Raisin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies (cheapskate Larabars)

BEST OF THE TASTY CHEAPSKATE

I love these so much that posting about them on a hungry stomach is just a terrible idea. I'm going to have to rush through this, then hurry into my kitchen and make some more. They are just fantastically good. They make for a quick grab-and-go breakfast if your kids sleep in (like one of mine did this morning). They make for a great post workout snack. They make for a great healthy dessert that doesn't really taste like a healthy dessert.

They are like Larabars in that they combine fruit and nuts (and chocolate) to make something divine. But they combine the cheapest dried fruit and the cheapest nut. The cost of the entire batch is about not more than $2.00. The last time I bought a box of Larabars on sale, it was $5.00.

And the truth is that they taste 500 times better than those expensive Larabras. So make them.

(P.S. Freeze them if you want to keep them around longer than 40 seconds. My kids descend upon them like locusts of Biblical fame--consuming all.)

You can find the recipe below and the original post HERE.

Want more Larabar knock-offs. Try THESE. Or THESE BROWNIE BITES.

Raisin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies (aka Cheapskate Larabars)
adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie
Makes about 12 (um, a little foggy here on the amount; I must have been snitching too much dough)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cost: $1.70
peanut butter: .70, raisins: .70, peanuts: .30


Note: These are oily when you form them into balls--at least mine were. I just set them on a paper towel and all was well.

Another note: If you'd like, you can add any variety of dried fruits or nut butters. I did a batch with raisins, coconut, peanut butter, and almonds. It was also delicious, although this original recipe was still may favorite. Nevertheless, feel free to play around with the recipe a bit.

1 1/4-1 1/2 C raisins
3/4 C peanut butter
6 Tbsp peanuts (I used raw, but plain roasted will work too)
3/4 tsp vanilla
dash of salt if that's your thing (it's mine)
chocolate chips, optional (I added them sometimes and didn't other times--both were awesome)

Combine raisins, peanut butter, and peanuts in a food processor. (Note: In an attempt to save on dishes I tried this in my cheap blender. It didn't work; the raisins were just too sticky.) Process until smooth (you'll have a few bits of peanuts, but not big chunks) and coming together like a dough. Add vanilla and salt (if using) and process. (If using chocolate chips, you can add these at the very end and give them a whirl or two, but I like mine chunky so I didn't pulverize them.)

Take out, form into balls. Place balls on waxed paper or paper towels and press into cookie shapes using a fork or spoon.

Peanut Butter Mug Cake for Breakfast

So you know how the whole mug cake thing came and went (or maybe it's still going; I don't know). The idea was to make a little one serving cake in a mug and then microwave it and, voila, you had a perfect single-serving of deliciousness.

Yeah, I didn't hop on that wagon at all.

Because as we all know if we ever had a mother who liked to make brownies in the microwave: Baked goods are disgusting when not, ahem, baked. 

I would have gone on happily without any mug cakes or microwaved brownies for the rest of my life were it not for an unfortunate Easter craving. You see, I'm not a huge candy lover (quality dark chocolate excepted). But it was Easter and I so wanted something sweet. And Pinterest kept telling me I wanted something sweet. And suddenly, as fate would have it, a mug cake happened to pop up in my feed. Rather, a link titled something like, "The 11 Best Mug Cakes." And, truly, the pictures all looked divine (because, um, Pinterest and stuff).

So I thought, "Hey, I'm craving baked goods, and the universe just told me to make a mug cake. And if I hate it, well, it was just a little thing." Not much to lose.

And it wasn't. But naturally, I couldn't help but mess with that darn recipe. And even though I'd been craving a sweet baked good, I got to thinking that if I added a little whole wheat, well then, that would give it a nuttier flavor, and also justify my sins. And I'll be darned if it wasn't a right decent evening snack. A wee bit dry, perhaps, but worth the lack of effort I put into it.

And then the next day, I just kept thinking about it. Like, what if I added a tablespoon of pumpkin to keep it moist? And, oops, I forgot the leavener. And added chocolate chips. It turned out a moist, dense, healthy mug cake that I may or may not have been making for myself all week.

You should make it too. We'll all be on an old band wagon that might not even be a thing anymore together. And we won't regret it.

I can't help but think that it would be the perfect thing to whip up when you're in a hurry and take to work with you, or make your kids eat in the car while you run them to school because they got up late and missed the bus. For the 18th time this week. (not that my kids are ever late)

And please note the price tag. This is a super healthy breakfast guys (well, depending on your chocolate chip addiction). And you can't beat it for cheap.

Peanut Butter Mug Cake for Breakfast
serves 1, maybe 2 if you eat light (it's quite filling; I can't always finish mine)
Prep time and cook time: 2 minutes (cool it for a few minutes though.
Cost: $.30 ($.45 with chocolate chips)
milk: .03, sugar: .03, peanut butter: .15, pumpkin: .03, whole wheat flour: .06, chocolate chips: .15

1/4 C milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar or honey
3 Tbsp peanut butter (I used creamy)
1 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1/4 C whole wheat flour (or 3 Tbsp whole wheat flour and 1 Tbsp oat flour)
1-3 Tbsp chocolate chips (optional, depending on your level of breakfast stoicism; my breakfast stoicism is quite low for the record)

Mix it all together.

Cook on high in the microwave for about one minute (Mine is usually between 1 minute and 10 second and 1 minute and 20 seconds.) Put it in for another 15 seconds if it's still not done. Note: You want it a little bit undone or raw looking in the center. It will continue to cook as it cools and that will give it just the right amount of moisture. If you cook it till it's dry-looking, it will taste dry.

Let cool for a few minutes (seriously guys, if you tear into this right of the microwave, you'll burn your tongue. Give it five minutes.)

Eat.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Coconut Chocolate Bites

It's spring break. Need a healthy snack? Or maybe something to eat in the closet while your kids run wild through your house (just kidding; well, usually). Try these. They're a dark chocolate coconut concoction--like a Mounds Bar that decided to make some healthy choices (you know you've hit middle age when that sounds sexy...)

My one recommendation is that you don't go eat a whole bunch of these. Cut them into bite-size bits and eat as such. That's because they're what I'd like to call "high energy" bars, which is just a polite way of calling them fat. If you eat a big ol' hunk of these, well, you'll just feel kind of full and I have to warn you that these have a fair amount of coconut oil in them. Yeah, yeah, it's a healthy fat and stuff, but still it's fat and I just don't think humans are meant to consume large amounts of plain old fat by the spoonful. So be warned. 

Coconut Chocolate Bites

adapted from Art and the Kitchen

Makes 36 tiny bite-sized bars

Prep time: 5 minutes

Chill time: 1-2 hours

Cost: $8.40 (supposing you cut this into 16 bars--that makes it $.50/bar, which--in my defense--is still cheaper than a candy bar)

oil: $4.00, coconut: 2.00, chocolate: 2.00, honey: .40

Note: I told you there was a lot of fat in this. And it makes it not really so cheap. I'm sorry about that. Just eat your bite-sized bits and you can still play your cheapskate card. 

1 C organic and unrefined coconut oil (in its liquid state)

2 C unsweetened coconut

1/4 C honey

10-12 oz dark chocolate

Put a piece of parchment paper in an 8x8 inch pan (um, I'm pretty sure that was the size I used--almost positive; if, however, it looks like your bars are four inches thick, then please use a larger pan). 

In a bowl, combine melted coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, and honey. Stir well. Press into parchment-lined pan. 

Put this in the freezer or fridge to set. 

When it's set, melt chocolate. I do this in the microwave by microwaving in 30 second intervals and stirring in between. When it's melted, pour the chocolate over the coconut layer. 

Put this in the fridge to set. 

When it's set, take it out, let it get to room temperature so it's easier to cut (I know; I know). Then cut into tiny bites and eat. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Brownie Bites

Ironically, I have a bajillion (or at least four) delicious recipes waiting to be shared with you, but I have just not had the time to get them up. Tonight I was sorely tempted to skip this post as well and haul my little bum to bed. But no, the world deserves brownie bites. Especially when they are so easy and satisfying as this.

Sometimes, friends, I get a little bored by breakfast. We end up eating the same things over and over again. So one morning, even though these are supposed to be a sort of healthy dessert option (much like a Larabar), I whipped them up for breakfast. I didn't look back. They would also be a great healthy dessert (and are surprisingly satisfying as such). Or a perfect pre/post workout snack. I should, however, issue a warning here and say that they are not low-cal. If you're passing on the real brownies in favor of your waistline, then I would encourage you not to pop four or five of these into your mouth. Sure they contain fruit and nuts and cocoa and awesomeness. Sure, they could be considered good for you. But, well, let's just say they have more calories than air. Because they really really do.

These are raw and grain-free, potentially dairy free, and have a mere five ingredients. Enjoy.

Brownie Bites
from Paleo Grubs
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cost: $4.00
walnuts: 2.00-3.00, dates: 1.00, cocoa: .40, chocolate chips: .25

Note: Dates can often be found cheap at Asian markets/stores.

1 1/2 C walnuts
pinch salt
1 C pitted dates (get all those pits and stems OUT)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C cocoa powder
1/4-1/3 C dark chocolate chips (optional, but you know I added them)

Put walnuts in food processor and process until finely ground. You don't want them to become walnut butter and you don't want the oils to start separating, so go for a nice crumbly-looking finely ground. Add dates, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder. Process until well combined--you shouldn't have big chunks of anything (unless you want them of course). You may need to add a few drops of water to get them to come together, but I didn't. You also may need to occasionally stop the processor and spread your stuff out again since sometimes it forms a huge ball or brownie bite that makes it hard to process evenly.

When it's just about ready, add your chocolate chips and pulse just a bit more to chop them a bit, but leave them so you get chocolate chips in there with your bites.

Roll them into balls. (Or press into a wax-paper lined pan, refrigerate, and cut.)

Store in an airtight container (and I refrigerated them).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Sour Patch Grapes

You ready for a dumb easy recipe that will change every bag of horrible grapes forever?

Surely I'm not the only person who occasionally ends up with a whole 2-pound bag of crappy grapes. And what do you do with them? I don't feel like grapes work well in smoothies, you can't make sweet bread out of them, I suppose you could juice them if you have a juicer, but many people don't and the juice is okay, but comes out kind of thin and sometimes chalky tasting if your grapes are particularly awful. So you either do the cheapskate thing and eat the nasty things. Or you do the non-cheapskate thing and throw them away. Neither is highly appealing to me.

But now... now I have the perfect solution for you. I recently got some awful grapes. Two whole bags--four pounds total. My kids wouldn't touch them. Every grape came home from the school lunches. And then I read about these candied grapes on Pinterest (good old Pinterest). The writer claimed they tasted just like sour patch candies. Also, they were dumb easy. And cheap. And super beautiful. In fact, I thought they would be perfect for a baby shower or party (you could coat them in pink or blue pretty easily).

I'm not going to pretend that these things are super healthy. They're not. But they're healthier than, say, cookies. Or fruit snacks. Or Sour Patch candies. Which is what they most remind me of. They are more along the lines of dessert that has some nutritional value. I can live with that.

I can especially live with that when my kids come home from school and snarf down an entire bunch of grapes they would not touch one day before. These babies really are a lot like candy--in flavor and even a bit in texture. If you are a lover of sour candy, you MUST try these grapes.

Here's what you do:

You coat grapes in dry Jello powder.

Now I know what you're thinking: Jello is Satan's dessert. Oh, wait, maybe that's what I was thinking. But you may be thinking it too, since it is true. Jello by itself is the most disgusting dessert I can think of. Why not just harvest boogers and sweeten them--that is how I feel about Jello. But in this recipe it worked PERFECTLY. They sweet and soured the grapes and the gelatin gave the grapes a little coating that kind of set (which you wouldn't get if you just rolled damp grapes in sugar). Jello is also cheap.

I tried three kinds--Tropical Fusion (Jello brand), Watermelon (Jolly Rancher brand--no, I didn't know that existed either, but if we've got it in Evansville, you probably have it too), Green Apple (Jolly Rancher brand). My favorite was watermelon, followed by Green Apple, but my kids loved them all and consumed them before I could get a cute picture so I had to make them again.

tropical fusion far left, green apple back, watermelon front

Sour Patch Grapes
Makes 2 pounds
Prep time: 5 minutes
Set time: 1 hour
Cost: $2.64
grapes: $2 (Aldi prices), Jello: .64

Note: I made less than this and just saved the rest of my Jello powder by folding up the bag tight.

