Miss Libby is at an age where she like to be in the middle of whatever I’m doing. Unless she is able to watch cartoons. If cartoons are an option, then there’s no question that they win every time.
Having a “helper” in the kitchen is easier now that we have a bigger kitchen but it’s still an exercise in patience for me. While I love pulling Libby into the process of taking a bunch of different ingredients and turning them into a finished product, I get twitchy watching anybody in my kitchen doing things differently than I would. I do a lot of tongue biting and counting to ten and, in the end, everything (usually) comes out fine.
So far her involvement is limited to mixing, stirring, pressing the button on the food processor, cracking eggs, and scooping dough. And to keep the voice in my head from throwing a hissy fit over the way her things look, I “sometimes” prep/shape/scoop most of the recipe and then let her have her way with the rest. See that tray of nut butter bites in the background behind Libby? I did those before handing the scoop over to Little Miss. Her results were…shall we say….less consistent than mine. And. That’s. Ok. Especially when my helper that day is Snow White.
Now if only she could do that trick where the animals come and make the house all tidy. Then maybe I could sit and watch cartoons with her instead of doing dishes.
Chocolate Nut Butter Bites
Adapted from Love and Lemons
BAH Note: I was tempted to omit the flaxseed because I had such a struggle finding it in a store. Glad that I didn’t since is acts as a binder (in lieu of egg) and allows this to be a completely no bake recipe. Do yourself a favor and just double the recipe below from the get go.
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup nut butter of choice (I use cashew butter)
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
- 3 pitted Medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Toast the oats on the stovetop over low heat until they begin to smell nutty.
Combine the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside to thicken.
Pulse the nut butter, agave nectar/maple syrup, dates, coconut oil, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the thickened flaxseed and process until smooth.
Add the oats and coconut and pulse until evenly combined. Add the chocolate chips and process until the mixture begins to pull away from the side of the food processor into a chocolatey ball.
Use a small ice cream scooper to portion the mixture into individual bites onto a sheet pan lined with parchment. Place in the fridge to chill before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the freezer.
Bon Appetit Hon 