Chocolate Hazelnut Rice Krispie Treats

I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Rice Krispie Treats.  My girls think that this is fine since when I make them there is more for them to eat.  I don't know what it is exactly that I don't like.  We have something a little similar in Australia called Chocolate Crackles but I guess I was never a huge fan of those either.  However, I am more than happy to make these for everyone else.

In a previous post I mentioned that I am a fan of the blog Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.  It was on this blog that I first saw this recipe.  I had to make a few changes because I already had Rice Krispies rather than Cocoa Krispies and I didn't want to buy hazelnut extract when I knew I wouldn't use up the bottle before it expired.  I kept thinking that a little Bailey's liqueur would be nice in these, but I had to remind myself that these were for kids not adults.

These treats certainly give your arms a workout. They are a sticky, gooey mess when they are first being mixed together.  I was worried that I would never be able to smooth them out the first time I made them, but practice makes perfect.  Well, maybe not perfect, but good enough for me.  Once they cooled down I found that the easiest way to cut them was with a rocking pizza knife.  I wrapped a few for the girls to share with friends at school and the rest disappeared quite quickly.

Chocolate Hazelnut Rice Krispie Treats

(Recipe adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 16 ounces mini marshmallows 
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ cup Nutella
• 7 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
• 3 cups roughly crushed Pirouette Rolled Wafer Cookies (Chocolate Hazelnut flavor)

Preparation

1. Butter or spray a 9-x-13-inch baking pan.
2. Over low heat melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large stock pot.
3. Once butter has melted, add marshmallows. Continue to cook over low heat while they melt. It may take a little time. Don’t turn up the heat to try and make it go quicker, you could end up with burned marshmallows or your treats could end up too hard once they firm up. 
4. Stir in the Nutella and vanilla until fully combined. It may take a little bit of time for the Nutella to melt in.
5. When most of the marshmallows have melted and they resemble marshmallow crème with a few lumps, remove from heat and add the cereal and cookies.
6. Using a wooden spoon, stir, stir, stir some more, until all the cereal is fully coated and other parts of the pot are not hogging all the marshmallows (so evenly coated).
7. Pour into prepared baking pan. Take a rubber spatula and either spray it with non-stick spray or simply get some water on it (I just put mine under the faucet real quick). Using the spatula, press the cereal/marshmallow mixture down into the pan, attempting to create a flat, even surface.
8. Cover with foil and let sit for a few hours to firm up.
9. Take foil off. Place wax paper down that is a little bit longer than the baking pan. Flip the pan over onto the wax paper. Cut into squares or shapes.

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