2 lb grapes
1 package flavored (and sugared) Jello

Remove grapes from stems. Rinse and let strain in a strainer. You do not want your grapes dripping, but you do not want them completely dry either. A damp grape is perfect.

Put Jello powder onto a plate or stretch of waxed paper. Put grapes on the plate (if you're doing 2 pounds, you're going to have to do this in batches) and shake the plate so the grapes roll around and get coated.

Let the grapes sit for an hour (you can eat them right after you make them, but if they set they're better and the texture is amazing and surprisingly candy-like).

Peanut Butter (and Almond) Cookies--Raw and Vegan and Gluten-Free and Awesome

I could have called these sugar free as well. Because they use dates instead of sugar. But I'm tired of going to all those recipes that say "SUGAR FREE!!!" only to find that the recipe uses 1 1/2 C of maple syrup or something (I'm sorry, but I do not count maple syrup/honey/agave as sugar free; maybe refined-sugar free, but seriously people--maple syrup is not sugar free). So anyway, I thought I'd spare you the hype. Still, come on, a cup of dates is totally better than a cup of maple syrup or honey or agave or, yes, sugar.

These were delicious. They could be eaten for breakfast. But guess what? I didn't tell my kids that and I didn't make them for breakfast. I made them for dessert. And then fed them to my kids for dessert. And my kids ate them as a dessert. And never even questioned whether or not they were really dessert material (because they totally rocked). And if there's something in the food world that really makes me happy, it's a cookie that can pass for breakfast AND dessert.

These are raw, though if you use toasted nuts, they'll turn out fine too. They're gluten free. They're vegan, but I'm not vegan so I don't post a vegan recipe unless I find it pretty incredible. They're fabulously satisfying. They're not crispy on the edges or low-cal because you read the parts about them being raw and containing peanut butter right. So we won't fault them too much.

These are also easy to make. Although you do need a good food processor to make them--one capable of processing nuts and handling the sticky dates. (It's possible that a nice blender could also work, but I don't have one so I can't promise anything.)

Note for those who want their brains to twist in a knot with overmuch detail: I made these by combining everything but the dates and then adding the dates in and processing. However, the dates made it clump up in a motor-threatening sticky ball where the dates were still big and clumpy. So I ended up taking out half the dough and processing, then putting the other half in and processing. Then combining the two. If I did it again, I'd process the nut parts, then take them out and process the dates. Then add the nuttish-butter back in. I think this would work better for getting the dates all chop-mashed up and then incorporating the other ingredients into the smooth texture you want. However, below I'm going to give instructions for how I actually did it since I know it works, even if you do have to do things in batches.

Peanut Butter Cookies--Raw, Vegan, Gluten-free
adapted from A House in the Hills
makes 12-15 cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cost: $2.65 (about $.22/cookie)
almonds: 1.00, peanut butter: .50, dates: .75, chocolate chips: .40

1 C raw almonds (I used regular non-raw almonds)
1/2 C peanut butter
1 C pitted dates (be sure there are NO pits)
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 handful chocolate chips if you want to throw raw, veganism to the wind (preferably dark--yum)

Put almonds in food processor. Pulse and pulse and pulse until they're chopped enough to process. It's loud at first, so brace yourself. Eventually the nuts will be not quite a nut butter, but getting there--incredibly chopped and starting to stick together and release a few oils. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and pulse then process until it's combined and pretty smooth.

At this point, I added my dates and they just seemed to clog up the food processor (made a big sticky ball) without ever getting sufficiently chopped up. So I took out half the batter and then was able to process what I had until it was a smooth, dough-like concoction. I took that half out and did the other half of the dough. Then I combined the two. (Note: As stated above, I think that if you processed your nuts and dates separately, then combined them you wouldn't have this problem, but I haven't tried it yet, so I'm going with what I did do.)

Take dough out and add chocolate chips. Or skip them (because this is raw and vegan, right). You can add a sprinkle of sea salt on each cookie, which I think would be amazing, but I wasn't sure how well the minions would react, so I took the low road and added dark chocolate chips.

Roll into balls and press with a fork. Or just eat as clumps like some type of paleo monster.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Oat Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

For a long time I've been after a chocolate chip breakfast cookie that I really love. I've got this one, which is good (though I always knew wasn't perfect), but still usually gets trumped out of the breakfast scene by these or these or these(worst pic ever and I make these at least once a week--time to fix that picture) or even these. So I was looking for something that could really compete. And I found it.

The oat flour in these takes a good breakfast cookie to a great one. And if you like macadamia nuts, then these will be better to you than some dessert cookies. (Note: I love macadamia nuts; my family doesn't like "chunkies"--unless those chunkies are comprised of chocolate of course--so I usually just put a handful of nuts in the last bit of batter and make myself some with nuts.)

The taste alone is enough to sell me on this cookie, but it gets even better because if you're worried about allergies, gluten, or need an easily veganned breakfast cookie, this cookie is:

-Potentially gluten-free (use all oat flour--a type that hasn't been processed with gluten stuff)
-low sugar
-whole grain
-egg free
-potentially vegan (sub that milk out with almond or soy or whatever and sub the chocolate chips out with whatever vegans usually use for chocolate--or skip the chocolate chips all together and use raisins or nuts; this is still a great) cookie

Oat Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie
makes 12 smallish cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Cost: $.85
oats: .30, sugar: .10, chocolate chips: .30, milk: .05, oil: .10

Note: You can use all oat flour. I think this is my favorite. I've also tried it with 2/3 C whole wheat flour and 1/2 C oat, which is also good. And I'm betting you could use a lot of different grains for that 2/3 C if you wanted to experiment or do a cookie with different grains/textures.

2/3 + 1/2 C oat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 Tbsp brown sugar (or 2 Tbsp brown, 2 Tbsp white)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp coconut oil in liquid state (or another vegetable oil)
1/4-1/2 C chocolate chips
5-6 Tbsp milk (can sub out vegan types of milk if needed)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Now, form this into a big ball and then make little balls from the big one. I know that sounds weird, but it works the best for these cookies (unless you've been generous with the milk, in which case, you can just drop them). Then flatted the balls with your hand or a spatula.

Bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Who's late to the party again? Me, that's who. I've been seeing links to recipes like this for ages and have meant to try this for ages. But I just barely got around to it. A bunch of ripe $.39 avocados were helpful. Maybe you come late to parties too. If you do, we can hang out in the corner eating our chocolate avocado puddings together. We won't regret it.

We can even invite our husbands over. Even if they claim not to like avocado. Kip gobbled up half of mine the other day and liked it. It came from a blender so he knew something was up and asked what was in it. I told him that the food industry has their little secrets and I've got mine.

This is so delicious and so smooth. It is more in texture to Jello pudding than most homemade puddings (whether that's a selling point for you or not). I hate Jello pudding, but I think they go for that texture for a reason--it's smooth and just thick enough. That's how this pudding is. It's very very creamy and the texture--I mean, it's just perfect.

The other thing I love about this (besides it being delicious because it really is--I crave it every time I tell someone about it) is that even though there's an avocado in it, it will keep. You can eat part now and part the next day. You can put it in school lunches. You can make it ahead. Unlike homemade guacamole, which looks like the compost bin ate it by day two.

This is not a vegan version, but I'd bet my buttons you could vegan it in an instant. I recommend using canned coconut milk and real maple syrup to do so.

The one thing you should be aware of with this pudding is that it's dessert. I know. I know. It's dessert that you just threw a super food into and I'm sure your skin will thank you, but it's still got 1/4 C sugar for what could easily be considered one large serving or two small ones. And that's a lot. I tried making it with half the sugar and half the cocoa (knowing that adding half the sugar and all the cocoa could make it a bitter disaster). It wasn't terrible. I ate it. But it wasn't chocolate pudding. It was an avocado-type-chocolate-ish smoothie.

The other thing I should tell you is that this is really very filling. I don't know what it is about avocado, but it is so so filling to me. The day I tried eating this all by myself (for breakfast--it was the lower sugar experiment), it was all I ate and I could barely get it all down and was not even close to hungry at my next meal. When I ate a half serving of this, I still got till 1:00 before being hungry for lunch. And, yes, I know avocado has, like, 22 grams of fat, but so does 1/4 C of butter and I don't think it will fill me up the same way (but then I've never made a butter smoothie--hmmm--bet I'd be the first one to that party).

Chocolate Avocado Pudding
serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cost: $.70
(avocado: .50-1.00, milk: .05, sugar: .05, cocoa: .10)

Note: I used a small blender for this. Using a big one might be difficult because the blades might pass right over the avocado. If you only have a large blender, I recommend doubling or tripling and scraping down the sides frequently.

1 ripe (but not overripe) avocado
1/4 C sugar (or pure maple syrup, which I also tried and to good effect, though it adds a slight maple flavor to the end product)
1/4 C cocoa
6-7 Tbsp milk
drop vanilla (optional)

Blend in blender.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Healthy Fruit Pizza

It's time for a confession: I've been really uninspired in the kitchen lately. All I've really wanted to make is fruit pies. And I'm told that this is not appropriate dinner food. Sadly, even if I did make such a luxury for dinner, at least half of my kids would probably complain about it anyway. Boo hoo for me and all that.

We've been sticking to pasta salads, fish, and scrambled eggs--foods that are really quick and don't require much foresight. Or cook time. Or effort.

Then last week, while making Greek yogurt with a refrigerator full of cheap fresh fruit, I had a wonderful idea--an idea kind of like pie for dinner. Only easier. And healthier. And 8 minutes of oven time. Hello summer.

(P.S. I realize that for some families the idea of eating this for dinner is, like sacrilege, although it's really quite balanced, if a little sweet. It's got whole grain, considerably less sugar, yogurt instead of cream cheese, which means more calcium and healthy bacterial cultures, and let's not forget the fruit. Still, if that's not good enough for you, you can call it a healthy dessert if you want. Or make it for breakfast because we all know that breakfast gets away with more than dinner does.)

Healthy Fruit Pizza
Makes a medium pizza, which is 2-4 adult servings, depending on the type of adults living in your house
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 minutes
Cool time: 30 minutes
Cost: $2.00
(flour: .05, whole wheat flour: .10, sugar: .10, butter: .20, egg: .10, lemon: .20, Greek yogurt: 1.00, fruit: .25)

Crust (double this for a large pizza):

1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 Tbsp butter
1 egg
zest from 1/2 of a small lemon (optional; my son said he didn't like the lemony flavor, but I'm ga-ga for it)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In food processor, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and butter. Pulse until crumb-like.

In small bowl, whisk egg, zest, and vanilla. Pour this into crumb and pulse until it comes together into a lump of slightly crumbly dough.

Press this onto a pizza pan. (We made a medium. If you double this, you'll have a respectable large.)

Bake for 6-8 minutes. Don't wait for it to brown or it'll be crumbly and unpleasant.

Let cool to room temp and add toppings.

Topping:

6 oz. Greek yogurt (I used full fat)
1/4-1/2 C sugar (We used more and I thought it could have gone a little less sweet. If your family is used to less sweet things, you could totally get away with only 1/4-6 Tbsp sugar.)
Sliced fruit of your choice (we used blueberries, strawberries, and grapes)

Whisk together yogurt and sugar.

Spread onto cooled crust. Cut and then add fruit toppings. You'll notice I said to cut the pizza first. That's because...Tip: Cut this before adding your fruit. I read this tip somewhere after the fact and realized it was pure brilliance. Trust me, slicing a strawberry or other firm fruit when atop a soft filling can make for a messy slice.

Eat and enjoy. I had a slice of this with a bit of a leftover omlette. But even without the egg, it's a very complete and balanced meal if complete and balanced is your thing.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

I've toyed with the idea of a chocolate chip breakfast cookie for a long time, but I haven't done it. Around here you don't mess with a good chocolate chip cookie. I knew that any kind of healthier version just wouldn't compare to a good old fashioned fully figured buttery sugary chocolatey chipetty cookie. I knew they wouldn't even look as pretty--that they wouldn't be as golden with less butter/sugar and that they wouldn't spread as well and might even have to be flattened with a spatula. So I left our breakfast cookies to oatmeal and peanut butter and even cocoa--things that stand on their own so well, they can stand to have their butter cut way back.

