Guilt-Free Cookie Dough Squares

The other day I was having one of those moments where I saw a recent photo of myself and was like, "Alright, time to get a little healthier again."  I'd made falafel waffles (which is fun to sing ♪♪♫), just using our Falafel Recipe and cooking it in the waffle maker with no fat; a lot better than our regular frying.  That had me remembering how healthy garbanzo beans are for us and brain storming what other ways besides hummus, falafel and salads that I could use them.  Several years ago, I remember coming across recipes for "dessert hummus" that tasted like chocolate chip cookie dough.  I made it once back then, ate it with graham crackers or something and didn't seem real impressed with it.

BUT... I thought I could probably improve upon it and turn it into a "square" or "bar" recipe.  And that's just what I did tonight!  I even took the time to go through my Guilt-Free Cookie Dough Squares recipe versus one batch of the original Nestle Toll House cookie recipe to see how much healthier mine actually was.  I figured they're pretty close to the same size in quantity, looking at the ingredient amounts... you might even get more out of mine than you would a batch of cookies.  And mine came in 2000+ calories less than one batch of cookies, almost half as many carbohydrates and sugars, and more protein!

And the beautiful thing is... they taste exactly like raw cookie dough on tasty crust!  You're getting carbs that are low on the glycemic index (at least in comparison to flour which is the main ingredient in chocolate chip cookies).  That means they release their sugars more slowly in the body - they're longer lasting and they don't spike your body's glucose levels. 

This recipe can also be made gluten-free and/or vegan! I used AP flour in the crust, but since you're not looking for the crust to rise, you could easily substitute a rice flour or an almond flour - I haven't tried it, but I don't foresee any issues.  I also used butter, but coconut oil could be used in its place.  And carob chips would be a fantastic substitute to chocolate chips! 

Let's listen to The Lurkers - "I Don't Need To Tell Her".  -jen

GUILT-FREE COOKIE DOUGH SQUARES
Time:  40 minutes with 2 hours cooling time
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  18 squares

Crust:

• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup AP flour (or gluten-free flour - rice, almond, etc)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened (or coconut oil)

Filling:

• 2 (15oz) cans of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus 1/3 cup for drizzling - optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare a 13"x9" baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

In a food processor, combine all of the crust ingredients except the butter.  Pulse once or twice to combine.  Add softened butter and pulse until all the dry ingredients are combined, no longer look dry and clumps begin to form.  Turn out into prepared baking dish and using the palm of your hand, press the mixture firmly into the pan evenly, working it part-way up the sides.   Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and edges are just starting to get dark.  Remove from oven and let cool completely (thirty minutes to an hour).

Meanwhile, combine the garbanzo beans, 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, peanut butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt and baking soda in a food processor (I just wiped it out after doing the crust).  Turn processor on high and add a little of the almond milk at a time, until mixture is smooth and reached desired consistency.  You may not need to use the full 1/4 cup.  Remove mixture from food processor and stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips by hand.

Spoon the garbanzo mixture into the cooled crust and spread evenly.  If you like, melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a small bowl for 30 seconds in microwave.  Stir and microwave in 15 second increments until melted.  Using a spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cookie dough squares.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.  Cut into squares.

Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Zucchini Cake

We didn't have a garden this year, but Justin was gifted a bunch of zucchini from a coworker.  It just so happens that we'd seen Lidia Bastianich's show "Lidia's Kitchen" a few days before this where she'd made a chocolate zucchini cake.  I was just going to follow her recipe, but when I went looking for it online, it was nowhere to be found.  I assume it was because it was a recent episode and they want you to buy the cookbook.  I found a few other recipes online but they called for ingredients I didn't have so... I decided to come up with my own recipe.

I used to like to say I'm not much of a baker, but I guess our blog would actually prove me wrong.  I've been doing more and more baking and have become fairly adept at it.  Still, it's not like cooking where you can just add random ingredients here and there.  My problem is that I still try to do that with my baking and so it doesn't always come out stellar and I don't always have a recipe to post.  This recipe, however, came out great!  Woohoo!  It's moist, but light.  Somewhere in between cake and brownies.  

Let's listen to The Interrupters "On A Turntable"  -jen

CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER ZUCCHINI CAKE
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time:  50 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  18-24

• 2 + 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 + 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temp
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 1 large or 2 medium)
• 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. 

In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

In another large mixing bowl, using a stand mixer or electric beater, beat sugar, butter and oil until smooth.  Add eggs 1 at a time and vanilla and beat until combined.  Alternately add 1 cup of dry ingredients with half of the almond milk, and repeat until mixed, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix in grated zucchini and fold in chocolate chips.  Spread batter evenly into prepared baking dish.

