Fifty Second Friday: Sandwiched

I was recently reminiscing about all of the old junk food that characterized the 1990's. Yes, you read correctly, because as any child, I looked forward to the brightly colored and sugar-laden treats my mother would on occasion pack in my lunch. The mere mention of Squeezeit fruit drinks (with those twist off caps), Lunchables cheese pizzas, and Dunkaroos bring back memories of elementary school lunches. TV shows, video games, and pop songs also are fun to add to the mix, but really food is most strongly connected to memories...perhaps because it is something that is more deeply connected to our senses. 

Positive associations or otherwise, it's amazing how strongly sometimes these memories and feelings can be tied to foods of our past. As a child, it was almost like a right of passage, a badge of status, to have a bag of gushers or a hostess snack pack in your lunch. And it is never the baby carrots, or the apple slices, or even the yogurt (unless it was the neon-swirled Trix variety) cup that stands out. It's amazing to me how these priorities have become so distorted that products not even resembling 'food' feature number one on consumers' priority lists.

Now all of that said, I had this craving a couple of days ago for little cookies with a layer of creamy frosting spread on top. But unlike during my childhood, the thought of a dunkaroo was more than slightly repulsive. Instead, I whipped up a batch of slightly sweet peanut butter crackers (gluten-free) and some chocolatey white bean spread. Together, they went together quite nicely to make around 5 or 6 sandwiches.

CocoNutter Butter Sandwiches

 

PB Crackers

2 tbs smooth peanut butter

1 tbs oil (canola, safflower, grapeseed, etc.)

1 tbs agave nectar

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Combine peanut butter, oil, and agave in a medium mixing bowl with a fork until smooth. 

2. Add in additional ingredients, using more flour until the dough sticks together. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Roll out the dough so it's about 1/4 inch thick. 

3. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately cut into rectangles or squares. Allow to cool completely.

Chocobean Cream

1 cup white beans

1 tbs creamy peanut butter

2 tsp coconut oil

2 tbs almond milk (unsweetened chocolate is best)

3 tbs cocoa powder

1-2 packets stevia (depending on how sweet you want it)

2 tbs agave

1. In a food processor, combine peanut butter, coconut oil, milk, agave, and white beans until smooth. Add in cocoa and stevia until it's well-incorporated. If too thick, add another tablespoon of almond milk.

2. Spread a layer on one of the cooled crackers. Top with a second cracker. Enjoy!

Find more fun goodies at this week's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekends.