I have a little secret to confess to you guys – I used to eat a lot of Pop-Tarts. Like a lot. So, I’ve been slaving away coming up with a healthy alternative that I can enjoy without feeling sick. These Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts supercharged with Hybrid Herbs Lion’s Mane Mushroom Extract Powder certainly take the proverbial biscuit. Packed with delicious raw cacao, ground almonds, and healthy fats they’re a sure-fire winner!
Now guys, listen up! Because the Hybrid Herbs gang are a lovely lot they’re giving all of my readers a whopping 25% off their full range. Just enter the code ‘GREENS25’ at the checkout. So, get ordering now and don’t miss out!
Disclaimer: Please note that this is a sponsored post. I was sent free products and compensated in return for an amazingly delicious recipe. Any payment I receive I use to purchase more ingredients and equipment to keep this blog up and running, and most importantly to keep creating quality content for you all. I am not an affiliate of Hybrid Herbs and any purchases you make via them I will not be compensated for. I am not influenced by the company in any way and all opinions, ramblings, and thoughts are my own and 100% honest. If you’d like to know more, feel free to contact me.
If pastry scares you, don’t worry this is a pretty fool-proof recipe and quite quick to get together too. All you have to remember is to use parchment to roll out your dough and don’t overwork it. The filling is so divine – it’s a dark chocolate fudge that’s rich and decadent, meaning that you won’t want to binge eat every single Pop-Tart that you make. Or maybe you will, to be honest, I won’t blame you if you actually do that.
In fact, the kids were kind of fighting over these with me – they really, really loved them and so did I. I mean I honestly did love them, more so than I have ever missed any man. So much so that I feel a little bit sad reminiscing over their deliciousness. Oh, and the texture is pretty badass too. The pastry isn’t too dry – it’s just right and surprisingly quite similar to real Pop-Tarts whilst the gorgeously fudgy centre is super silky smooth.
Lion’s Mane is packed with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that may help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Which in a nutshell means that it could combat modern-day illnesses and autoimmune diseases all whilst battling the ageing process too.
One thing I will say though is that these are not suitable to put in your toaster unless you want to break it that is, then be my guest you crazy fools… I’ve sort of gone off on a weird tangent haven’t I? Maybe it’s my sleep deprivation talking as really I should be telling you how amazing Hybrid Herbs’ Lion’s Mane Mushroom Extract is, which it actually is. For those of you that don’t know, Lion’s Mane is a mushroom is an edible medicinal mushroom native to Asia, Europe, and North America. Its unusual hair-like appearance is what earned it its peculiar name. It is also known as ‘Monkey’s Head’ which I think sounds far cuter, what do ya think?
Lion’s Mane is packed with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that may help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Which in a nutshell means that it could combat modern-day illnesses and autoimmune diseases all whilst battling the ageing process too. It is also thought to; boost immune and memory function, improve digestive, heart, and mental health’ and help to lower blood sugar levels and manage diabetic symptoms. Pretty fucking amazing if you ask me!
So if that wasn’t enough to convince you to throw in some medicinal mushrooms into your sweet treats then I don’t know what will? If you’d like to give these Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts with Lion’s Mane a quick pop then scroll on down for some fun kitchen action. Oooh yeah, baby. If you feel like sharing your creations don’t forget to tag me in on Instagram or just leave me a little comment below to share your experience with others.
Looking for more recipes using Hybrid Herbs products? Just click here for more. Oh, and if you want to keep up to date with my deliciousness then sign up for my newsletter and I’ll love you forever – who am I kidding? I already do!
- 160ml full fat coconut milk
- 45ml agave nectar or maple syrup
- 30g cacao powder
- 1 tbsp Hybrid Herbs Lion's Mane Extract
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 80g dark chocolate, divided
- 50g grass-fed butter or vegan butter
- 150g arrowroot/tapioca flour
- 75g ground almonds
- 75g cold unsalted butter (or vegan butter)
- 20g cacao powder
- 4 tbsp erythritol or coconut sugar
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
- 4-6 tbsp almond milk
- 120g coconut butter/manna
- 80g dark chocolate
- 50g agave nectar
- 125ml warm water
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
- Sprinkles (optional)
- To start, prepare the filling. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan bring the coconut milk, sweetener of choice, cacao powder, Lion's Mane extract, vanilla extract, sea salt, and half the dark chocolate (40g) to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low, being sure to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining dark chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth and glossy. Leave to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator.
- Whilst the filling is cooling place all of the ingredients for the pastry, except for the milk, into the bowl of a food processer and pulse together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Carefully pulse in the milk a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together into a slightly sticky ball of dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (or 160°C if fan-assisted) 10 minutes before you're ready to work with the dough.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly dust the worktop with arrowroot flour, sprinkle a little flour over the dough then place a large sheet of non-stick parchment on top. Roll out the pastry to roughly the size of two A4 sheets of paper, 3-5mm thick. Cut into 4" x 2¾" rectangles. You may be able to cut out 8-10 depending on the thickness of the dough.
- Place 1 generous tablespoon of the filling into the centre of half of the rectangles of dough and spread out evenly leaving a little less than 1cm of space around the outside. Use a little milk or water and using your finger gently moisten around the edges. Gently lift over one rectangle of dough and press down around the outer edges, either with a palette knife or a fork, to seal. Pierce each tart several times using a fork or skewer and place onto the lined baking tray. Place the tray into the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and then place the tray into the oven cooking for 8 to 10 minutes until firm. Once cooking is complete transfer to a wire rack.
- Whilst the pop tarts are cooling it's time to prepare the icing. Place all of the topping ingredients except for the sprinkles into a bullet-style blender and blend until smooth. Leave to thicken a little then ice the pop tarts with the icing then top with sprinkles if you wish. Place the pop tarts into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow the icing to set.
To store the pop tarts in the freezer, place them in a freezer bag. This can be done before or after frosting. Re-heat in the oven at 200°C for 6 to 8 minutes.
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