Chocolate Peanut Butter Delights

When I was younger, my friend Ashley's mom made a version of these that I loved.  She would make these cookies and spaghetti every time we came over to play.  Eating these bring back fun memories! 

Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2/3 cup natural peanut butter, optional
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine honey, peanut butter and coconut oil, stirring until everything blends together smoothly.
3. Stir in oats, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and mix until everything is fully incorporated and coated.
4. Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to drop cookies down onto parchment-lined baking sheets, then place in freezer for at least 15 minutes to set.
5. Store in an airtight container either in the fridge or freezer (depending on how you like them) and enjoy!

Cookie Dough Bites

I made these a few weeks ago and texted Dawn that she had to try this recipe soon!  So, she made them that day because that's how we roll with cookie dough :)!  I've made them several times since and brought them today along with the Macadamia Nut Cookies to a PTF luncheon.  My friends told me they loved them and wanted the recipe - I am trusting they were honest :)!
Chew slowly because every bite is so good!

Cookie Dough Bites

1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips)

Chocolate Chip & Macadamia Nut Cookies

Chocolate Chip & Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 1/3 cup oat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp sugar (I use a combination of coconut sugar and white cane sugar but brown sugar or sucanat will also work)
1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or walnuts)
3 tbsp chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
3-5 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (use enough to get a dough like consistency)

Blondie Brownies

One of the most common questions we get when eating "clean" is, "What do you eat for dessert?"  
I do love to bake (more than cooking actually).  The trick is finding recipes that use "secret ingredients" as my 8 year old likes to say!  

You can't find healthy baked treats on a shelf at the grocery store because they are overly processed to last on the self for a VERY long time.  

sweet eating-
leanne


Blondie Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1/2 cup all natural almond butter or peanut butter

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 tbs chocolate chips - dark is preferred

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.  I use a Pampered Chef baking dish that is non-stick.
2. In a food processor, add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth.  Batter will be thick and yummy - my girls love to lick the bowl!
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. (The batter may stick to your spatula, so I like to spray my spatula with nonstick cooking spray first.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges are a tiny bit brown. The batter may look underdone, but you don’t want them to dry out!
4. Cool pan for 20 minutes.  Makes 16 blondies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe that's very easy to make and tastes good too!
I add raisins in half the batter and chocolate chips in the other half.

The Gracious Pantry Chocolate Chip Cookies

<3,
leanne

Black Bean Brownies

These decadent brownies are from Chocolate Covered Katie.  Their secret ingredient - black beans!  And, if no one told me, I would never know they were in there!  These are yummiest right out of the oven, gooey and warm.  My kids think these are the best 'Happy Friday' after school treat.  

1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained very well

3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c. quick cook oats

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. maple syrup

1/4 c. coconut oil (melt before combining with other ingredients)

2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2-2/3 c. dark chocolate chips

optional:  more chips for presentation

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in food processor.  Blend really well until smooth.  Stir in the chips, then pour into an 8x8 pan sprayed with olive oil.  Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top for presentation.  Cook brownies 15-18 minutes.  Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.  

Enjoy!

Dawn

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

I wanted to share several things I've discovered  recently that I really like!  Several of my dear friends and I often snap pictures of products, recipes, quotes, etc. that we like and send them to one another. Always fun to share the sweet findings of the world with those you care about :)
(By the way, these are in no particular order.)

Chocolate Smoothie

Chocolate Smoothie

For those of you who know Dawn & I well,  you know we LOVE.SOME.SUNSHINE!  Ya'll we text each other weekly updates on the sunshine forecast!  I seriously think I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter months.  Bentley jokes he is going to buy me one of those lights, and I truly think I just might let him next winter!

With the warmer temperatures & sunshine this week (YAY), I wanted to share one of my favorite smoothie recipes.  It's very similar to a chocolate milkshake or slushy!