Peanut Butter and Chocolate Canyon Cookies

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I can’t believe I haven’t posted a recipe for Christmas cookies.

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It’s not because I’m against holiday cookies. I love them. My mom and I used to whip up huge batches of dough weeks before Christmas and put them in the freezer. Then in the nights leading up to the big day, we would pull out one type of dough and bake it all up, place them in tins and send them off to friends and family while keeping the biggest one for ourselves.

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These aren’t Christmas cookies. My aunt has since taken over the tradition, since I have to fly to our holiday festivities every year now. So I’ve had the luxury of not even having to think about making a single one. I did however make these Canyon Cookies. Remember when I went to Tucson back on Veteran’s Day? Well a couple days before my friend handed me a recipe for peanut butter-loaded oat cookies with no flour and they looked like the perfect opportunity to create a healthier version for hiking fuel. We took them through Bear Canyon with us and we were so happy we had them, we named them: Canyon Cookies.

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With tons of oats, creamy peanut butter, added chopped almonds and dark chocolate chips for a burst of flavor these little bites pack a protein and fiber punch keeping you full and energized for a long (or short!) hike. They also make a great snack, especially since they have just half a stick of butter for the whole batch and a quarter cup of pure maple syrup—no sugar. So, I guess you don’t really need a workout for an excuse to chow down on these babies.

We took them on our winter solstice hike yesterday and came back with just crumbs. So whether it’s a healthier Christmas cookie or a hiking snack, I think this is a recipe that will stay in rotation year-round.

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Peanut Butter and Chocolate Canyon Cookies
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 cups oats
  • 1 cup chopped almonds
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream the butter and maple syrup. Add the eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and combine until smooth.
  3. Add in the baking powder, oats and almonds, mixing in until combine and then mix or fold in the dark chocolate.
  4. On ungreased or parchment lined baking sheets, drop dough by the tablespoonful. Flatten each mound with a fork.
  5. Bake for 13–15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool and enjoy!

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Sea Salt and Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Clusters

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This is Halloween. This is Halloween. Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! I’ve got a treat for you today with absolutely zero, count ‘em, zero tricks.

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I’m going to keep this short and sweet because today is the best holiday and we all have more important things to be doing. Also, I’ve got to soak up all the Hawaii I possibly can in the next couple of days before I had back to the desert—look for a photo recap next week!

Whether beggar’s night was last night or tonight in your home town, that Halloween candy tempts you from a mile away. I already told Ryan we have to hit up every grocery store tomorrow to scoop up all the on-sale Reese’s Pumpkins so I can eat them out of my freezer all year long. But sometimes the give a piece of candy, eat a piece of candy model of beggar’s night doesn’t work well for the trick-or-treaters or your waistline. So I put together this easiest ever “adult” Halloween candy recipe that’s perfect for keeping your hand out of the candy bowl for the children and the on-sale candy bags or to make as a last minute treat for tonight’s Halloween shin dig.

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I have to be honest with you, I was incredibly skeptical about these little guys. I ended up with a surplus of pumpkin seeds after a little pumpkin carving housewarming party I threw in my new apartment and any Halloween lover knows you just don’t throw away pumpkin seeds. I had the wacky idea to cover them with chocolate because all my favorite chocolate bars are a little salty and a little crunchy. But for whatever reason, they sat there in my fridge for two days without a bite. I think I was nervous to not like them because I already loved them so much. Does that make sense? It doesn’t, let’s move on.

Most amazing pumpkin seed to ever be eaten. Why was I so afraid of these delicious little clustery morsels that melt in your mouth with all their sweet and salty, crunchy goodness. The Celiac in me danced because they tasted just like chocolate covered pretzels but were way easier to make and naturally gluten free, plus all the fiber and protein. Just perfect you guys, just freakin’ perfect.

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Sea Salt and Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Clusters
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Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds, clean
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips (or melting chocolate)
  • Coarse sea salt for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Once your seeds are separated from the pumpkin guts, toss them with the olive oil and salt. Spread in a thin, even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  3. Once the seeds are removed from the oven, place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Stir and continue to microwave in 20-second intervals until completely melted.
  4. Add the roasted pumpkin seeds to the melted chocolate and stir until completely covered. Drop mixture by the tablespoonful back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a little coarse sea salt on top of each cluster.
  5. Freeze or refrigerate for about 20 minutes or until hardened and enjoy!

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Emoji Ghost Crispy Treats

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Happy Halloweek, everyone! If I haven’t mentioned it already, Halloween is my favorite holiday. So many good movies, so much good food and such a good excuse to wear sweatpants out in public. This year however, my costume requires overalls—any guesses on who I’m dressing up as?

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This Halloween is also a little strange for me, because (if you follow me on Instagram you already know this), I’m in Hawaii! Never has a Halloweek been so full of hiking, beaches, snorkeling and luaus but we’ve been making plenty of time for Halloweentown during breakfast, don’t you fret one bit! Sailor man Ryan got stationed on Oahu for the next two years so our visits have moved from Florida to Hawaii, and I can’t say I’m mad about it. We’ve been keeping so busy every day that we’ve fallen asleep between 8–10 each night (how old are we again?) and I can’t wait to share all the photos and neat activities we’ve been doing!

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Now, about these spooky treats, because oh my gosh. Y’all must think I’m just obsessed with rice crispy treats and emojis, and you would be right. My main gal Melissa and I were texting about two months ago about when it becomes OK to post Halloween themed everything (if you haven’t checked out her site in a while, pop on over there right now for all things Halloween)  and I just couldn’t get over how cute that little ghosty was. So after my first installment of Emoji Crispy Treats was such a success, I knew I need to bring ‘em back Halloween style.

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What’s even better, these treats don’t only look like Halloween, they taste like it too! I replaced the butter with a bit of nutty brown butter and pureed pumpkin and added a dash of cinnamon for this October treat that tastes like fall in your mouth. Then each one is easily punched out with this ghost cookie cutter then the  gooey, sticky, spicy, full of flavor little ghosts get topped with smooth, creamy white chocolate and a dark chocolate face that’s almost too cute to eat, but I know you’re better than that.

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Emoji Ghost Crispy Treats
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 6 cups crisped rice cereal
  • 1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips (or melting chocolate)
  • ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips (or melting chocolate)
  • 1 ghost cookie cutter
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium-high heat until brown solids begin to form, remove from heat.
  2. Place the marshmallows and butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about one minute. Stir, and continue to microwave in 20-second intervals until entirely melted and smooth.
  3. Stir in the pumpkin puree and cinnamon, then the crisped rice cereal until coated evenly.
  4. Press into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Allow to cool in fridge (twenty minutes) or freezer (ten minutes).
  5. Remove the pan from the fridge/freezer and use a greased ghost cookie cutter to cut out as many ghosts as you can. Take the leftover rice crispy mix and press it into the cookie cutter to make more ghosts until you run out of mix.
  6. Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir, then continue to microwave in 20-second intervals until completely melted.
  7. Spread a thin layer of the melted white chocolate chips on top of each ghost, so you can't see the cereal through.
  8. Melt the semisweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds, stir, then continue to microwave in 10-second intervals until completely melted. Transfer to a plastic zipper bag.
  9. Cut the very tip of one corner of the bag creating a very small hole and pipe on the face of the ghost. For emoji ghosts make one small eye, one big eye, a half-smile and a tongue sticking out.
  10. Allow to cool and harden, then serve!

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