And then one day when I was making whole wheat pancakes I noticed a recipe on the bag of the bag of the wheat for whole wheat chocolate chip cookies and I thought, "Ah, what the heck."

The next morning I whipped up a batch of my low-sugar, low-butter adaptation of those whole wheat cookies, and I waited for my children--eternally grateful and gracious children of high manners and exquisite adaptableness--to cheer. Mark took a bite and pushed his away. Then he went to get the box of corn squares (really? corn squares? over a chocolate chip--however imperfect--cookie?). Elizabeth took three little bites. And by 'little' I do mean little. So little, in fact, that I could not see them. She had to point them out to me one by one: "See, Mommy, I tried here and here and here." Oh, well, now I do see that a crumb or two has been removed. Glad you gave them the old college try, dear. But Mark had already led the way and it was corn squares for Elizabeth too. Seeing her older brother and sister, Savannah declared that she also did not like them. But she wouldn't let me take hers away and ate it. Emma also approved of cookies above corn squares. Thank goodness. If the 2-year-old had voted for corn squares above cookies, I really might have had to throw in the towel.

Spoiled children aside, however, I did have to admit that my first try (not this recipe, which is re-done and much improved if I do say so myself) weren't my best. Don't get me wrong. They were better, to my mind at least, than corn squares. But they were a little bland. And a wee bit dry. And too...too wheat-y and earnest and boring.

Though truth be told, I sometimes even feel that normal chocolate chip cookies err on that side. Which is why I sometimes like to throw in a bit of oat flour. Which I thought would be just the thing for these.

And they were. These still aren't a perfect cookie. They're a bit too pale and lack buttery crispiness for obvious reasons. They're still a bit earnest, though not so much you wouldn't consider a second date. In fact their earnestness is what kind of makes them interesting. The wheat and oats allow them a lot of flavor without all the glamour of a buttery chocolatey chippety caramelized-sugar-at-the-edges-y cookie. It's a solid recipe with a bit of sweet. Sometimes we can really use that in our lives.

And how do my older kids feel about all that sturdy character and what not? Well, I haven't had a chance to ask them. After their corn squares experience yesterday, I didn't bother myself to get up ten minutes early today to whip up some gooey-chipped cookies before they had to catch the bus. They got more corn squares and then I made these cookies. The little girls and I thought they were grand.

Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies--Whole grain, low sugar, low fat
Makes 12
Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 10 minutes
Cost: $1.22
(butter: .30, sugars: .12, egg: .10, whole wheat flour: .10, oats: .10, chocolate chips: .50)

1/4 C butter, melted
3 Tbsp white sugar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 C white whole wheat flour (brown would probably work too)
1/2 C oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt if using unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 C chocolate chips

Note: If you don't have oat flour (I never do), then you can blend oats in a blender to make it; it's got a bit more texture than a store-bought flour, but I kind of like it that way.

Melt butter. Add sugars and stir. Add egg and vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined. Add whole wheat flour, oat flour, baking soda, and dash of salt. Add chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased pan.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until just turning a bit golden.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

100% Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

I think it's time to invest in a white sheet (tablecloth?) so that when I take a picture I can pretend that my counters are clean and that my table is clear and that, indeed, I live a life of sterile white sheetliness.

At least I don't take pictures on my kitchen floor.

Question: How many times did I (or Kip) sweep the kitchen floor today?
Answer: 4, possibly 5; it's easy to lose count.

Question: Is my kitchen floor at present clean?
Answer: If I were you, I would not bet my life (or perhaps any significant amount of money, or perhaps even an insignificant amount of money) on it.

But I digress.

Today I had cookies ready for the kids when they came home from school. I did this because I have to lure them to the kitchen table to do their homework. I have to do this because otherwise they go to the couch, empty out their backpacks and throw enough paper to keep Office Supply in business on the couch and floor. And then they whine about how they can't find such and such a terribly important paper. And then they cry. And then Kip comes in, sees the floor, and leaves again (he tries to pretend he's being helpful: "Um, I'm just going to go pick up something really really important from the store..." but we all know he's just escaping). And then inevitably the baby poops in her diaper, because we all know that that's what babies do when things are stressful and/or messy. With any luck she will get poop on the terribly important paper that went missing no less than 2 minutes ago when the children came home and spewed papers on the couch as though it was birthday confetti.

So, yes, the kitchen table. It seemed more orderly to me. At least the papers would fall under the table and I could pretend that they didn't exist as I do with so many things that fall under the kitchen table (oh look, a bread crust that's become fossilized with a prehistoric insect inside). And no one would get poop on them. Well, probably.

The only problem was that my kids didn't want to go to the table. The table was hard. The couch was soft. I guess I could understand their logic.

So I promised them after school snacks. I've never been a very dutiful mother in this department. I usually make them fuss around and get their own snack. For the first day of table homework, I promised them I'd have a really good snack. Mark wanted chocolate chip cookies.

And yet, I couldn't bring myself to make just a regular old chocolate chip cookie 2 hours before dinner. I mean, a person has to have some standards when bribing her spawn. So I filled it with whole grain. I didn't do much else to healthify it, although I docked the butter by a couple of tablespoons and I really believe I could have gotten away with 1/2 C less sugar.

The result: They were a HUGE hit. My kids did their homework, didn't lose anything (that I know of at this moment) and then even ate their dinner (you know, as much as they ever do).

100% Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 15
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cost: $1.10
(butter: .25, sugars: .50, egg: .10, oat flour: .05, whole wheat: .20)

6 Tbsp butter, softened
1 C white sugar (I bet you could get away with 1/2 C and I'm going to do that next time)
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C oat flour
1 C whole wheat flour (I used white, but brown works too)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (unless you used salted butter)
1 C chocolate chips

Combine butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla and stir until smooth and well-incorporated. Add dry ingredients (I just plop them on top of the wet ingredients and sort of stir the baking soda in and then mix it all into the wet ingredients). Add chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Balsamic Strawberries

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

We had a refrigeration malfunction yesterday. Which is kind of a pain when you went big-shopping on Tuesday. As a result, I felt like we needed to get a bunch of that food into either usable condition or extended-life condition. What better way to do that than to add sugar? Oh, I know, let's add sugar and vinegar.