In a small dish, microwave peanut butter for about 30 seconds, until smooth and melted.  Spread about 5 thin rows of peanut butter across the top of the batter running them short-wise.  Using a butter knife, drag 4 rows lightly through the peanut butter going long-wise, first in one direction, then the next, to create a pretty design.  (Or just swirl, it doesn't matter!)

Bake at 325 F for about 50 minutes.  Test the center by inserting a clean knife.  If it comes out clean, the cake is done.  Cool on a wire rack.  Slice into 18 large slices or 24 small slices.

Cocadas (Latin American Coconut Confections)

Last year, I made Macaroons for the first time, and they were delicious.  However, after making Cocadas, which are very similar, I decided I prefer the Cocadas.  I love a one-bowl baking recipe!  These are so fast to whip up, and they're cheap to make!

Cocadas are a traditional Latin American coconut confection.  It does seem that every area has it's own version and they can come in all different flavours and styles.  I didn't get too crazy, but I made some plain ones, some with pecans, some with cocoa powder in them to make a chocolate version, and some drizzled with dark chocolate.  Next batch we make, Justin wants to put some diced up dried apricot in them - you can really get creative with whatever flavours you like.

Music - some O Pioneers!!! doing "Loose Lips Are The Key To A Good Foundation".  -jen

COCADAS

Chocolate on the left, Pecan on the right

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Difficulty:  Super Easy
Makes:  About 22

• 3.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 13oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Ingredients:

• 2/3 pecans, chopped small (optional)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional for chocolate flavoured Cocadas)
• 4oz dark chocolate chips, melted (optional for drizzling over the tops of Cocadas)

Pecan Cocadas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk, egg, almond extract and salt (if using pecans and/or cocoa, add now) until well mixed.  Using two spoons, drop 1.5 tablespoons of coconut mix onto parchment paper.  You can leave in a rounded heap for a softer cookie, or smash the heap into a 1/2" thick disc for a crispier cookie.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 24-26 minutes.  Cocadas will be slightly golden brown on top.  (Careful not to burn the bottoms!)  With a spatula, carefully remove from parchment and cool on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.  Cookies will crisp up as they cool.  (If drizzling with melted dark chocolate, drizzle over cooled cookies and allow 30-60 minutes for chocolate to cool and harden.)

Drizzled with dark chocolate

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

I had no idea how simple and delicious macaroons were.  New favourite quick dessert!  Anyone could make these!  And they look pretty impressive when you're through. Like a homemade Mounds bar.  (I was actually thinking of putting some chopped almond in the next batch so it was like an Almond Joy!)

Can't believe we haven't used any Pennywise on the blog yet.  Justin picked the song because I couldn't decide - "Society".  -jen

CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Makes: 22-24
Need: parchment paper, egg beaters or stand mixer

• 4 egg whites, room temp
• 1 package (14 ounces) sweetened, shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces bitter sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a kitchen stand mixer or with egg beaters, whisk the four egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In a separate large bowl, combine coconut, sugar, flour, salt and vanilla.  Gently fold in egg whites.

Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons (I actually used two scoops of a melon baller), drop about 3 tablespoons of the mixture 1" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown.  Cool on a wire baking rack.

When macaroons are cooled, place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 2 minutes at 50% power.  Stir.  Continue for 30 second intervals, stirring, until melted smooth.  Dip bottoms of macaroons into chocolate and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  (If you want to go a little light on the chocolate, just drizzle over the tops with a spoon.)  Refrigerate until cool.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Banana Cream Pie Bars

Was just sitting around on this 4th of July, watching bad tv, pondering what we had in the kitchen.  Came across the four bananas that were getting close to being too ripe.  Thought about just doing some banana bread or banana muffins, but that seemed more "bready" than I felt like.  Last week, I'd found some pumpkin in the freezer from last fall when we'd roasted and pureed a few pumpkins.  I made a great, hearty crust with oats and nuts, so I figured... why not make some banana cream pie bars using the same crust?  I've never made banana cream pie before, though strangely, that's kind of how I met Justin - it was a topic of conversation.  Then when I was grabbing the vanilla extract, I caught the chocolate chips out of the corner of my eye and decided they'd go into it, too.

Been listening to music all day today.  Lots of Lagwagon, Strung Out, Swingin' Utters.  It was kind of hard to choose a song.  But one album I pulled out today was NOFX's "Punk In Drublic".  Total flashback to my angst filled freshman year in high school.  I remember specifically playing this cassette tape over and over on my boombox while playing Super Nintendo with my little brother.  So I chose "Leave It Alone."   -jen

BANANA CREAM PIE BARS
Time:  30 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy/Medium (it seemed easy to me)
Makes:  12 bars

Crust

• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons butter (3/4 of a stick), softened
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, etc) 
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Custard

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup water, room temp
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4-5 large, ripe bananas, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and butter.  Beat until butter is cut into flour and crumbly.  Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.  Prepare a 13"x 9" (2 qt) baking dish by buttering or coating it with non-stick cooking spray.  Press mixture into the baking dish evenly, coming slightly up the sides (make sure to even out the corners so they're not real thick).  Bake crust at 375 degrees F for 17-20 minutes (until crust is golden brown).  Remove and set on a cooling rack.

