I fear that I would fail on one of those competitive cooking shows simply because my plating skills suck. I can make things taste all kinds of delicious, but they are not always so pretty.
Case in point? I made quite possibly the most delicious and addicting rice crispy treats known to man (and woman, and dog) this weekend. I had many motivations for setting out on this baking endeavor...
A) Oreos + Rice Crispies = winning! They sounded liked something that my boyfriend would add to the list of "things to bake to get yourself out of trouble for scheduling too many activities for me to participate in//putting too many things on the 'to do' list for the weekend"...
B) I had my student editors over for a planning meeting and BBQ, and you really can't go wrong with chocolate, cookies and high school kids.
C) While there was some stove-top heat involved, this did not require my oven. And it was just too.damn.hot. to really "cook" anything this past week.
So, I'd been planning to make these for a few days. I had my little shopping list all set up on my phone, and I dutifully ticked items off as I pulled them off the shelves... evaporated milk? check! mini marshmallows? check! chocolate chips? who are we kidding? I bought an extra bag, just to be safe. Now, what did I realize that I forgot to buy when I got home (at 10 PM, mind you...)? Freaking Rice Crispies! So, back to the store I went, kicking myself the whole way there... But let me tell you, they were sooooooooo worth it.
I guinea pigged these on a wide audience, and they were met with rave reviews across the board. Boyfriend + his friends: loved them, even before they cooled and set. Newspaper kiddos? They devoured them. My coworkers at the gym: A+ from them (and yes, I was a little torn about taking baked goods into the gym... but those things were too addicted to leave in the house!).
The only drawback? They're kind of ugly. They just aren't all that nice to look at. I know that the way they taste is really what matters (just like how it's 'what's on the inside' that really matters with people...), but part of me can't get past the fact that these treats got their ass kicked by the ugly stick. But they do have a winning personality going for them.
Oreo Rice Crispy Treats with Chocolatey Drizzle
adapted from Baking Serendipity
photo by Jessica Y.
They may not be the best looking dessert on the block,
but you won't be able to stop eating them.
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 cups mini marshmallows (or about 40 normal sized mallows)
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (in the future, I want to try this recipe with Cocoa Pebbles)
2.5 cups Double Stuffed Oreo cookies, quartered (This is about 2/3 of a package of Oreos)
1.Quarter Oreos and combine with Rice Krispies in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. In a skillet with high sides, brown butter. This is not as hard as it sounds. Seriously, just put it on medium heat and stir it slowly until the butter gets to be a golden-brown color.
3. Add in marshmallows and stir to melt marshmallows and distribute brown butter evenly throughout.
4. Pour marshmallow/brown butter mixture over Oreos/cereal and stir gently, just to coat. A wooden spoon works nicely for this.
5. Press into a 9x13" pan coated with cooking spray and let sit to firm up before topping with ganache.
Chocolatey Drizzle
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1. Bring evaporated milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Add chocolate chips slowly, stirring to melt, but not burn.
3. When chocolate has melted and chocolately drizzle is thickened, drizzle over Rice Krispies. A whisk works nicely for this. Let set to firm up before covering or serving.
