I'll Take Chocolate in My Cookies, Please.

My intern's favorite type of cookie is Oatmeal Raisin.

Yes, I said raisin.

I tease him about this mercilessly. He tells me raisins are what all the cool kids are doing these days. I tell him I've always been a nerd.

A nerd who prefers chocolate and peanut butter and pecans in her cookies.

But who am I to question a person's cookie preference? Desserts are such a personal thing. And if everyone in the office loved chocolate, the treat-to-person ratio would be far smaller when someone brings a plate full of cupcakes in for sampling.

So, I'll give my intern a pass on the whole Oatmeal Raisin Cookie thing. I promised I would make him a batch before he graduates next month. In the meantime, I'm taking baby steps by starting with Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate Cookies.

Did I mention they're vegan?

Vegan-licious, that is. They're moist and tasty and full of banana + milk chocolate flavor (Note: for truly vegan cookies, you'll need to use vegan chocolate, as opposed to milk chocolate. I was willing to sacrifice their full vegan nature in the name of milk chocolate). Adam says, "They're great. But they taste too healthy to be a cookie."

That's my guy. Looks like I just found an excuse to make brownies this weekend :)

Chocolate Banana-Oat Cookies

(recipe adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

I definitely wouldn't call these a "health" cookie--unless you count adding oats to a dessert as healthy. And definitely go with the pure milk chocolate on this one--Although, that de-veganizes the recipe, I feel like milk choco is getting the shaft in all the trendy chocolate recipes lately...and her good taste and flavor just shouldn't be passed up.

Ingredients:

• 1 large, super-ripe banana (it's got to be browning!)
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. ground flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chunks

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until well-combined. Fold in chocolate chunks.

3) Drop the dough by rounded tablespoon-fuls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges (remember--it's always acceptable to under-bake vegan cookies).

Power Up!

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you, I'm seriously about to burst. We're talking Energy Balls, friends--and darn good ones at that.

These little treats may be smaller than a golfball, but they sure pack a powerful punch. Forget your Lara Bars. Toss that granola out the window. Today's recipe will give new meaning to your mid-morning snack.

I discovered these little gems on Kat's blog--a mere week after I tested (and devoured) her Peanut Butter Cups. I call 'em Energy Balls because they're the perfect post-workout fuel and they definitely give you the energy needed to power through work until your lunch break.

Best of all, with only 1 tablespoon of honey, they're short on added sugar. Yet, miraculously, they also satiate my sweet tooth. Bonus points!

Enough talk. You need some energy, and I've got just the solution...

Energy Balls

(recipe adapted from Kat's at Keep n' the Faith)

These bite-size energy treats will give you just the pre- or post-workout fuel you need. They also serve as the perfect after-work snack...or crumbled on top of banana soft serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 - 3 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter (I actually used 1/4 cup almond butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter)
• 1 TBSP honey
• splash of vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Add more dry or wet ingredients if needed to reach your desired consistency. Roll into balls and eat up :)

Crunchy-Toasty-Nutty

I know I made granola bars just a couple weeks ago, but I still wasn't satisfied with the softness of the final product.

When it comes to granola, I like a good solid crunch. I crave that toasty flavor. And don't even get me started on the nuts. Lots and lots of nuts.

Since the granola bars didn't completely fill the crunchy-toasty-nutty criteria I set, I decided to make plain old granola. You know, the kind you can grab a handful of and really sink your teeth into.

SUCCESS! Boy did this recipe fill my crunchy-toasty-nutty void...to the tenth power. You can serve it a zillion ways: stirred into yogurt, sprinkled on your morning bowl o' oats, mixed into a peanut butter-banana sandwich, or as an ice cream topping.

But me? I like to eat it plain and simple...one handful at a time.

Of course you can dress this recipe up with your tasty preferences (one of the beauties of granola). And I promise: If you crave the crunchy-toasty-nutty kind of granola, this recipe will certainly not disappoint.

Bonus holiday gift idea: Load your granola up in a clear jar (recycled nut butter jar?) and include it in a small basket with some sugared pecans, a cute tea towel, and a gift card to your local health food store.

Now, let me leave you with something to look forward to: Oreo Truffles will be made--and promptly eaten--on Saturday. Holy yum, I can hardly wait.

Crunchy-Toasty-Nutty Granola

(Hungry Spoon original)

This granola makes a great yogurt mix-in, but my favorite way to eat it is one dry spoonful at a time :)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 TBSP honey
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• Optional: Dried cranberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet (or two) with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flaxseed, coconut, and nuts. In a small bowl, combine the oil, honey, and extracts. Pour liquid mixture over oat mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

3) Place granola in a single layer on baking sheet(s). Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and toss/stir. Bake for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until toasty. Be sure to check back often! It can get too toasty (read: burnt) very quickly! Stir in cranberries when granola is finished baking.

Breakfast Intervention

Breakfast is a daily requirement for me.

I simply cannot start my day without it. After an early-AM workout, I desperately need some protein-packed, stick-to-your-bones goodness to hold me over until lunch.

However, breakfast isn't easy for everyone. My buddy Katie--a high school teacher--starts work in the 7 o' clock hour, faced with chaotic hallways, last-minute paper-grading, and groggy-eyed teens. Breakfast, she admits, is the last thing on her mind at that hour.

She needs a Breakfast Intervention.

And who better to solve a breakfast conundrum than Miss Ina Garten herself? I got the idea to make homemade granola bars from Ina's cookbook, Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. I added some tweaks and touches to make it my own (and to avoid an extra trip to the grocery store), and the result was a sweet, slightly soft breakfast bar.

