Marshmallow treats are perfect for the holidays. Our recipe is filled with buttery crackers, dried cranberries, and toasted nuts for a salty-sweet grown-up take on a classic.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15
Calories: 224kcal
Author: Bill
Ingredients
50gshelled walnuts(1.75 ounces)
50gshelled pecans(1.75 ounces)
155gcrackers(5.5 ounces, we used multigrain crackers; can use regular snack crackers)
70gbutter(or margarine, 5 tablespoons)
280gmarshmallows(10 ounces)
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
50gshelled pistachios(1.75 ounces)
70gdried cranberries(2.5 ounces, about 1/4 cup)
1tbsppowdered sugar(for dusting)
Instructions
Lightly toast the walnuts and pecans in the oven for 4-5 minutes at 350 degrees F and set aside. Once cooled, use your hands to break up the nuts into rough pieces. Break up the crackers into smaller pieces, but be careful not to crush them too fine.
Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat. While we’re not a huge fan of non-stick cookware, it makes this recipe (and clean-up) much easier.
Add the marshmallows, and stir until melted (about 3 to 4 minutes).Once the marshmallows and butter are melted together, turn down the heat to low and immediately stir in the vanilla extract, toasted nuts, pistachios (or pumpkin seeds) and cranberries.
Add the crackers, breaking any larger pieces as you stir them. Use a folding motion to mix and stir the entire mixture until everything is uniformly coated. Do not compress the mixture together when stirring.
There are a couple options for shaping and cutting your holiday marshmallow treats: A. Lightly grease a non-stick square pan or spray it with non-stick baking spray and pour in the mixture. Use wax or parchment paper to shape the mixture into a rectangle.B. Roll out a few crackers on a cutting board or counter to create crumbs (the crumbs will function as a “nonstick” surface to work on). You can also spray the counter-top or place a large piece of wax or parchment paper as your work surface. Pour mixture onto the surface and shape it into a rectangle.
Make a rectangle approximately 1 ½ inches thick (~4 cm) and about 4.5 x 7.5 inches (~11x19 cm). While they’re still warm, use a sharp knife to cut the treats into 1 ½ inch squares, to make a total of 15 squares. You can make your treats thinner if you like, and cut them into whatever size you prefer.
Use a sieve to dust with powdered sugar, and serve these with hot tea, coffee or a tall glass of milk!