smores

we had a wonderful camping trip in michigan last week. we were in empire, near sleeping bear dunes. we ate like beasts. who gains weight on a camping trip? my weakness was nightly smores. -no, not one.. or two.. sometimes more than three. what? it’s vacation. i used my homemade marshmallows, homemade graham crackers, and a fatty smear of nutella. i can’t describe how incredible these were. it’s not even worth trying to tell, just believe me. i wasn’t sure how these would do in the fire. they were just a tad more delicate and toasted much faster than a store bought marshmallow, so we had to keep our eyes on them that they wouldn’t drip into the fire. oh, and the trick to a good smore is a black marshmallow, by the way.

honey graham crackers

a few days ago i posted my recipe for marshmallows, mentioning that they were made for the sole purpose of smoring. well, today i invented a fabulous graham cracker recipe that will not be one-upped by Honey Maid or Keebler. those elves can have their crackers.

i had been searching the virtual world for a cracker recipe that didn’t use almond flour as the main ingredient. i knew that they would turn out too delicate and crumbly. so i used a recipe i had for coconut flour linzer cookies. i did throw in a 1/2 cup almond flour for added “grahammyness”, and thank goodness i did because they are a dead ringer for the boxed version.

i can’t wait to smore the heck out of these next weekend. and no, i don’t have a recipe for home made nutella. i’m using the jar i bought at target. i’ve done enough already, people!

this recipe makes about 20 crackers. i’ll do the math for you: that’s 10 smore sandwiches, or 20 open-face smores.

oh, and smores are best consumed using burnt to black marshmallows. discuss.

honey graham crackers

ingredients:

1 3/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup room temp butter

1/4 cup solid coconut oil (or more butter)

1/4 cup sugar (more if you like)

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp vanilla

3 eggs

method: preheat oven to 350f. spread some butter onto 2 cookie sheets. stick parchment paper to cookie sheets.

whisk together all dry ingredients, except for the sugar.

using stand mixer, cream butter, coconut oil, and sugar together. add vanilla and honey, then eggs one at a time until mostly combined.

1n 3 or 4 increments, add dry ingredients into butter mixture until well combined. here is where you taste the mixture to see if you should be adding more sweeteners. if the mixture is a little crumbly, no matter, it’ll all roll out well in the end. if you feel you need to, adding honey or a little extra oil will help a little.

divide mixture, yes somewhat dry and crumbly, among the 2 cookie sheets. place wax paper on top and roll flat. remove wax paper. repeat with other cookie sheet.

use pizza cutter to cut into crackers. you could score them with a fork, too, so they bake evenly. (nope, not just for looks!)

bake for 10 minutes, rotating halfway through so they don’t get too brown. these will be easy to over bake because they don’t get very golden brown.

just after you pull them out, cut through them again to separate the crackers before gently moving them to cooling racks (i used an icing spatula for delicate removal.)

let ‘em cool before smoring them. they’re tasty warm, though!

cherry cobbler

new and improved! well, the improvement is in the variation. i bought what some may consider a surplus of traverse city dark cherries. some may argue that these are “eatin” cherries, not meant to be baked, sweetened, seasoned, cooked, or put with anything else. they are meant to be enjoyed as is, sweet and juicy on their own, without messing with a good thing.

i will argue back that i can do what i want with my cherries, and i’m glad i did. i didn’t add any sugar to the cherries when i threw them in. the only preparation they required was pitting… an hour of messy, slippery, red-stained pitting. it was actually really therapeutic. i used about 2 1/2 cups pitted, whole cherries.

anyhow, this is the same as my blueberry cobbler for the most part. the only difference is that per brian’s request, we added an extra tbsp of coconut flour so it wasn’t so “sloppy”. i am of the school that a cobbler should be very sloppy, saucy, drippy, even wet. what really counts is that the top pastry of the cobbler is spongy and ready to soak up the fruityness. adding the extra tbsp of coconut flour did the trick, though i think it turned out more like a cake or boyfriend bait than anything else. i’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you’d like a saucy bottom or a cakey one. again, i prefer the saucy bottom.

we threw a big thud of whipped cream on top, and called it dessert. delicious, sweet, addictive dessert.

