Snow.

If you live in New England, you don’t want to hear about it because you’re living amidst this never-ending Snowmageddon; and if you live elsewhere, you don’t want to hear about it because you’ve been inundated with plaintive updates on social media for the past month.

So, let’s talk about these cookie bars instead, yes?!

Chewy in the center, crispy around the edges, these coconutty cookie bars dotted with dark chocolate chips are healthy and delicious. They have only a handful of ingredients and are a cinch to whip up.

I like them soft at room temperature, but John prefers them straight from the fridge; the coconut butter firms up and the bars take on a consistency that tiptoes the line between cookie and fudge.

If you’re a sucker for fresh-from-the-oven cookies, toss a bar (or two) into the toaster oven or microwave until the chocolate starts to melt.

Or, you could go the completely opposite way and not bake the dough at all; there are no eggs in the recipe, so you could roll the dough into balls and refrigerate them until the coconut butter sets up for a no-bake treat.

However you decide to eat them, you are going to love these cookie bars…

… and they might even make you forget that we still have another month plus of winter.

Chocolate Chip Macaroon Oatmeal Cookie Bars

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients (16 bars)

It should come as no surprise to you when I say that I love almonds. The little nutritional powerhouses are one of my go-to snacks, and I love to incorporate almonds in all of their forms (almond flour, almond butter, almond extract, etc.) to recipes. Case in point. So I – of course – jumped at the chance to join healthyfoodforliving.com in their effort to spread the word about the health benefits of almonds.

Before we get to the recipe, (which, believe me, you want to stick around for), let’s chat for a bit about what makes almonds so fantastic. First of all, they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Including almonds in your diet can help to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cancer & heart disease. Second of all, they are delicious and can be enjoyed in a vast variety of ways.

For this recipe, I combined almonds, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dark chocolate to create little two-bite treats that taste like the popular candy bar in fudge form.

The bites require no cooking, and can be whipped up in mere minutes. Straight out of the food processor, the mixture is the consistency of nut butter, but it sets up into a dense fudge-like texture when chilled in the refrigerator.

It is nearly impossible to eat just one of these; you have been warned!

If you have yet to include almonds into your diet, hopefully this recipe will entice you to start; and be sure to check out Nuts.com for their wide (and tempting!) variety of almond offerings by clicking here.

Almond Joy Fudge Bites

by Lauren Zembron

Ingredients (12 bites)

Instructions

Line a 12 cup mini muffin tin with mini muffin liners.

Combine almonds and coconut flakes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the almonds and coconut break down into a smooth butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 5-10 minutes.

Add in the coconut oil, salt, and chocolate chips; process until the coconut oil & chocolate have melted and are fully combined (the heat from the food processor will melt the chocolate).

Evenly divide the mixture amongst the lined muffin cups. Chill in the refrigerator until set, at least 2 hours.

Peel off the muffin liners. Store in refrigerator.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: ~120 calories
• Total Fat: ~9g
• Saturated Fat: ~4g
• Cholesterol: ~0mg
• Sodium: ~30mg
• Total Carbohydrates: ~10g
• Dietary Fiber: ~2g
• Sugars: ~6g
• Protein: ~3g

Please note that these nutrition estimates are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and portion sizes. It’s always a good practice to calculate nutrition based on the exact ingredients and quantities used.

I am beyond excited to share a new (to me) discovery with you: Not Your Sugar Mamas, a Martha’s Vineyard-based store that sells handmade chocolates and other goodies without any refined sugars. The high-quality chocolate bars are:

The first two ingredients listed on the label of every chocolate bar are organic raw cacao & organic raw cacao butter. There are no emulsifiers, and you can tell not only from the ingredient list but also from the way the silky chocolate melts in your mouth.

The chocolate bars come in a variety of uniquely delicious flavors:

These are not your average chocolate bars; not by a long shot. They are less sweet, but much more flavorful than anything you can find in the checkout line at the grocery store. They are packed with superfood ingredients, and are healthy enough to eat for breakfast (one serving of any of the chocolate bars has less than 6 grams of sugar or less).

A bonus: Lily loved the flavors she tried, and I didn’t think twice about giving her a few bites of chocolate mid-afternoon given how healthy they are.

Each of the bars boasts one of these little stickers, reminding you that they are handmade with love…

… and are packaged in 100% recycled paper with inspirational quotes (such as the one photographed below) printed on the inside of the wrapper:

So, that’s the chocolate.