While crust is baking, prepare custard by combining sugar, corn starch and salt in a medium sauce pan.  Whisk in cream and water.  Then whisk in egg yolks.  Cook over medium-high heat, continuing to whisk until sauce thickens and boils (about 6 minutes).  Remove from heat and then whisk in butter and vanilla.

Cover the cooled crust with a layer (2 to 2.5) of sliced bananas.  Scoop half of the custard evenly over the layered bananas, and carefully spread across them as evenly as possible.  Repeat a second layer of sliced bananas and custard.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Death By Chocolate Bacon Brownies

I'm no philosopher, but I truly believe there are two things that can bring people together in a beautiful, happy way: weed and bacon.  And you could use both in this recipe - it does use 3 sticks of butter, which would be a hell of a lot of bang butter... I'm just sayin'.

However, this recipe isn't about pot!  It's about the beauty of bacon and rock, and how it connected us with a guy named Mike in a kick ass band called Death By Stereo, whom we soon discovered loved food and punk rock (and bacon!) as much as we do.  We spoke of collaborating on our mutual art forms, but due to the 14 hours distance between us and the expenses, we had to settle for combining ideas instead for THE ULTIMATE AWESOME DESSERT!!!

It seems like a lot of death in the kitchen... Death By Stereo... Cooking To Die For... but then, six eggs, 3 sticks of butter, and a pound each of bacon and chocolate will probably bring all of us death, so it's apropos. 

And so without further ado, I present you with an idea brought forth by Mike Cambra, and put into action with a few twists by me... Death By Chocolate Bacon Brownies.  While you salivate over the recipe, you can listen to DBS' "Bet Against Me, You Lose", from their first album. -jen

Don't forget you can find Cooking To Die For on Facebook too!

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE BACON BROWNIES

• 3 sticks (1.5 cups) butter
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1+ 2/3 cup flour
• cooking spray
• 1 pound bacon
• 2 tablespoons 100% maple syrup
• chocolate ganache (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and bitter sweet chocolate until combined and smooth.  Set aside to cool for a moment.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until combined.  Add the cooled chocolate mixture.  Then fold in flour.  Coat a 9x11 baking dish generously with cooking spray.  Pour in brownie mix and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.  Center may be a little gooey still.

While brownies are baking, cut bacon slices in half length-wise, to create long strips.  Then dice into small 1/2" squares.  Cook in skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crispy (10-15 minutes, stirring occassionally).  For the last two minutes, stir in maple syrup (no need to drain the fat first).  Remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon onto a plate (not a napkin, it'll stick).

After brownies have cooled, sprinkle candied bacon bits over the entire pan of brownies.  If bacon has cooled and clumped, just microwave for 10-15 seconds until it's warm and loose again.  Then cover bacon with chocolate ganache and allow ganache to firm up a little before cutting and serving brownies.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Cook all ingredients over a double boiler until smooth, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

So Jen had been craving some chili lately and I decided to make a batch on Wed, which happened to be April 20th, Carmen Electra's birthday!  Also, it is supposed to be some sort of stoner holiday or hippie celebration or something...not sure where I heard that.  Anyway, since stoners, bachelors, and assorted college students (was that redundant?) always have a trusty can of chili in the cupboard for that "Crap I can't afford food" emergency meal, I thought it would be fitting to undertake such a meal on said day.  For musical accompaniment, I had a variety of tunes but the most fitting for this adventure would have to be Sublime's "Smoke Two Joints".  I know it's not very punk but they used to be a punk band...and, well, we live in Humboldt.  Reggae, ska, and such are just the norm around here.  Everyone's got a Che Guevara tee or a knitted rasta hat and dreads, so this works for the day and setting.

