Delightfully dirty in all the right ways, that is the name of the game with these treats. Who doesn’t love a good rice Krispy treat? Lord knows I do. I still can remember being in elementary school. My mom would make Fruity Pebbles treats and pack them in my lunchbox the next day to take with me. You could see the mixture of jealousy and hate in the other kids eyes when I chose to unwrap the Technicolor beauties. They were great bartering material that is for sure. My mom’s treats and mine are distant cousins, but the memory always comes to the forefront, especially when I make anything even remotely close. Thanks Mom, I love ya!!!

This recipe is a bit more involved, but the payoff is worth it. The only real tip I have for these delectable, little morsels is to not pack them too tight in the pan. No one wants to break a tooth trying to eat these. You really don’t have to pack them much, because in our recipe the chocolate will hold them together.

On to the good stuff now, I don’t want to keep anyone salivating too long.

6 Cups Rice Krispies

3 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

1/8 tsp kosher salt

10 Ounce package of mini marshmallows

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Paste

8 Ounces of Dark Chocolate (melting wafers work the best for this)

1 Package of chocolate caramel pieces (easier than making your own)

1 Tbsp. Flaked Sea Salt

First you will need to butter and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment or wax paper. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth. The marshmallows will begin to pull from the sides of the pot. Turn off your heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. After incorporating the vanilla and salt, stir in the rice krispies. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and lightly press the mixture into the pan. Place in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.

While chilling and cooling the treats, you can begin preparing the toppings. I used the Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers because I find that the taste is not waxy like others. These were super easy to use. Instead of tempering dark chocolate, I simply microwaved the wafers for 30 seconds and stirred. After an additional 10 seconds, the chocolate was ready to pour and spread.

The caramel pretzel pieces may prove more difficult to find. I actually used the Williams-Sonoma ice cream topper/add-in. They aren’t hard to make, if you can’t find a replacement. The recipe is down below.

Remove the treats from the fridge and invert the pan. Remove the parchment. Pour the melted chocolate all over the top, use a small offset spatula to smooth and spread the chocolate. While the chocolate is still warm sprinkle the entire thing with flaked sea salt and then sprinkle with the pretzel pieces. Let the chocolate harden and then you may cut and serve. Enjoy! I know I did.

Pretzel Pieces

1 Cup Low sodium pretzel sticks, chopped

½ Cup of melted milk or dark chocolate

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tbsp. Water

Heat the sugar and water together over medium to medium-high heat. Constantly swirl the pan to prevent burning. It is helpful to keep a pastry brush in a cup of water nearby. Whenever sugar begins to build up on the sides of the pan, dip the brush and run it along the inside to push the sugar off. You never want to stir with anything once it starts simmering; the spoon or spatula will hold sugar, and when you put it in again, the sugar will begin to crystallize on the already hardened sugar. So just keep on swirling until you reach a nice amber color.

While making the caramel, place your pretzel pieces on a piece of parchment or a sil-pat. Once the caramel is ready, drizzle it over the pretzel pieces. Allow the caramel to cool. Once the caramel hardens, enrobe the whole thing in chocolate. Allow everything to set then transfer to a cutting board and chop. Then sprinkle the magical little morsels all over the top of your treats. Or you can just keep a bag with you at all times for snack emergencies!