The cereal of the same name is excellent stuff, but this recipe is an homage to the cinnamon toast my grandma and ma made me as an after-school snack in my younger years. It is impossibly crunchy, and it plays into one of my most comforting flavor pairings: butter and cinnamon sugar. The one-minute butter-soaking step makes for a much different crunch than the others in this book.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 250 g (2 cups)

　　100 g white sandwich bread [1/4 (1-pound) loaf]

　　115 g brown butter (see page 28), just warm (1/3 cup)

　　100 g sugar (1/2 cup)

　　2 g kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon)

　　2 g ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)

　　

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 2

Tear the bread into 1/2-inch pieces. Put it in a bowl, then douse and toss it with the brown butter. Let the bread soak for 1 minute.

　　

Step 3

Add the sugar, salt, and cinnamon to the bread and toss well. Spread the mixture on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Pull the sheet pan slightly out of the oven and, using a spatula, a spoon, or whatever you’ve got, break up the cinnamon toast crunch a bit and toss it around, to make sure it is caramelizing and drying out. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or more, until you have dry, caramelized clusters.

　　

Step 5

Cool the cinnamon toast crunch completely before storing or using in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, it will keep fresh for 1 week; in the fridge or freezer, it will keep for 1 month.

　　Reprinted with permission from Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi with Courtney McBroom. Copyright © 2011 by MomoMilk, LLC. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Christina Tosi is the chef and owner of Momofuku Milk Bar, called "one of the most exciting bakeries in the country" by Bon Appètit. As founder of the desserts programs at Momofuku, including Noodle Bar, Ssäat;m Bar, Ko and Má Pêche, Christina was most recently shortlisted for a James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Award. Christina and her confections have appeared on The Martha Stewart Show and Live! with Regis and Kelly, among others. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her three dogs and eats an unconscionable amount of raw cookie dough every day.