treat

Chocolate Coconut Cashew butter

Oh man! Cashew butter, am I right!? We’ve all tried peanut butter, and it’s good. Almond butter, another tried and true friend to have, but Cashew butter? Cashew butter is in a league of it’s own. Now, let’s get down to business. Chocolate Coconut Cashew Butter, it’s about to become the King Kong of the nut butter world.

Ingredients:

1 c. Raw Cashews
2 tsp. Cocoa
1/4 c. Sweetened Coconut Shreds
Pinch of Salt

In a food processor place one cup of cashews. Grind the nuts until they become smooth. The cashew butter will go through many stages. It will first look like crushed up nuts, then dust, then a little bit later it will start looking like thick paste. Eventually you will make it to the nut butter stage. Trust me, it takes some time but it will get there, and boy is it worth it!

Once you make it to the nut butter stage, add the cocoa, coconut, and salt. Continue to grind the mixture until it is smooth again.

This cashew butter is the big brother to Nutella, and the truth is you can’t really go wrong when it’s this good. Bread, pretzels, crackers, cookies, spread the love and get ready to make some more!

Date Bites

Snack time! What’s better than some yummy snacks you don’t have to feel bad about? The majority of mainstream snacks on the market today are filled with chemicals and artificial ingredients. Rest assure, these delicious bites are only five ingredients and so easy to make. Kids and adults alike will love these babies!

Date Bites

Ingredients:

1 c. Dates
1/4 c. Almonds
1 tb. Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
Coconut Flour

Makes 11 bites.

Begin by chopping the almonds in a food processor. When the almonds are finished, remove them and set them aside. Next, place 1 cup of dates in the food processor. Once the dates are completely chopped, add the almonds, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix everything together until it forms a ball.

Prepare a small, shallow dish with coconut flour. Tear off evenly-sized bits from the mixture and form into a balls. Roll each ball in the coconut flour and dust off any extra flour.

If you’re feeling really crazy, try rolling the date bites in shredded coconut or ground nuts. If you really want to go for it, roll in some confectioner’s sugar. Variety is the spice of life, so live it up!

Blueberry Lemon Pop Tarts

The top three childhood foods have to be Mac and Cheese, Fruit Loops and of course, Pop Tarts. Honestly, these foods still make frequent guest star appearances in my life. Pop Tarts are just a tried and true staple that is there for you in times of need. Its that best friend you can count on in any situation. Did I just call Pop Tarts my best friend? I guess I did and you know what? I am not ashamed. A girl could do worse. And in that case, I’m giving my best friend a little make over. Blueberry Lemon Pop Tarts anyone?

Crust:
2 c. Flour
1 Egg
1/3 c. Sugar
1 Stick and 2 tbl. Butter
1 1/2 tsp. Salt

Filling:
1 1/2 c. Blueberries
1/4 c. Water
1/3 c. Sugar
1 1/2 tbl. Flour
1/2 tbl. lemon Zest
Pinch of Salt

Begin by making the crust. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Blend in butter until the mixture forms small crumbles, then add the egg. Once the dough is formed, place in the refrigerator and chill.

Next step is to make the filling. Place blueberries, water, sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a small sauce pan, simmer on medium heat. When the blueberries begin to break down, and soften add the flour to thicken the mixture. Once the filling has thickened and the blueberries have completely softened, take it off the heat and refrigerate.

Once the blueberry filling has cooled, remove the filling and crust from the fridge. Roll out the dough and cut it into eighteen, 4×3 rectangles. Place half of the rectangles on a parchment lined baking sheet and spoon blueberry filling in the middle of each rectangle. Place another dough rectangle on top and crimp closed.

Bake at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Allow the Pop Tarts to cool completely until adding the icing. Combine confectioners sugar, water and food dye together and pour on top of the Pop Tarts. And don’t forget the sprinkles!