Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, let’s lean into the pink aesthetic! Read past posts here, and please follow my Instagram, @fivethingsiate.
First off, a housekeeping note: last week’s recipe for arayes has been updated with a crucial missing ingredient: Ground beef! Eek. You’ll need a pound. Thanks to reader Daria for the catch.
Secondly, did you know there was a rice krispies shortage? This was back in 2022, and Kellog workers have since negotiated a contract, so I don’t think that buying krispies now makes you a scab. That being said, they still seem kind of hard to find (and also relatively expensive for something that is literally puffed white rice???). I noticed also that there doesn’t seem to be any store brand options. Is this because Kellog has some kind of monopoly over puffed rice?? Please report back if you learn more.
Thirdly, it seems that Rice Krispies (or is it the treats?) are actually not sold in some countries due to the additives BHT and BHA. Hmm. I just assume that my US based diet makes me composed of 90% preservatives or something, idk, I guess it’s my skincare secret that keeps me looking so fresh!
Finally, without further ado, let’s just get on to the recipe. Do I really need to sell you on this one?? It’s browned butter, marshmallows, Rice Krispies and strawberries. They look so pretty and kinda remind me of Special K with Strawberries, my favorite 90’s nostalgia food. It’s really giving Classroom Treat that will make you the most popular one in elementary school. Make it for your fam, your friends, and lover(s).
Strawberry Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats
Makes approx 24 medium sized treats for me, or you could make 16 real jumbo ones.
Base from Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce (285-gram) bag mini marshmallows
6 cups (160 grams) crispy rice cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
0.5 oz / half a Trader Joe’s bag of freeze dried strawberries
Directions
Line a 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper. If the paper doesn’t cover the whole pan, liberally grease the exposed sides with salted butter.
In a big pot, melt the stick of butter until it just starts to brown. If you haven’t done this before, it will first foam up, then quickly change color. You don’t want it to burn so turn the heat off as soon as the color changes.
Meanwhile, have some fun (well, actually, all of these steps are fun!): Open the bag of freeze dried strawberries (to let some air out), then zip it up and scrunch, scrunch, scrunch with your hands. You want the strawberries to be mostly smashed up with some dust.
When butter just starts to brown, turn off heat and stir in the mini mallows. Stir vigorously till smooth and delicious-smelling. If needed, you can turn heat on low.
Fold in the Rice Krispies and about half the bag of crushed strawberries and strawberry dust. You can use the whole bag if you want.
Quickly pat into prepared pan and use a spatula to push down and into corners.
Let cool for an hour and cut into bars.
Enjoy!
PS: You can freeze these for longer safekeeping.
XOXO,
Soph
P.S. It’s Lunar New Year! Welcome to Year of the Dragon. I’ll be spending time with family, but check out my instagram @fivethingsiate for video of a Chinatown snack crawl!