Oatmeal Raisin Krispy Treats with Vanilla Fondant

No matter what happens, today is a good day!

Even if you  pressed the sleep button eight times  forgot to set your alarm . . .

or forgot to brush your  teeth  hair . . .

or forgot to put on your  underwear  socks before leaving the house . . .

Today is a good day!

I'm sure you've guessed by now, the reason why today is such a good day.

Yup.  Oatmeal Raisin Krispy Treats with a Vanilla Fondant!!!

I'm in love.

When I made these I couldn't wait to try them...  I was contemplating whether or not to skip the whole refrigerate-to-firm-upstep just so I could get my greedy little hands onto that refrigerator door and into that brownie pan full of crunchy, sticky goodness.  But I was good and made myself wait.  I actually had to leave the room because I was about to burst with every whiff of that enchanting scent!

When the time came (finally), I almost ripped that refrigerator door right off it's hinges (I guess I turned into Popeye from all that spinach lately!) and grabbed the pan with all my might.

I stopped.  The fondant was utter perfection, smooth and silky looking.  I sliced the treats calmly, excited to taste what awaited.

I smiled.  Probably as wide as a kid who just got a big birthday gift, wrapped in a crazy colored paper and topped with a wild bow.  They were beautiful.

I ate.  I melted inside, and all of my worries were gone... my chemistry test, gone, my heavy workload, diminished, my long list of chores, erased... well, sort of.

A clean bite.

Today?  Yeah, today's a good day.

Oatmeal Raisin Krispy Treats:  [high protein, gluten free, vegan]

(makes 9 large or 16 small treats)

Step I: (Dry Ingredients)

  90g (3 cups) Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (whole grain, fat free)

  48g (1/2 cup) Rolled Oats, old fashioned (gluten free if you like)

  13g (2 tbs) Flaxseed Meal

  1 tsp Cinnamon (I used Saigon cinnamon)

  1/16 tsp Salt

Step II: (Wet Ingredients)

  168g (1/2 cup) Brown Rice Syrup

  128g (1/2 cup) Almond Butter (raw, natural, no sugar/salt/oil added)

  1 tbs + 1 tsp Water (or rum for adults only!)

  1 tsp Vanilla Paste (or vanilla extract)

  1 tsp Hazelnut Extract (or more vanilla)

  3/4 tsp Stevia Extract**

  1/4 tsp Butter Extract (optional)

  1/4 tsp Butterscotch Extract

  1/4 tsp Maple Extract

  20 drops Almond Extract (optional)

  1/2 cup Raisins, chopped

  64g (2 scoops) Vanilla Protein Powder

Step III: (Fondant Layer)

  64g (2 scoops) Vanilla Protein Powder

  126g (6 tbs) Honey

  28g (2 tbs) Coconut Oil, soft

**I am a major sweet-tooth so I used 3/4 tsp.  If you like mildly sweet desserts, use 1/4 tsp

Feel free to add a pinch of nutmeg and cloves if you like spiced oatmeal raisin cookies, or chopped walnuts to add even more crunch.

Directions:

1.  Line a brownie pan with parchment paper both ways

2.  In a large mixing bowl, add the ingredients in Step I and mix until incorporated

3.  In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the brown rice syrup, almond butter and water and stir until mixed

4.  Then, add the vanilla paste and extracts and stir again

5.  Add the raisins and stir again.  Microwave at 15-second intervals, stirring in between each one, until the mixture becomes thinner and easier to stir (about 45 seconds to a minute total, but make sure you don't boil it or get it too hot)

6.  Put the protein powder in a small bowl, add slowly add a spoonful by spoonful to the microwaved mixture (don't dump it all in at once).  Add this mixture to the Step-I-ingredients bowl and fold carefully (it'll look like it won't come together at first but just be patient, it will!).  Scoop into the prepared brownie pan and flatten with a rubber spatula or a pastry roller (pictured below).  Refrigerate while you complete Step III

7.  From Step III, add the protein powder into a bowl.  Top with the honey and coconut oil and stir.  Once mixed into a paste/super thick frosting, bring the mixture together with the spoon to form a ball and dump onto the krispy treats.  Using a rubber spatula or pastry roller, roll the "fondant" out until it reaches the corners of the brownie pan.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then slice and chomp away  :)

Keeps for five days in the fridge, but I recommend eating the same day and the day after as the rice krispies don't maintain their crunch!

So, after spending about ten solid minutes trying to flatten the sticky matter into the brownie pan, I remembered that I bought this pastry roller just a few months ago!  And let me tell you something:  this pastry roller is not a luxury item, it is a necessity!  What would have taken me twenty minutes (yes, I'm slow), was reduced to only 30 seconds.  It spread the mound of mixture in the middle out to the edges of the pan so easily, I actually laughed.  How could I have forgotten you?!  I am in love with the thing.

MMMM