pack my kids about ten of these in a tiny container; just enough to tickle their sweet tooth.
MAKES 2 CUPS; 10 TO 12 ALMONDS PER SERVING
2 cups raw almonds (not roasted or salted)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 / 3 cup sweetened cocoa powder (see Note)
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 pinches of salt
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large, shallow bowl, add the almonds and drizzle with the canola oil. Using your hands, toss the almonds until evenly coated. Sprinkle the sweetened cocoa powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt over the almonds. Using a rubber spatula, turn the almonds into the cocoa powder until they are evenly coated. It takes ten or more turns to adequately dust the almonds with cocoa.
Transfer the almonds to the prepared baking sheets, and bake until toasted, 15 to 20 minutes. When the almonds are fragrant, theyâre done.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
NOTE: Do not use hot cocoa mix, which is made with dry milk powder. Sweetened cocoa powder is essentially just cocoa and sugar.
ROSIEâS
Energy Balls
THESE CHEWY TREATS are a variation on the first recipe my daughter Rosie ever brought home. She proudly marched in with a batch of them from preschool and presented me with the instructions. Theyâre sweet and filling with a texture that makes them seem a little like candy. With a full cup of dried milk powder, they also supply a decent dose of calcium. On rushed mornings, my kids have been known to grab a couple for on-the-go breakfasts.
MAKES ABOUT 20 BALLS; 1 OR 2 BALLS PER SERVING
1 / 2 cup natural unsweetened creamy peanut butter or other nut, soy nut, or seed butter
1 / 2 cup honey
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
1 / 4 cup flax meal
In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, milk powder, and flax meal with a wooden spoon. Once youâve gotten things partially mixed, work the batter with your hands until a smooth dough forms.
With your hands, break off pieces of dough and roll into 1 1 / 4 -inch balls. Arrange in a container big enough to accommodate them in a single layer.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 weeks in the freezer.
SOUR CHERRY
Oatmeal Bars
THE SWEET-TART TASTE OF SOUR CHERRY JAM over a crumbly, brown sugarâsweetened dough is pretty scrumptious. The recipe is a twist on a fruit crisp Iâve been making for years, only in this version the crust shows up on both top and bottom, and jam subs in for fresh fruit. I cut the bars into petite squares that are just big enough for a lunch-box treat (or an after-school snack along with a glass of cold milk). If you canât get your hands on a jar of sour cherry jam, feel free to substitute apricot or raspberry instead.
MAKES 20 BARS
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 / 2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 / 2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder
1 / 4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 / 2 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 / 4 cup sour cherry jam
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that it drapes a couple of inches over two sides.
In a large bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir with a fork. Add the butter and, using an electric mixer on low speed, mix until the ingredients form a uniformly crumbly mixture, about 45 seconds. Add the walnuts and continue mixing on low speed until they are evenly distributed, about 5 seconds.
With your hands, press two-thirds of the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. (If the dough sticks to your hands, cover it with a piece of parchment paper as you work.)
With a spoon, spread the jam evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the remaining one-third of the dough evenly over the jam. You
MAKES 2 CUPS; 10 TO 12 ALMONDS PER SERVING
2 cups raw almonds (not roasted or salted)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 / 3 cup sweetened cocoa powder (see Note)
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 pinches of salt
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large, shallow bowl, add the almonds and drizzle with the canola oil. Using your hands, toss the almonds until evenly coated. Sprinkle the sweetened cocoa powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt over the almonds. Using a rubber spatula, turn the almonds into the cocoa powder until they are evenly coated. It takes ten or more turns to adequately dust the almonds with cocoa.
Transfer the almonds to the prepared baking sheets, and bake until toasted, 15 to 20 minutes. When the almonds are fragrant, theyâre done.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
NOTE: Do not use hot cocoa mix, which is made with dry milk powder. Sweetened cocoa powder is essentially just cocoa and sugar.
ROSIEâS
Energy Balls
THESE CHEWY TREATS are a variation on the first recipe my daughter Rosie ever brought home. She proudly marched in with a batch of them from preschool and presented me with the instructions. Theyâre sweet and filling with a texture that makes them seem a little like candy. With a full cup of dried milk powder, they also supply a decent dose of calcium. On rushed mornings, my kids have been known to grab a couple for on-the-go breakfasts.
MAKES ABOUT 20 BALLS; 1 OR 2 BALLS PER SERVING
1 / 2 cup natural unsweetened creamy peanut butter or other nut, soy nut, or seed butter
1 / 2 cup honey
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
1 / 4 cup flax meal
In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, milk powder, and flax meal with a wooden spoon. Once youâve gotten things partially mixed, work the batter with your hands until a smooth dough forms.
With your hands, break off pieces of dough and roll into 1 1 / 4 -inch balls. Arrange in a container big enough to accommodate them in a single layer.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 weeks in the freezer.
SOUR CHERRY
Oatmeal Bars
THE SWEET-TART TASTE OF SOUR CHERRY JAM over a crumbly, brown sugarâsweetened dough is pretty scrumptious. The recipe is a twist on a fruit crisp Iâve been making for years, only in this version the crust shows up on both top and bottom, and jam subs in for fresh fruit. I cut the bars into petite squares that are just big enough for a lunch-box treat (or an after-school snack along with a glass of cold milk). If you canât get your hands on a jar of sour cherry jam, feel free to substitute apricot or raspberry instead.
MAKES 20 BARS
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 / 2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 / 2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder
1 / 4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 / 2 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 / 4 cup sour cherry jam
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that it drapes a couple of inches over two sides.
In a large bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir with a fork. Add the butter and, using an electric mixer on low speed, mix until the ingredients form a uniformly crumbly mixture, about 45 seconds. Add the walnuts and continue mixing on low speed until they are evenly distributed, about 5 seconds.
With your hands, press two-thirds of the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. (If the dough sticks to your hands, cover it with a piece of parchment paper as you work.)
With a spoon, spread the jam evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the remaining one-third of the dough evenly over the jam. You
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