Walnut Praline Crispy Treats
Hi!
Happy Day 3 or my first annual Bakemas! So this recipe is easy as 1, 2, 3! I mean, who hasn’t made Rice Krispie treats before?! I mean if you haven’t then I HIGHLY suggest you running to the grocery store and correcting this situation, stat! Here’s the OG Rice Krispie recipe to help you out!
After making Walnut Praline Macarons a few weeks back, with Erin, I wanted to find every place I could incorporate the walnut praline paste we developed. It’s just that delish and addictive. It’s the best nut spread I’ve made to day. So when I was assisting Erin Jean McDowell’s upcoming book photoshoot, The Book on Pie (Fall 2020), her assistant Kaitlin Wayne was making crispy treats and that’s the moment this light bulb of an idea switched on, Walnut Praline Crispy Treats!
This recipe isn’t something revolutionary, the NYTimes Cooking’s adaptation is perfection, to me. I know there’s quite a few tweaks out there for what everyone deems their “perfect treat” and if you have one, please substitute yours in for the base of this recipe. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, just adding a new hubcap! This recipes star is the walnut praline!
If you do bake these brioche tarts, and I hope you do, I’d love to share in the moment with you. Tag me on instagram @foxandcrane and use my hashtag #foxandcrane so I may see your Walnut Praline Crispy Treats!
xo -Jase
…Good to Knows…
The Walnut Praline and Walnut Praline Paste is easy to make, but first I suggest you reading the method throughly first. Trust me when I say you need to trust the recipe (it acts like you mighta messed something us, but you didn’t!)
Praline is basically just caramelizing nuts in sugar, followed by blending the caramelized nuts into a smooth paste. This recipe could be done with any nut, if you happen to not have walnuts, or have a walnut allergy.
The Crispy Treat recipe is slightly adapted from a NYTimes Cooking recipe, which was adapted from the OG Rice Krispie recipe
If you do bake these, I’d love to share in the moment with you. Tag me on instagram @foxandcrane and use my hashtag #foxandcrane so I may see your baking adventures.
…Provisions…
For a full list of recipes, check out the Recipe Index
Walnut Praline Crispy Treats
…makes one 13x9 pan…
Crispy Treat Recipe Adapted from NYTimes Cooking.
Walnut Praline
450g walnut pieces - whole or chopped
200g (1 1/2 cup) granulated white sugar
100ml water
1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or the seeds from one vanilla bean pod
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Walnut Praline Crispy Treats
226g (2 sticks) unsalted butter
(two 12-ounce bags ) mini marshmallows
1/4 tsp kosher salt
240g (1/2 cup) walnut praline paste
1 box (12-ounce) rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
75g walnut praline pieces, lightly chopped
a couple pinches of flaky salt
…METHOD…
Walnut Praline
Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper, set aside. In a large sauce pan, pour in the water and sugar and bring to boil over medium heat. You are looking for the sugar mixture to register 245°f / 118°c on a candy thermometer. If the sugar begins to crystalize around the edges, you may wash down the edges with a pastry brush dipped in water.
When the sugar as become a deep rich caramel and reached 245°f / 118°c on a candy thermometer, add the walnuts, stirring to coat all the walnuts. The caramel will crystallize upon contact with the walnuts and turn into a chalky white coating; this is exactly what is to happen.
Now continue to heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring very frequently, until the chalky white caramel heats back up, melts and turns back into a liquid golden caramel that coats the walnuts. Be-careful not to burn your caramel and walnuts at this stage.
Once the walnuts are coated with a glossy, liquid caramel, transfer them the prepared baking sheet and allow to cool completely allowing the caramel to harden.
To make the walnut praline paste, place the caramelized walnuts into a food processor along with the salt and vanilla, and processor on high speed until it turn into a paste - about 1-2 minutes.
Store walnut praline in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.
…ASSEMBLY and SERVE…
Walnut Praline Crispy Treats
As always, weigh out, gather and prepare all ingredients prior to mixing. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan/dish with spraying it with non-stick cooking spray and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
To brown butter: In a very large stock pot/dutch oven, add butter and melt over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the butter begins to melt and the milk solids start to golden brown. You are looking for the butter to have a nutty aroma, and to become a deep caramel color. Don’t walk away from browning butter, as it only takes is appox 5 minutes and will become burnt very fast.
Once the butter browned to a deep caramel color, add both bags of marshmallows and start to melt this marshmallows with the browned butter. Once the mixture starts to become smooth, add the walnut praline paste and salt, continuing to stir constantly, until the walnut praline paste is incorporated and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Remove the pot from the heat, add the rice cereal and walnut praline pieces and with a rubber spatula, quickly stir to coat the cereal and walnut pieces with the walnut praline marshmallow mixture.
Working quickly, pour the warm mixture into the prepared baking pan/dish and gently press into an even layer, ensuring you don’t compress the mixture too much. This is cause the treats to be dense and not soft and gooey.
While still warm, finish off a couple large pinches of flaky salt. Allow to cool completely before cut into your chosen size squares or bars. Enjoy!
Walnut Praline Crispy Treats can be stared in an air-tight container for up to a week!
Easiest skillet recipe, although a handful of steps, that will impress your dinner guests every time!