Matcha Krispies: Birthday Worthy?

photo courtesy Jenn G.

The week before a birthday dinner party, we started testing recipes. We argued about whether or not rice krispie treats were fancy enough for a birthday dessert. 

One kid said, 'Yes!' The other vehemently disagreed and retorted that 'Matcha is overused, especially in this house.' 

Really? 

'It belongs in a tea cup and maybe in mochi, but not in a cake and not in a rice krispie.'

Well, I posed the question to my social media circles and the birthday girl herself chimed in: "For my birthday, YES!!" So, it was decided. But it was only one of three sweet treats to cap off the evening...just in case others felt the same way that D did.

 Ingredients makes one 9" round (easily doubled)

• 6 T butter (I use salted butter) + more for buttering the pan
• 6 C marshmallows
• 1 t pure extract
• 1 T matcha*
• 6 C rice krispies

*Just a quick note about matcha. Matcha is "powdered tea." Unlike drinking other tea when you infuse the tea leaves in water and, then, strain out the leaves, with matcha, you are drinking the finely powdered leaves whisked into hot water. So, spring for the best quality of matcha that you can. There's culinary grade and ceremonial grade. I use ceremonial grade if I'm whisking and drinking; I use culinary grade for baking and cooking.

Procedure

Butter your pan and set aside. Place the butter and marshmallows in a large pot. Over low to medium heat, melt the butter and marshmallows together. Keep stirring with a spatula and make sure the sugar doesn't burn. When it looks like it's getting close to being melted, stir in the matcha and the vanilla.

When it's completely melted, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rice krispies. They should be coated as much as you can with the matcha mixture. Turn the entire thing into the prepared pan. With moistened hands, gently compress the mixture until the top is flat and even.

Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before inverting the pan and gently shaking the krispies out. Let cool completely as it will harden as it cools. Slice and serve.