Saturday, August 13, 2016

Cinnamon Roll Pretzel Mix

'Tis the season of road trips, and if you're anything like my family, even the shortest road trip demands snackage! On long car trips, my family would inevitably stop at a coffee shop along the way and us kids would be allowed to choose a treat. Usually, we only had doughnuts or muffins to opt between, but there was the rare occasion a pit stop's offerings included my all time favourite - a sweet, sticky, icing-slathered cinnamon roll. 

Delicious? You bet. Practical for another hour in the car smooshed between bags, cookers and (most importantly) my wiggly little sister? Yeah, not so much. While I'm sure my parents enjoyed the muffled nature of the kids in the backseat, I doubt they appreciated the sugary, baked-on sugar crust that slowly formed onto the cloth seat covers over the summer. As a teacher, I've dealt with my share of "sticky fingers" (par for the course when you do Home Ec) and can't imagine how they must have rued needing that mid-drive coffee!

Cinnamon Roll Pretzel Mix

Even if your trips are nowhere near the 2-3 hours we used to clock each way on Summer weekends, snacks are simply part of what kids are made of. The kids I teach will willingly eat small meals 8 times a day, and when you're on the go, be it to the cottage, camp or... dun dun dun... school, a little baggie of "just in case" food is a boon both for them and their busy parents! This snack mix basically marries my fond childhood memories of road trip decadence and the adult practicality that demands portability and (relatively) low mess potential. The pretzels, raisins and sunflower seeds all bake in the glory of spiced brown sugar and really do come out of the oven tasting like a crunchy cinnamon roll. Yum, right? The kids will love it!
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And I won't tell them about the "extra batch for mom" if you don't.

Cinnamon Roll Pretzel Mix
Makes ~6 cups, 12 (1/2 cup) servings
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg white
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup raisins (love Flame Raisins in these)
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
5 oz small, hard pretzels (the first time I made these, I used these nuggets, the second time I couldn't find them and used waffle pretzels. Both are delicious!)
  1. Preheat oven to 275°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine brown sugar and ground cinnamon, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white and honey.
  4. Add raisins, sunflower seeds and pretzels, then sprinkle in the cinnamon-sugar mix.
  5. With your hands, toss the ingredients until well combined
  6. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
  7. Turn off the oven and cool inside for 1 hour, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 107.9
Total Fat: 2.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 210.2 mg
Total Carbs: 23.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
Protein: 2.2 g

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