I Tried Dominique Ansel's Christmas Morning Cereal

When I heard Dominique Ansel would be offering a sweet creation shipped, I didn't hesitate. After his website recovered from the burst of traffic flocking to place an order, my own went through. Christmas Morning Cereal would be at my house in 5-8 days.

The first thing to know about this cereal is that cereal is a bit of a misnomer. The heavenly combination of puffed rice covered in caramelized Valrhona milk chocolate, with candied spiced hazelnuts, and smoked cinnamon meringues tastes much more like something you would find in a world class patisserie than in the cereal aisle. Served with a splash of milk it satisfies the deepest craving for dessert.

The second thing to know is that it's expensive. A minimum order is two boxes for $18.50 each. With shipping and tax that put the total just under $44, for two boxes of cereal that aren't particularly large (each box held about a quart). But if you want to try something from Dominique Ansel and don't find yourself conveniently located to New York, Los Angeles, or London then it will certainly save you on airfare. Does it live up to the hype? This is a remarkable confection! Honestly, I thought the price tag alone would knock it back a step (because can any cereal be worth nearly $50?), but it didn't. I tried to order more but they were sold out for the remaining weeks.

Breathe in the scent and it is nutty and rich with spice. The caramelized milk chocolate was an unexpected twist to a familiar flavor, and the chocolate itself protected the puffed rice from the addition of milk, keeping the texture perfectly crispy. The crunch of it reminded me of feuillitine. The nuttiness of the spiced hazelnuts was wonderful with the chocolate.

The Mini Me Meringue I tried with some trepidation, nervous from recalling perhaps the worst culinary texture in the world: the marshmallows in Lucky Charms. I need not have feared. The meringues were delightful straight out of the box and got even better after a brief soak in milk. While their smoked cinnamon flavor was a bit strong on their own, together it balanced out into an amazing treat.