These are awesome. There are a plethora of additional recipes out there that go beyond the ordinary treats your Mom made when you were a kid. I encourage you to do an Internet search because there are a lot of ingredients that can up the ante of this humble confection, e.g. everything from green tea to your favorite liqueur for an adult version.

I am posting my recipe here for my friends who were impressed with my version. If nothing else, it provides a great start for some “ricey” adventures if you are so moved:

• 6 cups crispy rice, toasted (ANY brand will do! I use the Market Basket brand)
• 6 TBLS salted butter – browned, plus some for greasing the pan
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 10 oz mini* marshmallows, plus 1 cup

Butter a 9×13 baking dish.**

Toast the crispy rice. I use a 12 inch stainless steel frying pan and do this in four batches.

Brown the butter in an enameled Dutch oven or other 6 or so quart heavy-bottomed pot.***

Stir the 10 ounces of marshmallows into the browned butter over low heat. Don’t rush things because you risk caramelizing the marshmallows and that would lead to rock-hard treats once the cool down.

Remove from heat, add the extra cup of marshmallows, and gently stir in the toasted crispy rice until fully combined.

Spoon the mixture into the 9×13 pan, placing the mixture around the pan and GENTLY pat a bit so it is pretty much at an even height. Don’t not pack the mixture into the pan or you will end up with hard, dense treats rather than gooey ones!

Let cool and cut as desired with a sharp and sturdy knife.

Store in a airtight container for up to a few days, or, especially if bringing to a potluck, wrap them individually with plastic wrap (wrap securely but don’t squish them) to keep them fresh.

NOTE: never put them in the refrigerator! (Well, you can if you want them dry and brittle…)

Enjoy!

* You can use 10 oz of big marshmallows if that’s what you have, but be careful when heating them in the butter so parts don’t caramelize before the rest is melted. Maybe chop them a bit, first.

** I have seen videos of people buttering a large piece of parchment paper and using it to gently form the mixture into a rectangle rather than using a pan. Your choice!

*** If you don’t have a big pot with a heavy bottom, use a smaller one to melt things, then use a big bowl to mix the melted marshmallow and crispy rice together, then put into the pan. Or try mixing it in the pan. I think I may have done that the first time but not sure if I did, so no guarentee on results!