do you know how to make whipped cream? you get some heavy cream or whipping cream, add sweetener, i use honey, to your taste, pour it all into a cold bowl (put it in the freezer for 10 minutes) and whip with either electric mixer or by hand. viola.

cherry cobbler

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour (sifted)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup room temp butter

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups or more pitted cherries (if using frozen, do not thaw)

1/4 cup sugar for sprinkling on top of cobbler

method: preheat oven to 350f. butter a 9×9 glass baking dish. position one rack in center of oven, and the other rack at the second from the top.

with mixer, cream together butter and sugar until well mixed.

once batter is well combined and fluffy, add milk, vanilla, and almond extract (if using it) at a low-speed. add eggs, a few at a time, and let it slowly mix.

combine all dry ingredients together.

add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. mix until all ingredients are well combined.

layer some of the batter into the bottom of the prepped dish. i use 1/3 of the batter for this part.

throw the cherries on top, gently pressing them into the batter.

spread the rest of the batter on top. use rubber spatula to press the batter into the nooks and crannies of the cherries.

sprinkle sugar evenly on top. i use a combo of large grain sugar and regular fine grain sugar.

bake for 30 minutes, then carefully move to the high rack. don’t let it jiggle too much!

continue to bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is crusty and brown.

pull it out of the oven and let it cool for a while. don’t cover, the top will get a little soggy.

*cook’s note: i made peach cobbler this weekend using the same recipe. i cut up 6 super ripe peaches, and it was the perfect amount. this turns out much more juicy than berries do, since more of the juicy part of the fruit is exposed. it was delicious. i prefer it to any other cobbler i’ve had yet.

blueberry cobbler

sparkley blueberry cobbler

my husband and i have been planning on going to a camp-away night at a friend’s to celebrate the 4th of july. fireworks, burgers, drinks, swimming,.. you get the point. i had been so excited at the idea of sleeping in our new tent and relaxing with a few glasses of wine that it caught me completely off guard when he asked me “what do you want to take?”… to anyone out there who knows me, you know how excited at the prospect of this question i get. “what i should bring” is ALWAYS on my mind! even when i don’t have any social events planned! i have a list of desserts just waiting to answer this question, they are the tricks up my sleeve. so normally, i have a very fast answer, and usually it is something very well planned out.

this time, it had escaped me at all that i would even have the opportunity to bring something. i had one day to come up with something! what sick excitement washed over me!

brian wanted something “american”. i believe what he meant to say was patriotic, or at least maybe he meant in the color theme of our nation’s flag. instantly, we spouted out things like “strawberry! blackberry! blueberry!”. after deliberating, we decided that the blueberries that brian’s coworker had been bringing us would be the perfect star for our sweet treat. (we asked her for 2 cups, she gave us 7 cups!) what’s more american than a blue dessert? traditionally speaking, a pie would be the most appropriate thing to make for the 4th. but this is america, and i can do what i want. so i made cobbler.

i sprinkled the top with sugar to form a nice crunchy crust on top of the berries. the base is sweet, buttery & soft, with a wonderful nutty flavor to accentuate the blueberries. the blueberries are both pressed into the base and sprinkled on top of the dessert, creating thick layers of tender, sweet amazingness… all topped with a sugar crust. the top is nice and crunchy, the inside is moist and cakey, studded with bursting berries. use a pinch less milk in the batter if you prefer a less moist cobbler. i begin this in the center rack, then finish at the top rack of my oven to get a nice crispy top.

this cobbler is irresistable. the ingredients are staples in every gluten-free kitchen, so you are likely to have everything already. this is a simple recipe to follow, with nutritious ingredients. also, it is delicious. if you really care about your friends and family, you will rush to make this before the weekend is through!

i would love to see some different variations on this cobbler with different fruits. any fruit would be wonderful here, but i think peach and cherry will be something special to look forward to as the summer moves along. a pinch of ginger would be great mixed in with the fruit to brighten it up a bit, too!

sneak...

blueberry cobbler

serves 9-12.. or 1..

