Fruit and Chocolate Breakfast Pop-Ups

To reheat these pockets of morning nutrition, place them in a toaster oven or microwave just to warm. Fruit, cheese, and chocolate offer a delicious energy source you can even take with you and eat in the car or give to the kids to eat on the bus on the way to school. The possibilities are endless.

Servings: 14
Prep and cook time: 25

Ingredients:

28 slices whole-wheat bread
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 Fuji apple, peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup quality chocolate bar shavings or cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a 3-inch-round cookie cutter, cut out the centers of each bread slice; discard scraps or use for breadcrumbs. Place half of the rounds on a baking sheet coated with DuPont™ Teflon® non-stick.

Stir together the Ricotta cheese, apple, powdered sugar, chocolate, and cinnamon. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the apple mixture onto the center of each round. Top with remaining bread rounds and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Brush the top with butter and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the pockets are golden. Reheat if not serving right away.

Gail Greco is the food editor of Carefree Cooking; a field editor for Romantic Homes magazine; and a contributor to many other publications.  She has authored more than 15 books on cooking, decorating, and home lifestyle.

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