Baked Donut Monday: Raw Peanut Butter Donuts

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I'm back again for another Baked Donut Monday post

and today I'm going to tell you about something a little different...

not baked at all, but the opposite in fact

RAW PEANUT BUTTER DONUTS!!!

Even when I'm not looking for anything in particular,

I seem to stumble upon recipes that would be perfect for the blog.

And that's exactly how I found this recipe!

I know it's not baked, but that didn't stop me 

and of course I had to still include it in the blog series!

The Goods:

Steel-Cut Oats

Pitted Dates

Coconut Syrup

Peanut Butter

Vanilla Extract

Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips

Nutritional Yeast

Salt

Cacao Powder

Raw Coconut Cacao Butter

Maple Syrup

Blend the oat in a food processor until roughly ground.

Add the dates and pulse until dates are in tiny pieces and mixed in.

Add the peanut butter, vanilla, maple syrup, water and pulse until 

mixture is incorporated and holds together.

Add more water if needed.

Mix in the chocolate chips in by hand.

Press mixture into donut pans and form top so they aren't flat.

Refrigerate until donuts are firm - anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

While waiting for the donuts, make the peanut butter cups!

Stir together the cacao powder, coconut cacao butter and maple syrup.

Put 1 tablespoon of chocolate into mini baking pan,

making sure to reserve half of it for later.

Place into the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.

Stir together peanut butter, nutritional yeast, salt and coconut syrup in a bowl.

Place peanut butter filling on top of hardened chocolate mixture.

Place into the freezer for 5 minutes to harden.

Cover peanut butter with remaining chocolate mixture.

Place in freezer for 15 minutes to harden.

Remove the peanut butter cups from the silicon pan.

I was in awe at how great they turned out if I'm being honest.

They looked amazing...

But tasted even better!

But before I get ahead of myself,

back to the donuts!!!

Once donuts have firmed up, remove them from the pans.

And here's where you pretend there's a picture of me making the chocolate sauce...

And also dipping the donuts into said chocolate sauce...

OOPS!

To do so you mix together cacao powder, coconut cacao butter and maple syrup.

Stir mixture until it resembles a thick chocolate sauce.

Dip the top of each donut into the mixture and place on cooling rack to harden.

Just before they're fully dry/hardened,

add bite-sized pieces of the peanut butter cups you made.

Raw Peanut Butter Donuts

Adapted from: Raspberry Fields

For the Donuts:

1 Cup Steel-Cut Oats

1 Cup Pitted Dates

2 Tablespoons Coconut Syrup

3/4 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Tablespoons Water

1/3 Cup Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips

For the Peanut Butter Cups:

Filling

4 Tablespoons Peanut Butter

1 Teaspoon Nutritional Yeast

Pinch of Salt

1 Tablespoon Coconut Syrup

Chocolate Coating

1/2 Cup Cacao Powder

1/2 Cup Raw Coconut Cacao Butter

115 Grams Maple Syrup

For the Chocolate Sauce:

1/4 Cup Cacao Powder

1/4 Cup Raw Coconut Cacao Butter

6 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1. Blend the oat in a food processor until roughly ground.
2. Add the dates and pulse until dates are in tiny pieces and mixed in.
3. Add the peanut butter, vanilla, maple syrup, water and pulse until mixture is incorporated and holds together. Add more water if needed.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips in by hand.
5. Press mixture into donut pans and form top so they aren't flat. 
6. Refrigerate until donuts are firm - anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
7. Stir together the cacao powder, coconut cacao butter and maple syrup.
8. Put 1 tablespoon of chocolate into mini baking pan, making sure to reserve half of it for later.
9. Place into the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.
10. Stir together peanut butter, nutritional yeast, salt and coconut syrup in a bowl.
11. Place peanut butter filling on top of hardened chocolate mixture.
12. Place into the freezer for 5 minutes to harden.
13. Cover peanut butter with remaining chocolate mixture.
14. Place in freezer for 15 minutes to harden, then remove from the silicon pan.
15. Once donuts have firmed up, remove them from the pans.
16. Mix together cacao powder, coconut cacao butter and maple syrup.
17. Stir mixture until it resembles a thick chocolate sauce.
18. Dip the top of each donut into the mixture and place on cooling rack to harden.
19. Just before they're fully dry/hardened, add bite-sized pieces of the peanut butter cups you made.

Grilled Pizzas!

One of my best friends introduced me to grilled pizza a few years ago.

I was hooked from the first bite and even shared about them in 2012!

I promised I'd share about them soon and I guess I failed on that.

Or that soon is apparently almost four years later...whoops!

These pizzas are well worth the wait though.

They are a step up from your regular pizza with a smokey grilled flavor.

And while basic pizza toppings like pepperoni are always good,

unique flavors like these below are by far my favorite!

The Goods:

Pizza Dough

Dates

Prosciutto

Thyme

Mozzarella Cheese

Tomatoes*

Baby Greens or Arugula*

(*Not Pictured)

Cut dough in half, stretch out and then grill both sides on cast iron grill pan.

Add your topping to each pizza dough.

I did date, prosciutto and thyme on one

and fresh diced tomatoes and prosciutto on the other.

Grill with top covered for 5 to 10 minutes, 

until bottom is crisp and cheese is melted.

I added a bunch of baby greens and more fresh tomatoes to the one without dates.

Fresh tomato, prosciutto and baby greens.

Date, prosciutto and thyme.

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmy!

Now go make yourself some grilled pizza.

You and your stomach will be very happy!

Date and Prosciutto Grilled Pizzas

1 Package Premade Pizza Dough

5 to 6 Dates, Chopped

4 Slices Prosciutto, Chopped

4 to 5 Sprigs Thyme, Leaves removed from stems

1 to 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1. Cut dough in half, stretch out and then grill both sides on cast iron grill pan.
2. Add your topping to each pizza dough.
3. Grill with top covered for 5 to 10 minutes, until bottom is crisp and cheese is melted.
4. Cut and devour immediately! 

This post contains affiliate links meaning I may get a paid for certain purchases.

Cocoa Date Balls

I was introduced to Cocoa Date Balls a few months ago.

A coworker was eating some that she'd made and shared one with me.

They're vegan, no bake treats and have just four ingredients.

I was quite interested and couldn't wait to give it a try.

After the first bite, I asked her to send me the recipe.

Mostly because they were AMAZING and I knew I had to blog about them!

My coworker sent me the recipe and told me how easy they were to make, 

but also explained that she'd gotten it from her neighbor,

who happens to be Kristina Kuzmic who's been on Food Network!

The Goods:

Dates

Walnuts

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Cinnamon

Add the walnuts...

And add the dates too...

Then the unsweetened cocoa powder...

And finally the dash of cinnamon.

Pulse until mixture is fine and well incorporated.

Using a small scoop portion out the mixture...

And form into compact balls.

And then if you get a lil crazy...

Decide to make a second batch and add shredded coconut too!!!

These are not only SO easy to make,

but they are SO incredibly tasty too!!!

Cocoa Date Balls
Originally from Kristina Kuzmic

1 Cup Raw Walnuts
1 Cup Pitted Dates
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Dash Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut (Optional)

1. Add the walnuts, dates, unsweetened cocoa powder and cinnamon to a food processor. (Shredded coconut optional)
2. Pulse until mixture is fine and well incorporated.
3. Using a small scoop, portion out mixture and form into compact balls.
4. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Thanksgiving 2013

As I mentioned in this post, I wasn't going to be hosting again this year - but instead would be spending the day with some of my family a few hours South of Los Angeles. Even though I wasn't making the whole dinner, I offered to make a thing or two and was assigned an appetizer and a dessert.

And because I'm me, I made one additional little goodie too! 

I knew almost immediately what appetizer I wanted to make, but deciding on a dessert took a little more thought. My amazing brother is the one that gave me the great idea, but I put my own twist on it! 

So what all did I make?!?!

Curious aren't ya?

Okay...I'll tell you!!

I made...

Bacon Wrapped Bleu Cheese Stuffed Dates!

YUMMMM! These are SO good and I can never get enough. These little suckers even converted a couple people who weren't fans of bleu cheese or dates!!! They are so easy to make, super tasty and I'd absolutely consider them a success at Thanksgiving this year.

And my brother - he suggested a Pumpkin Cheesecake, which sounded great!

But I like mini/individual treats, so I made...

MINI Pumpkin Cheesecakes!
They had an amazing gingersnap crust and weren't too pumpkin-y. Just right in my opinion.

Now what about that other little treat?

Oh right...

These cute little things...

Peanut Butter Ritz Sandwich and Hersey Kiss Acorns!
A friend showed me a link with them around Halloween and I couldn't resist!! I made a batch for work earlier in the week and they were devoured. I knew then that I had to make some more to take for Thanksgiving!

After I finished getting everything prepped or made, I decided I should take a lil gift for the person hosting this year's Thanksgiving. I kept if festive and made the gift instead of purchased it!

Wondering again what I made???

I made...

Flower Bouquets in Mini Pumpkins!
(Look for a post about these real soon!!!)

How cute are these???

I was originally only going to make one for the host, but I had enough flowers so I made one for my grandma and a close friend too! I think they turned out great and I can totally see myself making these again!

Apps For Dinner!

Last night, I had the pleasure of enjoying some amazing appetizers, yummy drinks and the company of two wonderful neighbors! 

Earlier in the week, I had talked to my friend Elina about possibly making something yummy to eat and hanging out one night this weekend. It turned out that Friday night worked best for us and we decided on making a bunch of appetizers instead of one big meal. And let me say - that was a GREAT decision because we got to enjoy so many different things without stuffing ourselves crazy!

Take a look at all the goodies we got to enjoy while having a nice relaxing evening at home.  

The Goods!

I'm not going to list it all because 

the list would just go on and on and on.

Elina chopping mini heirloom tomatoes for the bruschetta!

And basil for the bruschetta too!

Dates - stuffed with bleu cheese, wrapped in bacon and 

WAITING to be baked then devoured!

Cheese and Meat Plate - YUM!!!

The WHOLE spread!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Meat and Cheese with Crackers

Bruschetta - With or Without Arugula 

Jalapeno Stuffed Olives

Cantaloupe, Mango and Kiwi

Oh and some Wine and Beer too!!!

Just a little sampling of the deliciousness!

I can't wait for the next neighbor dinner and drink hang out. It's always lots of fun and good food is a guarantee!