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour (sifted)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup- 1 full cup sugar, pending taste

3/4 cup room temp butter

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups fresh blueberries -washed, dried, and set aside

1/4 cup sugar to top blueberries

method: preheat oven to 350f. butter a 9×9 glass baking dish. position one rack in center of oven, and the other rack at the second from the top.

with mixer, cream together butter and sugar until well mixed.

once batter is well combined and fluffy, add milk, vanilla, and almond extract (if using it) at a low-speed. add eggs, a few at a time, and let it slowly mix.

combine all dry ingredients together.

add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. mix until all ingredients are well combined.

pour 3/4 batter into prepped baking dish. sprinkle most of the blueberries on the batter, pressing them down into the batter.

pour remaining batter on top of the blueberries, then spread the rest of the blueberries on top of that. sprinkle sugar evenly over berries and batter.

bake for 30 minutes, then carefully move to the high rack. don’t let it jiggle too much!

continue to bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is crusty brown and edges pull away from sides slightly.

let it cool for a bit before scooping a huge piece out. this would be great with some vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

cook’s notes:

1. here is a secret that no one knows: i demolished this. i mean, i ate almost a third of it. we took it to a party, and no one could figure out where it all went so quickly. it was all blamed on this nice woman who was standing over it in the kitchen with a big spoon, exclaiming “i’m in heaven, oh god”… i said “she must have eaten it all.” she didn’t. i slinked away with my empty plate, my teeth stained blue. i ate 1/3 of it, and i’m not sorry.

2. i took this to my parent’s house this weekend, and my dad asked me if i used yellow cake mix….? i think that’s a compliment?..?…

4 day brownies

i almost didn't get a picture because i was eating it too fast.. almost gone....

whoever made famous the rule “brownies are best the second day” is a liar. brownies, it is now proven, are best to be eaten 4 days after baking.

i made almond toffee brownies as dessert for memorial day, and served them with honey & vanilla coconut creme. it was a delicious dessert, layered parfait-style in clear cups. but when i re-indulged a few days later, after the brownies had time to “age”, and the creme thickened quite a bit into more of a marshmallow fluff, i discovered that time is the key to flavor here. on the 4th day, i wrapped a brownie in foil and heated it up in the oven for 5 minutes at 350f. then i poured a stupid amount of icy cold marshmallow creme on top, then a little whipped cream… what? it would have all gone to waste if i didn’t eat it up.

this recipe for brownies is quite tasty, and i used brown sugar here to make them slightly sticky and stiff, like toffee. this recipe was adapted from several almond butter based recipes i found online. feel free to make it yours by playing around with it. -and don’t forget to let them sit for a few days, though they are quite amazing straight out of the oven.

oh, and as a side note, these are NOT a cakey brownie recipe. i don’t do cakey brownies. these are serious.

we use glass to bake with because we can keep an eye on the bottom. burnt nut-based baked goods are thoroughly icky.

toffee almond brownies

ingredients

1 jar (16 oz) of raw crunchy almond butter

1 cup honey

6 tbsp brown sugar, or more to taste

1 tbsp vanilla extract or scraping from a bean

1/4 tsp almond extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder (sift it if it’s lumpy)

1 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup or more chopped or slivered almonds

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

method: grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. preheat oven to 325f and place racks in center of oven.

mix together all wet ingredients. i used my stand mixer for this.

whisk all dry ingredients, excluding the chips and the almonds, together.

mix the wet and dry ingredients until well blended. mix the chocolate and nuts in by hand until just blended. taste the batter. big spoonful here, people. is it sweet enough? if not, add more honey. do you want more nuts? add them now. now is the time to perfect your brownies. remember, the brown sugar won’t come through in flavor until it bakes, so add sweetener with caution.

pour into prepped glass pan. bake for 30-40 minutes. the sides may get dark before everything else, just be sure they don’t burn. under baking these is safer than burning them. they will just be nice and sticky.

remove from oven and cool. i let mine cool for a full day before even slicing.

