treats fit for the holidays

'Tis the holiday season... which means holiday parties, shopping, and overall joy to the world. It also means a lot of cooking and baking. Last night, I had my first party of the season, a ladies-only Yankee Swap organized by my aunt and attended by family and friends.

I started thinking about the goodies I could make to bring without requiring a special trip to the store. I had almond meal. I had almond butter. I also had cocoa powder, baking chocolate, 60% dark chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham crackers. Hmm... I could make this work.

So, a couple of words about the ingredients... my IDEAL dessert is one free of anything processed and/or refined. But I understand this isn't the preference for everyone, and experimenting with ingredients can be tricky and lead to things not-so-edible. So I was careful when choosing substitutions, I definitely did not want to bring yucky treats to a holiday party! Major party foul.

First up: adaptation of Chocolate Covered Katie's Secret Peanut Butter Cookies. I absolutely love her recipes-- she takes the mystery out of healthy baking!

Almond Butter Cookies
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- just less than 1/4 cup of maple syrup
- 2 tbsp apple sauce
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp almond meal
- healthy heaping of chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips)

First, mix your dry ingredients (I know, not very hard as there are only three). Then, add all wet ingredients, and mix well. Let dough chill for at least an hour if you prefer soft cookies (who doesn't?!). Once the dough has chilled, add your chocolate chips. Place teaspoon-sized balls onto parchment-covered baking sheets, and bake for 5-8 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Right out of the oven, these cookies looked oh-so-good... I wanted to try one SO badly, but I definitely didn't make enough batter for too many taste tests! (After filling up my first cookie sheet, I had enough cookie batter for two big cookies... Two big cookies for the man, that is!)

Next up: brownies. I love homemade brownies. They are oh-so-gooey and full of delicious chocolate flavor. And I really, really, really loved this recipe. But I didn't love some of the ingredients, mainly the ones for the brownies. And I had to keep the graham cracker crust and marshmallow topping... I mean, come on, that's what makes it a s'more. But we could do better for the brownie middle. Chocolate Covered Katie proved once again to be the source for healthy alternatives for baking. Together, again with some adaptations, they created a ooey-gooey masterpiece.

Black Bean S'Mores Brownies
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 5-6 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup vegetable or coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking power
- healthy heaping chocolate chips

- about 1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 2-4 tbsp melted butter

- marshmallows

Once your black beans are rinsed and dry, pulse in a food processor. If needed, use a potato masher to create a smoother texture. Then, add the remaining ingredients to your black beans. Mix very, very well. You want as smooth as a texture as possible. Nobody wants a whole black bean in their brownie bite. Oh wait, I might. 

Once your brownie batter is mixed, start to prepare your baking dish. Melt the butter on the bottom of an 8x8 pan, spreading evenly. Now, put the graham cracker crumbs in dish, and spread evenly while pressing down, creating a sturdy crust. Next, pour brownie batter into dish. Spread evenly. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Remove brownies once they are almost complete, and raise the oven temperature to about 425 degrees F. Place marshmallows onto top of brownie, and make sure to cover the entire top. Put back in the oven. Do not leave your brownie for too long-- I would keep checking every minute or so. Remove your brownies once the top of the marshmallows begin to brown. Let your brownies cool, for at least one hour.

While it may be the season to be jolly, it can also be the season to be healthy. Try some healthy alternatives in your baked goods over the holidays... maple syrup and honey instead of sugar, coconut oil instead of butter, apple sauce in place of eggs, just to name a few. A taste test will definitely prove there are no differences in deliciousness!