Can these recipes be made ahead?

Yes, all of them can be made ahead of time! Store the peppermint patty brownies and the brown butter salted caramel slice in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the others in airtight containers at room temperature.

What is the best way to cut bars / slices?

A large, sharp knife is the best way to get super clean cuts on your bars. For some recipes like the ginger crunch it is helpful to heat the blade of the knife up first by running it under hot water and drying with a paper towel so that it is warm but dry. This helps cut through the topping neatly. I have a chef's knife with a 12" blade on it which is so helpful for this, but a good sharp regular sized chef's knife would work great too.

Can these recipes be shipped / would they travel well?

The Ginger crunch, Rice Krispies, Carmelitas and Birthday Cake Blondies would all ship super well. Just make sure they are securely packed in a ziploc bag and fill the box so they aren't banging around. The Peppermint Patty Brownies and the Salted Caramel Slice are best stored in the fridge because of the chocolate topping, so probably would get a little banged up in shipping.

What box did you use for the Holiday Bar Box?

I use this box, and then Rich made me some dividers on the laser cutter and I glued them in with a hot glue gun. You could either make your own dividers with craft wood and a craft knife, or you could just arrange all the bars in the box nicely too, or use things like cupcake liners to separate out the treats from one another.

How do I break up the workload to make these?

All of these can be made ahead super easily, so you can make them over the course of a day or two. Just make yourself a list and go for it, and check things off as you go. Alternatively you could divide and conquer with a family member or friend, and make a few recipes each, then split them up. The recipes can be easily doubled and made in a 9"x13" pan too if you wanted to make more. They all keep so well, that they are great to make ahead.

What is the best pan to use for making bars / brownies?

I have a couple of these USAPAN pans which I use all the time, and also love the gold touch line from Williams Sonoma.

Holiday Bar Box (Six Festive Recipes)

Description

These Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats are gooey and super flavourful. They come together quickly with only a few ingredients, and have holiday sprinkles added for a festive twist. This recipe comes from Mike's new book.

Ingredients

Scale

170 g unsalted butter
½ tsp kosher/coarse sea salt
1½ tsp vanilla extract
285 g mini marshmallows (1-10oz bag)
170 g Rice Krispies cereal
80 g festive sprinkles (½ cup)

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Instructions

Line a 9 x 9–inch (22 x 22–cm) pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set it aside.
Place the butter in a light-colored skillet. (The light-colored skillet will help you determine when the butter begins browning.) Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, the butter will start to foam. Keep stirring. After 5 to 8 minutes, the butter will begin browning; you’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, and you’ll start to smell a nutty aroma. Once browned, immediately remove from the heat, then stir in the salt and vanilla.
Working quickly, add half of the marshmallows and stir until thoroughly melted. Add the remaining marshmallows and stir until melted. (The residual heat from the butter should be enough to melt them without adding the heat, but you can return the pot to medium-low heat for a few minutes if the second addition of marshmallows isn’t melting quickly.) Note: After you add the marshmallows, keep the heat on low or below medium-low. If your marshmallow is exposed to heat that’s too high, you’ll end up with treats hard enough to break your teeth!
Add the cereal and about ¾ of the sprinkles and gently fold in with a rubber spatula coated in nonstick cooking spray until the cereal is completely covered with the marshmallow mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Using the rubber spatula, gently press the mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining sprinkles on top.
Let the treats stand at room temperature until set, about 1 hour, before cutting into bars. The treats can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Don’t pack the Rice Krispie Treats into the pan too tightly; gently spread them evenly into the prepared pan. If you pack them too tightly, they can end up dense and difficult to bite through.

Keywords: Brown Butter Rice Krispie, Rice Krispie Treats, Brown Butter, Holiday Rice Krispie Treats