Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cookies

Peanut Butter filled chocolate cookies(Adapted from BHG)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used all whole wheat)

1/2 cup dutch cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened (I subbed 3 T. of the butter with prune puree)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Peanut Butter Filling
3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 T. milk, add until a dough forms

Preheat oven to 350

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a large bowl beat together butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1/4 cup peanut butter until well combined. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well. Mix in the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time until incorporated. Form the chocolate dough into 32 balls.

For the filling

Combine confectioners' sugar and 1/2 cup peanut butter in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Form into 32 balls. Flatten the chocolate ball in your hand. Top with peanut butter ball. Carefully fold chocolate dough over the peanut butter ball and seal the edges. Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. (This part was a little tricky. They stuck a little bit to the glass.) Bake cookies for 7- 8 minutes,until the surface begins to slightly crack. DO NOT OVERBAKE!! Let cool for 1 minute on the sheet. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

A New Adventure

Since Costa Rica didn't work out for this winter, I'm going to embark on a new culinary adventure. Most of you would say, "Don't you cook weird enough already?" A former friend of mine introduced me to the "raw diet." It does sound kind of extreme to some, but who can really deny that eating more fresh veggies and fruits is good for you? Carrie, you might try, but I need some empirical evidence to back up your claims. I've now made about 8 different things. Most of them pretty good, a couple of big duds. You do have to step a little bit out of the culinary box you've put yourselves in, but now's the time. I'm trying to make 2-3 new raw recipes a week. The recipes I got off the internet were marginal, but I've checked out a book from the library that's been great. I've checked books out before, but most of the recipes in the other books required a dehydrator, and I don't own one. I'm not yet ready to put a financial commitment to this adventure. To those of you who think we're going to consuming E coli and salmonella by not cooking our eggs and meat, this is a raw vegan diet. No dairy, no meat, no animal products, and nothing cooked over around 118 degrees (this number varies depending on who you talk to). No, I'm not going all raw, or all vegan, or all vegetarian. But I do want to continually search for new, healthful options for my family. I could never be vegan because I adore cheese entirely too much.

Mango Cobbler
(very adapted from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

Crust
1 cup pecans
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. ground flax seed
1/4 c. wheat germ
scant 1/2 t. sea salt
1/3c. pitted dates (cheap from Costco)
Syrup
1/2 c. pitted dates
2 T. coconut oil (I used canned coconut milk)
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 water, as needed
Filling
around 3 mangoes, peeled seeded, chopped
1 cup blueberries (thawed , if frozen)

To make crust, process pecans, flax seed, wheat germ, vanilla, and salt into a powder in your food processor. Add 1/3 cup pitted dates and process until mixed well.
Sprinkle half of the crust onto bottom of pie dish, and set aside.
To make syrup, process 1/2 pitted date, oil (or coconut milk), vanilla, and water as needed to make a thick syrup. Set aside.
To make filling, place sliced mango into a large mixing bowl. (Being the lazy cook, I put the mango in the food processor bowl and stirred it with the syrup.) Toss with the syrup. Spoon onto cobbler crust.
To serve, top with remaining half of the crust, then sprinkle blueberries on top.
This will keep for a couple of days, but it's best served fresh that day.

This picture isn't that appetizing. I was in a hurry, and this was Ch.'s plate. Everybody enjoyed this, kids included.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Marinated Onions in Mustard Seed Dressing
(adapted from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)

Marinated onions
3/4 c. red onion, sliced
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. soy sauce (called for Nama Shoyu- very pricey)
Mustard Seed Dressing
1 1/2 T. honey
4 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. EVOO
1 1/2 t. mustard seeds
1/2 t. sea salt (cheap from Good Earth)
Salad
8 cups of spinach (I've never measured greens)
2 carrots, grated on large grater blade on food processor
fresh gound black pepper

Combine onion marinade ingredients. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients.
Toss spinach, carrots, and dressing. Arrange red onions (and juice) over the top.
Delicious!