Delicious Secret Ingredient Cookies!

I guess I am starting a trend here with my secret ingredient recipes, so what is the secret ingredient this time you ask?  

Well, you aren't going to believe it, it's black beans!  I know what you are thinking (exactly what I was thinking when I read the recipe) that sounds horrible and I bet they taste disgusting.  Well, my friends I have proved us both wrong again.  

Not only is spinach tasty in smoothies, apparently black beans are delicious in cookies... Who knew?!?!  Seriously, these are a must try.

Inspired by Eliza's Edibles Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans, rinsed well
• 2 T. milk
• 1.5 T. peanut butter/nut butter of choice
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3 T. whole wheat flour
• ¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ c. + 1 T. sugar 
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• ⅓ c. dark chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine black beans, milk, peanut butter, and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth.
3. Add in whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and continue processing until combined and mousse-like.
4. Stir in ⅓ c. dark chocolate chips.
5. Spoon 16 dollops evenly spaced dollops of the batter onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with the extra chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Let cool slightly, then put on a baking rack until they are cooled completely.
8. ENJOY!!

Notes

Store in the refrigerator due to the black beans!

Super Green Smoothie!!!

Okay, so I have been totally OBSESSED with this smoothie and have been making it for breakfast everyday straight for the past two weeks.  I had no idea that you could add spinach to a smoothie without adding or subtracting any flavor at all... weird, right?!? 

Well, now you know you can totally add spinach to virtually any smoothie for a nice health boost and it won't affect the taste :)  This smoothie makes you feel good, healthy, full and just plain awesome... definitely worth trying for yourself!

Ingredients you need to place in blender in order of what you should put in first...

Handful of frozen fruit (for BEST results use only frozen pineapple, mango and peach chunks)

Heaping handfull of spinach

1 small to medium sized ripe banana 

Fill blender 1/4 - 1/2 the way full with your orange mango juice

Blend until smooth... if it does not seem to be blending, then you need to add a little more juice until it starts to come together ;)

Chocolate Buttermilk Pie with Whipped Cream

Well, I thought this was a fitting post for Valentine's Day since this pie is perfectly sweet and delicious to share with a loved one, but make sure to cut a big slice because with two forks this baby goes fast... it's that good!  Also, warning: there will be leftovers staring you down every morning so just be calm and know that sometimes pie is acceptable for breakfast ;)

1 unbaked pie shell 

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/6 cup cocoa powder

3 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup reduced fat buttermilk

heavy whipping cream and sugar

Beat butter, yogurt and sugar until combined.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until combined.

Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  

Let cool and whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff, adding a little sugar to taste until it is slightly sweet.  Serve cooled pie with a heavy dollop of whipped cream!

EASY Peanut Butter Cookie FroYo Sandwiches!

These little guys were sooo easy to make and they just so happen to be naturally gluten free, which is cool :)  Definitely worth making, even just for the cookie by itself.

Recipe:

Whip together in mixer 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg and I teaspoon vanilla. 

Bake at 350 degrees 10-20 min. until golden.

Fill two cooled cookies with a scoop of vanilla bean or strawberry (for pb&j) froyo and rim with crushed peanuts. 

DEVOUR!

Whole Wheat Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Scones with Flaxseed!

For my weekly walk with one of my dear friends, I decided to make these to start our morning off on a sweet note and boy did it... YUM!  

I have to admit these were so easy and fast to make that I didn't feel that bad after I had to make it twice because the first time I made it, I accidently poured salt in place of the sugar (that is the first time I have ever done something like that!)  

However, it literally took less than 30 minutes from beginning to end so I decided to give it a second try and am very glad I did because these healthy scones were also DELICIOUS scones :)

Recipe adapted from skinny taste.com

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cold fat free buttermilk (or almond milk with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour 
• 1-2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp chilled butter or smart balance (must be cold) cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks
• 1/2 cup diced strawberries
• cooking spray
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine flour, flaxseed, baking powder, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in chocolate chips and diced strawberries. Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 9-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter cut dough into 12 wedges all the way through.

Sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Serve warm.