Monday, December 7, 2009

Wannabe Babies


I recently discovered a new healthy living blog, Chocolate-Covered Katie. I know what you're thinking, because I thought the same: Chocolate-covered? That doesn't sound like a healthy kind of blog? But you're wrong. I was wrong, too. Katie is all about nutrition and activity, but also about delicious and, well, chocolate-covered foods.

Thankfully, she manages to pack most of these chocolate-y foods with good body fuel. My favorite of her recipes are her fudge babies, which are something like a raw homemade Larabar. (And please, don't' let that word "raw" scare you away -- there are no uncooked eggs or slimy fish eyeballs in these treats, only amazing deliciousness.) I made her chocolate fudge babies first, and then tried a hybrid fudge baby using apricots and almonds instead of dates and walnuts. I don't recommend the latter, but the former is to die for. And I think that phrase is totally cheesy and ridiculous, so when I do use it, you know that I mean what I say (or write).


My most recent chocolate-covered baby experiment was a cross between Katie's chocolate fudge babies and her cashew cookie Larabar babies. The actual Larabars of that variety are my favorite hands-down, so I knew I wanted to try Katie's version. And, in the spirit of her blog, I of course needed to make it chocolate-covered.

Here's what I did. I combined cashews and pitted medjool dates in a blender (although a food processor would probably work better) along with some vanilla extract, a teeny bit of sugar free chocolate syrup (mostly because my blender couldn't handle its sticky load, and I didn't want to water the concoction down), and chocolate Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood. Katie uses regular cocoa powder in her recipes, but I wanted to make this already nutritious treat even more so. My next batch will incorporate protein powder instead of the Amazing Grass.

The result? Let me just say that I drooled all over myself at the finished product. Okay, perhaps that's not quite accurate. But my taste buds certainly sang, and the heavens may have opened and smiled down upon this raw macaroon-ish delicacy. Even the Best Husband Ever declared them to be "not bad," and we all know how much he likes my healthy treats.


What are you waiting for? Are you still reading? Quick, commit this simple recipe to memory, then log off the computer and make a batch. Or two. Or three . . . .


Hybrid Fudge/Cashew Cookie Babies, a la Katie
1 and 1/3 cups medjool dates, pitted
1 cup cashews (I accidentally got salted -- from Costco, typically . . . oops -- but they worked just fine. I would, for health reasons, go for unsalted if possible.)
1 T vanilla extract
1 scoop chocolate powder of your choice (protein powder, cocoa powder, etc.)
water or other liquid to moisten very slightly as needed

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Don't be alarmed if your blender cries out in despair at this task -- it will take a while to reach the desired consistency! Scrape down the sides, mix up the blender's contents, and keep going. When the nuts are pulverized and you have an ooey gooey mixture of dates and cashews and chocolate, form the concoction into little balls or smoosh it into bar form. Refrigerate if you want them to firm up a little more, although this is not necessary.

Devour at will, and while you're at it, visit Katie and tell her about your new found infatuation -- er, healthy dessert.

1 comment:

  1. ChocolateCoveredVegaDecember 8, 2009 at 4:32 PM

    Wow, you are AMAZING! And using Amazing Grass? Genius!!! Definitely worthy of all 7 entries :)Oh, and can I feature your creation (with a link to your blog, of course) in a future post? I love your blog and am so glad you found mine!!

    ReplyDelete

"I am glad you are here with me."
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King