Black Sesame and Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats
Excerpted from 108 Asian Cookies by Kat Lieu
Makes 12 to 16 Rice Krispies Treats
Prep time 10 minutes
Inactive time 30 minutes
Difficulty ** (Cleaning the marshmallow off the pot or saucepan is the most challenging part for me)
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter
One 12-ounce (340 g) bag mini marshmallows
1/4 cup (36 g) black sesame seeds
2 1/2 tablespoons (38 g) black sesame paste
1 teaspoon red miso
6 cups (160 g) Rice Krispies cereal
1/2 cup (about 4 g) freeze-dried strawberry slices or haw flakes (optional)
Growing up, I ate my fair share of Rice Krispies Treats because they were one of the few Western sweets my mom made over and over again. Maybe it was because they were so easy to make and helped her feel a little closer to the typical mothers we saw on American sitcoms and primetime TV. Or maybe she just liked their chewiness. But for whatever reason, my mom never gave her Rice Krispies Treats an Asian spin. She always followed the recipe directions on the cereal box to a T.
Decades later, I make these black sesame brown butter Rice Krispies Treats with my mother in mind. She loves black sesame desserts, especially sweet black sesame soup, or 芝麻糊. As a child, I remember her telling me how black sesame would keep our Chinese hair black and long. We both have short hair peppered with gray now, but we still have a thing for desserts that sport a lovely shade of gray or black.
- Crumple, then uncrumple a large sheet of parchment paper and use it to line a 9-inch square cake pan with some overhang. Smooth and press down the parchment paper with your hands. Alternatively, generously grease the baking dish with butter or toasted sesame oil.
- To make the brown butter, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan or pot over medium heat while whisking continuously until the butter foams, the foam subsides, the butter is golden, and brown (not black) bits form on the bottom, at least 5 minutes. You’re looking for a nutty aroma and not a burnt smell. Reduce the heat to low and add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows have melted into one thick .uff, like foamy, melty mozzarella cheese, a few minutes. There should be no lumps of marshmallow. Add the black sesame seeds, black sesame paste, and miso and mix to combine. Turn off the heat and dump in the cereal, about 2 cups at a time, while stirring; if you like, add the freeze-dried strawberries or haw flakes as well. Stir and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until all the ingredients are thoroughly coated with gray-black melted marshmallows.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and flatten into a leveled square. I find it easier to do this with a layer of parchment paper on top and pressing down with a fondant smoother. You can also use a greased spatula or your clean hands when the mixture is cool enough to touch.
- Cover and let it rest on the counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes to let the mixture set. Then, use a sharp knife to cut into 12 to 16 equal pieces.
Rice Krispies Treat Tips
Use an 8-inch square cake pan if you want taller Rice Krispies Treats.
If you want to add a pop of vibrant color here, freeze-dried strawberries or haw flakes should not be optional.
Storage
Store the Rice Krispies Treats at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Growing up as a Canadian-born Vietnamese Chinese American, Kat Lieu sought comfort in the flavors of her youth like taro and black sesame. But she struggled to find a home for herself as a third-culture baker in American bakeries, online, or in cookbooks. In the auspiciously titled 108 Asian Cookies Lieu honors the varied and rich tapestry of Asian cultures and ingredients that inspired these recipes. And along with members from Subtle Asian Baking, the online baking group she founded, are a diverse array of original and member-submitted drool-worthy recipes for cookies and bakes incorporating ingredients from the diaspora including gochujang, ube, miso, fish sauce, sambal, tahini, matcha, and MSG stirred into each batter and dough.
Bakers will learn how to whip up both classics and entirely new desserts such as:
- Spicy chai cookies
- Amaretti cookies with pandan and pistachios
- Taiwanese snowflake crisps
- Milk and cashew burfi
- Salted egg yolk corn flake haystacks
- Mochi brownies
- Matcha and wasabi drop cookies
- And even instant ramen and pho cookies!
At many Asian tables, “not too sweet” is the highest compliment one can give—so whether these recipes are comfortingly familiar or new discoveries, 108 Asian Cookies will be sure to delight even the most discerning “not too sweet” kitchens for years to come.