Bready or Not: Pop Tart-Layered Brownies
These brownies are what happened after I bought a box of Cookies & Crème Pop Tarts for my son. He didn’t like them.
Well, darn. I can’t eat them myself. I didn’t want them wallowing in my pantry forever.
Therefore, I decided to use up the remaining packets by baking them into brownies. The layered technique works out well with Oreos, after all!
Turns out, Pop Tarts are fantastic baked into brownies. They are thinner than Oreos, and meld more with the surrounding dough. The mild Oreo-like taste still shines through.
Plus, the resulting brownie isn’t quite as dense. Just in case you aren’t in the mood for brick-like brownies.
The original recipe is from King Arthur Flour. I rewrote it and added in the Pop Tarts and chocolate chips (because, why not?!).
I’ve only done the recipe with Cookies & Crème Pop Tarts, but I think this technique would be great with all kinds of Pop Tarts–try strawberry (frosted or not), or Peanut Butter, or Smores.
Plus, then you can tell people you had Pop Tarts for breakfast, and no one has to know it was encased in a brownie.
Bready or Not: Pop Tart-Layered Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional but awesome
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate
- 3 packets Cookies & Creme Pop Tarts or other variety, 6 total pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or foil, and grease with butter or apply nonstick spray.
- Stir together, in order, all of the ingredients up to the Pop Tarts. Dollop about half the dough in the prepared pan, and try to spread out as evenly as possible; the dough will be thick. Layer the Pop Tarts over the dough, breaking pieces as necessary to fit. Dollop the rest of the dough on top, and again, smooth out as much as possible.
- Bake brownies for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool completely before lifting the brownies onto a cutting board to slice up.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature, or freeze to make them last longer.
- OM NOM NOM!
Sunday Quote is ready for winter
Read More“I believe that all the best faculties of a mature human being exist in the child, and that if these faculties are encouraged in youth they will act well and wisely in the adult, but if they are repressed and denied in the child they will stunt and cripple the adult personality. And finally, I believe that one of the most deeply human, and humane, of these faculties is the power of imagination.”
~ Ursula K. Le Guin
Four Months Until ROAR OF SKY is Out–and I Need Help!
Four months from today, Roar of Sky will be released. As you likely know, Amazon is (for better or worse) the biggest bookseller in the world, and reviews and ratings on there matter. The higher those numbers, the more that Amazon’s algorithms will favor the books.
That’s where you, my awesome readers, can be a huge help. Breath of Earth and Call of Fire need more ratings and reviews on Amazon. Have you read one or both? Are they in your to-read pile–and can you get to them soon? My hope is that in the next month, by July 23rd:
Breath of Earth will reach at least 50 reviews
Call of Fire will reach at least 20 reviews
Please note that I’m not asking for 5-star reviews. I want honest feedback from people who have read the books. Judge them as you will. If you share your reviews on Facebook or Twitter, tag me, and maybe I can share them in turn!
Thank you!
#SFWAPRo
Read More
Bready or Not: High Fiber Muffins
These High Fiber Muffins are a delicious way to start your day!
When I was challenged to make high-fiber muffins, this turned out to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. I wanted them to be delicious but to include ingredients I already had in the kitchen.
In other words, I didn’t want to order some fancy high fiber mix-ins that I would never use again.
I found a good base recipe from King Arthur Flour and set to work modifying it. Instead of Hi-Maize Fiber, I tried almond flour. I switched in white whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
When the topping portion of the recipe made way, way too much, I tested out reduced amounts in my next attempt. I judged how well the muffins held up after being frozen for weeks.
The end result in a higher-fiber muffin recipe that’s light, cakey and delicious.
Note that the muffin tops will get soggy after about two days at room temperature. Make them last a lot longer by freezing them! Remove the paper liners and set muffins on waxed paper to freeze, then store them in a gallon bag or other freezer-safe container.
Modified from King Arthur Flour.
Bready or Not: High Fiber Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon King Arthur Flour Cake Enhancer optional
- 1/3 cup milk or half & half
- 3/4 cup full-fat Greek vanilla yogurt a single serving size; could also use fruit-flavored kind
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter half stick, melted
- 1 cup golden raisins or other dried fruit
Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons white whole wheat flour
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 400-degrees. Place muffin liners in pan and apply nonstick spray.
- In a big bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cake enhancer (if using). Mix in the milk, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla, followed by the melted butter. Stir in the dried fruit until just distributed.
- Using a muffin scoop or heaping spoonfuls, fill muffin cups until mostly full.
- Combine topping ingredients. Spoon onto the top of each muffin and lightly press in with fingertips.
- Bake muffins for 16 to 18 minutes, until lightly domed and center muffin passes the toothpick test. Immediately remove them from the pan to cool on a rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to two days; after that, tops will start to get soggy, though muffins will still taste good. To freeze, remove paper liners and place on a wax-paper lined pan in freezer. Then place in gallon freezer bag or plastic container to store in freezer up to several weeks.
- OM NOM NOM!
Sunday Quote agrees with Lloyd Alexander
Read More“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It’s a way of understanding it.”
~ Lloyd Alexander
