Le Bon Garcon's Bric-a-Brac

Ingredients:

• 1 (17-ounce) box of rice chex cereal
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) Red Boat Palm Sugar, divided
• ½ cup corn syrup
• ½ pound butter, cut into 2-inch cubes
• Cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Red Boat Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
2. Pour half of the cereal onto one baking sheet, being sure to spread out the cereal in a single layer. Repeat with the other half of the cereal on a second baking sheet.
3. Combine milk and ¼ cup (2 ounces) of the palm sugar in a microwavable bowl, then microwave the milk and palm sugar for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl and whisk until the palm sugar dissolves.
4. Add corn syrup to the milk mixture and stir until the corn syrup dissolves
5. Pour 1 ½ cups of water into a 3 ½ quart saucepan. Add the remaining palm sugar and bring to a boil.
6. When the sugar begins to brown, about 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let the caramel darken. When the caramel becomes a mahogany red, add the milk mixture. The addition of the milk will harden the caramel.
7. Turn the heat to medium and whisk the mixture until the caramelized sugar dissolves.
8. Slowly add the cubes of butter to the saucepan, whisking constantly to blend the butter into the caramel.
9. When the butter has blended into the caramel, keep the sauce pan at a simmer over medium heat until it has thickened slightly, about 90 seconds, then whisk in a pinch of cayenne pepper (if using) and Red Boat Salt.
10. Remove the caramel from the heat and pour half of the sauce onto one baking sheet. Stir everything with a silicone spatula until the cereal is coated. Spread the cereal into thin layer. Repeat with the other half of caramel sauce with the cereal on the second baking sheet.
11. Bake the cereal in the oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Stir the mix every 30 minutes with silicone spatula, making sure to scrape up and mix back in any caramel that has pooled at the bottom of the pan.
12. When the caramel has darkened and thickened, take the first baking sheet out of oven and stir the mixture again to separate the individual pieces of cereal. Carefully spoon the hot cereal mix into a bowl. Repeat with the second baking sheet.
13. Set aside the bowls and let the mix cool, giving each bowl a good stir occasionally to help it cool down. When the mix has cooled and become crunchy, it’s ready to eat.