This chili is actually very easy to pull off and has an amazing complexity to the flavor and heat.  There's a slow, medium burn at the end of a spoonful that stays with you for a bit and warms the body nicely but it's not very hot up front.  It has a bit of chocolate, cinnamon and agave nectar (to mellow out some of the heat) so it's very Mexican inspired and ends up having a very silky texture and a dark, smokey flavor that is a definite plus in my book!  Plus, it's made with a whole bottle of dark beer, which we all know makes everything taste better! - justin

 

CHIPOTLE CHOCOLATE CHILI
Prep Time:  40 minutes
Cook Time:  2-3 hours
Difficulty:  medium
Serves:  8-10, depending on serving size

BEEF

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds ground beef (20/80)
• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 12oz bottle of dark beer (I used Lost Coast Brewery's 8Ball Stout but a porter or Guinness would work nicely as well)

VEGGIES

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 whole poblano chili
• 1 whole jalapeno chili
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 2 cans (14oz each) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Chili de Arbol powder
• 1 tablespoon Pasilla chili powder
• 2 Tbsp Light Agave Nectar 

To start the beef you'll need to heat a high-sided skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add  the 3 tbsp of olive oil and when it starts to shimmer add the ground beef.  As the beef starts browning add the salt and pepper and cook until well browned.  Drain off the excess fat and add the cumin, cinnamon, and chocolate to the beef and continue stirring to melt the chocolate chips.  Once they are mostly melted add the bottle of dark beer (making very sure to save a bottle for sampling...you know, for safety) and cook the liquid down till it's mostly evaporated.  This concentrates all the seasonings and flavors in the meet before it's added to our vegetable base.

Fire roasting the jalapeno and poblano chilies is not necessary but can be done very quickly over a gas burner on the oven.  Use tongs so as not to fire roast your finger tips.  When the skin starts to snap and pop and singe, you are done.  The peppers can then be cut in half, seeded, ribbed, and diced.

In a separate soup pot, add your 2 tbsp of olive oil and set on medium high heat.  When the pan is hot, toss in your onion and sweat it down until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.  While the onion is sweating, puree the whole peeled tomatoes and the chipotles in adobo (found in the Mexican or ethnic aisles of the market) in a blender or food processor.  Add the garlic, poblano, and jalapeno to the onion and cook for another couple of minutes.  Add the powdered chilies, tomato/chipotle puree, and the chicken stock, turn the heat up to high, bring the pot to a boil, and let it boil uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

After the 20 minutes are up, puree the entire pot.  I used a stick blender but a standing blender or food processor would work.  Make do with what you have.  The main idea is to break down the sauce to a smoother consistency, unless you want a chunky chili, in which case, ignore this whole paragraph.

Add the meat to the veggie pot and stir in.  Cover with a lid and let it simmer on low for an hour.  Add the 2 tbsp Agave nectar (one could alternatively use maple syrup or some light molasses, or dark brown sugar for another twist on the flavor profile) and stir in thoroughly.  At this point, one must taste and season as needed.  If it's too spicy, add a little more sweetness to cut some of the heat.  If it's not spicy enough for ya, toss in another chipotle and simmer for another 10 minutes or so.  Serve with some bread for sopping, a little grated cheese and some sour cream and you have one killer bowl.  This pot of chili will serve 4-6 folks with hearty appetites.

Oh, almost forgot to mention the best part!  This chili gets better with age...to a certain extent.  It tastes great the night that you make it.  Try it the next day for lunch and you'll find that the flavors really marry in the fridge overnight.

Peppermint Mocha Kahlua Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I can't really take credit for this recipe... this one, like the beans in the last post, is my mom's recipe.  Only she made it with Bailey's, which is also pretty kick ass!  Always a favourite of the whole family... I didn't even like cheesecake until she started making this recipe!  But I've had the Peppermint Mocha Kahlua hanging around since Christmas and it's not getting used, so I thought it'd be tasty.  -jen

Doh!  Forgot to put down what we were listening to while I baked last night!  Kind of defeats the purpose of a punk rock cooking page, doesn't it?  Then it'd just be a boring cooking blog that nobody followed... instead of a kick ass punk rock cooking blog... that nobody follows.  And actually... we weren't even listening to punk rock while I baked.  Had an electronic 80's Pandora station on - lots of Gary Numan, New Order, Depeche Mode.

Crust

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Filling

• 2-1/4 pounds (4.5 bricks) cream cheese, room temp
• 1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 eggs, room temp
• 1 cup Peppermint Mocha Kahlua
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Coffee Whipped Cream

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

For Crust:  Preheat oven to 325 F.  Coat 9-inch springform pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray.  Combine crumbs and sugar in pan.  Stir in butter.  Press mixture into bottom and 1" up the sides of pan.  Bake until light brown, about 7 minutes.  Maintain oven temperature at 325 F.

For Filling:  Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually mix in sugar.  beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Blend in Peppermint Mocha Kahlua and vanilla.  Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over crust.  Spoon in filling.  Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.  Bake cake until puffed, springy in center and golden brown - about 1 hour 20 minutes.  Cool cake completely.

For Whipped Cream:  Beat cream, sugar and coffee powder until peaks form.  Spread mixture over cooled cake.

This one isn't going to have the delicious coffee whipped cream because I'm taking it in to work.  Going to try to get pictures of it out of the springform pan!