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Key Lime Crunch

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Grit" by Kelsey Barnard Clark


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe began as a joke on Top Chef. I was notoriously anxious about the Quickfire Challenges. I had a deep fear that I'd choke and have produced nothing when it was my turn to face the judges. Early in the season, late one night around the dinner table, I told some of the chefs that if all else failed, I'd make 'Puppy Chow.' I was met with puzzled looks. This chocolate peanut butter cereal snack, which I'd thought was popular among teenage girlfriends everywhere, is apparently not a universal confection. I had to explain this addictive, stupidly simple snack to this group of top-notch chefs, and of course they all challenged me to do it in the next Quickfire. Fast-forward a few weeks, and this little joke became a national reality. I made Key Lime Crunch—a riff on 'Puppy Chow'— as a party favor to send our houseboat party over the top. We won as a team, I won the challenge, and this lives on. It's a can't-stop-once-you-start snack that is sure to put a smile on your guests' faces. If you don't believe me, just ask Emeril."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 cups white chocolate chips
â—¦ Zest and juice of 5 limes
â—¦ 4 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
â—¦ 4 cups Cinnamon Life cereal
â—¦ 3 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
â—¦ 1 cup macadamia nuts, whole or halved
â—¦ 1 cup cashews, whole or halved
â—¦ 1 cup banana chips
â—¦ 1 cup shredded coconut
â—¦ 3 tablespoons salt
â—¦ Zest of 2 lemons
â—¦ One 14-ounce box graham crackers, crumbled


Recipe

In a large mixing bowl, melt the white chocolate. Place 1 cup of the melted chocolate in a small bowl and whisk in the lime juice. It will seize; that's okay!

Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. In a very large bowl or tub, toss together all the cereals, the macadamia nuts, cashews, banana chips, coconut, 1 ½ tablespoons of the salt, and the lemon zest. Pour the lime and chocolate mixture and the remaining melted chocolate over the top and toss together thoroughly. Promptly pour the mixture onto the prepared pans. Separate and flatten the mixture so there are no large clumps. Sprinkle with the graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of salt, and the lime zest. Let sit out for about 1 hour or until the chocolate has hardened.

Gently break up into bite-size pieces before serving.

Makes 15 to 20 servings