My only disappointment was that these bars weren't crunchy, which I'll admit I was hoping for. Any suggestions in the crispy granola bar department?

This recipe would make a great holiday gift for the person-on-the-go in your life--a busy mom, a constant traveler, a work-out nut, or an over-stressed college student. Individually package each bar and create your own personalized labels. Place the wrapped bars in a basket or clear canister jar (or ship them off in a shoebox like I did!).

And although these guys do contain some sugar n' butter, I'm still a firm believer that food made fresh in your kitchen has a leg up on the pre-packaged stuff at the store. Move over Quaker Granola Bars, the homemade granola bar train just pulled up. And she's not leaving anytime soon.

Homemade Granola Bars

(recipe adapted from this one by Ina Garten)

The wonderful thing about granola is that you can add and omit ingredients to suit your fancy. Experiment with your own favorite nuts, dried fruits, sweeteners, etc. There is no wrong answer on this test! As noted above, these granola bars turned out soft and slightly crumbly for me. If you have suggestions for making a firmer, crispier bar, please let me know!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup chopped dried blueberries or cranberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oats, nuts, and coconut on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

2) In a small saucepan, heat the butter, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil for about one minute and remove from heat. Pour butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir to coat. Add in apricots and dried blueberries.

3) Coat a 7 x 11 (or 8 x 12) inch pan with baking spray. Moisten hands slightly and press granola mixture into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Allow to cool for about 3 hours before cutting into bars.

Apple Crisp Snack

This week's recipes lack the hearty-vegetarian-full-meal quality you may be used to. With Thanksgiving a mere 3 days away, the Hungry Spoon kitchen is relying on safe n' simple dinner options (tonight: Butternut Squash Risotto), so more time can be devoted to Thursday's feast preparation.

And a feast it will be. Expect a Chocolate-Pecan Pie recipe coming your way very, very soon.

In the meantime, I'll keep up with yesterday's snack/healthy dessert trend (Banana Soft Serve anyone?), and provide you with another uber-healthy dessert/snack to munch on: Baked Apples.

I first made a pan of this Apple Crisp look-alike last month during a lasagna celebration with my friend Alli. I quickly discovered that it doubled as an after-work snack (we all know I can't get enough of those), and it triples as a breakfast oatmeal mix-in. I can bake a pan on Sunday, and it lasts all week. Seriously awesome.

How 'bout them apples?

The only downside? I didn't measure a thing. Nope, just went with my foodie instincts and pulled the whole "pinch of this, splash of that" act.

Tonight, trust your own foodie instinct and whip up a solid batch of baked apples to get you through the holiday eating splurge.

Baked Apple Crisp

(A Hungry Spoon unmeasured original)

As with all of my measure-less recipes, feel free to get creative. I imagine dried cranberries would be a great addition, as would pears and maybe even some orange zest?

Ingredients:

• 6 apples, thinly sliced
• a dash of brown sugar (just a dash!)
• Lots o' cinnamon
• Sprinkling of nutmeg
• Oats (about 1/2 cup)
• a little Smart Balance or non-hydrogenated vegan margarine (about 1 - 2 TBSP)
• Optional: fat free frozen vanilla yogurt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the apple slices with a the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 inch square pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Mix the oats a little Smart Balance, and a dash of brown sugar if you'd like :) Sprinkle over the apples and bake until tender, about 30 minutes or so. If you're looking for a full-out dessert, top with fat free vanilla frozen yogurt.

Breakfast of Champions

(That's right. You and your breakfast-eatin' self are champions. Visualize yourself running to the top of those famous steps in Philly and pumping your arms above your head with shameless pride.)

I absolutely love breakfast. I'm also a ridiculously predictable and structured person (think: opposite of spontaneous). As such, my weekday breakfasts are always the same (Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal) and my weekend breakfasts are consistently a variation on a theme (some sort of fruit-and-nut-filled pancake or waffle).

*Enter Rocky theme music*

Today, however, I busted out of the predictable box and went wild.

Loaded Vanilla-Almond Oatmeal. mmmmmmmm...

And I'm not talking about a wimpy packet of just-add-water "oatmeal." I'm talking OATS!

My new weekday breakfast (which strangely debuted on a Saturday morning) is a bowl of chunky, filling, and oh-so-healthy loaded oatmeal. Inspired by other food bloggers who tout their love of morning oats, I decided there's no better time to try a new breakfast than during my 5K training period (which will finally come to an end on September 17!).

So, this morning's recipe is simple, quick, and will definitely get your day off to a healthy start.

Some common oatmeal add-ins include:

• Milk (regular, soy, or almond) as the liquid
• Nut butters (of course!)
• Chopped, toasted nuts
• Ground flaxseed
• Fresh fruit (bananas, peaches, strawberries, or bluberries)
• Dried fruit
• Honey or maple syrup
• Cinnamon, vanilla, other seasonings of choice

Enough talk. Let's get to work on your breakfast of champions.

Loaded Vanilla-Almond Oatmeal

(Inspired by fellow food bloggers!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (use less milk if you like thicker oatmeal)
• 4 small strawberries, chopped
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1 TBSP almond butter (my favorite is pictured on the right)
• 1 tsp. flaxseed
• sprinkling of cinnamon
• dash of vanilla

Directions:

1) Combine oats and milk in a bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes.

2) Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

3) You're a champion :)