TIP: if you like a really moist brownie, like myself, make a foil lid and let them cool and store with lid on. it will keep the moisture in.

once they’ve set for the appropriate amount of time, serve warm or at room temp with coconut creme or whipped cream. or both if you can’t decide.

coconut creme

ingredients

1 can coconut milk (not lite)

few tbsp honey

scraping from vanilla bean or 1 tbsp extract

method: whisk all ingredients together until very well blended. chill for a few hours and pour on everything. also makes a wonderful ice cream recipe (you’re welcome).

sour lemon bars

my parents came to our new home for dinner last weekend. it was the first time we had entertained since moving in, and it went quite well! the plan was to keep food simple so we could focus on the visit. brian and dad had some yard work to do because we had a huge branch snap off of a peach tree. it was sad seeing a hundred or so peaches go to waste like that. it appears as though there will be plenty more later on this summer, though. the tiny grape sized fruits are already starting to blush from bright green to light yellow.

shrimp, asparagus, mushrooms, and potatoes

after the dudes were done playing with the saw in the back yard, we got on with the dinner. i made sautéed giant shrimp, mushrooms, and asparagus and  with a lemon pecorino sauce served over crispy roasted potatoes and bacon. it was delicious. in fact, it was so delicious i wish i were eating it right now.

for dessert i wanted to make something equally seasonal and fresh flavored, so i went with lemon bars. the recipe is based on one i found a few months ago on this website, which i visit daily. it had been on my mind for a few months now, but i knew i wanted to wait until spring for this fruity, sour treat. they were amazing, and super easy to make. the cookie crust was slightly lemony with a sweet, just nutty crunch. the lemon curd was perfect, and i can not brag enough about how well it turned out. all of the feedback i got was more than positive, except for my friend josh who announced that they were “lemony beyond lemony”, which could actually be a compliment by his standards.

this recipe is based on the one on nourishing gourmet. i did alter it, and the recipe shown below reflects my changes.

these are very user-friendly, so don’t let the curd scare you off. i would think anyone would have all of these ingredients on hand, and i’m certain the recipe could be toyed around with for fun and fancy versions.. i’m thinking strawberry curd? crumb topping? roll with it, people.

the curd should be made after the base is cooling, otherwise the curd will soak into the base.

sour lemon curd on a sweet cookie base

sour lemon bars

ingredients for the bars:

1 cup almonds

1 cup cashews

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup melted  coconut oil (butter could be used)

2 eggs

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp lemon zest

method:

preheat oven to 400f. place racks in center of oven. prep 9 x 9 glass baking dish by coating with butter or oil.

combine melted coconut oil, honey, eggs, and zest in a large bowl with a whisk until well combined.

in food processor, combine nuts and salt together until they form a dry, crunchy flour. not too long, or you will form a nut butter.

add in liquid ingredients and pulse a few times until it is just combined. don’t forget to scrape the bottom of the processor bowl to blend in any ingredients that may cling to it.

pour batter into baking dish, bake for 12-18 minutes. -until edges become golden brown. i like to use clear glass when baking so i can watch the bottom for burning, too. a toothpick inserted into the center should come out fairly clean with a few crumbs sticking to it.

cool for at least a few hours before pouring in curd.

ingredients for the curd:

3 eggs

1/3 cup honey

zest of one organic lemon

1/2 cup of lemon juice

6 tbsp coconut oil or butter

method:

whisk first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat, until light in color. remember, you don’t want to be making scrambled eggs here, so low and slow is the key here.

add coconut oil, whisk for a few seconds until melted, then whisk in lemon juice.

cook over medium heat whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and a few bubbles rise from the mixture.

remove from heat immediately after you see your first few bubbles, and pour through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, pushing mixture through. discard pulp in sieve.

stir the curd that is now in the bowl. allow it to cool for just a few minutes before pouring over cooled lemon bars.

let it all sit in the fridge for a few hours to set up. cut into bars. you can make many, or a few. i served them huge for my family, then cut the leftovers into itsy-bitsies to serve them at a party the next day.

curd will get stiff in the cold, but will gel pretty soon after sitting at room temp for a while. -so be careful with how you store them. they taste best straight out of the refrigerator, but are amazing any way you serve them. i declare that they would make an excellent, healthy breakfast choice.

making whoopie! (pies)

whoopie!

here i am… back to the midwest. back to the smaller town with a slower life. all in all, i’m really loving being back. i was unfairly dreading it as it approached, but now that it’s here, i feel like i’m on vacation. aside from 3 boxes, we’re all unpacked into our apartment, which is much larger than the one we moved out of. the cats are loving the space, but not the hardwood floors. when they finally get a good running start, they end up slamming into a wall. it is quite laughable. poor kitties. we are only in this apartment temporarily, while the final details go into the purchase of our first home in grand rapids, ohio. keep your fingers crossed for us! we would have a small patch of grass as a back yard, a river a few blocks away, and an apple-butter festival in the fall. the house is exactly what brian and i pictured ourselves in. the neighborhood is quiet, but not too isolated. what fun is ahead of us!

