quarantine cooking: vegetarian sloppy joes

we've made a lot of yummy recipes during quarantine.  recently we made my mom's sloppy joe recipe vegetarian and it was so good.  it was extra enjoyable with homemade chips out on the back screen porch!

love, laurie

mini chocolate raspberry dutch babies

it's been a long time since we've made a dutch baby for breakfast (here and here).  we're pancake lovers, and that includes puffed pancakes baked in the oven.  one of our favorite local restaurants makes crazy flavors of cast-iron skillet dutch babies.  i saw on facebook that they were advertising a raspberry dutch baby with chocolate chips for valentine's day, and it inspired me to make my own version.

we used our mini cast-iron skillets which made cute little individual portions.  dutch babies are so easy because you mix all of the ingredients together, pour the batter into the hot skillets, and then let the oven do all of the work. 

we enjoyed ours with a dollop of vanilla yogurt on top along with some warm maple syrup!

mini chocolate raspberry dutch babies
prep time: 5 minutes
baking time: 20-25 minutes
yields: 4 servings

ingredients:
1 tablespoon salted butter, divided
4 eggs
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup raspberries

directions:
preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  divide the butter between 4 mini cast-iron skillets and place the skillets in the oven while it preheats to melt the butter.  meanwhile, beat the eggs with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.  mix in the milk and vanilla.  beat in the sugar, flour, and cocoa powder until completely combined.

remove the skillets from the oven and swirl the butter around to evenly coat the inside of the skillet.  divide the batter between the skillets.  place the raspberries in the batter and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and cooked throughout.

serve warm with yogurt and/or maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

choco-nut coffee frappe

i may have mentioned before that i worked as a barista at a local cafe for 4 years during grad school and part of doctoral school.  one of the things i loved doing was experimenting with different frappe flavors, and i still like doing this at home.

when i have free time, i like to brew a large batch of my favorite decaf coffee and put it in the fridge for myself for quick-access iced coffee.  i brewed a large batch last weekend since i knew i had a busy week in the theater and at the pavilion.

i often whip together a drink when i'm running out the door, so i don't have time to snap a photo.  however, one evening last week when i had a few free moments at home, i used some of the brewed cold coffee for a frappe.  i grabbed what i had on hand in the kitchen to make a delicious frappe treat.  this frappe combines chocolate, peanut butter, and almond for a great choco-nut flavor!

choco-nut coffee frappe
total time: 5 minutes
yields: 1 large smoothie

ingredients:
1 cup cold coffee
2 teaspoons half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons natural chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 tablespoon powered peanut butter
6-8 ice cubes

directions:
blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth

enjoy!

love, laurie

chocolate swirl marbled banana bread

we've made many loaves of banana bread over the years.  we've made traditional banana walnut bread, and we've switched it up by adding other things in (peanut butter banana bread and chocolate chip banana bread) but we've never marbled banana bread.

we've made marbled cakes and love them because the swirl pattern is always so pretty and because you don't have to choose between vanilla and chocolate cake since you get both!

we had some bananas on the kitchen counter that took some abuse from the recent high heat and humidity.  i took one off the banana tree for a smoothie and the others fell right off because their peels were so ripe.  oops!  i couldn't let those bananas sit with open peels, so i had to drop what i was doing and make something with them.

i wanted to make something a bit different than a traditional banana bread, and after just a few moments of searching banana bread images on pinterest, i came across a marbled banana bread and was intrigued.

this recipe is so easy.  it's a simple base banana bread recipe that takes half of the batter and adds melted chocolate in order to make two contrasting colored batters.  since chocolate and banana are two flavors that go great together, these two batters marbled together give this bread a great flavor!

chocolate swirl marbled banana bread
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 55 minutes
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from just a taste

ingredients:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons melted coconut oil, cooled
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup granulated white sugar

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips for 30-second increments, stirring between until smooth.  set aside to cool.

in a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla.  beat with an electric hand mixer to combine.  add the flour, baking soda, and sugar.  beat just until combined.  remove half of the batter and place it in a separate bowl.  fold the melted chocolate into one half of the batter.

grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper.  fill the loaf pan with alternating scoops of the banana batter and the chocolate batter.  use a knife to gently swirl the batters together for a marbled look.  bake for 55 minutes until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.  allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

key lime pie pancakes

the last time i shared a pancake recipe was 11 months ago!  wow, that's crazy to me.  don't go thinking that we haven't been making pancakes for the better part of a year.  we have certainly made and eaten more than our fair share, but they always get gobbled up so fast there's no time to snap a quick photo!

on sunday morning i was scrolling through pinterest and found a recipe for key lime pie pancakes.  since i had just bought a lime at the grocery store two days before, i knew what i had to make for breakfast that morning!

we're big fans of key lime pie and making that classic dessert into pancake form was a genius move!  these pancakes have all the flavor of key lime pie and have such a great texture.  the recipe made a little more than we could eat, so it's nice to know there are a few more waiting in the fridge for us (but don't expect them to be in the fridge for long)!

key lime pie pancakes
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 10 minutes
yields 3-4 servings
adapted from peas and crayons

ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened and unflavored almond milk
6 oz. plain greek yogurt
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 graham crackers, crushed into a fine flour
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 large eggs

directions:
in a bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, and lime juice.  whisk well and set aside.  in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, crushed graham crackers, sugar, and lime zest.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the oil and eggs.  whisk well until no lumps remain.

heat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan on medium heat.  pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake.  cook 3-4 minutes until small bubbles begin to form.  flip the pancakes when they start to bubble, they cook for 3 minutes on the other side until they are golden brown and cooked throughout.  serve warm, topped with additional lime zest, whipped cream, and/or warm maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

peanut butter banana bread

goodness gracious!  i truly cannot believe that the last time i posted a recipe on the blog was all the way back in july and here we are on the first day of march!  that's a record.  it's not that i haven't been making all sorts of delicious things in the past 8 months, it's just that i've been so incredibly busy that i haven't had a chance to take a single picture of anything that i've made.  sad, for sure.

on sunday i was looking around my kitchen and sighed as my eyes fell on 3 overly ripe bananas sitting on the counter.  i love bananas and had high hopes for this bunch when i bought them at the grocery store last weekend, but the weather was so back-and-forth that i think those silly bananas got confused and turned ripe too fast.  sure, we'll blame it on the weather.

what does one do with ripe bananas?  make banana bread, of course.  i absolutely love banana bread in every format.  there is something nostalgic about banana walnut muffins, and something cozy about a slice of banana bread from a loaf.  i knew i wanted to make a loaf of banana bread, but i wanted to change it up a bit and do something different from the traditional chopped walnuts in it.  thus, peanut butter.

peanut butter and banana is one of those classic combinations that i go back to again and again because it never lets me down.  march 1st is national peanut butter lovers day, by the way!  this was the first time i added peanut butter to the batter of my banana bread and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

as soon as you slice into this loaf it has such a wonderful peanut butter smell.  the taste of the peanut butter is subtle and gives the banana bread a nice little added something.  it's a surprisingly light and fluffy bread too!

ps: the cute place mat that is under the loaf was made by ryan's aunt sandy.  she sure is great when it comes to sewing projects!

peanut butter banana bread
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 1 hour
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from love and olive oil

ingredients:
6 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar.  add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each.  beat in the vanilla and mashed bananas.  in a microwave warm the peanut butter for 45-50 seconds until slightly melted.  add the peanut butter to the batter and beat well.  sift the dry ingredients into the batter and mix just until incorporated.

pour the batter into a loaf pan that is greased lined with parchment paper.  bake for 1 hour until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.  allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

s'mores brownies

when i think of the fourth of july, s'mores come to mind right away.  without a doubt, they are a classic summertime dessert.

for our family's fourth of july cookout over the holiday weekend, in addition to making red, white, and blue confetti cupcakes for dessert, ryan and i also made s'mores brownies.  these brownies are a fun twist on classic s'mores which can be made in advance (unlike traditional s'mores) and enjoyed by a group.

