Alegría Bars

When I walk around any city in Mexico, I inevitably come across someone selling candies and other sweets on the street or in an open-air market. One of those candies is always alegrías, or puffed amaranth candy.

Alegría translates to “happiness,” which should tell you a lot about these treats. This traditional seed, nut, and honey mixture is packed with nutrients. It’s perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or mid-day snack. And, it’s adaptable to whatever you might have in your pantry.

I made this treat more nutritious and tasty with the addition of Pinole Blue original pinole mix. If you haven’t heard of pinole, it’s a toasted masa flour typically added to water or milk. It’s incredibly rich in antioxidants and protein, and sometimes flavored with cacao, honey, chía, cinnamon, vanilla, or other spices. It’s equal parts sweet, buttery, and nutty, making it a perfect addition to any drink or dessert.

There are so many things I love about Pinole Blue. Their products are USDA certified organic, a portion of their sales goes back to support the indigenous Tarahumara community in Chihuahua, and their founder, Eddie Sandoval, is a young entrepreneur making big moves!

Plus, they have a pumpkin spice blend (pictured in cup below) that I might be addicted to and would be just as delicious in these alegrías.

• 1 3/4 cups popped amaranth seed

• 1/4 cup raw, hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

• 1/4 cup raw, hulled sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

• 1/4 cup any dried fruit, like cherry or chopped apricots

• 3 tablespoons Pinole Blue Original Pinole mix

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
  

Mix all seeds, nuts, pinole, and fruit in a large bowl.

Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small saucepot, cook honey and salt over medium-high heat until honey starts foaming. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring constantly until honey mixture reaches 300F on a candy thermometer.

Remove honey from heat and add lemon juice. Pour honey mixture over seeds and nuts and stir to evenly coat with honey. This mixture starts coming together very quickly, so be sure to work quickly!

Pour mixture onto your prepared sheet pan, trying to keep mixture in center of pan, with at least 3 to 4 inches of parchment on all sides of mixture. Lift up two opposing sides of parchment, bring together towards center of mixture, and use this parchment on top of mixture to press down, compressing, and forming a rectangular slab. Do the same process with remaining two sides of parchment, to produce about a 5”x8” slab, approximately 3/4” to 1” in height.

With a knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 squares. Line bars with parchment and refrigerate in an airtight container.