On a particular morning, not unlike many before, I started to head down a dangerous path in my own head. You know the one – questions arise of the purpose of your path, and why you are not where you think you should be, and a wave of self-doubt starts to build. Usually I wander down that path, taking my time to really explore the scenery. Often unpleasant and dark, dreary and exhausting. It’s a path where the wandering seems to have intention but from up above it’s an endless circle, with no particular purpose except possibly to veer you off of the path you are really supposed to be traveling.

On this particular morning I had just started wondering before I realized I didn’t want to go there. I could tell on this day the there was no hope of it being productive and it was destined to be destructive and dangerous. So I stopped. And I realized that the only way I was going to keep off of that path was to concern myself with others. To take the focus off of myself and to redirect it towards bringing a smile to someone else’s day.

So I went home and baked. Smore’s krispie treats to be precise. My mind was content to focus on the browning of the butter, letting the wafts of soft nuttiness wash away any lingering bits of negativity. It’s hard to not smile when dealing with marshmallows and that’s just what I did as I stirred them into the browned butter.

Any remaining sense of aggression was pounded away as I crushed graham crackers and stirred them together with rice cereal and dark chocolate chips. The incessantly sticky marshmallows and butter brought everything together and just ever so slightly melted the chocolate. Not long after we sampled then packaged the rest up to deliver.

Random Acts of Cookies.

A cookie. It’s such a simple thing, but it’s a guarantee of a better day, especially when it’s completely unexpected.

On that particular day I never even thought to wander down that destructive path again. I was happy to be in the kitchen and even happier to imagine the smiles brought on by the surprise of something sweet. I’ve found a new path that has nothing to do with me and everything to do with thinking of someone else and in that I am filled with joy.

There will be more Random Acts of Cookies. I think we should start a movement. Of course it takes more than cookies to heal the deep pain present in this broken world but it’s definitely a start. A good start.

Smores Krispie Treats

5 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

5 cups mini marshmallows

5 cups crisped rice cereal

9 sheets graham crackers (yields 2 cups crumbs)

1 cup dark chocolate chopped or chips

Butter an 9 or 10” square pan.

In a large pan melt the butter on medium heat. Once all the melted the butter will continue to boil and the milk solids will start to bubble up. The butter will foam. Once the foam settles back on itself you will have browned butter. You should notice a nutty smell and there will be flecks of golden butter bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the marshmallows and salt. Stir to combine and let sit.

Crush the graham crackers to create crumbs. Keep some pieces larger so you’ll have bits of graham crackers to bite in to.

In a large bowl combine the rice cereal, graham crackers, and chocolate chips.

Continue to stir the brown butter and marshmallows until they are completely melted. This will also help to cool the butter enough so that it doesn’t melt the chocolate chips too much.

Add the marshmallows to the cereal mixture and stir to combine. Press firmly into prepared pan and set aside to cool, about an hour. Cut and serve. Package and give.