ps: speaking of s'mores, remember my s'mores cake from a few years ago?  that was one of my favorite birthday cakes ever!

s'mores brownies
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 20 minutes
yields: one 8-inch square pan (16 brownies)
adapted from joy the baker cookbook

ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup graham crackers, crushed
16 large marshmallows

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 8-inch square glass baking pan.  in a double boiler, melt the butter and the chocolate.  once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the sugars.  allow to cool slightly.  whisk the eggs and stir them into the melted chocolate mixture along with the vanilla.  in a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.  stir in the melted chocolate until combined.  pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and top with the crushed graham crackers and marshmallows.  bake for 20 minutes, until the marshmallows are browned and puffy.  cool before slicing and serving.

enjoy!

love, laurie

red, white, and blue confetti cupcakes

we had a great time celebrating the fourth of july with a family cookout at my parents' house over the long holiday weekend.  for dessert, ryan and i made patriotic confetti cupcakes.

confetti cake is always so festive and fun.  we've made rainbow confetti cake and cupcakes in the past for other occasions, so when i realized that we had a container of red, white, and blue sprinkles at home i thought they would be perfect for our fourth of july dessert.

paired with these cute red, white, and blue polka dot cupcake liners and our red, white, and blue swirled frosting, they were extra patriotic!

these cupcakes have a great subtle almond flavor.  even if you don't want to make these cupcakes red, white, and blue, this recipe is a great basic almond cupcake recipe for any occasion which can be decorated to fit your theme.

ps: i can't believe that i haven't shared a recipe on the blog since march.  (that has to be a record!)

red, white, and blue confetti cupcakes
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 15-18 minutes
yields: 12 cupcakes

cupcake ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup almond milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sprinkles

frosting ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:
to make the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with 12 paper cupcake liners.  in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft (about 2 minutes).  add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.  add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  beat in the almond and vanilla extracts.

in a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.  add the dry ingredients to the mixer alternating with the milk until combined.  in a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a hand mixer on high speed until foamy.  add the cream of tartar and whisk until stiff peaks form.  gently fold the stiff  egg whites into the cake batter with a spatula, being careful not to over mix and deflate the egg whites.  once combined, fold in the sprinkles.  evenly divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners.  bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.  remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

to make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft (1-2 minutes).  add half of the powdered sugar along with the milk and vanilla.  whisk until combined.  add the remaining powdered sugar to reach desired frosting consistency.

enjoy!

love, laurie

banana protein muffins (gluten free)

let's be honest right up front: these muffins are not attractive.  in fact, they're pretty ugly as far as muffins are concerned . . . but this is a classic case of "don't judge a book by its cover" or in this instance, "please don't judge my unattractive muffins before you taste them!"

i found a variation of this recipe on instagram and i was intrigued because it incorporated banana, greek yogurt, almond meal, and coconut sugar.  those ingredients got me inspired.  i ended up making a bunch of changes, but still keeping the original essence of these muffins.  i created my own version which i'm calling "banana protein muffins" because they're packed full of protein thanks to the yogurt, two types of nuts, flaxseed, and powdered peanut butter.

i like that this is a mini recipe and only makes 6 muffins.  that way you don't have to commit to having a ton of muffins sitting on your kitchen counter looking at you.  i know they're ugly, but gosh, they sure are delicious!

banana protein muffins

prep time: 5 minutes

baking time: 25-27 minutes

yields: 6 muffins

adapted from dessert for two

ingredients:

1/4 cup peanuts

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup oats

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal

1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup coconut sugar

directions:

preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line six muffin cups with paper liners.  in a food processor, combine the peanuts, cashews, oats, and flaxseed meal.  pulse until finely ground.  add the mixture to a large bowl along with the powdered peanut butter, mashed banana, yogurt, and sugar.  mix well until combined.

scoop the batter into the lined muffin cups and bake for 25-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins comes out clean.  allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing them from the pans and allowing them to finish cooling on a wire rack.

