Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

I have never been a big fan of rice crispy treats--they are sticky and bland.  I'd rather have a chocolate bar!  However, as I was looking through the smitten kitchen cookbook, I saw her variation on rice crispy treats, and I thought I'd give it a try.  My mom gave me some marshmallows that needed using (not a big fan of marshmallows either....), and I had nothing else to do with them.  This recipe, let me tell you, WOW!!!  I LOVE THESE CRISPY TREATS!!!!  The browned butter and salt pair unbelievably well!  My mom tried them (almost mawled me to take them home with her) and BEGGED me to make more for her Super Bowl party!

{Soooo DELICIOUS!!!!}

{Melt butter}

{Slowly brown the butter because it goes quick!}

{Browned butter}

{Add salt and then marshmallows}

{Add rice cereal--brown rice cereal can be used too!}

{Spray wax paper with non-stick spray and press the rice crispies into the pan--be careful because they will be hot!}

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Serves 16

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, plus more to butter pan

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

10 oz mini marshmallows

6 cups puffed rice cereal

1. Butter an 8 inch square pan (bottom and sides).  Spray wax paper with non-stick spray.
2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat; it will foam, turn clear golden, and then smell nutty.
3. Stir frequently once butter smells nutty; DO NOT WALK AWAY because it only takes a minute or two until it gets brown.
4. Once brown, turn off heat, add salt, and stir. 
5. Add marshmallows and stir; the residual heat should melt them, but if not, turn back heat to low until smooth.
6. Add rice cereal; folding until cereal is evenly coated.
7. Pour mixture into butter pan.
8. Take paper and press mixture into pan; the mixture will be hot so be careful!
9. Cool; use a serrated knife to cut treats into 16 sqaures.

Share because a diet will get into SERIOUS trouble with these!  (YES MOM I SAID SHARE!!!)  I haven't tried them with chocolate coating or anything...  Because, honestly, I will have to get over how delicious they are on their own first! 

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Tuesday Tip: Bananas to Make Ice Cream

I have seen floating around the internet that a banana makes a great base for ice cream--just puree it, and there you have ice cream without the hassle of an ice cream maker!  Intrigued, I froze some bananas a few months ago and forgot about them (oops...).  However, I saw this recipe for nutella banana ice cream on Pinterest (obsessed!) and knew that for World Nutella Day (February 5--today, seriously!!!), I HAD to make it because my family loves Nutella and bananas!  No brainer!

{I might have been caught a few times in childhood/adulthood eating this with just a spoon........}

{Frozen bananas}

{Add Nutella, cocoa, and milk}

{Delicious Nutella Banana Ice Cream!}

Nutella Banana Ice Cream

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 bananas, frozen

8 tablespoons Nutella

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons milk

1. Place everything in a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve immediately for a soft serve consistency or place in a container and refreeze for 1 hour for firmer texture.

This mixture doesn't freeze hard (like a brick); it was perfectly scoopable!  Great for a quick treat without the calories!

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Rush Hour Pizza

Who doesn't love homemade pizza?  Exactly!  I saw a recipe for rushed pizza dough in smitten kitchen cookbook, and I knew that I had to try it (no brainer really!).  This pizza recipe is quick and easy--pizza from dough to table in about 1.5 hours (even making the sauce!)!  Before you make pizza, (I know your mouth is watering, but please!) look at smitten kitchen's 10 paths to painless pizza making, just please!!!

Enough talking--PIZZA!!!!!

{Finished thin crust pizza!}

{Blooming the yeast}

{I used the mixer method because I have a dough hook, but this can be made by hand!}

{Crumbly mess of a dough}

{After kneading for 5 minutes, dough should be smooth and elastic}

{While dough is rising make pizza sauce}

{Pizza sauce!}

{Because pizza is cooked fast and hot, I recommend steaming any vegetables you plan on using so they are nice and soft when you eat your pizza}

{Pizza sauce reduced in half}

{Sprinkle cornmeal on a hot baking sheet--Ben might have gotten a little happy, but the pizza didn't stick!}

{Dough after it has risen}

{Rolled out pizza dough}

{Putting toppings on pizza}

Rush Hour Pizza

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Dough

1/2 cup warm water, a bit warm to the touch

2 packets active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for counter
1 teapsoon salt
Olive oil, for coating bowl

Sauce

2-15 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained

2-4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup white wine (optional but recommended)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Any toppings desired

Dough

1. Turn oven on warm (about 200-225 degrees) for 5 minutes, then turn off.
2. Pour water into bowl (mixer or regular) and add yeast packets to warm water, stir, and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. By hand: Add remaining dough ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until a crumbly mass; turn dough and any loose pieces onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 5 minutes, or until a smooth, elastic dough forms.  Mixer: Add remaining dough ingredients and mix with your dough hook at moderate speed until dough forms crumbly mass; reduce speed to low and mix for 5 minutes, letting hook knead dough.
4. Wipe the bowl you made the dough in and coat the inside with olive oil.
5. Cover dough with a cotton towel, place it in the warmed oven and let it rise for 30-45 minutes (until it is doubled).
6. Meanwhile, make sauce and steam vegetables (if using).

Sauce

1. Pour in olive oil in a pot and let it heat completely before adding the garlic and onion.
2. Sweat (aka let cook until clear but DO NOT BROWN!) onions and garlic until fragrant and clear. Add the red pepper flakes and stir it for anther minute.
3. Put the tomatoes in the pot, along with the wine, sugar and salt.
4. Let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half. Carefully taste without burning your tongue and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Pizza

1. Preheat your oven to its highest temperature (typically 500 degrees). If you have a pizza stone, sprinkle it with cornmeal and put it in the oven. Otherwise, sprinkle a baking pan with the same.
2. Roll out the dough on the floured counter until pretty darn thin, then lift it onto a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet.
3. Add the sauce and other toppings desired; be careful it's HOT.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes, checking at 7.
5. Slice and serve immediately.

So go forth and make pizza!!!!!

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Food for Thought: Eat Your Biggest Meal Early in the Day

As I was listening to the radio on the way to work, I heard a new study came out stating that To Maximize Weight Loss, Eat Early in the Day, Not Late (from NPR).  The study was small, only 420 people, who saw more weight loss (exercise and sleep held fairly constant) than those who ate a majority of their calories later in the day.  The article does discuss the opposite point of view--that weight loss is much more complicated than that, and the only sure way to loose weight is to restrict calorie intake and exercise. 

Some scientists are testing this on animals and are seeing that the timing of eating has an influence on metabolism; they are saying that this influence can be translated to humans.  I think this experiment/study needs to be done on a much larger scale to prove anything conclusive.

This got me thinking--we've heard sooooo many weightloss tips, it's hard to know what actually works.  However, I do think that this idea does have merit--the body has longer to digest big breakfast than it would big dinner.  It makes sense.  Personally, I eat the majority of my calories by 3 PM; after that I usually have a Greek yogurt then dinner which is, typically, lighter than my lunch. 

What do you think?  Do you eat a majority of your calories before 3 PM?Pin It