Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Making brown butter (optional step, but recommended)

1. Place the butter in a saucepan, and heat over medium high heat.
2. Stir the mixture occasionally, while allowing the butter to melt.
3. The butter will start to foam, and then the milk solids will start to separate. First they will float to the top, and then sink to the bottom of the pan.
4. Make sure to whisk or stir the saucepan well - more frequently as the milk solids sink to the bottom.
5. Keep heating the butter while stirring, as the milk solids turn golden in color, and then amber.
6. As soon as the milk solids turn a dark golden or amber color, remove the pot from the heat, and pour the butter into a bowl THROUGH a sieve to separate the milk solids. Place the milk solids in a separate smaller bowl.
7. To the smaller bowl with the milk solids, measure and add upto 4 tbsp of the liquid brown butter. Set aside until needed. The extra melted butter can be used for other purposes.

Rice krispie treats base

1. Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan or 9 x 9 inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large pot (large enough to generously fit and mix 6 cups of rice krispies), place the marshmallows, brown butter (or regular butter), and salt.
3. Heat the mixture over medium heat, while stirring to melt the marshmallows and to mix the 4 tbsp of brown butter with milk solids, to make a smooth mixture. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rice krispies. Make sure to carefully fold them in so that you don't crush the rice krispies.
5. As soon as the rice krispies are mixed through, transfer the mix into the prepared pan.
6. Spread the rice krispie treats base in the pan and gently press it in. Take care not to press down too hard.
7. Allow the rice krispie treats to cool down to room temperature and set.
8. Once set, remove it from the pan using the parchment paper, and cut it into squares. I like to cut 16 pieces (4 x 4), but you can cut smaller pieces to get 25 (5 x 5) as well.