Because nothing is ever trashy when it is en Français.
For nutritionally-questionable cereal lovers among us; you know who you are, and I am one of you. There are plenty of delicious (but maybe not the most nutritious) things which have been cut out of my diet since I was a kid. I eat enormous amounts of kale and also spinach. enough, I feel, to accommodate my massive cereal addiction. It’s all about balance, right? Eat the rainbow?
Tasting notes: Think vanilla, but less grandma’s vanilla and more funfetti vanilla: a cleaner, slightly sweeter taste with a candy finish, with the cereal adding the essence of fruity pebble more than an overt “cereal in milk” flavor. It’s not naked cereal, either; this is the Momofuku fruity pebble crunch, which gives the cereal a big more stability and punch in baked goods. Coating and toasting the cereal prior to inserting it into these cookies keeps the krispy (with a K) aspects intact, resulting in a tender cookie with an unbeatably fun texture. You’ll notice also that the fruity pebbles act as “natural” (and I use that term very loosely) sprinkles in this.
Easy to make, also, and a bit more foolproof than Momofuku’s standard fruity pebble marshmallow cookie. I wouldn’t say they’re easier to make from a dough-mixing perspective (about the same there: standard cookie), but the absence of marshmallows makes them much less prone to burning once they’re in the oven, and less weird spread factor. I’ve always liked wafer cookies for their slice-and-bakishness and uniformity, and you can fit a lot of them on a sheet pan thanks to zero spread.
I love these. You will love these. You will consider attempting this with every single one of your favorite cereals.
Wait; that’s just me? I’m okay with that.
Let’s do this.
Cookie of my own design; fruity pebble crunch from the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook by Christina Tosi.
Fruity Pebble Crunch Sables
for the crunch:
- 2 1/2 cups of fruity pebbles
- 1/4 cup of milk powder
- 1 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
for the cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Fruity Pebble Crunch (from recipe above)
Crunch time:
Preheat oven to 275˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour the fruity pebbles in a medium bowl. Add the milk powder, sugar and salt and toss with your hands to mix. Add the butter and toss with spatula until pebbles are uniformly coated and have formed small clusters.
Spread the clusters on to your prepared sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, until toasted and buttery-smelling. and delicious.
Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely prior to using.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and use your spatula to incorporate any dry patches that like to hang out at the bottom (it happens all the time to me, so really get in there and get everything blended.) Fold in the fruity pebble crunch gently and purposefully: you don’t want to crush it up to nothing, so every stroke counts here. You want even incorporation but you don’t want to break down the crunch too much.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion into a log about 10 inches long. You don’t have to be that exact: if you like a smaller or larger cookie, please roll in whatever size you wish. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a sharp knife (I use a paring knife), cut each unwrapped log crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet pan. I usually cut only as many cookies as will fit on my baking sheet and keep the rest unsliced in the fridge until it’s their turn in the oven.
Bake the cookies until the edges and bottoms are just slightly golden, 11 to 12 minutes. Really watch these, because like any simple sugar cookie, it only takes a minute to go from perfect to overdone. Let the cookies cook on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. These freeze super well too, for up to 2 months.
21 Comments
These are super fun even though fruity pebbles were never my thing. I was a Trix girl all the way, but my mom was all about the boring and “healthier” low sugar cereals like Cornflakes, Cheerios, and if we were really lucky, Kix. So when I was old enough to get a job and buy my own stuff, I hid Trix in my room from my 3 brothers (it didn’t stop them by the way) because it was so forbidden and awesome. Captain Crunch was my second favorite – though the roof of my mouth was always raw for days after eating it – what do they put in that stuff, broken glass? Anyway it has that buttery thing going on that would probably translate well into a chocolate cookie base along with some butterscotch or peanut butter chips – if you’re taking requests anyway. I’d eat the heck out of these either way because, well, they are cookies and I would never say no to a cookie. I mean who does that? Honestly…
ooh but Trix though! Those are like fruity pebble’s older and more intense sister, right? We also had the “healthier” (hey, they were thought of like that at the time) cereal trifecta of cornflakes/cheerios/kix also, along with sometimes rice krispies and special K, and wheaties…remember wheaties? wow, cardboard.
i can totally understand hiding cereal in your room: those boxes of the sugary stuff were always smaller and therefore at a premium; you do what you have to do. Cap’n Crunch, same: i ripped my mouth on that stuff happily, although i still say the best trick is to leave it sit in the milk for at least 10 minutes…it takes it down to the crunch of normal cereal. Aaaaand now i’m thinking about cap’n crunch recipes. thanks Mellissa for making me THROW MY TALENTS INTO CEREAL COOKIES. 🙂
Although I have never had a favorite store-bought cereal I might have to try Fruity Pebbles after seeing these seriously adorable sables! Keep creating recipes Shannon, they are wonderful.
thank you, Deb! You’re too sweet. 🙂
These are everything! I have mad love for those fruity pebbles cookies (but UGH that spread factor!) and mad love for sables. I want to fruity pebble crunch to meet milk crumb. I think they’d be friends. But not in these cookies. These babies are perfect just the way they are. I feel like the pebbles are the best option for these cookies because they’re so thin. Like, cutting a log of Cocoa Puffs sables would end badly, right? I used to put Cocoa Puffs on a peanut butter sandwich and add Hershey’s syrup. I called it a Reese’s Puffs sandwich. Oh my god, that’s real. I haven’t baked anything in so long that I’m going crazy!
