I have several boxed mixes - 2 for pumpkin bread (including cans of pumpkin, one for a quick bread and one cookie mix. I want to add cereal, dried fruit, oatmeal, cornmeal, chocolate chips to make ‘meal bars’ for my upcoming 2000 mile road trip. What will I need to add to compensate for these items while keeping the ‘granola bar’ consistency, solid and chewy? The mixes call for eggs, which I have.
You might want to have your question moved to Cafe Society, where it’s more likely to be seen by our resident foodies, bakers and cooks. (I don’t know the answer to your question).
Well, that’s a tough call. I like fruit breads and fruit cakes of all kinds, and I make a lot of pannettone, which is a yeast raised Italian fruit bread. I think the pumpkin bread mixes have an excellent chance of deliciousness. If you want to end up with a bar-type cookie, then you might decrease the eggs by one egg, as long as it originally calls for more than one. You will probably want to add some flour as well, to take it from a batter to a dough.
And here’s my personal opinion: you want them to travel, to keep, and not to be hard as rocks. So put in, say, a tablespoon of molasses. It will keep them soft & chewy.
You’re aiming for a fairly thick dough consistency that you will spread in the pan. Keep the temperature lower than for the mix by itself; it’ll take longer to bake through.
Thank you! The pumpkin loaves kit calls for **4 **eggs - I’ve never used that many eggs at a time on anything but scrambled eggs.
Can I use jam in place of molasses for chewiness, as the heat will reduce it down in baking?
Some boxed mixes have directions on the package for baking them as cookies or cookie bars.
If not, and if the mixes have a company web address on them – go there, and ask the manufacturer your question. Food companies are generally happy to have you find additional uses for their products.
(just thought to add – try the 800-number; there’s usually one of those)
I would probably use 2 parts mix to 1 part almond flour and 1 part garbanzo flour. Then add whole rolled oats and chopped dried fruit. (dried blueberries are especially good.)
With the pumpkin walnuts would be really good - just toast them lightly before adding.
2nd the molasses idea.
Toasted sesame seeds, garlic and your favorite herbs plus small bits of sharp cheddar added to the quick bread would give you a savory option. Chicken boillion woudl be good int hat as well.
Sorry, I’m babysitting tonight, just now got back to PC.
Jam might work, but it won’t work as well; I’d suggest leaving the experiment for sometime when you’re not stuck on the road with the results as **your only sustenance. ** :p:p
Something about molasses specifically just works really well.