Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats and Chocolate Fondue

Browned butter is soo much better than regular butter, just ask The Assistant.  The first time that I whipped up a batch of Deb Perelman’s Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats, The Assistant/Velociraptor started sliding into cupboards like she couldn’t see straight.  And once she had a nibble, she sat begging in front of the fridge, with the pan perched safely on top, until they were gone 24 hours later.

So, when I was invited to a last minute fondue party with The Girls, my six dearest girlfriends in the world, I knew exactly what I wanted to bring.  And eat.  

We all pooled our leftovers and odds and ends of cheese together and pulled off a delicious fondue party. It was definitely a team effort.  We made a cheese fondue and dipped homemade beer bread, sausage, and apples.  It was delicious, but I admit, I was saving room for the chocolate fondue.

The chocolate fondue was melted in the microwave in thirty-second bursts and given repeated tastings by me to make sure that it was OK; it was delightful.  Then we dipped the Salted Brown Butter Crispy treats and a whole buffet of fruit, pound cake, and salty snacks into the melted shroud of chocolate.  The crispy treats were the perfect foil for the rich chocolate and together they tasted like a warm gourmet candy bar.  Simply fantastic. 

Then we went on to play a game and my impression of a lumberjack apparently looked more like Chainsaw Massacre part duh, so I’ll have to work on that for next time.  But, I will be bringing more Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats to the next fondue party!  I love spending time with The Girls. 

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Adapted slightly from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt, heaping

One 10-½ ounce bag of mini marshmallows

6 cups puffed rice cereal

Butter an 8-inch by 8-inch square pan.  Sit aside.

In the bottom of a soup pot, melt the butter on medium heat and add the heaping ¼ teaspoon of salt.  Keep a close eye on the butter and watch it bubble until the mild solids turn brown and it smells nutty.  Take the pan off the heat and stir in the marshmallows until they melt.  If they don’t melt completely, place the pan back on low heat. 

Then dump in the rice cereal and stir together.  Working quickly, pour the mixture into the 8 inch by 8 inch square pan and press them smooth with the back of a rubber spatula or a piece of buttered parchment paper.  Let cool.  Cut into small squares and dip into chocolate fondue. 

Or feed them to your favorite velociraptor.