Cookies and Cream Square

We're gonna make some magic with 3 simple ingredients.

Oreos, butter, marshmallows.

Oh yeah, you know what we're gonna do.

Marshmallow meet Oreo.
Oreo meet Marshmallow.
You two are going to make some beautiful babies.

If this marriage doesn't sound like heaven to you, you need to walk away, walk away right now and don't come back until you've thought long and hard about what's really important in this life.

I made up a batch of these babies for my lil' bro and my hubby.

Then all this chewy goodness went straight in my belly.

When you make something for someone you don't have to actually give it to them.

It's the thought that counts, right? 

That's a good rule. 

Feel free to use it. 

You can thank me while you're eating chunks of this scrumdillyumcious no-bake bar and thinking about who would love them.

Cookies and Cream Square

Makes about 15 bars

Source: Picky Palate

1 box (350g) Oreo Cookies

¼ cup Butter

5 cups Large Marshmallows

Directions:

1. Place Oreos in a food processor and pulse until ground. 

2.Melt together marshmallows and butter in the microwave until puffed and melty, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Add ground Oreos to the marshmallows and stir until combined. Pour into a greased 8'' x 8'' square baking dish and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into bars. 

Linked to: Sweets for a Saturday

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola

Chocolate in your breakfast cereal?

Uh...yes, please!

If you need me to help you justify this whole chocolate and peanut butter thing for breakfast (again), we can talk about the protein in peanut butter or how dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants but...... we should definitely avoid the chat about fat content.

We can still talk fiber, though.

'Cause it is there.... along with some energy boosting sunflower seeds.

Are you okay with it now?

Have I talked you into it?

Eating this dessert-worthy granola on top of your yogurt for breakfast?

I bet you haven't even heard (or read) what I've said about how nourishing this is going to be. You just saw peanut butter and chocolate granola and headed right for the recipe.

I don't blame you.

I shall celebrate your love for chocolate and peanut butter by eating another bowlful myself.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola

Makes about 1lb

Adapted from Eat Live Run

¼ cup canola oil

⅓ cup maple syrup

½ cup natural peanut butter

1 tsp salt (I like the sweet/salty combo but if you don't like that reduce the salt by half)

1 tsp cinnamon

4 cups old fashioned oats 

¼ cup ground flaxseed

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup dry roasted peanuts (if using honey roasted reduce the maple sugar to ¼ cup)

⅔ cup chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Bring the canola oil, maple syrup, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon to a simmer on the stove. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. While that's cooking. mix together the oats, flax, sunflower seeds and peanuts. Pour hot syrup mixture over the oats and toss well to coat. Spread the granola out on 2 lined baking sheets and bake for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Cool granola completely before stirring in the chocolate. Store in an airtight container.

Sunflower Cookies

I thought you might need a little sunshine to start your day off.

Since the skies don't seem to agree with me, I baked a cookie full of sunshine for you.

Just please don't walk on them.

(I'm walkin' on sunshine, yeah, yeah)

These make me smile : chocolate covered sunflower seeds.

These cookies should really brighten your day. 

They have a good helping of sun butter and a sprinkle of these cheery little chocolate covered sunflower seeds.

What? I have big 'sprinkles'

They remind me a bit of a peanut butter cookie that's been bathed in sunlight and spring time happiness :)

If that's your thing, peanut butter and happiness, go on and eat up these little rays of sunshine.

Happy Spring!

Sunflower Cookies

Makes: 18 large cookies

Source: Eat Live Run

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups sunflower seed butter (available in most health food stores)

1 ¾ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt

½ cup chocolate covered sunflower seeds (or chocolate chips)

Note: Our local grocery store carries these chocolate covered sunflower seeds made by Spitz

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the sunflower seed butter and mix well. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the wet ingredients beat until it just comes together. Mix in the chocolate covered sunflower seeds.

3. Form cookies into small balls and press down gently on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 15minutes or until golden and puffy.

Spiced Hummus

Hummus is a great snack. It's easy to make and packs a huge protein punch.

I like mine with cilantro, cumin and a touch of ginger to give it heaps of flavor. 

(I say that, but it was initially a way to disguise some wilty cilantro.)

Make a batch and keep it in your fridge for a healthy snack with fresh vegetables or whole wheat pita.

Spiced Hummus

Makes: about 2 cups

Adapted from Martha

1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained with ¼ cup liquid reserved

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cumin

¼ cup cliantro leaves

freshly ground pepper

coarse salt

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, garlic, cumin, cilantro and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

2. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper.

Easy Caramel Sauce

A few nights ago I made dinner for my mother-in-law and my mother.

(John and the baby were there too but they don't count.)

For some reason it didn't occur to me to make a dessert until the last minute.

I'm not sure why since dessert is my favorite part of dinner, duh!?

After taking a quick look in my fridge and seeing 3(!) different varieties of apples I was inspired to make a caramel dip. 

This caramel was easy and quick to make, I think it took less than 10 minutes from start to finish. The sauce was delicious although I over cooked the sugar a touch so it tasted slightly like burnt sugar.

It was still good though and a winner with my mom and MIL.

I definitely recommend it for dipping apples, pouring on ice cream, adding to coffee or drinking straight from the jar.

Oh, and on a completely different note:

Look up cute in the dictionary and you'll find this face right here.

Easy Caramel Sauce

Source: Simply Recipes

Makes: about 1 cup

1 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter

½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. First, make sure you have everything ready to go - the butter and cream right next to the pan, ready to put in. Caramel is a fast process that can't wait for hunting around for ingredients.

2. Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note that this recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. If you find that you end up burning some of the sugar before the rest of it is melted, the next time you attempt it, add a half cup of water to the sugar at the beginning of the process, this will help the sugar to cook more evenly, though it will take longer as the water will need to evaporate before the sugar will caramelize.

3. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

4. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

5. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookie

I've been able to think of nothing else since I saw this recipe.

Seriously, who wouldn't be obsessed with making a recipe that has Oreo and cheesecake in the title? (Hannah - you know what I'm talking about!)

These weren't quite as cream cheesy as I'd hoped but they were still pretty darn delicious. Given that the dough is eggless, I had a really hard time not eating it by the spoonful. 

Actually, I sort of gave in and did eat it by the spoonful.

If you love Oreo's and cheesecake you might just want to drop everything and make these right now.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
Makes:
Slightly Adapted from Multiply Delicious

½ cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup oreo cookie crumbs (about 8 cookies crushed up)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese using a hand mixer until well combined.
3. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed until incorporated. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
4. Scoop the dough into 1'' balls and roll in cookie crumbs until completely covered. Place the covered cookie dough balls on the baking sheets and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until cookies are golden and slightly puffed.
5. Cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Linked to: Sweets for a Saturday