Snacko Backo

You know that moment when it’s after dinner and you want a treat, but don’t have anything around the house and don’t feel like baking? These are for that moment. And for the next day, when you want a snack – kinda like a granola bar but more satisfying. I love that these are all ingredients that I have in my pantry. They come together quickly. Feel healthy yet decadent

The name energy balls reminds me of how, at an office I worked at in SF, we’d refer to peanut m&m’s as power pellets. I am not sure the exact origin of this internet recipe, but I’ll credit Sara, who first gave me one of these and shared a screenshot of the ingredients list.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter [you can also use peanut butter, or almond butter. PB takes on a bit more of a dominant flavor than sunflower]

1/4 unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup pure maple syrup, or to taste

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Dry ingredients

7 tablespoons rolled oats

6 tablespoons shredded coconut

I like to throw in a handful of raisins but you could leave as-is or add any dried fruit or nut etc. Can also add a tablespoon of chia seeds or flax seeds etc. 

Just keep in mind – if you are going to go crazy with the ad-ins you might need more of the top-category binders. or sub out from the oats & coconut category. 

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, stir together the top category of ingredients (coconut oil, nut butter, cocoa, syrup, and vanilla). Then mix in your dried ingredients.

I like to put them in the fridge for about 30 mins to firm up a bit and then use a cookie scoop to make balls that are about 1-in in diameter. Store in the fridge.

These have been rolled in shredded coconut purely for the aesthetics of the photo. Chris believes they are best enjoyed with a glass of milk. 

This peanut sauce recipe. It came from Chris’s co-worker. We had gone over to their house in the before times and they made this with delicious Vietnamese spring rolls. Anyway, she wrote this peanut sauce recipe on a piece of paper, which we dutifully hung on our fridge and made repeatedly because it’s so easy and delicious. I was recently distressed- thinking I’d lost that scrap of paper in our move– and elated when I found it again a few nights ago. I am putting it here, so that I never lose it again.

What should you eat this with? Anything and everything. I just dined on some with cold soba noodles (tossed w a tsp sesame oil), sliced cucumber, bell pepper and scallion but anything you have around the house could be added. I should have added extra chopped peanuts for crunch. what a fool am I. Also great with baked or fried tofu. Could do with chicken or beef. As a dipping sauce for any veggie or with Vietnamese spring rolls with rice paper wraps stuffed with veg, herbs, rice noodles, tofu or shrimp etc. The list goes on and on. 

Recipe note: I would definitely include the grated ginger. I used unsweetened unsalted PB, so I added 1 tsp maple syrup just for funsies and used the high end of her scale, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar). Just do to taste. You can refrigerate leftover peanut sauce and use a little hot water if you want to thin out again.

Hello my far-away-friends,

I’m not sure I have anything poetic to say here, but I’ll highly recommend that you make this bread asap. It has a few simple ingredients. It comes together quickly. It just came out of the oven and I ate almost half the loaf already. Eat it warm or toasted with salted butter (or butter and salt). And if you dare, a drizzle of honey or some jam. Blue or soft cheese would also be delightful. This is a mood lifter to both bake and consume.

More soon,

Snacko

A Joy of Cooking recipe

Butter a bread loaf pan. Preheat 350.

Whisk together in a large bowl:

• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (I sieve through a fine mesh strainer)
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (I did more like a rounded 1/2 tp kosher salt)

Stir in:

• 1 cup raisins
• and/or 2 tsp. caraway seeds [I did caraway only. don’t worry if you have neither on hand]

In another bowl, whisk together:

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and still warm
• 1 cup buttermilk [if you do not have buttermilk, mix regular milk with a tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white vinegar and let stand for 5 mins]

Add the flour mixture into the liquid. Mix until flour is just moistened.

Bake 45-50 mins. Let cool in pan on rack 5-10 mins, take out and let cool rest of the way.

This is a holdover from summer. It was my go-to crisp — I must have made more than half a dozen times. Now, don’t get me wrong. I still stand loyal to my apple crisp recipe and will continue to make for every Rosh, Thanksgiving etc. But… this is more of an everyday crisp because it contains way less sugar, butter etc. It is great with ice cream for dessert or yogurt for breakfast. For serious. And it is infinitely adaptable. The original Bon Appetit recipe was all strawberries. My fave was strawberry peach combo pictured here. I’ve also done strawberry rhubarb (for which you’d want to slightly up your sugar). Play around. My most recent incantation for fall was to do apples + 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Because of the pectin in apples, don’t need the cornstarch.

2 lb strawberries (hulled, halved, quartered if large). Or whatever combo of fruit you like.

3 Tbsp. raw sugar (can add more if your chosen fruit is less sweet)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (this is necessary for the berry dominant combo. don’t need for apples. and can reduce if berries are well balanced w another firmer or pectin fruit like stone fruit or rhubarb)

1/4 olive oil

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/3 cup sliced almonds (I omit)

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 all-purpose flour

Plain yogurt, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream for serving.

Preheat 350. Toss strawberries, raw sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Transfer to a 9″ pie pan or 1 qt baking dish.

Stir olive oil and maple syrup in medium bowl to combine. Add oats, (almonds if using), coconut, flour, and 2 (good) pinches of salt and work until mixture comes together in loose clumps. Scatter over pie filling.

Place crisp on baking sheet (in case spill over. can foil line, but I don’t). Bake 35-45 min until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. (Original recipe reccs that you cool at least 30 min before serving.) Serve w yogurt, ice cream etc.

Can also be baked 1 day ahead. Cooled. Covered. And chilled in fridge.

And for a taste of fall…

Flour Bakery Mulled Cider 

This recipe exceeded expectations. The orange makes all the difference. I’d go for the whole spices, as the recipe was written – but ya know, sometimes you gotta work with what’s on hand so I used some dashes of ground allspice and nutmeg as subs.

1 half-gallon fresh cider

2 cinnamon stick

8 allspice berries

1 orange, scrubbed clean, unpeeled, sliced thin

1 tsp whole cloves

1 inch fresh ginger, rough chopped

1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg.

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat, cover, and let steep for an hour. Strain through a sieve and reheat. Pour into mugs. Can store leftovers and reheat.