourmandise, The Bakery made my first trip to this legendary Utah sweet spot a success. Its sweet pastry crust filled with custard cream and topped with fresh raspberries and mangoes was a pleasant combination I'd expect to experience on the streets abroad. It was fresh, flavorful and left me wanting more. Have you been to Gourmandise? What did you order?

Gourmandise - The Bakery

gourmandisethebakery.com

250 S 300 E SLC, Utah

(801) 328-3330

Check out more local Utah businesses in my Utah Local Love series.

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Black Sticky Rice

 

Today I'm sharing a spin on the classic Southeast Asian dessert of fresh mango with coconut sticky rice. I discovered mango coconut sticky rice at a local Thai restaurant my freshman year of college and have never looked back. That creamy, coconutty dessert with the perfect chew and fresh mangos! Mangos--the fruit I have always craved.