for brian’s birthday, which was also st. patrick’s day, we celebrated with the traditional meal of corned beef, cabbage, and roots. he said he had never eaten it before! i didn’t believe him, but he swears by it. good thing he liked it, we have pounds and pounds left. it was mighty tasty, and so have been the leftovers… and will be for the next week! we bought our brisket from the little market down the street, which has a nice selection of locally raised meats. their bacon is probably the best i’ve ever had.

corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and turnips

i offered to make him any cake he wanted for his birthday, but he did not want cake. no, nothing quite that simple. my brian wanted whoopie pies. why not? it’s his birthday! brian loves carrot cake, and what a wonderful thing to love in march. carrots are in abundance, and their bright color and flavor reminds us that spring is on its way. carrot cake whoopie pies it is!

they turned out quite lovely. i used this recipe as a base, and added things as i went along to make it into what we wanted. i ended up modifying it to such an amount that it did turn into a completely different recipe. so i am publishing the recipe as i made it, not as comfy belly published it. these, for the most part, were exactly what i was expecting: sticky, cakey, spiced, sweet cookies with a tangy and sweet cream cheese filling. these are fairly nutrient dense, too. made with almond flour, they are packed with protein, healthy fat, low in carbs, and studded with healthy carrots, sweet raisins, and walnuts. i might use less honey next time to let the raisins and carrots do more of the sweetening. i could almost categorize these under “breakfast”, but i won’t push it. i will probably be making these for my dad’s birthday next year, because they are such a welcome change from the usual cake. they are a little more casual than a birthday cake, and though they are very filling, they aren’t overwhelming like a fat slice of cake. i was able to shove 2 in my mouth for dessert within 5 minutes. no, we didn’t have a contest, i was just in the mood to be a glutton. no biggie.

sky high whoopie pie

this recipe makes 2 dozen assembled whoopie pies.

i’m certain it could be cut in half successfully.

carrot cake whoopie pies

4 cups almond flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2-2 cups honey

4 eggs

2 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

preheat oven to 350f. prep cookie sheets with parchment paper. do not, i repeat, DO NOT use a silpat. trust me on this one. just don’t.

place racks in middle of oven.

combine almond flour, spices, and baking soda in large bowl. combine eggs, vanilla, and honey in separate bowl. carrots, walnuts, and raisins can be combined separately in another bowl.

mix wet ingredients with dry until well combined. stir in carrot mixture. if batter seems a little loose, you can add 1/4 more almond flour until it tightens up, or stir in 3-5 tbsp coconut flour.

drop batter by the tablespoon onto cookie sheets, quite a few inches apart. they spread out a lot.

bake for 15 minutes. let them cool slightly on sheet before transferring to wire rack. letting them cool on the wire rack is what helps them stiffen up. otherwise, they will remain too cakey for spreading the frosting, or even for handling.

once all the cookies are cooled, spread frosting and store in the refrigerator. the cookies are pretty delicate and will stick to each other, so i recommend using sheets of wax paper to separate, or do what i did and wrap individually with plastic wrap.

cream cheese frosting (enough for all 24 pies)

2 blocks room temp cream cheese (no, not reduced fat)

1/3 cup honey

2 tbsp vanilla

with either hand mixer or stand mixer, whip all 3 ingredients together. i like mine pretty fluffy. spread on cookies (or a cake!)

the original recipe on comfy belly uses a marshmallow filling, which is most delicious. however, i felt that the cream cheese filling was more appropriate for the carrot cake version. also, the marshmallow filling is made from egg whites, so it has to be eaten quickly after using as it dissolves a few hours after being made. it is very tasty, though, and i have used and loved it on cupcakes before. check it out!

almond butter chocolate chip cookies

this is a really easy recipe for those of you who may be intimidated by making “healthy” home-made cookies. -i find the ingredients list ridiculuoulsy simple compared to most other “special diets” recipes.

the basics are inspired by a recipe that i found in clean eating magazine, which i adore (thanks to sean pm and loring for the subscription!). i was truly driven by making flourless cookies, and i dove in as hard as i could to the task. once i saw that it could be done, i had to do it, and do it my way.

