When I was little, Rice Krispie buns were my FAVOURITE. Obviously I loved eating them - no party was worth going to if there weren't plates and plates piled high with them, sticky-fingered children lunging for their little paper cases. But I also adored making them - that sensation of crunching them between my fingers and dunking my hands into the melted chocolate (oh, and getting to lick the bowl afterwards).
Breadcrumbs might not sound like the most obvious baking ingredient, but this is a great way of using up stale bread - and it's a healthy alternative to sugary cereal.
I'd describe these little gems as grown-up Rice Krispie buns. They've got just the right amount of crisp and crunch, enrobed in dark chocolate (so they're not too sweet), with a sprinkling of sea salt (so they're even more moreish than the ones you knew as a child).
Makes 12 buns
Ingredients:
190g stale bread (approx 5 slices) - brown, white or wholegrain is fine. If it's not stale, leave it out on a plate overnight to go hard
200g dark chocolate
Small handful coarse sea salt
You'll also need 12 paper cupcake cases
Method:
Preheat the oven to 175C fan (195C no fan).
Break or chop the bread into small pieces, spread them out on a baking tray and bake in the oven for around 8 minutes until crisp. Leave the breadcrumbs on the tray to cool:
While the breadcrumbs are crisping, melt the chocolate - either in a Pyrex bowl over a pan of boiling water, or in 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between each.
Stir 3/4 of the salt into the chocolate and stir until fully dissolved.
Pour the chocolate over the breadcrumbs and mix until they're all coated.
Now for the messy bit!
Lay the paper cases out on a board or baking tray. Clean and dry your hands, roll up your sleeves, and scrunch balls of the breadcrumb mixture together in your palms, dropping each one into a paper case. Don't worry if it feels very loose at this stage - as the chocolate sets, it will hold the buns together. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cases, topping them up if you need to at the end.
Sprinkle the remaining sea salt over the tops and set the buns in a cool place to harden.
They'll keep in a tin for 3-4 days.