Peanut Butter Balls and the #GatheringsCookbook

Last Friday was my annual Mother/Daughter baking day with my Mom, Sister and our daughters. We have been doing this for several years now.   It is literally one of my favorite days of the year.   Our main baking agenda is butter tarts, which I oddly don't really eat but we do also try and make a few other things.  These other things are what I look forward to.  Our trick is to come up with a few no bake items to put together while the dozens and dozens of butter tarts are baking.  For some reason I love no bake desserts, especially when they are covered in chocolate.  

I recently was given a copy of the cookbook "Gatherings" .  A beautiful book by Jan Scott and Julie Van Rosendaal.    The book is full of a wide range of different recipes grouped together by occasions, like kids birthday parties, backyard barbecues, pizza parties, date nights, games nights and more. This book has everything appetizers, main courses, desserts, drinks and snacks.   It really encompasses a recipe for any gathering you might have.

Since Mother/Daughter baking day is technically a family gathering I decided it would be great to try a recipe from this book.   They also happen to have a perfect no bake recipe, "Aunt Kathy's Peanut Butter Balls".   I find you can never really go wrong with peanut butter balls (unless you happen to be allergic to peanut butter).   The peanut butter balls in this book are also a bit different, with the addition of dates and walnuts. This gives them a great twist of chewy and crunchy inside.  They were of course, delicious and the hubby complained I made him stop eating them so I could take some photos.   He can now proceed with eating.

This weekend I have plan to make two more recipes, Potatoes Dauphinoise and a Lemony Kale and Brussels Sprouts salad.  There are really just to many wonderful recipes inside to try.  Several of my blogging friends also got a chance to try out the book.  Check out their posts from the week to see more delicious recipes from this book.

Please be sure to check out these fabulous bloggers all week long as we celebrate Jan and Julie:

Monday

Mardi from Eat. Live. Travel. Write.

Mairlyn Smith Canadian Cookbook Picks of the Year
Charmian from The Messy Baker

Tuesday

Amy from Family Feedbag
Jennifer from Seasons and Suppers
Heather from The Tasty Gardener

Wednesday

Isabelle from Crumb Blog
Stephanie from Clockwork Lemon
Valerie from A Canadian Foodie

Thursday

Britt from My Daily Randomness
Robyn from Planet Byn
Libby from Libby Roach Photography
Meg from Sweet Twist of Blogging

Friday

Christina from Strawberries for Supper
Louisa from Living Lou
Liliana from My Cookbook Addiction
Rhonda from Olive and Ruby
Jenn from Chocolate Shaving

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of Gatherings for review purposes, courtesy of Whitecap Books. As always, any and all opinions and views are completely my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Kid Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before I say anything, Thank you to everyone that entered the Good Things Come in 3s Giveaway.  The winner was Courtney Duffy.  Congratulations.  I will get your goods sent to you by the end of the week.

Sorry I have been a little MIA lately. I was super busy the last two weekends.  I was working on a wedding cake Thursday/Friday/Saturday and then had birthday festivities two weekends ago.  Then this past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving.  I did get it lots of baking though so I should have several posts coming.   Last last Thursday my mom, sister and I went to see "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"  Did you ever watch the show?  It is hilarious and so was this.  It was the fastest 90 minutes ever.  I was sad when it was over, I wanted more.  I highly recommend going to check it out if it is in your city.  You will be laughing constantly for 90 minutes.

I honestly don't know where the last week has gone? I missed an entire week of blogging.  Last Wednesday I went apple picking.  I love apple picking.  I will probably even go back one more time.  This was my first chance to take the little one apple picking as well.  Although I know she can't really pick off the tree and honestly did really care.  I loved it.   I pulled her around in the wagon, tried to make her pick an apple, plopped her in the middle of the pumpkin patch for photos and let her play in the play area.  It was such a fun afternoon.

Weight Loss Wednesday & Healthy Banana Bread

Believe it or not sometimes being a food blogger is not fun.  It is not fun on your waistline.  You become torn between two options.  1) Baking something to post for your followers which inevitably leads to testing and eating (possibly more than once), boom hit to the waistline.  2) Don't bake, don't post and then no one is happy.  Being a baking blogger is almost worse since 90% of what you bake involves the worst culprites in contributing to weight gain - butter, sugar, white flour.  UGH!  I  manage to try and find a decent balance with this, although I wish I did post more often.

Sugar Free Cookie Dough Chocolates

When your naturopath tells you to avoid gluten and sugar and you are a baker at heart - it is like a small stab in the heart. It might be even worse when your blog is centered around sugar.  I will not let this get in the way of my passion to bake.  This doesn't mean I have to stop baking with either, this means moderation. It means continuing to giveaway my baking to co-workers, family and friends and keeping my tasting levels low.  The upside is experimentation. Testing and potentially lots of failing with different flours, sugars and substitutions.

Who doesn't love to eat cookie dough?  It's sweet and creamy and well just plan fun to eat.  I saw a recipe for sugar free cookie dough on Chocolate Covered Katie and did a double take.  Sugar free cookie dough, with dates and chick peas, seriously?  Could this combination of ingredients really taste like cookie dough and be good?   I HAD to try this for myself,  with a few tweaks to remove the oats and make it gluten free.

Sugar Free Cookie Dough

(Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie)

• 1 1/4 cup pitted dates 
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup almond meal

Chocolate for Squares  (There is sugar in this)

• 6 oz dark chocolate (72% or higher)   
• 2 oz of red and pink chocolate

1) Soak dates in warm water for 6-8 hours.  This will soften and loosen the dates.

2) Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

At this point you can eat this as is or as a dip.

If you would like to make chocolates follow this step:

3) Line a 8 or 9 inch sq. pan with parchment, going up all sides.   Spread the cookie dough into the pan using an offset spatula.   You may need to wet the spatula or use damp hands to help the spread the cookie dough into the pan.
4) Freeze the cookie dough until solid.  Cut into to squares and then keep in freezer until ready to use.
5) Melt dark chocolate in double boiler.  Remove a few squares from the freezer at a time, as they melt quick.   Place a skewer through the bottom of a square and dip into chocolate.    Using a fork gently remove from the skewer and slide on to tin foil.
6) Repeat with remaining squares and let cool completely.
7) Melt red and pink chocolate in ramekins or place in a piping bag and drizzle a little coloured chocolate over the squares.   You can skip this step if you would like to have less sugar.   Let dry completely.  Store in a sealed container.

When I had my first spoonful I was amazed.  I was in heaven.  I can't believe how close this tastes to cookie dough.  Not even close, I think it actually tastes better.   It is softer than a traditional cookie dough and more of a dip or paste.  It is not overly sweet, nutty and well balanced.   I will be figuring out ways to use this in other desserts.   I know there is more possibilities.   Thank you Katie - I think you have started a new addiction for me.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!!

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