By Jesse's 55th birthday. Tuesday. Same as last year. Walked the forty-two acres in the morning. Sat at the fire pit at sunset. Hannah on the porch with coffee. The cottonwood was full and the corn was tall and the persimmons were ripening on the tree. Two past Danny. The math gets less freighted. The miracle of being alive at fifty-five gets less acute and more steady. The gratitude is the same weight. It just takes up less room.
Wednesday small dinner. Hannah, Caleb, Miriam, Lily, Ben, Quoy. Hannah's chocolate-pecan cake. Fifty-five candles. I blew them out and again did not make a wish. Same as last year. The wish is the people on the porch. The wish is the porch itself.
Saturday Caleb and Miriam came over with news. They had looked at the small house outside Tahlequah. They liked it. They were going to make an offer. The price was reasonable. The house was simple — two bedrooms, one bath, a small kitchen, a back porch, an acre of fenced yard. Miriam said: we can be there by fall. Caleb said: I have savings. I said: do it. They said: we are. The offer was going in Monday.
Sunday I called Macy. She told me about Henry — he'd been studying the welding cohort prep materials I had sent him. He had memorized the safety chapter. She said: he wants to impress you. I said: he should not need to. She said: he wants to. I said: tell him to come the day before the cohort starts and we'll go through the bay together once more. She said: he'll love that. I said: tell him.
Hannah’s chocolate-pecan cake was the center of Wednesday’s table, and something about that combination — the bittersweet chocolate, the crunch of the nuts, the sweetness against a room full of people I love — stayed with me long after the candles were out. These Rocky Road Rice Krispies Treats carry that same spirit: chocolate, a little crunch, something easy to pull together and set on a porch table when the people worth wishing for are already there. No occasion required. Just the right company.
Rocky Road Rice Krispies Treats
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 package (10 oz) mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows (reserved for mix-in)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or non-stick spray and set aside.
- Melt the base. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter completely. Add the 10 oz package of mini marshmallows and stir constantly until fully melted and smooth, about 4–5 minutes.
- Add chocolate and cocoa. Remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and half of the chocolate chips (1/4 cup). Stir until the chocolate is fully incorporated and the mixture is glossy.
- Fold in the cereal. Working quickly, add the crispy rice cereal and stir to coat evenly. Fold in the toasted nuts, the reserved 1/2 cup mini marshmallows, and the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Press and set. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Using lightly buttered hands or a sheet of wax paper, press the mixture evenly into the pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
- Cut and serve. Once fully set, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 185 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 115mg