Then there’s the cookies:

Oh, these cookies. I am officially obsessed! Made with nutrient-dense ingredients, these chocolate chip cookies are fan-freakin’-tastic. There’s only one left in the package, and it’s going to be a sad day after that one goes down the hatch (which will probably be tomorrow).

If you’re lucky enough to frequent the Vineyard, be sure you check out one of Not Your Sugar Mamas two Chocolate Cafes (Vineyard Haven & Edgartown) for even more goodies, including fresh smoothies, baked goods, raw treats, cupcakes, truffles, scones, muffins, and coffee. I will be on the Vineyard late this summer, and you can bet I’m going to stop in to at least one of the locations!

If you’re nowhere near Martha’s Vineyard and have no plans to visit, check out their online store here.

I’m thrilled to be a participant in the blog tour for the gorgeous cookbook Love Fed: Purely Decadent, Simply Raw, Plant-Based Desserts by Christina Ross, which is chock full of gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free vegan treats.

Christina’s recipes are enticing in name alone, (Triple-Layer German Chocolate Cake, Raspberry and Coconut Glazed Doughnuts, and Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle to name a few), but add her gorgeous photographs, and I guarantee you’ll be running to the kitchen to make one of her beautiful desserts.

I chose to make her Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle, and am happy to be able to share the recipe with you!

Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle

This is my raw-vegan mash-up of two favorite European desserts: English trifle and Italian tiramisu. The result is a sophisticated dessert worthy of any fancy tabletop.

CREAM

1 c. cashews, soaked and drained

1⁄8 tsp. sea salt

1⁄4 c. almond milk

1⁄4 c. cold-brewed coffee or 1 tsp. coffee extract

1⁄4 c. maple syrup

1 tbsp. melted coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. lemon juice

CHOCOLATE SAUCE DRIZZLE

1 tbsp. cacao powder

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1⁄4 tsp. vanilla extract

3 bananas

11/2 tsp. cacao powder, for garnish

Instruction

To make the cream: Place the cashews, sea salt, almond milk, cold-brewed coffee, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until very creamy.

Whisk the cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a squirt bottle, if you have one, or leave in the bowl until ready to use.

Cut each of the bananas into 3 even sections. Slice each section in half lengthwise (you will have 18 total pieces of banana). Place 2 of the banana sections in the bottom of a 33⁄4×41⁄4″ trifle glass or ramekin. Repeat in a second glass or ramekin. Squirt chocolate sauce (or drizzle with a spoon) along the rims of the glasses all the way around, reserving some for garnish. Next, add enough cream to cover the bananas. Layer another 2 bananas sections on top, then the cream.

Stand up the remaining 10 banana sections vertically around the sides of each glass (5 per glass), then pour in the cream to the top. Gently sift cacao powder on top and garnish with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Serve immediately or let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The individual components of this trifle are fantastic all on their own, but when you combine them together, the result is pure bliss. I’m a sucker for coffee & chocolate together, so the coffee “cream” and chocolate sauce are – in my opinion – a match made in heaven.

Using bananas in place of the traditional ladyfingers in this raw version of tiramisu is brilliant. You can’t clearly see them in these photos because I drowned them in coffee cream and chocolate sauce, but there are bananas in there, I promise!

Here’s the image from the cookbook:

Hungry yet? Be sure to follow along with the tour for more of Christina’s scrumptious recipes!

Estimated nutrition per serving

• Calories: Approximately 450 kcal
• Protein: Approximately 15g
• Carbohydrates: Approximately 55g
  • Dietary Fiber: Approximately 12g
• Fat: Approximately 20g
  • Saturated Fat: Approximately 2.5g
• Sodium: Approximately 450mg
• Sugar: Approximately 6g

Please note that nutritional values are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and portion sizes used.

It’s a brownie.

It’s a cookie.

It’s a… brookie? Crownie?

Whatever you call it, it is deeeeeelicious; every bit as scrumptious as that Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie for One that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind over the past couple of weeks.

This version uses oil instead of butter, white chocolate chips instead of grain-sweetened, and gets the added tastiness of cocoa powder for a brownie-like result.

The inside is soft, moist, and studded with melty white chocolate chips; the top is slightly crackly and crisp. In other words: pure decadence in a single-serving cup!

Can this be considered an appropriate (but infrequent) mid-afternoon snack? Because it totally was for me. Or maybe that’s just the pregnancy hormones talking.

In all seriousness, this is clearly an indulgent dessert to be enjoyed every once-in-a-while. But when you do make one of these brownie cookies for one, you’ll be in utter bliss.