enjoy!

love, laurie

honey pistachio cashew cranberry granola

we like having granola on hand around the house to snack on and to put onto yogurt.  i threw together a batch of this granola over the weekend so that we would have it to snack on during the week.  i was originally intending to make this batch into granola bars, but they didn't want to stick together so it just became loose granola.  oh well, still tastes the same!

honey pistachio cashew cranberry granola
total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
yields: approximatley 3 cups
adapted from table for two

ingredients:
2 cups oats
1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted cashews, chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
in a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, cranberries, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.  in a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter and the honey together until it comes to a boil.  remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  pour the hot mixture over the dry ingredients and stir together until all is evenly coated.  pour out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow to cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

enjoy!

love, laurie

chocolate candy cane cookies

we always look forward to baking cookies each year for the holidays.  there's just something about baking christmas cookies that warms your heart and soul.

we like to change up our christmas cookies, so we don't necessarily make the same exact recipes every year.  in addition to the spiced molasses cookies that we made this year, we also made chocolate candy cane cookies!

we love the combination of chocolate and peppermint.  for several years, these chocolate peppermint wafer cookies have been some of our favorites.  we've also enjoyed these chocolate peppermint m&m's cookies too.

the base of these cookies get their great flavor from the combination of melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and peppermint extract.  the crushed candy canes on top give really send the peppermint flavor home.  the colors make them really festive too.

these cookies remind us of one of our favorite holiday drinks: peppermint mocha lattes from starbucks.  sit down with cup of coffee and these cookies, and you'll be in the holiday spirit for sure!

chocolate candy cane cookies
prep time: 5-10 minutes
baking time: 12 minutes
yields: approximately 4 dozen cookies
adapted from cooking classy

ingredients:
12 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup salted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 candy canes, crushed into small pieces

directions:
break the baking chocolate into pieces and cut the butter into small chunks.  combine in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring well between intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  set aside

in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, eggs, and extracts.  mix well.  beat in the melted chocolate mixture.  add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and mix just until combined.  cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.

preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  scoop 1 teaspoon sized balls of dough into your hands and roll them into balls.  flatten each ball gently with the palms of your hands and dip the top into the crushed candy canes.  place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12 minutes.  once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

enjoy!

love, laurie

spiced molasses cookies

we absolutely love baking christmas cookies every year.  we always enjoy molasses cookies, and we equally enjoy ginger cookies too.  this year we couldn't decide between the two, so we combined them into one cookie . . . thus, spiced molasses cookies!

the molasses gives these cookies a deep, rich flavor and all of the spices give them a wonderful kick.  they smell amazing as they bake in the oven.  our whole house smelled like christmas.  a nice little added bonus, is the surprise of finely minced crystallized ginger hiding in these cookies!  we're hoping these cookies will be a hit this christmas!

spiced molasses cookies
prep time: 5-10 minutes
baking time: 10-12 minutes
yields: approximately 4 dozen cookies
adapted from very merry cookie party

ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized candied ginger

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar together.  beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  mix in the molasses.  add flour, baking soda, and spices.   mix just until combined.  fold in the chopped ginger.  scoop 1 teaspoon sized balls of dough into your hands and roll them into balls.  place the dough balls onto the cookie sheet and flatten each ball gently with the bottom of a drinking glass.  bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.  once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

enjoy!

love, laurie

morning glory muffins

there were some leftover apples on our counter that needed to be used up, so i decided to incorporate them into a batch of muffins this week.

ryan and i absolutely love this recipe for morning glory muffins.  it is from one of our all-time favorite cookbooks, and we have made it many times.  it never disappoints.  these muffins are packed with all sorts of goodness: carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts, and coconut.

they have a great deep, rich flavor thanks to the molasses, and they are moist thanks to the applesauce in them.  i really love that they are not sweet at all, which means you can enjoy them for breakfast.

morning glory muffins
prep time: 15 minutes
baking time: 25-30 minutes
yields: 1 1/2 dozen muffins
adapted from taste of home's complete guide to baking

