Grown-Up Rice Krispie Treats and a $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

I was ten years old when I tasted my first Rice Krispie Treat.

It was Kathy Duffy, our favorite babysitter, who taught me how to make them one winter evening. Kathy was a rockstar babysitter, the type my sisters and I waited for in our pajamas eagerly by the door, wondering what new game or craft she would pull out of her giant floppy purse. One night she surprised me by pulling out something edible, a bag of cereal and some marshmallows, and with the addition of a little butter from our fridge, she showed us Frenchies how those three ingredients come together magically.

I gorged myself on that first batch of Rice Krispie treats. Hot from the pan, I licked them off my fingers, amazed that something so good hadn't come out of a boulangerie.

Now my kids are the ones eating the Rice Krispie treats straight from the pan, making magic by bringing together marshmallows, butter, and Rice Krispies with a little heat. But this holiday season, I wanted to make Rice Krispie Treats my own again, by turning them into a grown-up treat.

I started with Smitten Kitchen's salted brown butter version, as recommended to me by my friend Alma. Without this amazing recipe as a base, the ratios would have been all wrong. Then I added coconut and dark chocolate, two of my favorite dessert treats.

The result: a decadent grown-up Rice Krispie Treat. More gooey than traditional Rice Krispie treats. Every bite filled with rich caramel and dark chocolate overtones. I just wish I had a cookie exchange to attend this year to dazzle everyone with my creation!

$100 VISA GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY
I'm working with Kellogg's Rice Krispies this December to inspire home cooks everywhere to create their own version of Rice Krispie treats this holiday season. To help spread the word, Kellogg's has given me a $100 Visa gift card to give away to one of my readers.

To enter to win, please leave me a comment about how you like your Rice Krispie Treats or do one of the actions below. ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Other actions to qualify you for your one entry:

• Follow @Frenchfoodiemom on Twitter
• Tweet about this contest using either this tweet, "Win a $100 Visa Gift Card in the @FrenchFoodieMom #RiceKrispie giveaway. www.chefdruck.com"
• Like the Chefdruck Musings Fan Page
• Post about this contest on your Facebook page.
• Post about this contest on your blog.
• Subscribe to Chefdruck Musings.

I'll select the winner at random using Random.org after midnight on Tuesday, December 21. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or their entry will be void and I will select another winner. There are 30 different Rice Krispie Treats $100 Gift Card Giveaways being coordinated by The Motherhood this December. You may only win one gift card across the 30 blogs.

THE MOTHERHOOD HOLIDAY RICE KRISPIES TREATS EXCHANGE BLOGGER GIVEAWAY
Abbreviated Rules. No Purchase Necessary. Begins no earlier than 12:00:00 AM (ET) on 11/29/10 and ends no later than 11:59:59 PM (ET) on 12/21/10. For complete Official Rules, go to http://web.mediacdt.com/docs/motherhoodholiday. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Subject to complete Official Rules. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: The Motherhood. Head on over to the Motherhood for the full official rules.

Good luck to everyone, and here is the recipe:

Very Grown Up Dark Chocolate and Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Makes 16 2-inch squares

1 stick of unsalted butter (4 oz), plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
3/4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups of shredded coconut (sweetened)

1. Grease an 7x12 inch rectangular Pyrex pan with 2-inch sides. Line with plastic wrap that is three times as long as the pan. Leave the extra wrap hanging out of the pan.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Make sure you pick a large pot, or you will have a sticky mess of Rice Krispie overflow all over your counters and floor. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Use your nose to guide you! When it smells good, slightly nutty, and is a pretty golden brown, the butter is "noisette" and ready. Don't wander off, because your browned butter can and will turn to burnt butter in less than a minute.
3. As soon as the butter is ready, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. If the warmth of the melted butter is not enough to melt the marshmallows, turn the heat back onto low to help it along and get the marshmallows smooth. But again, be careful not to burn the butter.
4. Remove the pot from the stove. Pour the salt, Rice Krispies, coconut and chocolate chips on top of the melted marshmallows. Take a deep breath and get ready to work stirring. This is the hardest part of the process as you'll have to burn off a little sweat equity stirring the pot.
5. Quickly spread the mixture into the greased pan, on top of the plastic wrap. Then cover the top of the treats with the extra plastic wrap, and press in the mixture as hard as you can. I even like to use a small pot to push it in smoothly. 
6. Cool at room temperature, or if you have some impatient kids (or adults) in the fridge. 
7. Store in airtight container. Will keep for 3-4 days.