Malted Rice Crispie Treats

Today I took a drive through the back roads of South Carolina, going from Charleston to Columbia. It took me longer than driving on 26 would've, but truly I'd rather drive on open back roads than dodge cars on the interstate.

One of my favorite scenes that I come across at least of couple of time I drive on our highways is of a ramshackle building overgrown with wisteria. Seeing the soft purple flower, newly bloomed against crumbling walls stirs something in my heart. 

It's a similar feeling to biting into something reminiscent of childhood, made better by knowledge gained in (marginal) adulthood. 

I don't know how much instruction you need for crispie treats, but here it goes. You'll need: crisped rice cereal, marshmallows, vanilla extract, salted butter, and malted milk powder.

Begin browning the butter in a small pan. All good things begin with browned butter. I prefer just slightly less than medium heat in case I forget to pay as much attention as I should.

In a large pot, start melting the marshmallows over medium-low heat. Don't set it too high or your marshmallows will get a little too toasty. You could totally do this in a large microwave-safe bowl. I prefer not to microwave plastic, and I don't have glass mixing bowls--so stovetop it was.

Nutty and golden. Perfect.

Pour the butter over the semi-melted marshmallows and start stirring.

When the marshmallows are close to smooth, stir in the malted milk powder...

And the vanilla extract. Keep stirring until the marshmallow mixture is completely smooth.

The cereal is the last to join. Just keep mixing until you don't see any large patches of marshmallow. Although those parts are definitely my favorite. So maybe save just one.

I like to press the crispies in a pan using a sheet of wax paper sprayed with nonstick spray. Remember, the bigger the pan, the thinner the crispie treat. 

Made for both a girls' weekend and Easter, these are best transported on roads with lush greenery.

Malted Rice Crispie Treats (makes 16-25 squares, depending on pan size)

2 tbs salted butter

10 oz marshmallows (miniature or large are both fine)

1/3 c malted milk powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 c crisped rice cereal

• Spray a pan with nonstick spray. An 8x10 will yield a thicker treat, a 9x13 will yield a thinner square. The choice is yours.
• Begin by melting the butter in a small pan. Let it continue to cook until it becomes golden brown and smells nutty.
• While butter browns, begin melting marshmallows in a large pot. Pour in the browned butter and stir until marshmallows are almost smooth.
• Stir in malted milk powder and vanilla extract until completely incorporated and smooth. Stir in the cereal a cup or so at a time until all the cereal has been mixed in.
• Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Spray a piece of wax paper with nonstick spray and press the mixture until it fills the pan evenly. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.