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup ground old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons ground flax seed meal
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
3 small apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup flaked coconut

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  grease 18 muffins cups in 2 muffin pans.  in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, baking soda, ground oats, ground flax seed, and sugar.  in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, molasses, applesauce, and vanilla.  add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.  mix just until incorporated.  gently fold in the carrots, apples, walnuts, raisins, and coconut.

spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans.  bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans and transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

pineapple upside-down cake

when we were preparing the menu for ryan's hawaiian-themed luau birthday party, he mentioned that pineapple upside-down cake would be the perfect dessert to fit the theme.  it was then that i realized that although i've eaten pineapple upside-down cake many times, i've never actually made it myself.  my mom shared her recipe with us and we made the cake the morning of his party.

this recipe is so fast and easy to make.  the result is a great fluffy cake that is both pretty and full of flavor.  it's such a great old-fashioned dessert that is a classic.

pineapple upside-down cake
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 50 minutes
yields: one 9-inch round cake

cake ingredients:
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup pineapple juice

topping ingredients:
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
7 slices of canned pineapple
13 maraschino cherries

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together 4 tablespoons of the butter and the granulated white sugar.  add the egg and beat well.  in a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.  add part of the dry ingredients to the mixture, alternating with the pineapple juice, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and evenly spread the butter around the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.  sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter on the bottom of the pan.  place one whole pineapple slice in the center of the pan.  cut the remaining slices in half and arrange the slices vertically around the pan.  place a maraschino cherry inside the center cutout of each slice.  evenly spread the batter over the pineapple slices and the cherries.  bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  once baked, allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it on a cake stand.  

enjoy!

love, laurie

chocolate, peanut butter, and date cereal bars

let's talk about a few ingredients that i love . . . my love of peanut butter has been well documented on this blog.  it's also no secret that i love dark chocolate too, but did you know that i'm a huge fan of cheerios as well?  i love all types of cheerios, especially multi-grain cheerios.  i also just love medjool dates.  they are so versatile, and i love how they are naturally sweet.

the combination of these things i love (chocolate, peanut butter, dates, and cheerios) leads to some seriously delicious dessert bars.

we start off with the dates, which are just the right amount of sticky so they can act as a natural glue in recipes.  the dates are combined with peanut butter and a little vanilla for an added flavor.

that incredible mixture gets combined with multi-grain cheerios, and then the whole thing is covered in dark chocolate.  wow!

these bars make a great treat to satisfy your sweet tooth, but you don't have to feel too bad about them since they are relatively "healthy."  cheerios, peanut butter, and dates are all good for you.  the dark chocolate makes them just a little bit naughty.  (although there is a decent amount of research that argues that dark chocolate is good for you.  i'm with those scientists!)

you could use just about any cereal in these bars.  you could also use milk or white chocolate too.  this recipe is a great base recipe for you to personalize these bars and make them your own!

chocolate, peanut butter, and date cereal bars
prep time: 10 minutes
chill time: 2 hours
yields: 16 bars
adapted from half baked harvest

ingredients:
6 oz. medjool dates, pits removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chunky all-natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups cereal
1 cup dark chocolate chips

directions:
grease the sides of a glass 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.  set aside.  add the dates and salt to a food processor and pulse until the dates form a thick paste.  add the peanut butter and milk.  process until smooth.  transfer the mixture to a microwave-save bowl.  microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  repeat twice, or until the mixture is warm.  stir in the vanilla.  add the cereal to a large bowl.  slowly and gently mix the warm peanut butter mixture into the cereal until thoroughly combined.  gently press the cereal into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.

in a separate bowl, microwave the chocolate 30 seconds, then stir.  repeat until completely melted.  drizzle the melted chocolate over the cereal and use an offset spatula to evenly spread the chocolate over the top of the cereal.  cover the pan and refrigerate for about 2 hours until firm.  cut into 16 bars and serve.  refrigerate the remaining bars.

enjoy!

love, laurie