A childhood inspired pocket pie for your very responsible adult athletic adventures.
Jump to RecipeThere aren’t that many different forms of snacks that fit into a pocket and travel well enough to fuel a big day of powder hunting and skiing. Cookies, date bars, slices of quickbread, biscuits…we made them all at Sister Summit. And so I felt a special pride on the morning that I made Cinnamon-Coconut Sugar Pocket Pies for the ladies at Sister Summit to load up into the snow cats with. Still warm and gooey from the oven, they were just like having a pop tart on the ride up the mountain to find their lines…only, much much better.
If you’ve been following along for a little while, you’ve come to recognize not only my love for tiny pies for pockets to fuel outdoor adventures and daily training, but you’ve also come to recognize that the things that we crave when we’re working hard are not misfired messages from our brains; they’re signals that our bodies need something specific. Most of the time, we’re craving carbohydrates and calories, which often translate to sweet-flavored cravings. Foods that have sweet flavors replenish our energy stores – specifically complex carbohydrates and glucose – stock our cells with the fuel they need to keep pushing, and help keep inflammation low, prowess high, and energy pumping through our bodies in motion. One of the best sources of sweet flavors is natural sugar in the form of evaporated cane juice or, one of my favorite sweeteners – coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than granulated white sugar, but when you swirl it with sweet, soothing cinnamon, and wrap it in a whole-grain pie crust you have a super-powered snack that will stick with you for long endurance efforts; a powerful fuel that feels like a treat.
Yep! That’s exactly what I’m suggesting you do! Don’t be intimidated by the process here – I promise, it’s easier than you think and it’s worth it! The recipe below outlines how to make my favorite whole grain pie crust and you can swap in whatever flours you love and use often. For me, I love Dry Storage whole grain, heirloom flours that are grown, milled and produced here on the Front Range of Colorado. I suggest you pick a flour purveyor and variety that is filled with nutrition and good vibes too! (Which, unfortunately, the all-purpose flour from the grocery store will be sorely lacking.)
To make these little pies, you’ll first make your crust, then roll it out and fill it. The process takes longer than ripping open a pop tart package, but you’ll be enjoying a performance treat that’s filled with whole, digestible grains, and stuff your body will actually use!
It’s of note that the recipe below is designed for lower-intensity, endurance efforts in the cold. If you’re going to be doing a higher intensity workout, you may not want as much fiber as the flours recommended here will provide. In this case, I recommend sticking with an all-purpose flour, or picking a different snack all together (these are reallly good with the whole grains!)
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