Almond Butter Chocolate Brown Rice Chow

You know when you have a vision for something turning out just-so...and then the outcome is completely different but also better than anything could have hoped for? 

That was the case with this recipe.

When I first read this month’s Recipe ReDux theme, “Favorite Chocolate Matches,” my brain started buzzing about the possibilities. 

I’ve talked about my lack of the “chocolate-lovers” gene on the blog before here. Just to clarify, it’s not that I dislike chocolate. It’s just that I like carrot cake, apple crisp, pumpkin pie, and puffed rice treats more.

That’s where the idea for this recipe was born. I really wanted to emulate a recipe I tasted a few years ago that was a healthier spin on your average marshmallow-butter-puffed-rice-cereal-squares. It was a recipe that mastered the sweet/savory combination perfectly; it incorporated almond butter and nuts with coconut and marshmallows. 

Then, of course, I wanted to add chocolate to this non-chocolate recipe since the sweet/savory combo is my favorite way to enjoy chocolate.

Except my bars didn’t necessarily hold up the way I expected; instead, the recipe created these really wonderful, fun clusters. They’re the perfect vehicle for leftover melted Valentine’s Day chocolate and shredded, unsweetened coconut. 

Don’t you just love it when life gives you those unexpected surprises?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Brown Rice Chow

This simple & fun snack is the a cross between puppy chow & puffed rice treats. If you like the sweet/savory combination, this treat is made for you! 

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almond butter

20 large marshmallows

3 cups puffed brown rice cereal

2 tablespoons flax seeds

1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)

1 cup chocolate, melted

1/3 cup unsweeteend shredded coconut

Directions:

1.     In a large bowl, combine brown rice cereal, flax seeds, and nuts. Stir to combine.

2.     Over the stove, on low heat, combine the butter, marshmallows, and almond butter until melted.

3.     Pour over dry ingredients and stir to combine.

4.     Press into parchment lined or greased pan (like one you would make brownies in). Allow to sit over night.

5.     The next morning, break up the mixture into chunks and lay out on a lined baking sheet.

6.     Drizzle with melted chocolate and then sprinkle with unsweetened coconut.

7.     Allow to set in the fridge for at least an hour.

An InLinkz Link-up

Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

A few years ago, McKenzie gave me Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain cookbook for my birthday.  It’s become a butter-stained staple in my kitchen.  I have loved experimenting with the recipes, because they are all wholesome baked goods made from good, simple ingredients.  And because the cookbook is divided by types of flours, it’s a great way to experiment with cooking with different grains. 

My Granny is visiting this week, before we go to my aunt’s house for Thanksgiving.  I thought I’d make a little (not too) sweet treat to enjoy with our coffee in the morning.  And since my husband loves chocolate, these muffins sounded just right.

I adapted the recipe from the Chocolate Persimmon Muffins recipe from the cookbook.  Living in a small town, persimmons aren’t readily available.  But I always have a bag of frozen raspberries in my freezer.  I also switched out the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour, to add additional fiber to the recipe. 

I love the fact that these muffins are not very sweet, which makes them perfect for breakfast or a coffee break.  They don’t taste like dessert.  They are also delicious toasted and spread with butter and raspberry jam.  In fact, that’s when they’re best.

Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

Adapted from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain

Makes 12 muffins

Butter for the tins

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

3 cups frozen raspberries

¾ stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

¼ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)

2 eggs

½ cup plain yogurt, 2% or whole

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cup into pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Rub the inside of a 12-cup muffin tin with butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, sea salt and baking soda.

Place 2 cups of the raspberries in a glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thawed.  Mash the raspberries to make a pulp.

Add the butter and sugars to the bowl of stand mixer (or use a hand mixer).  Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add the eggs and mix until creamy.  Add the yogurt and raspberry pulp and mix until combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined.  Add the chocolate pieces and the remaining 1 cup of raspberries.  Stir those into the mixture until evenly combined.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, evenly distributing it between the 12 cups.  Make for 30 minutes, or until the muffin tops spring back lightly when pressed.  Take the tins out of the oven.  Remove the muffins and let them cool slightly on a wire rack.  They are best served warm, or reheated in a toaster oven and spread with butter.

Enjoy, preferably with someone you love! 

Disclaimer: We were not compensated for this post. All opinions are our own.  We are the consulting dietitians for the National ProcessedRed Raspberry Council, but we're sharing this recipe simply because we love it! 

