Recipe: Brown Butter Marshmallow Popcorn Bars

We are popcorn lovers in my house, so when the idea of swapping Rice Krispies for salted popcorn in a marshmallow treat hit me, it felt like kismet. I love a sweet and savory treat, and browning the butter adds a little nuttiness that plays so well with popcorn. The best part? It’s a treat you can snag on your way from the kitchen to the couch.  

Makes 16 (2-inch) squares

Ingredients

• 8 cups popped popcorn (I made popcorn on the stove and salted it myself, but about 2 bags of microwave popcorn works too, just steer clear of overly buttery versions)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 (10-ounce) bag of mini marshmallows
• Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan: Spray an 8- by 8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment. Give it another spray for good measure. Set aside. 
2. Add popcorn to a large (bigger than you think you need!) mixing bowl. Set aside. 
3. Brown the butter: In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat, swirling the pan or gently stirring with a rubber spatula. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear, and finally start to turn brown and smell very good and very nutty. The time between delicious browned butter and burnt butter is very short (less than a minute) so don’t take your eyes off of it! Once the butter is browning and nutty, turn off the heat. Add the marshmallows to the hot pan and stir until melty and smooth. The residual heat from the pan should be enough to melt the marshmallows but if it’s cooling quickly, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth and pourable. 
4. Quickly, pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn in the large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, quickly stir and combine the marshmallows and the popcorn until coated. Transfer to the prepared pan and, using a piece of parchment sprayed with nonstick spray, press the mixture into the corners firmly and evenly. 
5. Allow to cool, then turn out of the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares. Serve!