Seeking Sweetness in Everyday Life

It's already been established that Rice Krispies are not the only cereal treat on the sweet circuit. Trix Treats are one of the sweetest alternatives, and certainly one of the prettiest.

But why stop at simple cereal treats? Having recently found myself with a bit of extra cream cheese frosting, I decided to tempt fate by making a good thing even better, and sandwiched a healthy dollop of frosting between Trix Treat halves. And after tasting the result, which was relentlessly rich and sweet and probably not low-carb, all I can say is that it only serves to reinforce my deep-seeded belief that frosting makes everything better.

If it's true that you are what you eat, then certainly eaters of these sweet treats are rich, colorful, and absolutely fabulous.

Tricked-Out Trix Treats

Makes about 12

Ingredients for Trix Treats:

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Trix Cereal

Ingredients for cream cheese frosting (note: this makes about 3 cups of frosting, so there will be extra. I had made a batch of this frosting for cupcakes and used the leftover frosting for the Trix Treats. I have not tried to halve the recipe, but that could be an option if you don't want extra.)

1 (8)-ounce package of cream cheese, softened (do not substitute low-fat; it just doesn't work the same way)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar (depending on your desired consistency)

Directions for the Trix Treats:

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Add Trix cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch greased pan. Let cool completely. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Directions for cream cheese frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until the butter is completely incorporated into the cream cheese and it has a smooth consistency. Add the confectioners' sugar cup by cup, stirring after each addition, until it has reached the desired consistency.

Assembling it all:

Using a sharp knife, cut squares in half. Apply a liberal dollop of either vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting to the bottom and re-apply the top half. For extra flair, apply rainbow sprinkles to the exposed frosting on the sides to really trick out your treats. Serve immediately.