It’s back! After I tried my last batch of dessert hummus, I was eager to make a new flavor. A lot of you pointed out that it looks(and tastes!) like cookie dough. Well, one of my favorite cookies is the classic snickerdoodle; I love the cinnamon sugar crunch on the outside. And since cinnamon, almonds, and chickpeas all share an earthy flavor, I had a feeling this would work out. And it did!

Snickerdoodle Dessert Hummus

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chickpeas, drained and washed
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• cinnamon sugar for garnish

Peel your chickpeas(recommended) and add them in a food processor with the almond butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Process for about 30 seconds to a minute, until all the ingredients have mixed and the dip is smooth.

Move to a serving bowl and garnish with cinnamon sugar on top.

The obvious question is “How do you serve this?” Well, I would lay it out on a platter with

• graham crackers
• apple slice
• baby carrots
• cinnamon pita chips
• mini-chocolate bars

I have to admit that my favorite way to eat these are a spoon; that’s the benefit of cooking for yourself alone.

If you’re a longtime reader, then this recipe will look familiar. This single-handedly changed how I thought of hummus in general when I first made it over the Summer. After listing it on my Top 10 of 2010 list, I knew I wanted to make it again. So now I’m reposting the recipe with new step-by-step pictures, because I have nothing better to do now most days than cook and take pictures of my food(I know, it’s a rough vacation). Enjoy! And do try this because it never disappoints; it makes even the biggest skeptics believe that hummus has a place in dessert.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

• 2 cups chickpeas
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Drain, measure, wash, and peel your chickpeas. Peeling them isn’t absolutely necessary but it makes for the creamiest hummus and really is worth the effort.
2. In a food processor, add the first 4 ingredients and process until the hummus is smooth and emulsified(the one thing no one wants for dessert is chunky chickpea pieces in their dessert).
3. Remove the blade and fold in the chocolate chips. Move into a deep serving bowl and serve with graham crackers or baby carrots.

“How can that possibly be good?” you may be wondering. The maple syrup makes this deliciously sweet; and the chickpeas, peanuts, and syrup all have a same earthiness that pairs with one another really well. The result is a creamy dip reminiscent of cookie dough only with healthy fats and fiber.

Who’s ready to dig in?

I usually don’t like to make the same recipe too often; the flavors get old fast with me. So making the same brownie recipe twice in one month is unheard of for me.

But before I knew it I was craving something chocolaty and nutty. These brownies instantly popped into my mind. I only had 1/4 cup of Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter left so I improvised the other half with Justin’s chocolate almond butter. The result was a fun mix of nutty flavor.

I ended up adding too much liquid without measuring(see, measuring is important!) and they came out more cakey than I usually like. But they were still satisfyingly rich and practically melted in my mouth.

Try them with a glass of chocolate almond milk and you will never look back.

What could be better than a cookie? Well, how about 2 cookies with a rich and decadent filling. I thought that would grab your attention. When I made these cookies for our family get-together on Christmas day, they were OK but nothing memorable. I wanted to incorporate more chocolate(because I always do) and decided to make a filling to match the richness of the cookie. These easily became something amazing and were a hit(but, you know, what isn’t with chocolate?).

Fudge Pies

Ingredients(Makes 24 cookies or 12 pies):

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 5 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the ganache:

• 8oz chocolate chips
• 2oz heavy cream(or non-dairy cream)

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and mix until the dough is nice and thick. Move it to a refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to cool.

While the dough is chilling, preheat an oven to 350 degrees and line baking trays with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and drop them on the tray.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until they expand and crack. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on wire racks.

To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler. Slowly beat in the cream and continue to mix until it has emulsified.

Pour a spoonful of ganache in the center of half of the cookies. Then, take an equal-sized cookie and make a sandwich out of the two. Let the ganache harden before serving.

These reminded me of a Little Debbie Fudge Round only so much better. The cookies were fresh and the chocolate was rich and full of flavor. I think the only thing that would have made this better would have been sea salt in the ganache but I was making this for a crowd and not sure of everyone’s taste. If you ever have an occasion to go over the top(and, let’s face it, what else are the holidays for?!) try these.

Recently, I’ve picked up an addiction for chocolate covered nuts that somebody gave me as a gift. It combines two of my favorite things: Chocolate and nuts(so many jokes, so little time). Even though I’m not through with the bag, I’ve been thinking about how to make my own, because “fancy” nuts(again, so little time) are some of the most overpriced foods at the grocery store. Instead, I made my own in the form of bark. Bark is festive, cheap, and the perfect personalized gift. This tastes like it should cost twice as much as it took to make, and it was so simple, too! Put this under the tree for the nut lover in your life.

Nut Lover’s Dark Chocolate Bark

Ingredients(Makes 15-20 servings)

• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules(optional)
• 3oz(3/4 cup) peanuts
• 3oz(3/4 cup) almonds
• 3oz(3/4 cup) cashews
• Sea salt

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Lay out all the nuts on a baking tray and roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes, jostling the pan every 5 minutes or so to make sure they don’t burn.

While the nuts are roasting, melt down the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave. When the chocolate is smooth and melted, add in the cocoa powder and instant coffee and stir(note: These don’t change the texture of the chocolate; they just add a rich, dark flavor that make this taste much better than regular chocolate chips would).

Line a tray with parchment paper and spread the chocolate into a smooth layer about 1/4-inch thick.

Add the nuts onto the chocolate and press down firmly with your palms to push them in. It’s OK that the chocolate will spread a little more. Lastly, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the bark. Stick this in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to harden. Break into individual pieces.

This was delicious. It would have made the perfect gift if I could part with it; instead, I ate 3 pieces the afternoon I made it and just said Merry Christmas to me. This tastes so much more decadent and expensive than it has a right to. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

What would your favorite bark have in it?