Pumpkin S'mores Bars & A Recap of Blog Brûlée

My attendance at Blog Brûlée was partially funded by the Sponsors of the event. I was not compensated to write this post, and all opinions are my own.

You can’t beat the fresh air in Vermont. I discovered this during my 45-minute car ride from the airport to the hotel in which I kept the car windows down the entire time. And the people in Vermont are the sweetest. I had this realization when I made immediate friends with the girls at the check-in counter at Smuggler’s Notch, the beyond gorgeous resort I stayed at last weekend.

 

on a walk at Smuggler's Notch

taking the road less traveled

And Vermont is now so special to me because it is home to the first ever Blog Brûlée, a healthy blogger conference that gave this blog a new spark of creativity and a stronger sense of community.

I reconnected with old friends and built new friendships with some truly amazing bloggers – friendships that I think will be ongoing both online and off. Take a peek at their blogs!

Jessica of Nutritioulicious

Diane of Cape Fear Nutrition

Kylie of Immaeatthat

Meme of Living Well Kitchen

Danielle of Food Confidence

Kara of The Foodie Dietitian

Kristina of Love & Zest

Julie of RDelicious Kitchen

Karman of Nutrition Adventures

Jenna of Fresh Food Perspectives

Marissa of Marissa Moore Nutrition

Jennifer of 30 Seconds with A and J

Ann of Dunaway Dietetics

Holly of Grass Roots Nutrition

Jen of Down-to-Earth Dietitian

Ashley of The Fresh Beet

Rachel of An Avocado a Day

The conference was educational. I learned a lot from some of the writers, recipe developers, and photographers I admire most, including:

EA Stewart, The Spicy RD

Brierly Wright, editor of Eating Well Magazine

Anne Mauney of FANNEtastic Food

Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food

Janice Bissex and Liz Weiss of Meal Makeover Moms

And the amazing Blog Brûlée founders:

Gretchen from Kumquat, a gluten-free blog with photos so beautiful, I could look at them for hours.

Deanna from Teaspoon of Spice a food-loving blog that makes me inspired to whip up something new every time I read it.

Robin from Robin’s Bite, a blog I fell in love with a few years ago for making healthy eating fun and approachable.

Reagan of Healthy Aperture, with food photos that are beyond drool-worthy.

I laughed. My roommate, Jen (who I adore) and I hit it off right away and found ourselves bonding over Davidson Safe Eggs in the morning and giggling uncontrollably at Jimmy Fallon videos at night.

This Wheel of Musical Impressions with Adam Levine was Jen’s favorite.

And this Lip Sync Battle with Paul Rudd was mine.

The conference was delicious. We shared stories while enjoying jicama salad and shrimp skewers for lunch, sesame-crusted salmon for dinner, and chocolate, Cabot Creamery cheese, and Boyden Valley Wine in-between.

But, most of all, I left feeling happy and connected. I left with a better understanding of the things I’m good at, and the things I’m not so good at – not from a judging perspective, but from the perspective of a friend that wants me to do my best.

It also served as a good reminder that life is really what you make it. And if you have good food and good people around you, life is pretty sweet.

I’m already missing the Blog Brûlée crew but am so thankful to have them as our new friends and part of our blogging community.

A HUGE thank you again to the incredible sponsors who made the Blog Brûlée weekend possible:

•   Cabot Creamery

•   Smugglers’ Notch

•   Boyden Valley Winery

•   Welch’s

•   The Soyfoods Council

•   Mountain States Rosen

•   Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs

•   Kashi

And now for a recipe inspired by the pure joy I felt while roasting marshmallows with new and old friends last weekend.

(We may be in a serious heat way in Southern California, but it’s not stopping me from welcoming autumn with full-force. I got my first taste of autumn in Vermont and I’m just rolling with it.)

Whole Wheat Pumpkin S’Mores Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 cups whole wheat flour

pinch of sea salt

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 cups marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla. Stir until well-mixed.
3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, flour and salt. Stir until well-mixed.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until well-mixed.
5. Pour the batter into a pre-greased 9 x 9 baking pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Take out of the oven and pour the chocolate chips and marshmallows onto the warm bars. Place in the oven for 2 more minutes. For 1 more minute, turn the oven to broil so the marshmallows turn golden brown (keep on an eye on them so the marshmallows don’t burn!).

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.