Lemon Vanilla Cookie Krispie Treats

It’s ridiculous, really.  I’m always looking for any and every excuse to buy a bag of cookies from the grocery store.  

The best excuse I’ve come up with so far is that I need to buy this bag of cookies to make a dessert with cookies in/on/all over them.  

Related:  Milk Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cookies.  

I tell myself that I can’t possibly make a good dessert if I don’t have cookies to make a dessert with.  It makes the most sense, if you think about it (while standing in the cookie aisle, hungry, so hungry).  

It’s my work.  I really need these cookies.  I’m gonna get these cookies.  And make some dessert.  

Key ingredients are simple:  a box of rice cereal, a big bag of marshmallows, butter (lots), lemon zest and vanilla sandwich cookies because we’re fancy (and we were standing in the cookie aisle too long).  

Tron (yes, my cat) is a huge fan of marshmallows.  He always steals one, takes it to a corner, and I can hear him chomping through the soft, sweet pillow. Cats aren’t supposed to eat marshmallows.  You try telling him that.  He doesn’t seem to listen to me.   

Butter, marshmallows and lemon zest are melted until goupy, sticky, messy, melted, just right.   

You know the deal here:  rice cereal, crumbled cookies, and the lemony melted marshmallows!  

A sticky stir to bring it all together.  

The treats are pressed into a round spring-form pan.  

A square pan is also fine and good.  The key is to press lots of vanilla cookies into the top of the treats because, why not!? 

Sliced like pie and shared for the good of all.  

Lemon Vanilla Cookie Krispie Treats

• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: 20
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Ingredients

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• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 40 large marshmallows, 1 bag of large marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups rice cereal
• 1 cup crumbled vanilla sandwich cookies, divided
• coarse sea salt for topping

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Instructions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Melt butter until is begins to crackle and sizzle. This means the water is cooking out of the butter and the butter will begin to brown. Add marshmallows and lemon zest to the melted butter just as it begins to brown and reduce heat to low. Add salt and stir until the marshmallows are completely melted, and the marshmallows and butter are thoroughly combined and smell lemony.
2. Quickly add rice cereal and 3/4 cup of cookies and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and sticky.
3. Press the mixture into a 9-inch round greased pan. Use a greased piece of wax or parchment paper to firmly press the mixture into the pan. The krispies will be thick. Press the remaining crumbled cookie pieces into the top of the treats.
4. Allow to rest at room temperature until set and sliceable. A refrigerator will make the setting process faster.
5. Slice into 8 wedges and wrap individually. Treats will stay fresh for up to five days.

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