i really wanted to use brown sugar in this recipe to give them a nice “chew”. i like to substitute half the sugar in this recipe for brown sugar. i believe very strongly in many things, and one of those things is that brown sugar gives baked goods a deep, dark taste and lends exactly the right amount of moisture. -the reason i believe in this so strongly is because my grandmother said so, and she is always right.

my coworkers loved these cookies. i boxed these cookies up as valentines for them. -they can be pretty hard to impress, and i think they pretty much polished off their boxes the same day they received them. this had never happened before. normally, only giant eagle brownies or pepridge farms cookies can entice, but the cookies pulled through!

the finished cookie, once cooled, is crisp and crumbly. the edges slightly brown, the center soft and chewy. i was delighted at the light, crisp snap they gave as i bit into them, just like an amaretti or macaroon, and delighted also with the natural sweetness from the almonds.

this recipe is highly adaptable. feel free to adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste. dried cherries or cranberries would be wonderful in this cookie, as would any nut subbed in for the almonds, like walnuts, pecans, or hazels. i like to add a half tsp of almond extract to these cookies, because i love the flavor so much. i like to use MaraNatha brand creamy raw almond butter. You can find this at squeakers in downtown bowling green, or most any grocery store. i have to add here that for a cookie, these rank pretty high not only in the delicious category, but also in the healthy category. -just over 100 cals per cookie, 4gm of protein, and fat from the heart healthy source, almonds.

i swear on a holy bible: this is my new “go to” cookie recipe.

i’m sorry for all of the horn-tooting, but i can’t speak highly enough about this easy, addictive cookie! enjoy!

valentines

almond butter chocolate chip cookies

(yields about 20 cookies)

1 cup almond butter (stir well before using)

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

method:

preheat oven to 350f. line baking sheets with parchment paper. racks should be in center of oven.

in medium bowl (i like to use a mixer because i am lazy), stir together the first 6 ingredients until blended.

stir in chocolate and almonds until just incorporated. there may be a bit of oil at the bottom of the bowl. -no worries, this is just the almond oil seeping out. when they bake, most of it stays on the parchament.

form dough into tablespoon sized balls (i like to roll them in my palms), and drop onto prepared cookie sheets a few inches apart. squish down slightly, but do not flatten. they will spread.

bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.

let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet to set up. they will be quite crumbly and delicate for 5 minutes or so after they come out, so it is important to be patient when letting them cool on the cookie sheets. transfer to cooling racks.

you can store these in an airtight container in a cool place for a few days. they are best the same day or day after, while they are still crispy. i like to spread ice cream or whipped cream between them.

peanut butter & honey chocolate crispies

during last weekend’s snow storm, i noted several open boxes of cereal in our cupboard. one box of grape nuts, and one of crispy brown rice cereal (rice krispies). back when i was on the wheat wagon, i would eat these cereals like it were no one’s business. especially the grape nuts. i love them with a drop of honey swirled in. but now that i’m not eating grains, and can’t seem to force brian into liking these cereals enough to gobble them up, it was up to me to disguise them into something that he would eat. i didn’t want to go to the store to buy any ingredients, i just used up whatever i had. first i had to get rid of the crispy brown rice cereal.  what else would i make? the answer was obvious: rice crispy treats. duh. everyone loves them. even me. after they were finished, i ate them. yes, i did eat them. i didn’t feel too crummy afterward, but i won’t be “cheating” again anytime soon. i’m glad i did, though, for something that was sooo tasty, and relatively harmless! they were chewy and crisp… perfect peanut butter to chocolate ratio. i loved the taste of honey in these, too. peanut butter and honey are a combination that really reminds me of my childhood. (dad used to make peanut butter and honey toast for us for breakfast.) honey is a little lower GI than sugar, anyway.

to make these vegan, you could use maple syrup or brown rice syrup instead of honey, but i’ve excluded the use of marshmallows completely from this recipe. i think marshmallows are kinda icky. add more sweetener if you like, i wanted the peanut butter to take center stage in the flavor department, so these aren’t over the top sweet. this is a very flexible “recipe” that could be experamented with fairly easily. almond butter instead of peanut butter, more or less cereal, different kind of cereal… you get the idea.

