JR has loved the game Skylanders for years. He collects the figurines; plays the game with his friends on our Wii and proudly wears his favorite Skylanders shirt to school every week. So when General Mills teamed up with Skylanders to offer an exclusive Skystones game free with selected boxes of cereal, JR wanted to collect them all.
JR loves Skylanders because of the humor — a place called the Secret Sewers of Supreme Stink hits eight year old boys where they live — the problem-solving that the game requires and, naturally, the social aspect of playing with friends. I like it because it fuels his development through imaginative and cognitive play.
Until now, Skylanders had been JR’s thing, but with the inclusion of the Skystones games in specially marked Big G cereals, including some of our family’s favorites, like Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the whole family is able to get in on the Skylanders action. By playing the Skystones game with him, I am to share in JR’s passion and learn more about why he loves this imaginary world so much.
To continue the mother-son bonding, I created a Skylanders-themed dessert using a cereal that we all love, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I crush the pieces of cereal and mix them with melted butter to create an crispy, sweet crumb crust. Then I fill the crust with a cinnamon-scented custard. When JR saw the pie, his first remark was that it looks like the quicksand pits in the Golden Desert. (I think that is something in the game.)
But even if Skylanders is not your thing, this Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cream Pie will appeal to anyone who loves the combination of cinnamon and sugar. And the contrast between the silky custard and the crispy crust is deeply satisfying. My husband, who cannot resist Cinnamon Toast Crunch if it is in the house, was all over this dessert.
- 1 12.2 oz box Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- 6 TB butter, melted
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Crush the Cinnamon Toast Crunch into crumbs using a food processor or by placing it in a plastic bag and smashing it with a rolling pin.
- Combine the cereal crumbs and melted butter in a large bowl and stir with a fork.
- Place the crumb mixture in a 10-inch pie plate and press into a even layer covering the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
- Bake in the oven just until toasted, five minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, make the custard by whisking together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Add the milk, egg yolks and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Heat the saucepan over medium to medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about ten minutes. Do not allow the custard to come to a boil at any point!
- When the custard has thickened, pour into the prepared pie plate and spread evenly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, at least four hours.
- Allow to come to room temperature prior to serving.
So, if you have a Skylanders fan in your house, look out for specially marked Big G cereals, like Fruity Cheerios, Reese’s Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Lucky Charms, and Trix, with Skystones cards playable on the game board found on the back of the cereal box. Collect all four Skystones game card sets, each with a downloadable code to unlock characters in the popular mobile Skylanders game. Look for more special offers and free prizes inside boxes of General Mills cereals throughout the year.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
