I made two riffs on rice crispy treats tonight and I love them both!  A new all natural product I tried at the Food and Wine Festival inspired this experiment, Spoonables ‘Brooklyns Saucy Caramel’.  They are the most smooth and tasty caramel sauces I have ever tried.  The offerings are unique, including spicy chili caramel, flowery lavender and salty caramel to name a few.

 

 

I already had the salty caramel on Breyer’s all natural chocolate ice cream and it was heaven!

Check them out here: www.spoonablellc.com/the-shop/

I also was inspired by the wonderful bag of pecans I bought yesterday at the Reading Terminal Market at The Head Nut, what goes better with caramel then roasted pecans?

The first version below has layers of flavor and texture with the toasty nuts, sesame and the tart cranberries, plus it is nice to have the pop of red color throughout.  The second version is more rich and decadent.  These are not your mother’s rice crispy treats, but they are just as easy to make!

 

Tart and Sweet Treats

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 bag of mini marshmallows (or 6 cups)

5 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

7 oz. Spoonables Chewy Sesame Caramel

1 cup roasted pecans chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

Butter a glass lasagna dish well.  I used a small dish, that is just a bit smaller than the typical 9 X 13 size, and that worked well.  Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl, first for 30 seconds then check it, then heat it another 15 seconds until melted.  It may take up to 60 seconds.  While it is melting, chop up the pecans into small pieces and roast them in a small dry pan stirring and shaking very frequently.  They are roasted once you smell the nutty flavor.

Tip:   Don’t use a cuisinart to chop the nuts or you will get powder, and you really want the texture of small pieces in there!

Also, be very careful to keep an eye on the roasting nuts, it will only take 2 or 3 minutes max, and if you over cook they will get bitter and you need to dump them and start again.

Pour the bag of mini marshmallows into the butter and stir.  Microwave another minute and immediately add in the roasted pecans and dried cranberries.

Blend with a whisk until smooth.  Add in the Rice Krispies and stir with a wooden spoon.

Tip:  Don’t use the whisk once you add the cereal – it just makes a mess!  I found out the hard way.

Smash the mix into the butter dish, NOT with your hands or you will regret it.  I just used a large metal spoon to smash it down, spatula would probably work even better.  Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then cut into pieces.  Great as desserts for school lunch.  Although it has a lot of sweetness, these treats have the nutrition of cranberries, seeds and nuts, packing a bit of a hidden nutritional punch for a sweet treat.

Rich Chocolate Butterscotch Treats

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 bag of mini marshmallows (or 6 cups)

6 cups Rice Krispies

7 oz. Spoonables Brooklyn Butterscotch

1/2 cup roasted pecans chopped

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Butter a glass lasagna dish well.  I used a small dish, that is just a bit smaller than the typical 9 X 13 size and that worked well for this recipe also.  Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl, first for 30 seconds then check it, then heat it another 15 seconds until melted.  It may take up to 60 seconds.  While it is melting, chop up the pecans into small pieces and roast them in a small dry pan stirring and shaking very frequently.  They are roasted once you smell the nutty flavor (see above tips).

Pour the bag of mini marshmallows into the butter and stir.  Microwave another minute and immediately add the Brooklyn butterscotch and pecans and whisk until smooth.

 

Add in the Rice Krispies and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.  At the very end add in the chips and stir once, you want the chocolate which will melt quickly, to marble the treats.  Smash the treats into the buttered pan with back of a spoon or spatula.  Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then cut into squares and enjoy!