here is a recipe of what i threw together. -you probably have everything in your cupboard already!

ingredients:

5 or so cups crispy rice cereal

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup honey

1/2 cup chocolate chips

method:

prep 9×9″ metal or glass pan. i cut a square of parchment for the bottom, and buttered the sides for easy release.

over medium heat, melt together honey and peanut butter, stirring. let it come to a slight bubbly simmer for 2-3 minutes, being careful to not let it burn. mixture will pull away from the bottom and sides of the sauce pan a little when it is ready.

pour hot mixture into large bowl with the cereal in it. stir to combine completely. add in chocolate chips, stir briefly, and dump mixture into pan. press uniformly into pan. i put baggies on my hands, as this was a particularly sticky project to undertake.

cool in the fridge for an hour or so, until nice and stiff. run thin knife around sides of pan to release, then turn upside down to get ‘em out. cut into squares….. or use a heart-shaped cookie cutter.

yum!

cranberry-bliz-barz

everyone loves the corner piece

my dad *LOVES* starbuck’s cranberry bliss bars. i think he looks forward to the colder winter months just because he knows he can only buy these special treats seasonally. people love these things! (i’m convinced they put crack in them..) i’ve eaten one before, a few years back. i really enjoyed it, i remember exactly what it tastes like, and i can appreciate the flavors that make it desirable. -of course, we all know about my deeply rooted disapproval of buying mass-produced “pastry” and baked “goods” (i used the quotations to implicate my snobbery). i find no unique quality to things that come from a box, no “personal touch”, nothing special, no variety, which is the spice of life. -i find these things very important when indulging in something decadent. the way i see it, if you’re gonna eat something indulgent, make it something special.

since my quest for cracking all grain-laiden baked goods continues with full force, it only took me a few days to wrap my head around how to do this. -how would i make a grain free version of this cranberry bliss bar i keep hearing so much about?, -this seasonal treat that seems so special to my dad… i made these for his birthday, and gave them to him last weekend. i could tell that they were addictive because half the batch disappeared after the first few hours they were given to him. they are not a replica of the bliss bar, just inspired by them. yes, these are a much healthier version. about 250 cals and 5 gm protein per bar, loaded with good fats from the almonds, and using no refined sugars..  -much, much, much healthier, but that is not the point here.

the point is this:

these are delicious. they are a slightly stickier, cake-like version of the bliss bar. -the bliss bar is sort of cookie like in comparison. studded with cranberries and candied ginger, they are not unlike gingerbread. i made the cake base with almond butter instead of a wheat based shortbread. as they came out of the oven, i could not resist the warm crumbs that broke away from the sides of the pan when i was slicing them. -brian and i happily snatched up the cribbly bits that stuck to the knife. make these with caution: you will eat all of them before they even make it to the frosting stage. i am very pleased with the way they turned out. again, i wasn’t looking for a replica here. just a unique version, with my own personal touch, something special for my dad.

since i wouldn’t want to impose on starbucks appropriately naming theirs the “cranberry bliss bar”, i’ve cleverly named my bars similarly, but slightly misspelled. see how i did that? see? aren’t i clever?

cranberry-bliz-barz

makes roughly 20 bars

bar ingredients:

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp dried ginger

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 16oz. jar almond butter*

1 cup honey

2 eggs

1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

for the frosting & topping:

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

zest half of a lemon

white chocolate chips (optional)

method for bars:

preheat oven to 325f. grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pyrex baking dish.

whisk together baking soda, salt, ginger, and set aside. separately, mix together almond butter, vanilla, eggs, & honey. combine these 2 mixtures. stir in cranberries and ginger. do not over mix.

pour into baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes. remove from oven, and cool in pan for at least an hour (several hours would be ideal, if you can stand to wait) before carefully cutting into squares and triangels -i sliced mine diagonally and every which way but loose.

method for frosting & topping:

whip honey, cream cheese, and vanilla until it’s well combined and kinda fluffy.

spread over bars. sprinkle cranberries, zest, and white chocolate chips over the tops of the bars.

these can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or so, and on the counter top for a matter of hours before they get eaten up!

*if you want your bars a little lighter-colored, use raw (non-roasted) almond butter.