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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Primal Magic Cookie Bars


This recipe is actually MDA's Energy Bar Redux. Thank you Mark for the awesome inspiration! BUT... My mom used to make an amazing square with a graham short bread base, topped with chocolate chips, coconut, and a sweet & condensed milk glaze called Magic Cookie Bars. Before she went primal, started doing CrossFit, and lost 80 lbs, that is. She's hung up her bakers hat for good, so those recipes only exist in our memory now. However, this one reminds me of those treats so much I am re-christening it from an energy bar to a delicious dessert!

Ingredients
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup almond butter
(although cashew, hazelnut, walnut and even pumpkin butters will work well too!)
1/4 cup coconut oil (check your local health food store)
1/4 cup almond meal
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of raw honey (although, this is really kind of optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened whey protein powder (I used vanilla flavored)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or blueberries or raisins, look for unsweetened if possible)
1 TB unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on top
2 TB dark chocolate chips also to sprinkle on top
On a cookie sheet, toast nuts and shredded coconut until golden brown. In order for them to cook evenly, you need to shake up the tray at least once during cooking.

Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground.

In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.

Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder until mixed thoroughly.
Add whole egg and mix thoroughly.

Fold in blueberries/cranberries.

Press mixture into an 8 by 8 loaf pan. Sprinkle with the coconut and chocolate chips. Bake at 325 for 10-15 mins. The top will look sort of foamy, but once you remove it from the oven and allow it to cool it will look normal. Spread the chocolate chips with a spatula while still warm and melty.

2 comments:

  1. I am absolutely obsessed with these! I eat them all the time. Even non-Paleo people enjoy them. Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete