There's a decadent new dessert-like flavor coming to the cereal aisle, and one of the world's most influential pastry chefs is sharing an early taste to inspire home cooks and bakers with unique recipes using the store-bought classic, which he says are "very, very simple."
James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef and World's Best Pastry Chef winner Dominique Ansel has no shortage of culinary accolades; from his eponymous bakery and famed cronut -- a trademarked croissant and doughnut hybrid -- to other innovative confections like the chocolate chip cookie milk shot, he's synonymous with paving the way in pastry.
"I don't follow trends," he told "Good Morning America." "I like to set them."
To that end, Ansel said he's eager for his new bakery to open this spring -- Papa d'Amour -- which will feature a harmonious fusion much like his own family of four.
"It's a hybrid between the love of French baking and Asian bread culture in general," he said of the 2,000-square-foot bakery situated in New York City's East Village. "It's exciting for me because it's my roots, plus the roots of my wife and my kids, who are Asian -- I get to dive into a culture that I love in terms of food and explore more the technique and flavors as well."
"We're not about replicating the same thing or making a cookie cutter of what we do, this will be unique and special," Ansel added of his feted projects.
Fans can expect to see a diverse menu from fluffy steamed buns and milk breads, to his personal favorite "an egg tart -- with pretzel salt in the dough -- that's not too sweet and a beautiful custard with crispy dough."
The sweet new cereal launch announced on Thursday marks the first permanent addition to the existing Honey Bunches of Oats product line in five years.
The cereal brand tapped into Ansel's imaginative process to help cooks and cereal fans get a taste of his sweet treats at home using Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate.
"It's really good in terms of real chocolate flavor, getting to create new dishes with this cereal -- obviously it's different than what I make and not the things I do in my bakery every day," Ansel said. "So it's fun to create something like this."
"Cereals are great to work with -- it's so simple," he said, noting that folks don't need to feel intimidated, since "you don't need special tools, special equipment or a lot of space."
He added, "It's cool because it's easy. It's quick and has lots of textures and flavors."
"The baklava is very simple, just blitz almonds with the Honey Bunches of Oats and then you make those layers with the Filo dough and the honey syrup. So it's very easy -- anyone can do it!"
Cook time: 1 hour, plus 2 hours for cooling
Makes: 8-10 serving
Ingredients
For the honey syrup
100 grams (1 cup) of sugar
340 grams (1 cup) honey
240 grams (2 cups) water
For the baklava
2 1/2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate Cereal
2 cups sliced almonds
1/4 cup sugar
30 sheets phyllo dough (thawed)
10 tablespoons, or 1 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter, melted
Maldon sea salt
Method
For the honey syrup:
In a pot over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, honey, and water. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes while stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove pot from the heat and let fully cool. (Note: this can be done the day before.)
1) Pre-heat your oven to 350 F (175 C).
2) In a food processor, combine the Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate cereal and sliced almonds, pulse a few times until roughly ground. Add the sugar and pulse until just incorporated.
3) Unwrap the phyllo dough (it should be thawed from frozen, but still cold). Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into rectangles to \it into the bottom of the baking dish (you'll need 30 rectangles total).
4) Using a pastry brush, brush the base and sides of your baking dish with melted butter. Lay the first rectangle of phyllo in the base of the pan, then brush with a thin layer of melted butter. Continue until you have 10 layers of phyllo, each brushed with melted butter.
5) Sprinkle half of the cereal and nut mixture over in one even layer over the phyllo. Sprinkle a pinch of Maldon sea salt overtop. Top with another rectangle of phyllo, then brush with more melted butter. Repeat until you have another 10 layers of phyllo, each brushed with melted butter.
6) Sprinkle the remaining half of the cereal and nut mixture evenly over the phyllo, and sprinkle a pinch of Maldon sea salt. Top with another 10 layers of phyllo, each brushed with melted butter.
7) Using a sharp knife, slice the baklava into 2-inch strips, then cut the strips diagonally to create a diamond pattern.
8) Bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden brown.
9) Remove from the oven. While the baklava is still hot, pour the cooled honey simple syrup evenly overtop. Let sit for about 2 hours to allow the baklava to cool and the honey syrup to soak into the layers. Finish with more cereal sprinkled overtop and Maldon sea salt to finish.
