Eggnog Rice Krispies Treats

I am, and have always been, a lover of Rice Krispies Treats. I’m a sucker for them all, from the flat and crispy ones sold at the Edward Devotion Elementary School bake sales to the ginormous ones for purchase at Taylor’s, the bakery near my first apartment in the East Village of New York. I still remember this 2007 New York Times article about browned butter Rice Krispies treats — a revelation in Rice Krispies treats cookery at the time — and how emboldened I felt that my favorite low-brow and somewhat childish treat was finally getting the press it deserved.

Cut to about a year-and-a-half ago when I found myself stationed next to Libby Willis of Meme’s Diner at the Cherry Bombe Jubilee. I was serving up coconut cupcakes with mango buttercream, and brilliant Libby was serving up the best Rice Krispies treats I’d ever tasted. I ate too many to count through the course of the afternoon, and although I praised them ad nauseam, it never occurred to me to ask if, perhaps, there was a secret ingredient. Luckily Kitchn’s Editor-in-Chief, Faith, was not afraid to ask, and the secret was revealed: sweetened condensed milk.

Sweetened condensed milk is a game-changing Rice Krispies treat ingredient because it keeps the treats extra soft and creamy, adds a lovely milk-y flavor, and basically brings everyone who tastes them to their knees. And if you really want to take advantage of the creamy, milky flavor that the sweetened condensed milk so generously provides, might I suggest to you these eggnog Rice Krispies treats? A little nutmeg, some cinnamon, and a glug (or three) of booze is all it takes to transform an already spectacular treat into something a tad more sophisticated, and perfect for the holidays. I like to use salted butter in these to cut the sweetness, and although festive-me likes them with brandy, they are also lovely with dark rum or bourbon.