Whenever I get a craving for something in between meals, I tend to reach for the same things-- kettle corn, rice krispie treats, the occasional donut-- however, sometimes, I get bored of the usual—a little change could go a long way to making snack time more interesting.
I really didn’t think that my
favorite snack foods could get any better until I started poking around online,
and I found a few recipes to liven
things up.
Easy Faux Cronuts 
Brainchild of famed New York baker Dominique Ansel, the cronut
is a hybrid of a croissant and a donut—and has been inspiring lines, scalpers
and knock-offs. If you love deep fried
pastries that are flaky, buttery and filled with cream (or jam), you will love cronuts. This easy recipe cuts out all the work associated
with croissants and donuts by using pre-made dough and prepared pudding.
Ingredients for the
dough:
●
Canola oil
●
2 (8-ounce) canisters of refrigerated crescent dinner
rolls
●
1 (4-ounce) container of vanilla pudding
Ingredients for
vanilla glaze*:
●
4 cups powdered sugar
●
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
●
1 cup milk
1.
Fill a two-quart heavy saucepan with 2 inches of oil.
Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) (make sure you have a
cooking thermometer handy).
2.
Divide dough from both canisters into two sets. Form
rectangles using two triangles, lining up the perforated edges. Press the edges
together to seal.
3.
Stack 2 rectangles on top of one another and press
together, then fold widthwise. Press down.
4.
Continue to form stacks of rectangles until you have no
more dough.
5.
Cut 3-inch rounds with a cookie or biscuit cutter (or
the edge of a can or coffee cup), from each rectangle stack. Use a 1-inch round
cutter to cut a hole in the middle of each 3-inch round. Repeat until there is
no more space left in the rectangles for complete rounds—save dough scraps for other recipes, or to bake on
their own.
6.
Fry dough in the heated oil until golden brown, which
can take anywhere between 45 and 90 seconds. Avoid putting too many rounds in at once as it can cool the oil too
much.
7.
Remove fried cronuts and place on paper towels to drain
excess oil. While cooling, prepare the glaze or whichever fillings and toppings
you choose. Wait until fried dough is completely cool before glazing or topping.
8.
Create the vanilla glaze by combining the powdered
sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add
the milk one tablespoon at a time, stirring frequently, until desired glaze
consistency is reached.
9.
Take cooled cronut and split in half through the
middle. Spoon two tablespoons of vanilla pudding into the middle, and sandwich
the two halves back together.
10. Drizzle glaze over the top. Serve immediately.
* Anything that pairs with a donut or a croissant can be
used here, so experiment with fresh whipped cream, jams and marmalades, nut
butters, Nutella, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, bacon, sprinkles and more.
Sriracha Popcorn
Popcorn is a healthy, whole-grain snack that’s low in calories, but surprisingly
filling. An excellent swap-out for my usual salty-sweet treat of kettle corn, this recipe cranks up the heat factor with
spicy Sriracha.
Ingredients:
●
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
●
1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
●
1/4 teaspoon salt
1.
Pop your kernels in whatever method you prefer
(stovetop, popcorn maker, etc.). A quick and easy method is to put the popcorn
into a brown paper bag and microwave it on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Depending
on the microwave, you’ll have to pay attention to the frequency of the popping.
Usually, the popcorn will be done once you hear a 1 or 2-second pause between pops.
2.
Combine the oil, Sriracha and salt in a small bowl—you
can do it quickly while popping the corn, but don’t get too distracted since
you need to keep an eye on the microwave.
3.
Pour the popped corn into a large bowl and drizzle the
Sriracha and oil mixture on top of the popcorn. Toss lightly for even coverage.
4.
Serve immediately!*
*The moisture from the Sriracha will cause the popcorn to
get soggy quickly, so it won’t keep well.
If you want to create spicy popcorn that you can give away to guests and
friends, try substituting a dry spice mix for Sriracha).
Browned Butter and
Speculoos Rice Krispie Treats
Ever since I was little, one of my favorite easy-to-make
treats that I made with my mom was Rice Krispie treats. Even to this day,
making them brings me a wave of nostalgia. But, like all of my favorites on
this list, this old-fashioned treat deserved a bit of a twist:
cookie butter!
Ingredients:
●
1 stick (1/2 a cup) of unsalted butter*
●
1 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallows
●
6 cups Rice Krispies or other crisped rice cereal
●
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1.
Whisking constantly, melt the butter over medium heat
in a fairly large pot until it reaches a completely liquid consistency.
Continue to stir as the butter browns (about 3 to 5 minutes). Keep a close eye
on the butter and remove from heat slightly before it reaches your desired
color, as it will go from brown to burnt
very quickly.
2.
Add the entire bag of marshmallows and stir until
completely smooth. (If there isn’t enough residual heat to melt the
marshmallows entirely, you can return the pot to the stove over low heat).
3.
Heat the cookie butter in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Then add the cookie butter and salt into the marshmallow-butter mixture.
4.
Mix cereal into the cookie-butter-marshmallow pot.
5.
Grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter or spray before
pressing the rice krispie mixture into the pan.
6.
Let cool before
cutting into squares to serve.
*If you prefer to use coconut oil—which will impart a
buttery, slight coconut flavor to your treats—simply melt the
solid-at-room-temperature oil during the first step. You will not be able to
brown the oil, so whisking will not be necessary.
Whether you love sweet, spicy,
crunchy or smooth, these recipes will open your eyes to new snack time possibilities.
It’s likely that your friends and family will love these treats just as much as
you will—so be sure to make enough to share. Easy to make and delicious to eat,
these treats are great to gift using candy store supplies. They are sure to be a
big hit at bake sales, fundraisers, baby showers, parties and any other event.
Or, you can keep them all for yourself—I know I would!
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