That being said, if you’re wondering if there’s a way to make it even more decadent, I’m here to assure you that there most certainly is:

Top your still-warm brownie cookie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt!

Any dessert a la mode is fantastic, and this is no exception.

Deep-Dish White Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookie for One

by Lauren Zembron

Keywords: bake dessert white chocolate chocolate brownies cookies

Ingredients (1 serving)

Instructions

In a small ramekin or microwavable cup, combine oil and both sugars; stir well with a spoon. Stir in beaten egg and vanilla extract. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Microwave on high for 35-40 seconds. Let cookie rest at room temperature for about 10 seconds before devouring.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: Approximately 450 kcal
• Total Fat: 28 grams
• Saturated Fat: 14-16 grams
• Cholesterol: 115-130 mg
• Sodium: 150-170 mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 39-45 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 1-2 grams
• Sugars: 28-32 grams
• Protein: 5-6 grams

Please note that these nutritional values are estimates and can vary based on the precise ingredients and quantities used. It’s always a good practice to calculate nutritional information based on the exact ingredients and serving sizes you use.

In fact, I used to detest the flavor and texture. As a little girl, I’d bypass all of the Mounds and Almond Joy bars in my Halloween loot and head straight for the Snickers and Twix bars.

Then I discovered the Girl Scout Caramel Delights cookies, (we didn’t call them Samoas down in PA where I grew up), and I changed my tune a bit. It must have been the caramel and chocolate that drew me in ;).

The next step I took towards gaining an appreciation for coconut was a virgin Pina Colada consumed at some point… and then a few years later, a not-so-virgin Pina Colada.

The culminating moment when I finally determined that I actually adored coconut was when I first tasted Thai coconut curry. Spicy and rich; savory with a kick of sweet.

I was sold.

Years after this epiphany, I was handed an individually wrapped coconut macaroon following a delicious French lunch at L’Espalier in downtown Boston. As I bit through the slightly crisp crust and into the soft center, I had one of those closed-eyes-everything-slows-down moments.

I had to recreate these at home!

Well, I finally found a recipe that caught my attention as being worthy of making. I made a half batch of  Megan’s Detox Blonde Macaroons, and was ecstatic about how fantastic they were! The only caveat: they are pretty high in saturated fat. Yes, I know coconut is on the path to redemption after spending years on health professionals’ “don’t eat” lists, but I still think moderation is best.

On my second go-around, I attempted to make the macaroons with all reduced-fat coconut. Poor decision. Note to self: you need fat to make butter. Even coconut butter. So, the coconut used to make the coconut butter had to be full-fat. What about the shredded coconut that is folded into the butter? How could I lessen the overall saturated fat content? Ah yes. Use reduced fat shredded coconut and sub out half of it for rolled oats!

My version is lower in fat, but retains the lovely flavor and chewy texture of the original. Vanilla bean paste contributes the aesthetically appealing black vanilla bean flecks more affordably than a whole vanilla bean, but pure vanilla extract can also be used. A touch of almond extract adds depth of flavor, and a bit of salt provides a nice counter balance to the sweet maple syrup.

The first step is to make your own coconut butter – for which you absolutely must use full fat unsweetened shredded coconut.

After a few minutes in the food processor, the flakes should start to break down like so:

A few more minutes of blending, and voila! Smooth, creamy, & silky coconut butter.

Since there aren’t a lot of flavor additions, I recommend using high-quality extracts. I LOVE this vanilla bean paste, and use it in recipes where the flecks of vanilla bean are visible.

I’m also hooked on this almond extract. I’ve considered dabbing it on my wrists and behind my ears as perfume ;).

See the vanilla beans in the macaroon dough?

Love.

As is true for most cookie dough, this one tastes phenomenal! Go ahead and lick that bowl clean – there are no raw eggs to be concerned about, and I say it’s a mandatory step in the baking process.

So there.

These macaroons smell nothing short of intoxicating while baking, and you will not believe how amazing they taste. Coconut is clearly the predominant flavor, and the addition of rolled oats does not detract from its potency. The maple syrup adds not just sweetness, but also a rich flavor that is heightened by the vanilla and almond extracts. The macaroons develop a lovely crisp crust as they cool, while the interior of each golden orb remains chewy.

I can easily say that these are – without a doubt – my new favorite cookie. Although I would still pass by a coconut candy bar without a second glance (who needs all of that artificial junk?), I’ll take a few of these macaroons any day!

Ingredients

Directions