Seriously agree: i love those fruity pebble cookies too, but the marshmallows! Marshmallows are one of those things that’s great in cookies…THEORETICALLY. Marshmallow laced cookies are just not for everyone, because you have to be willing to stand there basically with your face IN the oven to make sure that marshmallow doesn’t go from gooey to “burnt caramel” flavor, AND no matter what, you’re cookies will indeed be misshapen: difficult for those of us who like order and for things to be the same (*ahem*). These are a great way to incorporate the flavors of the original cookie without all the mess and eagle-eying in the oven, for sure.
Puffs, man: puffs. I’m not sure how that would go? I’ve thought about them, because it could be crazy cute: like polka dots in cookies. But…structurally, i don’t know if they’d hold up to the knife or if they’d collapse when you cut them. But you can bet i’m trying that just for you: adding that to the list!
Really, Reese’s Puffs sandwich? I love you. You’re hardcore.
I can’t get Fruity Pebbles here. I’ve never tasted them. There are a number of American cereals that Canadians can’t buy, and I’m assuming it’s some sort of conspiracy. I mean, imagine how awesome we’d be if we got to eat all of your fancyass, sugary cereals – the cereals of my childhood dreams. It wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the world. Cereal just makes us stronger…
After i read your comment (and subsequently sat on it for weeks at a time without responding because i’m AMAZING) i did a google about cereals you can’t get in fair Canada. To the results, i say…W.T.H. you’re so close and yet so far away from all of our American sugary, horrible-for-you goodness! but i suppose that could be said about a good many things between Canada and the US: you’re a healthy lot, and i wish i lived there.
Someday? Care package. I’m going to determine what you can’t get up there and send you a smattering of what the US is like.
So completely creative! Love!!!
Though I’m definitely the weird kid that didn’t like most of the sweet cereals (unless you count Raisin Bran as sweet…). I don’t think you’d want to use my favorite childhood cereals in here. It’d be boring…
Also, fun fact, my old apartment was close enough to a Kellog’s cereal factory that we could smell cereal being made. Sometimes it was torture. A less fun fact, my college was in the same town as a pet food factory (which I did not know until my sophomore year). Oddly, it smelled like slightly burnt waffles and syrup. I initially love the smell….but once I found out its true source was a pet food factory, I gagged a little every time the air smelled like breakfast food.
HAHAHA omg i’m so happy someone else loves raisin brain besides me! Seriously, i’ve never met anyone but my mom who doesn’t want to hurl at the thought of raisin bran. Ashley…i love you.
WHAT. you mean, you were breathing in cereal AIR at your house?!?! WHY DID YOU MOVE. And that pet food story? ew. i feel like i’d do the same thing/maybe have done the same with smells where i’m all “ooh what is that?” and someone’s like “i’m burning large insects in the backyard.” *whoops* 🙂
These are celebration cookies. So perfect. So pretty. I’m going to bring some to my daughter in October, which seems way to far away right now. But we will celebrate with these. And life will be good.
Thanks, Abbe! These are pretty festive, i agree. They make life better (and certainly more colorful).
All cookies should incorporate cereal. The end.
*high/5*
These look so awesome! I’ve never really ventured into the realm of sugary cereals, I don’t even know if I’d recognize a fruity pebble if it hit me in the face. But I want to know it, oh how I want to… in cookie form.
This cereal was largely forbidden in our house when i was younger, but somehow we managed to grab it when i was in high school (most likely due to me bringing the angst to the shopping). If you snag some at the store, make these cookies, although i highly recommend eating them with milk, maybe in the evening.
These are just delight (as in the idea of) in cookie form, and as a believer of all things in moderation (including moderation), there’s nothing wrong with enjoying cookies or Fruity Pebbles from time to time.
Could not agree more: viva la processed cereals (in moderation, of course). Yay for childhood, however unhealthy it may have been at times. As anyone older would say, “I’m still here, aren’t I?” yes.
First off, woah. There’s a momofuku fruity pebble cookie? Second, I can honestly say that these cookies are AMAZING. You expect it to be a fruity pebble sugar explosion in your mouth but it’s really not – it’s more of an ‘essence’ of fruity pebbles. And the texture that the fruity pebbles gives the cookies is RIDICULOUS. So good.
what. are. you. saying: of course there’s a momofuku fruity pebble cookie! Well okay..so it’s a version they do in the book with the cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow one where they nix the chocolate and switch out the cornflakes for fruity pebbles, but YOU KNOW THAT. lol. Time to start baking from the book again.
essense of fruity pebble: YES. that’s exactly what it is; doesn’t hit you in the face, but it does give you a nice feeling of say, drowning in a bowl of morning cereal. and that crispy rice texture just makes me want to throw cereal in all cookies, agree.
Hello! Did everyone’s cookies hold up in the oven? Mine spread like crazy after freezing overnite and being put in to a preheated oven moments after slicing. Any ideas?