This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts.

Earlier this year, I posted about The Krave which I defined as: An adult desire for food that society deems suitable for children.  At the top of my “kraving” list were Pop-Tarts.  In fact, I often fight Noah (12) and Chase (10) for the last Pop-Tarts package in the box.  They know they are delicious; I know they are delicious and a healthy option. More than three decades after I was first introduced to Pop-Tarts, my kids are enjoying them as much as I did as a child– and still do as a 41 year old wife and mom.  Pop-Tarts are more than a delicious breakfast option in my family; they are a tradition.  So when I was given the opportunity to review Kellogg’s™ Pop-Tarts™ Sprinklings™ with fellow bloggers, I jumped at the chance!

For me tradition begs the questions:  Why would we ever vary from the original?  Why fix something that isn’t broken?  Should we mess with perfection?  After all, a plain Pop-Tart toasted to warm and yummy goodness with a glass of milk in the morning is pretty unbeatable. Could we create something even better than the original?  

I was skeptical.

So I brought the question to my favorite chef — husband Dave — who is far more sophisticated in the culinary arts than me.  Then, just to make it more interesting, I asked my dear friend, fellow working Mom, and kitchen queen extraordinaire Mo, if she would like to join in the fun – creating a Pop-Tart Bake-Off Smack Down.  Let’s meet the chef’s

Dave

Mo

The challenge was to create a Pop-Tart inspired treat that the kids enjoyed eating more than a plain delicious Pop-Tart straight out of the box.  With the Fourth of July approaching, both chefs were tasked with creating a treat that could taken to a family barbeque and served to everyone, including the grown ups (who I know would be transported into a state of nostalgia with the very first bite.)  The key ingredient had to be Pop-Tarts® Ice Cream Shoppe™ Frosted Vanilla Milkshake pastries.  It also had to be easy to make because we all work full time and don’t have hours to kill in the kitchen.  And, of course, it must be fun to eat. 

I have to say that our contestants rose to the challenge:  Here are the two recipes:

Introducing…..

Mo’s Pop-Tart Liberty Lasagna

Total time to prepare:  25 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Prepare pudding as directed for pie filling.  Add 20 drops of red food dye.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes
  2. In 7X11 glass casserole dish, layer four Pop-Tarts, covering bottom of dish
  3. Spread two cups of strawberries over Pop-Tarts evenly
  4. Spread pudding mix evenly over strawberries
  5. Add 4 more Pop-Tarts
  6. Add 20 drops blue food coloring to butter cream icing and spread over top
  7. Add sprinkles
  8. Refrigerate for ½ hour
  9. Cut and serve

Serves 8-12

Presenting…

Dave’s Nutty for Pop-Tarts

Total time to prepare:  10 minutes

Ingredients Per Sandwich

Directions

  1. Spread the bottom of one side of Pop-Tart with peanut butter and the other Pop-Tart bottom with the hazel nut spread.
  2. Put together as a sandwich. Place flat on serving dish.
  3. Drizzle magic shell or chocolate fudge on top.
  4. Sprinkle with crushed nuts and sprinkles
  5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
  6. Cut in triangles and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Serves: 2-4 per sandwich

And the results? 

MoB Kid Noah

MoB Kid Chase

Mo’s Son Ben

Lucky Friend Ian

The kids loved both creations, and so did the grown-ups. We all agreed that the Liberty Lasagna was more fun and young – and the Nutty for Pop-Tarts was suitable for a more mature crowd.  Maybe even a future dinner party?  The only person who lost this competition was me.  I was wrong – you CAN improve on tradition.

What a blast!  We have scheduled the next bake-off for Back-to-School in September.  It seems like we might have started a new tradition for both our families — using the delicious tried and true foods we all know and love in fresh new ways.  Doing so guarantees we all stay fun, young, and healthy at heart.

Find other delicious recipes using all kinds of Pop-Tarts here.

Want to win a $100 Visa gift card from BlogHer?  Share a comment here about enjoying favorite foods from your childhood with family and friends today.  Do you prefer to stay traditional or do you look for news twists on old favorites?  One entry per post and winners will be randomly selected in the coming weeks.
 
There are 9 other chances to win — check out the other blogger reveiews here.
BlogHer.com special offers page
Official rules for the Pop-Tarts Sweepstakes are here. 

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