I've heard tell of these strawberries for a while and today with my fading strawberries and barely rejuvenated fridge, it seemed like the perfect time to try them out. I found several recipes that were pretty much identical except for the amount of balsamic vinegar which was used. It ranged from a mere teaspoon to a whopping 2 tablespoons. I tried both and decided I prefer to settle in the middle with 1 tablespoon. If you are afraid, start with a teaspoon and see what you think. It gives it a little kick and some complexity that strawberries with only sugar lack (for the record, I'm perfectly happy with strawberries coated only with sugar as well).

This can be eaten alone if you're sort of a strawberry pig like me. It can be used as a sauce on cakes, ice cream, or yogurt. It can rescue dodgy strawberries from their compost bin future. And it can impress your gourmet friends.

The best part about this, however, is that because of it I got my kids to consume fruit for dessert. Big deal, right? Not in this neighborhood. Fruit and fruit-like things have no birthright as desserts in this chocolate/ice cream/peanut butter obsessed family. So even though the fruit had plenty of added sugar, and even though I served it with a lovely heap of whipped cream, I feel the experiment a success. We can eat fruit in some form for dessert. We can call it dessert. And we can be excited about it. You should be too.

Balsamic Strawberries
Serves 4 (in a smallish sort of way)
Prep time: 1 minute
Cost: 1.05
(strawberries: .99, sugar: .05, vinegar: .01)

1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 C sugar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
dash pepper (everyone swore this was completely awesome in every way, but I forgot it so I can't say)

Put the first three ingredients in a bowl. Mix gently. Let sit for at least an hour at room temperature. Some recipes said not to let it go for more than 4 hours, but mine sat all day and tasted good at the end of it. (For the record, I also tasted it at various points throughout the day and found that after the first hour or two there was little change in taste. I refrigerated them in our now working refrigerator after 4 or 5 hours.)

Right before serving, add a dash of black pepper.

Snark them up.

Note: You can stop there. However, there was a bit of vinegar sweet strawberry juice left (probably about 1/4 C). I kept it and plan to add a bit of olive oil and salt to it tomorrow and see how it tastes as a salad dressing. I'm betting it will be pretty good. It would also be a stunning glaze for chicken or fish. Oh, and while we're throwing out ideas, I sliced some peppers and let them marinate in it for an hour or so this afternoon and thought it did right by them as well. Think of the possibilities: cucumber, daikon radish--the sky's the limit.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Linked up to Sweets for Saturday

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 eats, or tries to, on $6/day.

I'm not sure what families do when their children aren't allowed to have peanut butter at their schools. I think my oldest would have to be home schooled. He doesn't eat cold cuts, tuna fish, or cheese. He likes pastas and pizza and even tomato soup (motto: if it looks like ketchup, it must be okay), but he won't touch most of the other foods the school offers, including things that are supposed to be classic kid foods: hamburgers, chicken nuggets, burritos. He is, in fact, a vegetarian--not through any kind of a choice except that of his palate. He just doesn't like meat. Or beans. Or most nuts. Which means he is kept alive with peanut butter and whole wheat bread.

Fortunately, I like peanuts too. And even more fortunately there are no peanut allergies in this family and no peanut bans at his school.

In their original conception, these peanut butter and jelly bars were meant as a dessert. But like so many desserts containing peanuts, I saw some potential for a breakfast cookie. And I'm glad I did.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars 
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home
Serves 16
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cost: $1.25
(butter: .30, sugar: .10, egg: .10, peanut butter: .32, whole wheat flour: .18, jam: .25)

1/4 C (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 C peanut butter
1 Tbsp milk
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp jam
1/3 C chopped peanuts (optional--wasn't a hit in my family; now if I'd used chopped chocolate chips...)

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Grease 9x9 inch square pan.

Cream butter and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy. Add vanilla, eggs, peanut butter, and milk. Mix until well combined.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Dough will be very thick.

Press 2/3 of the dough into the pan. Glop on the jam and spread it around evenly. Plop the remaining dough over the top and very gently press it so that it is flat-ish. If you don't, it will come out a bit crumbly on top. Not a problem, but a little messier (note: it's going to be a little crumbly on top no matter what you do, unless you'd like to add more butter so that the batter will spread on its own; if you do, I promise not to tattle to the breakfast police).

Bake for about 30 minutes. These bars are tough to test for doneness. Why? Because even if you stick a fork in the original uncooked batter, it will come out fairly clean. Fortunately, this is good even if it's not completely done. And fortunately, I've made these a couple times and 30 minutes is fairly accurate, though that is not a guarantee or a promise for your oven and you may not sue me if your bars are not done at 30 minutes, thank you. Now, how do I check it, you ask. I take a small centimeter sized chunk out of the middle and look at the bottom layer. If it is still goopy, I put the pan back in. Yes, I have a lot of finesse as a chef. Which is why I get paid the big bucks.

Note: You can use jelly, but jam works best. The jelly doesn't leave much of a fruity line in these already pared down bars. Also, I wanted to make a honey-filled version and did. I used 2 oz cream cheese and mixed it with 4 Tbsp honey, which created two problems. First, the honey flavor was somewhat overpowered by the cream cheese flavoring (thus, my kids weren't huge fans). Also, it really needed to be doubled because the line of cream cheese kind of got lost in the baking, but to double something with cream cheese--well, you see the breakfast-y problem here; it's becoming less and less healthy. So we'll just be going with jam in the future, but if you'd like to experiment with honey, be my guest. If you wanted to get fussier, you could puree cottage cheese or drain plain yogurt overnight to get a cream cheese-like yogurt. If you wanted to go more gourmet, you could use ricotta cheese mixed with honey. And if your children will eat such a thing, I salute you.

Note: These are thick little bars. Which means that although they are nutritious, they are a wee bit calorie rich. I'm okay with that sort of thing. But by way of warning, you probably want to eat them slowly and perhaps with a piece of fruit thereby. Otherwise, you might look down to realize you've eaten a half a pan. And lower sugar, lower fat or not, half a pan is a whole lot of breakfast bar.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Shelle's Chocolate Pudding

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch or join us as our family of 6 eats, or tries to, on $6/day. 

Tonight's been the kind of night a mama needs some chocolate. I know, I post way too much on chocolate. I eat too much chocolate. I have a problem, okay. I'm gonna get help. Probably. Some day. Like, after Kip does. And we all know that that will never happen.

