Salted Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats

I really wasn't planning on sharing more sweets with you, but occasions to bake keep coming up out of nowhere! I made these last night for some friends, and then whipped up another quick batch for the hubs to take to work today.  This recipe took me less than 15 minutes to pull together- talk about a Christmas miracle!  I have no energy left these days (this baby is coming in a month.. woah) to slave away in the kitchen making complicated treats (even though I wish I had the time to!), especially with all of the other holiday hulabaloo going on.

I think you'll really like these. They have just enough peppermint- certainly not the overwhelming minty-ness that you get from some Christmas desserts. The chocolate drizzle and sea salt add the  salty/sweet component, and you've got the classic crunchy/chewy thing going on with the Rice Krispies and marshmallow combo.

If you have the ingredients on hand (or even if you don't- you'll probably be out shopping soon anyways), I am certain you have the time to throw these together. Yum, yum, yum!

 

Salted Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats

by Oven Love

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups peppermint marshmallows **There are a few ways to do this. You can make them homemade (I like this recipe from Beantown Baker), you can buy store-bought (Jet-Puffed has a peppermint variety during the holidays), or you can use regular marshmallows with a dash of peppermint extract and a drop or two of red food coloring (optional).**
• 5 cups Rice Krispie cereal
• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 3-5 peppermint candies, crushed
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

To prepare, butter a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and reduce heat to low. Stir until the marshmallows are melted completely and remove from heat. Add the Rice Krispies and stir until well-coated. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and press down with a spatula or buttered fingers.

Next, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Transfer into a pastry or Ziplock bag and cut the corner. Drizzle the chocolate evenly over the Rice Krispie mixture (you can also use a spoon to do this, but it will be a bit messier). Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies and sea salt evenly over the chocolate and let rest until the chocolate is set. Cut into squares and serve.