Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I haven't put a recipe on here for a while but I've been trying!!  I have been having the hardest time getting good pictures at night.  I can't seem to get very good lighting now that the sun goes down SO early!  I guess I need a better camera...a girl can wish! 

Anyway, my girls heard this morning the magical words they have been longing to hear for a while.  SNOW DAY!  NO SCHOOL!  My youngest daughter really wanted to make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, I wanted to make peanut butter oatmeal cookies.  So we made the only logical decision...we made both!!  And we made them while the sun was out which equals decent pictures!  YAY!

These are vegan of course, which to some of you might sound a little iffy, but the cool thing is they taste just like any other cookie, possible better!  And if you ever want to make cookies and you have no eggs in the fridge (and you are snowed in like we are today), now you know how!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 4 dozen cookies

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the flax seeds and water with a wire whisk in a small bowl and set aside.  (As is sits it will become thick like and egg.)

In a large bowl combine the shortening, butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar and mix well.  Whisk the flax and eggs again real quick to mix in any water that may be sitting on the top and pour into the peanut butter mixture.  Blend well.  

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir into the peanut butter mixture.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop dough in 1 1/2" balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then place them on a wire rack to cool.

TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES:

Use the same recipe but leave out the chocolate chips and only use 1 1/2 cups of flour and add 2 cups of oatmeal (I used quick oats).  Stir in the oatmeal last to keep it from breaking up too much.

Cake Batter Dip

 

Ok, This recipe might sound strange because of the ingredients, but it is ohhhh...soooo....goooood! 

 

I can't take the credit for this one though.  One of my favorite recipe creators (Chocolate Covered Katie http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/07/12/healthy-cake-batter-cookie-dough-dip/) came up with this one!  However, I tweaked it a little.  I was having a hard time coming up with a thick dip, so I changed it a little for may taste. 

 

I am telling you this girl is a GENIUS (Katie - not me)!  Who can say "no" to ANYTHING with SPRINKLES!  This dip is especially good with little sugar cookies or animal cookies - and I love apples with it, especially tart ones. 

 

The chickpeas might worry you a bit, but I'm telling you this dip is delicious and has a lot of yummy protein for your kids who are hungry for an after school snack!  I also like to use the cake mix to give it an extra cakey taste, but oatmeal is yummy too.

 

P.S.  Good luck trying not to eat this all with just a spoon! 

 

 

Cake Batter Dip

Makes: approx. 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients

3 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can)
3 tbsp cashew butter or a butter-type spread like Earth Balance
1 tbsp applesauce (or omit and increase cashew butter to 1/4c)
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp baking soda (for flavor)
heaping 1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup xylitol or sugar
1/4 tsp butter extract
1/2 cup quick oats (or ground flax or rolled oats, or even 1/2c cake mix)
optional: sprinkles!

Directions

Drain and rinse beans very well. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until very, very smooth and creamy.  I sprinkle some sprinkles into the dip and pulse quickly a couple of times to sort of stir them in.  I then put it in a bowl and add more sprinkles on top to make it look pretty!

Dip apple slices or crackers or pretzels, spread on a banana or toast or pancakes or cookies, or eat with a spoon!  Anything your heart desires!

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Larabars

I have discovered something I am totally excited about.  Recipes for homemade Larabars.  I don't think I have even tried a Larabar, although I have seen them at the store. I was craving something that felt a little naughty yet healthy.  One of my favorite blogs these days is Chocolate Covered Katie http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/   I love her blog!  She has a fun vegan blog full of recipes that are naughty but much healthier for you.  Anyway, I decided I would look for something on her blog to make yesterday and decided to make her Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Larabars. http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/11/14/oatmeal-raisin-cookie-larabars/  I didn't have raisins however so I decided to use blueberry flavored craisins.  OH MY........ .it was SO delicious, I decided to make up some more batches and play around with the ingredients.  I tried new flavors and made them into double batches.  All of them turned out very yummy!  I tried orange flavor craisins with pecans, and papaya with cashews.  I was having so much fun I decided to try another one of her recipes, Chocolate PB Cookie Laura bars. http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/10/02/chocolate-peanut-butter-no-bake-cookies/  I substituted my blueberry craisins for the raisins again. 

Everything was so good....I am in love.  The coolest thing is - NO ADDED SUGAR!!  When I told my husband, he was shocked.  The raisins (or craisins in my case) sweeten it up.  They taste a little like eating cookie dough.  I am going to be have fun playing around with the recipe more.  I'm thinking coconut would be SO good!

So anyway try these and have fun getting creative with your flavors too.  You might surprise yourself.  Also be sure to check out Chocolate Covered Katie - she especially likes to make things with chocolate.  Can't go wrong there!   Oh, and FYI, my pictures show the four different versions I made, incase you were wondering about the different colors.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Larabars

1/2 cup raisins
6 T quick oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pulverize the oats in a food processor, then add all other ingredients and blend very well. Form into balls or bars. (If you want, you can portion the dough into plastic bags before smushing the bars, so your hands don’t get sticky.)

This recipe makes a little over three Larabar-sized bars.  The bars last at least two weeks in the fridge. They can also be frozen.