Anyway, until I married into Kip's chocoholic family I didn't know you could make pudding from scratch. Pudding came from a box of powdered ingredients. That's the way it'd always been. I assumed that that was the way it would always be. After all, that's how my mom made it. That's how my friends' moms made it. That's how it appeared in all those recipes for chocolate pudding pie (graham crackers, pudding mix, Cool Whip--you know the ones). And then Kip and I went to visit his sister one weekend. And I walked into the kitchen to find pudding she'd made. In a pot. With a little sugar, milk, some cocoa. It had taken only a few minutes. It sure smelled good. And it tasted like nothing out of a box has ever tasted in its lonely shelved boxed life. There's no going back after experiences like that. No going back.

I asked Kip's sister, Shelle, for the recipe and she gave it to me in that off-the-cuff way that good chefs have. She just jotted it down on a Post-it note, which is where I have it still. Thank you, you awesome chocolate loving sister-in-law. And by the way, much to Kip's horror, it was Shelle who also introduced me to artichokes, asparagas, and avocado--three vegetables I now love love love. Which Kip hates hates hates. And which he thought he'd be able to live without for the rest of his life, having married me.

Sorry, my love. And thank you, Shelle.

By the way if you ever think it is not worth the whopping 10 minutes it takes to make pudding from scratch, you need to re-evaluate your life and priorities. And maybe have a look at the ingredient list on your next box of Jello Pudding.

Shelle's Chocolate Pudding
Serves 4
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cost: $1.00
(sugar: .16, cocoa: .25, milk: . 26, eggs: .20, butter: .12, other stuff: .01)

Note on sugar: It can be reduced. Don't go too crazy, but you can safely shave off about  1/8-1/4 C and still have a lovely pudding. Frankly, I don't. I believe I stated at the beginning of this post that I. have. a. problem.)

1 C sugar
1/2 C cocoa
2 Tbsp cornstarch
dash salt
2 C milk (would probably work with skim milk, but have only made it with milk containing some % of fat)
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk it together in a saucepan so there are no lumps.

In separate bowl, whisk egg yolks into milk.

Add milk/egg mixture to dry mixture. Whisk together.

Stirring frequently, heat to a gentle boil. Let it boil a minute or two. Take off the heat and add butter and vanilla.

Eat it hot out of the pan if you will. You'll be surprised how amazing it is (just don't burn your tongue, okay.) Or put it in containers and cover it with plastic wrap. If you don't like the skin (we do), place the plastic wrap against the actual surface of the pudding. It's excellent warm or cold. You can garnish with whipped cream or drop a few chocolate chips into the warm pudding before it cools (that's my favorite way).

Note: If you'd like a cheaper version (or a lower-fat version for that matter) omit the egg yolks and the butter. I make this version when I want a simple sweet thing for myself on a ho-hum weeknight. It will not be quite as rich, but it is still amazing and so much better than anything--anything--you will get from a box. (You'll save about a quarter and about 100 calories {mostly fat calories} per serving. With all that milk and the antioxidants from the cocoa, you can even pretend it's a healthy snack if you'd like.)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Oat Breakfast Cookies (aka Waybetterthantheylook Breakfast Cookies) (oh, and they're low-sugar too)

The Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch our family of 6 eat (or try to) on $6/day.

(Psst. I took some better pictures of these cookies now that I can actually kind of sort of work a camera. I'll leave the other pic's below so the post makes sense, but know that your food won't look entirely like deer droppings.)

(And here's the old photo.)

When you make chocolate-y things that are lumpy in form and then try to take pictures of them, you take certain risks. I will not elaborate too much on those risks, but there's a reason truffle makers often make them perfectly round or add little swirly do's to the tops--because chocolate lumpy things sometimes look like other lumpy things--things that rhyme with doggy choo, if you follow my drift.

Yeah, so anyway, these don't look like much. But they are possibly the best breakfast cookies I have made. And, not to be too humble or anything, I have made some good ones.

Also, if it matters to you, they're only 1 alteration away from being gluten free.

So get in touch with some inner beauty and give these a go.

Chocolate Oat Breakfast Cookies (aka Waybetterthantheylook Breakfast Cookies)
Makes 12-15 small cookies
Adapted from Kaylyn's Kitchen (hers look prettier than mine)
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 7-8 minutes
Cost of batch: $1.00
(Whole wheat: .12, cocoa: .25, baking soda: .01, butter .50, sugars: .05, vanilla: .01, oatmeal: .05)

Note on oat flour: I make my own by putting oats in the blender and blending until fine. It's a little chunkier than store bought, but still great (I think better in these cookies because it adds some nice texture). The original recipe actually called for "oatmeal crumbs," which would be a little coarser than what I made, but just by a bit.

Note on pecans: Nuts don't quite fit into our cheap eat challenge, but I chopped up 3 and put them in 2 of the cookies just to see how they would taste. They were really really good--and I don't usually like nuts cooked into my cookies.

Note on gluten-free oats: As you'll see in the comments, not all oats are gluten-free. However, if you need them you can order them online. After a QUICK glance over the internet, Bob's Red Mill looks to the be affordable.

Note on egg: If you'd like, you can add an egg to these (after you've creamed butter and sugar). A friend recommended this in order to make the cookies less crumbly. I tried it and it does make them more cohesive. Which is nice. However, as they stand these cookies have a rich, almost short bread/European cookie kind of taste to them. Adding the egg caused them to lose that quality. I prefer them without the egg. However, with the egg they're still delicious and they're less of a pain because they do cohese (is that a word) better.

2/3 C whole wheat flour (Use oat flour if going gluten-free)
5 T cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C butter, melted (I tried less, but it was just not wet enough--you can maybe cut out 1 Tbsp, but not much more)
2 T brown sugar
3 T white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp (a generous 1/3 C) oat flour
1/4 C chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (optional)
1/4 C chopped pecans (optional)

In large bowl mix whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a different bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix. Stir in oat flour or "oatmeal crumbs", then add chopped chocolate or pecans (or both if you like to live dangerously).

Roll into balls and then smash a bit. And by 'roll' I mean press into balls with your hands, because the dough is very very crumbly (in fact it looks like crumbs). If it's too crumbly add another T melted butter or T milk.

Bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes.

