brown butter cardamom crispy rice cereal treats, gluten-free

These cardamom rice cereal treats are a Persian twist on a classic kid-approved gluten-free snack. The brown butter in this recipe creates a subtle nuttiness that is emphasized by the crunch of toasted almonds. Add in some golden raisins and a good dose of cardamom and these treats might have you hiding away some for yourself.

A few weeks back I was invited to participate in a whole grain brunch challenge using products from Attune Foods and Bob's Red Mill. [Because I can't follow directions ;)] this post is the first of two and celebrates one of my new favorite cereals, Crispy Brown Rice.

Truth be told I generally opt for brown rice when given the choice. Brown rice actually retains the outer husk which contains most of the nutrients like fiber and B vitamins. White rice is produced by stripping this husk and is devoid of those nutrients. And since I prefer brown rice in taste and nutritional content I was super excited to try Attune Food's Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice! When my husband found out that I was gearing up to make something with the cereal he practically begged me to make rice cereal treats. A few days later, I came home and found a bag of marshmallows on the counter. After I noticed the marshmallows slowly dwindling in the bag, I finally gave in and made these treats, decidedly imparting own spin by including the Persian flavors.

The result was crunchy, nutty, chewy and contained the perfect amount of spice. Special thanks goes to Attune Foods & Bob's Red Mill for including me in their wholegrain brunch recipe roundup! While the Crispy Brown Rice Cereal mentioned in this recipe was provided by Attune Foods, I was not compensated otherwise for what I wrote above and everything I have written is my own opinion.  Did I mention there is a giveaway with this post? You can win 1 package of the Erewhon Cereal from Attune Foods so that you can make this recipe for yourself! To enter, leave a comment below. You can get extra entries if you do any (or all) of the following and comment back here that you did it (you can enter a total of 3 times, and if you already like/follow you can mention that too!):

• Like Zest Bakery on Facebook & follow us on twitter
• Like Attune Foods on Facebook & follow them on twitter
• Like Bob’s Red Mill on Facebook & follow them on twitter

Entries end May 31, 2012 and you must be a resident of the United States to win. Good Luck! 

Update: The contest is closed, and the lucky winner is..... Lorri!