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.

Spinach Enchilada Lasagna

I promised better pictures this year. It was a dirty lie. I'm sorry. This isn't, to be fair, an easy food to photograph, and my good camera is currently out of commission. But, well, I did my best. 

Don't be discouraged by ugly food. This is a creamy delicious simple meal that is great for a crowd. It's basically a vehicle for cheese. but, you know, there's a layer of spinach, so we tell ourselves it's dinner.

Spinach Enchilada Lasagna
adapted from allrecipes
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Cost: $5.50 (this is about $.45-.90/serving)
tortillas: 1.50, sour cream: .50, salsa: 1.00, cheese: 2.00, spinach: .50

Note: The original recipe called for corn tortillas and this is so delicious like that. But Kip prefers flour, and that's good too. I also like it with half corn and half flour. You get the flavor of the corn and the texture of the flour.

Note #2: You'll notice the cheese has a wide range for measurement. Kip loves this super cheesy. I feel when we use too much cheese, it takes over all the flavors, and it's like eating a pan of cheese (not that there's anything wrong with that...). So decide which way you want to go with this.

Note #3: I'd bet (though it is untested) that this would work just fine in a crock pot on low for 3-4 hours. 

1 C sour cream
1 C green salsa (green enchilada sauce works as well)
1 bunch fresh spinach
2-4 C Monterey Jack cheese
1 package corn or flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the sour cream and green salsa. Spread a bit on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Layer tortillas, sour cream/salsa mixture, spinach, cheese. Repeat until sour cream/salsa mixture is gone (2-3 layers), then top with a layer or tortillas and cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peanut Butter

I always think, "You know the last thing I need is another cookie recipe on this blog."

I'm always wrong. (I mean, obviously; who doesn't need more cookie recipes on her blog?)

But at this point in my cooking life, I basically have my cookie groove on. I've got my favorites. I've got some snobbery towards cookies. It's hard to surprise or impress or convert me to new recipes. But every once in a while something comes along that just does. This is one of those cookies. When my sister-in-law introduced me to them, I thought they'd be good. But they were better than good. They were rich and delicious and buttery and full. They had a crisp-ish outer part and a delicious melt-in-your-mouth almost creamy interior.

Also, I thoroughly messed them up the first time I made them and overcooked them by, well, a lot because I mis-set my timer and then forgot about them. (I like to do this for, um, scientific purposes, so that I can deliver you the best fail-proof recipes possible). Anyway, I way over-cooked them and they were overdone (like, almost twice the cooking time) and I thought all was lost. Nope. They were a little crispier on the outside, but the middle was still amazing and not overdone at all. They were the best "burned" cookies I've ever eaten. Note: They didn't actually taste or look burned at all.

I hate to call them my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe because they've got peanut butter in them, so they shouldn't count. But somehow they still feel like my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe anyway.

After all, you'll notice that I didn't call these "Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies." They're not a peanut butter cookie that you add chocolate chips to (though those are good too). They're a chocolate chip cookie that you add peanut butter too. They taste more like chocolate chip cookies and have more the texture of chocolate chip cookies, but the peanut butter adds something to them. it makes them richer, with a more full flavor. Yes, you can taste the peanut butter. Yes, it matters. But somehow it still doesn't take these out of the chocolate chip cookie category for me. Hopefully, you can make them your newest greatest go-to as well. (Just don't forget so fully that they've got PB in them if you're friends with people who have allergies.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peanut Butter
adapted from Very Best Baking
makes 24 cookies
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 7-10 minutes
Cost: $4.00 (that's $.17/cookie)
butter: 1.00, brown sugar: .10, white sugar: .05, peanut butter: .50, flour: .15, egg: .10, other ingredients: .10, chocolate chips: 2.00


3/4 C butter, significantly softened
1/2 C brown sugar, packed (I prefer dark, always)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Beat together butter, brown sugar, sugar and peanut butter until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients until incorporated, but for heaven's sake don't beat the poor thing to death. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 7-10 minutes at 375 degrees. The edges should be set, the center soft. (But, like I say, if you screw that up, they'll still be good). Allow to cool a few minutes before you try to pick them up. If you pick them up right away they may fall apart--not that I know from experience or anything. I mean, I'm a totally patient person.