Sea Salted Crio Brü Granola Bars

Yep! I've added leftover Crio grounds to another recipe! A couple of posts ago I put them in some delicious no-bake cookies.  Now, you won't BELIEVE how yummy they are in these soft, scrumptious granola bars. 

Crio Brü is a drink made from brewed cacao beans. Each time you make this tasty drink (which brews like coffee in a coffee maker or french press), save the grounds. I save my used grounds in a covered bowl in the fridge. They are so great for baking with that I rarely throw them out! These granola bars are full of yummy chocolate flavor before you drizzle them with melted chocolate chips, and Crio is the sole source of that flavor.  

(By the way, I am NOT being compensated for this post. I sincerely love Crio Brü and enjoy baking with it!)

For this recipe, you'll need to save 1 cup of your previously brewed grounds (which adds up fast because the grounds expand when brewed), pulse them in the food processor or blender for a few seconds, and they are ready to go!

1 cup previously brewed Crio grounds

Pulse in food processor or blender for 15-30 seconds, scraping sides once.

These bars also have delicious flaked coconut, chia seeds, and oatmeal! So they have a TON of redeeming health value!! My entire family went nuts!  I made two batches: one I iced and one I didn't; ALL were devoured. 

Sea Salted Crio Brü Granola Bars

Makes 12-14 bars

Ingredients

1 cup previously brewed Crio Brü grounds

1/2 cup coconut oil, room temp

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

2.5 cups quick oats

1/4 cup chia seed

1.5 cups unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips for drizzle (optional)

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray. 

2. Place previously brewed Crio Brü grounds in food processor or blender and pulse 15-30 seconds, scraping sides once. Set aside

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat coconut oil, honey and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg and beat well. 

4. Stir in Crio grounds and vanilla. 

5. Stir in oats, chia seed, and flaked coconut. Spread in prepared pan.

6. Bake 30-35 minutes, until sides and bottom begin to brown. Remove from oven and cool. Cut into bars.

7. To make drizzle (optional): Melt chocolate chips by placing in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is smooth. Spoon into a plastic sandwich bag. Snip off a bottom corner and drizzle over cooled bars. 

8. Sprinkle with sea salt (with or without drizzle). Wrap individually in plastic wrap to store. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Participating in these link-ups. 

Chocolate Coconut Pie

Next week is a monumental day and time in history. March 15, 2014 at 9:26:53 am, will represent the closest time has come to mirroring the important mathematical figure of Pi.  (Find a fun countdown here.)

As a geek at heart, I am celebrating by sharing pie recipes! This Chocolate Coconut Pie would make anyone--mathematician or not--as happy as a hypotenuse! It was gobbled up by my family faster than you can say dodecahedron! 

You know they old saying: "As easy as pie?'  This pie really lives up to it. No fancy tools or advanced algebra required.  All you need is the ingredients, a bowl, and spoon to prepare this for baking. 

Rich chocolate and coconut are deliciously combined in this perfect way to celebrate Pi(e) Day!

Chocolate Coconut Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients: 

1 unbaked pie crust (I love this Coconut Oil crust from Yesterfood)

1 stick (1/2 cup) salted sweet-cream butter

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shredded flake baking coconut

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare pie crust and place in freezer until filling is ready.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar. Cook on low just until well incorporated (no need to boil). Remove from heat, and cool until able to touch.

3. Using a spoon, stir eggs well one at at time into the chocolate mix. Stir in flour and vanilla, then the coconut. 

4. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake in center of oven 40-50 minutes, until top is crusted and middle has risen. 

5. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold. Store in refrigerator. 

Participating in these link-ups. 

More great ways to celebrate The Ultimate Pi(e) Day: 

Strawberry Cream Pie

New Fashioned Oatmeal Pie

Crispy Coconut Orange Marmalade Muffins

I love oranges. And I ADORE coconut--especially toasted coconut. Add these two flavors to a baked good, and I'm pretty much a goner. I canned orange marmalade this winter, and we aren't using it up very quickly. So I decided to use it to flavor a new muffin recipe. 

My dad is visiting this week, so he got to taste some fresh from the oven. His description: "Legendary." Hopefully you'll agree!

Crispy Coconut Orange Marmalade Muffins

Makes 24 

Muffin Ingredients: 

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 small instant vanilla pudding mix, dry

1 cup milk

2 1/2 cups flour (I used half whole-wheat on one batch and they turned out just as well!)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups orange marmalade

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare muffin pans with cooking spray or cupcake liners.

2. In a medium mixing bowl beat softened butter and granulated sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in pudding and milk until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir to combine well. Stir in orange marmalade until well combined. 

4. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. 

5. Prepare topping by stirring coconut, brown sugar, and flour together in a bowl. Pour melted butter on top of this, and stir until well combined. Sprinkle about 1 scant tablespoon on the top of each muffin before baking.

6. Bake muffins for 20 minutes. Remove promptly to cool. 

Participating in these link-ups. 

Guilt-free Chocolate Bonbons

I am SO excited for this recipe! I have seen similar "energy ball", "protein bites", etc, around, but I wanted to come up with a recipe that was quick and easy, healthy, and used ingredients that are pantry staples or easy to find. AND I wanted them to truly taste good.

SUCCESS!  My ENTIRE family liked these. And to make sure it there was no familial bias, I gave one to my neighbor to try. Her response: "Oh, I could eat ALOT of these."

The beautiful thing is, YOU CAN! And with no eater's remorse. They are truly packed with healthy goodness. 

Here are the ingredients that make the "glue" that holds these bonbons together. 1/4 cup of each in your food processor and...

...you get this chocolate concoction that looks like a thick brownie batter.

Add 2 cups of rolled oats, then stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (if desired).

I used my small cookie scoop to form the bonbon shape. I rolled about half in coconut flakes (not everyone in my house appreciates the finer tastes in life).  

Put them on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet and refrigerate about 1 hour.

No Refined Sugar (except in choco chips). No Gluten. No Bake. No Bad Fats. No Guilt!

Guilt-Free Chocolate Bonbons

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup coconut (optional)

Directions

1. Put first 6 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until incorporated. 

2. Add oats and pulse just until mixed in.

3. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Form 1.5 inch balls (or use a cookie scoop). Roll in coconut if desired.

5. Place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Makes 22

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Buttermilk Biscuits with Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil. We've been hearing for a few years about its health benefits. I just read this morning about this study in which coconut oil was shown to reduce waist circumference. (!!)  

Other benefits abound, some of which can be found here.

So what if you could have a delicious, moist, buttermilk biscuit, which historically was made with lard or vegetable shortening, and eat it GUILT FREE?  Would you try it? I would. And I did. And it was good.

Here's the recipe:

Buttermilk Biscuits with Coconut Oil

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups  all-purpose unbleached white flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

3/4 cup coconut oil, room temp

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.  Prepare cookie sheets with cooking spray or parchment paper.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl with a wire whisk.  

3. Using a pastry blender, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it looks like fine crumbs.  

4. Stir in buttermilk, and form the dough unto a ball. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut out biscuits with a round cutter or a a cup. 

5. Place on baking sheet, just touching. Bake 11-13 minutes, until light brown. 

6. Butter tops while hot, if desired. 

I had one sans honey with my meal, and shared this one with the hubs for dessert.

The yummiest of sandwiches. :)

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Key Lime Pie Bars

I love a good Key lime pie.  A good one.

But, alas, not all Key lime pies are good. I have had Key lime pies that are WAY too sweet, ones that leave a weird--almost bitter--aftertaste, and ones that have a decent texture, but hardly taste of the unique, fresh taste of Key limes at all.

Eight little Key limes appeared in my Bountiful Baskets (produce co-op) order this week, so I was compelled to come up with a way to use them. I decided I wanted to make a bar instead of a pie, and I wanted to bring coconut into the picture somehow, because lime and coconut are a match made in heaven. (Have you ever had a dirty Diet Coke??)

So I studied up on some of my recipes, and came up with a plan. And it turned out to be a good one!

I was especially excited about the filling. It isn't made from cream cheese (like many similar bars), so it doesn't have that cheesecake taste that can sometimes overwhelm citrus flavors. It is made from (drumroll...) cottage cheese!

STOP--don't leave this page. I PROMISE it is delicious. SOOOO delicious. My family gobbled it up. It bears no resemblance to cottage cheese whatsoever when the bars are complete. But, the mild taste of cottage cheese is such a better medium for carrying the tart, rich Key lime flavor than cream cheese would be.

And we can't forget the crust. Buttery, but not crumbly. A hint of coconut and vanilla.  It is the perfect companion to this filling.

Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie Bars

Butter Coconut Crust:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk (save white)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.  Add flour and mix well. Stir in coconut.  Press into greased 8x8" baking dish. Bake 10 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated Key lime rind
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 large egg white

In a food processor, process cottage cheese 1-2 minutes, until smooth, scraping the bowl once. Add sugar and flour and process until incorporated. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended.
Pour onto cooled crust.
Return to oven, and bake 30-35 minutes, until set. (Edges will be light brown)

Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

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