P.S. These are great at room temperature, but they are out of this world a bit warm.

P.P.S. I've been doing some further experimenting with these to see if I could get them even healthier. Here are some ideas.
1. I made them with half peanut butter and half butter. Good, but I needed an extra tablespoon of milk to make them ball-able.
2. I made them with all peanut butter (I even melted the peanut butter). It turned out remarkably dry. I ended up needing to add 1/4 C more wet stuff (I was experimenting, so I threw in yogurt, butter, and milk). Still they were barely workable and came out more dry than usual. If you want to add more peanut butter, this is what I recommend: 6 Tbsn peanut butter, 2 Tbsp butter, and (probably) 2 Tbsp milk.
3. I made them with 4 Tbsp (1/4 C) butter and 4 Tbsp (1/4 C) coconut oil. In the same night (because sometimes I cannot stop myself) I made them with 1/2 C coconut oil. They were both very very good. The texture of the half butter half coconut oil was slightly more cohesive, while I preferred the flavor of the all coconut oil one (I love coconut). If you make the all coconut oil cookies, you'll probably want to add and extra tablespoon of oat flour as they were acutally a little wet (normally this dough is a bit crumbly so I was surprised). Also, I threw a tablespoon or so of coconut flakes into a couple of the test cookies and that was super super good, so if you want to add 1/4 C coconut flakes to these cookies whether or not you use coconut oil, you won't regret it (unless you hate coconut and then you will regret it). I meant to take a picture of the coconut flake ones because they were quite pretty, but then I forgot and ate them first--is that alarmingly cookie-monster-ish? Hmmm. Also, are you getting lost in these run-on sentences yet? In closing: Why coconut oil? It is supposed to be quite healthy. Have a look here if you want to know why. Coconut oil isn't cheap (I'm only able to use it for this challenge because one of my best friends gave me some as a gift), but Mountain Rose Herbs sells quality stuff for a good price. And...One final note: My son, who does not like coconut, could tell even with the half and half cookies that there was coconut in them, which surprised me. He wouldn't eat them, saying, "They taste like coconut." So, be warned.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Whole Wheat Chocolate Gingerbread

Cheap Eat Challenge Count Down: 22 days

Each year I like to try out a new gingerbread recipe. I think it's a lovely Christmas morning breakfast. It's sweet, seasonal, and can be made the day/week/month (if frozen) before so that there's no stress in pulling it out on Christmas morn. Last year I tried a pumpkin gingerbread. This year my inspiration came from The Casual Baker who posted a chocolate gingerbread.

I auditioned it yesterday and it's definitely good. She manages to be true to both the gingerbread and chocolate flavors--no small feat since they both have strong personalities. If you like gingerbread and chocolate, you'll love it. If, however, you like one but not the other, you'll spend all your time wishing that it was either one or the other, although I suspect that you'll still be able to force it down.

If you, like me, decide you must have this, here are a few tips.

1. Use parchment or wax paper under the bread (I used 2 loaf pans, not the bundt pan she used). Hers stuck; mine stuck (even though I let it set completely as recommended). Save yourself the grief.
2. Bake it at 325 instead of 350 and give it a bit longer.
3. Though delicious, the bread was a bit crumbly. I'm not entirely sure how to fix this, but I suspect that oil in place of butter (or part oil in place of part of the butter) might help.
4. The Casual Baker calls for mini chocolate chips. I don't quite get mini chocolate chips, but I recently bought some accidentally so I used them. And I definitely don't get mini chocolate chips. I like the big punch of a sweet chocolate-y patch that normal-sized chips create. I like the toothsome textural difference of a normal-sized chip once the bread has cooled. Mini's are like chocolate crumbs. I like my chocolate in more than crumbs. And the mini's  are more expensive. A 10 oz bag of Ghiradelli cost the same as the 11 1/2oz bag of the normal-sized chips. So if you use the mini's, don't say I didn't warn you.

But of course I couldn't leave this recipe alone. Why? Because I wanted to make it healthier. You may have noticed that I have this problem. I like to eat sweets for breakfast, and not just Christmas morning breakfast if you know what I mean. So I made a loaf with all whole wheat and I added 1/4 C of sweet potato puree because, as you must know by now, I've got the stuff lying around. (I think pumpkin or even zucchini would have worked nicely too.) I also meant to reduce the sugar; I swear I did, but we had a rough night. My husband was working. My whole wheat and plain white flour bowls had been thrown together by my 3-year-old, toilet paper was unrolled and lay in wet clumps after bath time, my holiday spoons dipped in chocolate for stirring hot cocoa had been mysteriously licked off, and then my 3-year-old came into the kitchen with my deoderant smeared all over her chest and--unbeknownst to me--her toothbrush. I got a lot of complaints when I jammed the toothbrush in her mouth about how she needed toothpaste. 'Don't you have toothpaste on it.' 'No, I need toothpaste.' Sure enough, if was covered in peachy anti-persperant instead. I guess the punishment fit the crime. So even though my sugar didn't get reduced, I'm proud that all my children are still alive with limbs in tact and that I remembered the sugar (not to mention the other ingredients) at all.

And it was good. It was actually very good, but the whole wheat (or perhaps the sweet potato, but I think it was the wheat) muted the flavors of the chocolate and ginger a bit (especially and unexpectedly the chocolate), making it seem lighter and duller than the original. Also, even though it's healthier, it's not quite as virtuous as I like my breakfast food. I'm afraid I'd have to put it in the healthy dessert category instead. Don't worry, I ate it for breakfast this morning anyway.

So if you're in the mood for something you can pretend is healthy, I've got your back.

And if you try it with less sugar, let me know how it turns out.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Gingerbread
Serves 12-24 depending on how thin you can slice it
adapted from The Casual Baker

2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 C butter, softened (or canola oil)
1 1/4 C sugar (I'd say you could get away with at least 1/4 C less and probably more)
1/4 C sweet potato or pumpkin puree (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 C molasses
1 C hot water
1 C chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In small bowl, combine molasses and hot water.

In large bowl, cream butter (or oil) and sugar. Beat in sweet potato if using. Beat in egg. Beat in vanilla.

Add half of flour mixture, then half of molasses mixture, then rest of flour mixture, then rest molasses mixture.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Pour batter in 2 loaf pans, greased and lined with wax paper.

Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE