The kids are on school break for 2 weeks for Jewish holidays. Great time to do some traveling around the country. So we thought. And planned. Before THIS happened:
It’s nothing serious, just an infected patch of skin. The kind that requires sitz bathing, hot compresses, and several doses of antibiotics daily.
There went the vacation!
So instead, we baked Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Ganache. Now before you accuse me of emotional eating, I want you to know that I made these for the… ahem… kids. Yeah, I made them for the kids. And before you slap my hands away because I told you that I’m in training and am not eating any sugar… let me just have… one more…
This recipe comes from the Peas and Thankyou blog. In the original recipe, Mama Pea uses silken tofu in the ganache. I didn't have any so substituted coconut milk. Tofu would have made for a lower fat frosting and directions for using it are below. Original recipe can be found at: www.peasandthankyou.com
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk (vanilla or plain)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- pinch sea salt
- 3/4 c. chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (original recipe uses 4 oz (100g) silken tofu instead of coconut milk)
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F.
- Oil a square baking pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter and oil.
- Add in brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, applesauce and milk and beat until fluffy.
- In a smaller bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture and stir until incorporated.
- Spread mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Let the bars cool completely before spreading with the chocolate ganache and cutting into squares.
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler.
- Stir in coconut milk and vanilla (if using tofu, blend melted chocolate into tofu)
- Store in the refrigerator.
