Salted Honey Rice Krispies Treats

I'm so grateful for long weekends. I've been acutely aware of the fact that this time last year I was on my honeymoon in Europe and that I haven't been out of Sydney since then. I am long overdue for a holiday! Unfortunately life is getting in the way of holidaying, so I just have to be glad that I got an extra free day yesterday.

For some reason I really, really wanted to eat Rice Krispies Treats. I needed any excuse to make them so I could chow down on them. Whatever you call them, Rice Krispies/Bubbles Treats/Squares/LCMs, these things are so easy to make and so darn addictive. It's such an easy thing to make that it almost doesn't qualify as a recipe (unless you want to make your own marshmallows, but this is the one occasion where I think that store bought marshmallows are okay to use).

After seeing Y's GORGEOUS green tea & brown butter version, I have wanted to do some sort of rice krispie treat with an interesting flavour addition. And not too long ago my friend mentioned the curious idea of salted honey desserts. I was immediately intrigued because it was something so simple that I hadn't really heard of, but totally made sense. It's like salted caramel but without having to go through the trouble of caramelising sugar. I had to try it for myself. And it totally works.

The salt in these offsets the super sweetness of the honey and marshmallows, and the honey adds a great flavour to these squares that makes them even more addictive than the plain version. Imagine a cross between a regular rice krispie treat and a honey joy. Nothing revolutionary but a definite crowd pleaser. Feel free to play around with the amounts of honey and salt to your liking. I made mine quite lightly flavoured but with lots of marshmallow to ensure they were extra gooey.

To my pleasant surprise I am one of the top 3 finalists in the blogger category for Cosmo Australia's Fun Fearless Female Awards! Thanks to everyone who's voted for me so far, and please feel free to keep voting for me for the rest of the month :) You can vote here: http://www.cosmopolitan.com.au/celebrity/fun-fearless-female-2013/finalist-voting/ (up to three times per person per day if you feel like it).

Salted Honey Rice Krispies Treats

(makes 16 squares)

40g (3 tbsp) butter

1/3 cup honey (or more adjusted to taste)

1 tsp salt (adjust amounts ot taste if you wish)

275g (about 9oz) marshmallows (or about 4 cups miniature marshmallows)

6 cups (about 180g/6.4oz) Rice Bubbles/Krispies cereal

Melted butter/vegetable oil for greasing

Grease and line a square 20cm (8 inch) cake tin with baking paper. Grease paper. Melt butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add honey, salt and marshmallows and stir continuously over low heat until marshmallows are completely melted (at this point you can taste the mixture to adjust the salt/honey amounts if you wish). Add cereal and remove from heat, stirring until mixture is evenly combined. Using a greased spatula, spread mixture into prepared tin. Use a piece of well greased baking paper to press down on the surface to ensure it is evenly spread. Set aside to cool completely, then remove from tin on to a greased piece of baking paper and cut with a greased, long sharp knife into 16 squares (or 25 if you prefer them smaller).

Can be stored for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 6 weeks and defrost them before serving.