Chocolate-Drizzled Tahini Granola Bars From "The Pretty Dish" / April 5, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Chocolate-Drizzled Tahini Granola Bars | Dolly and Oatmeal

spring is definitely here in LA. (and i say this with the deepest acknowledgment that so many of you are still feeling the wrath of winter-spring snowstorms, or just general yucky weather. this former, life-long new yorker gets it - i am with you!) and i can't believe it, but we're coming up on a whole year of living in southern california. i feel like i'm just beginning to feel a real vibrational shift in the seasons though. maybe it was daylight savings that tipped the scale, maybe the almost 2 weeks of on-and-off rain; but there is green grass, birds happily chirping, and weeds! i never thought i would miss weeds, but i do/did! most neighbors are trimming them down, but for a few days these lovely, untamed, wild shrubs were lining the sidewalks, and it made me the happiest :)

i decided to keep this week's recipe a, not-so-seasonal recipe. we're all experiencing so many various climates depending on where we live that i didn't want to hit you with a salad, or some sort of asparagus recipe when you have snow coming down outside. so i thought something we could all get behind is chocolate!

these delicious granola bars come from jessica merchant's newest book, the pretty dish. they're pretty low maintenance as far as granola bars go, in that they're a no-bake situation, and they're also made with mostly pantry ingredients. i would say these came together in about 30 minutes from start to finish. out of the amazing 150 recipes in jessica's book, i was drawn to this one, particularly because it uses tahini, giving them a beautiful flavor. i think so many of us think of tahini as a savory ingredient, but it pairs so incredibly well in sweeter dishes, especially with the chocolate here. the recipe also makes a generous amount, certainly enough for the entire week. these impressive little granola bars check the box on just about any list you may have, including that i swapped some ingredients to give the bars a lower glycemic index. and i also went ahead and swapped the butter for coconut oil, making them vegan. (you can see my notes at the bottom of the ingredient list.)

big spring hugs! xo

**and be sure to tag @dollyandoatmeal when you're making any recipes from the site or my book! i love regramming you all on instagram stories! xo!

chocolate-drizzled tahini granola bars

see my notes at the bottom of the ingredient list for a vegan, and low glycemic version.

recipe from: The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant

| makes about 12 |

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups brown rice cereal (i used puffed quinoa)
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons hemp hearts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips, melted, for drizzling
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, for topping

*my notes to make these vegan or dairy-free, and refined sugar-free:

replace the butter with equal amounts melted coconut oil
replace the honey with coconut nectar (you could also use maple syrup, but i prefer coconut nectar because it has a lower glycemic index)
swap the light brown sugar for equal amounts coconut sugar
i replaced the melted chocolate chips with this raw chocolate sauce

method

line a 13" x 9" dish with parchment paper. spray the paper with cooking spray.
in a saucepan, heat the butter, tahini, honey, and sugar over low heat. whisk until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves, and the mixture is warm. remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
in a large bowl, stir together the oats, cereal, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and salt. pour the butter mixture over the dry ingredients and use a spatula to gently combine until everything is moistened. press the the mixture into the pan. drizzle with the melted chocolate. sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. refrigerate the bar for 4 hours, or until set.
remove from the fridge and lift the parchment out of the dish. slice the bars into squares or triangles.

similar recipes:

(no bake) peanut butter & cacao nib cereal bars

Coconut Carrot Sheet Cake (gluten-and-dairy-free) / March 30, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Coconut Carrot Sheet Cake | Dolly and Oatmeal

i feel like a carrot cake has a time and a place. while i really do love it, there's only certain times during the year i really think about wanting a piece. and since there are zero carrot cake recipes gracing the cake section of this blog, i wanted to remedy that since i love, love, love this recipe, and i think you will too!

carrot cake may be one of the best ways to celebrate the spring season. mostly because i feel like it has two identities. one of them being a very spring-filled cake, with notions of baby bunnies, and sprouting carrots. the second one being, a warm, spice-filled cake that would normally have a place in the winter-time. but it turns out it's the perfect segue cake, seamlessly taking us from winter to spring.

however, for this cake, i minimized the spices and left just enough cinnamon as a nod to its traditional flavor. the flavor maker here is coconut. i personally love how carrots and coconut taste together (in just about every application, savory or sweet), and thought a coconut carrot cake would be so, so right! i've added toasted coconut to the batter, which gives it a subtle, toasty coconut flavor but also lends a really great texture. and there's some coconut extract in the frosting which is a (dairy-free) cream cheese-based frosting, and i cannot even describe how good it is. it's the perfect mix of tangy and sweet, and then the coconut extract just adds a little zing.

wishing you all the loveliest holiday weekend! xo!

**and be sure to tag @dollyandoatmeal when you're making any recipes from the site or my book! i love regramming you all on instagram stories! xo!

Coconut Carrot Sheet Cake | GF & DF

this cake is great to make ahead if you need to. i made it, wrapped it in plastic wrap and foil, then froze it. i took it out of the freezer and placed it in the refrigerator the day before i planned to prepare and serve it. on the day of i removed it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about an hour. then i frosted it, and served it. easy-breezy :)

print the recipe!

| makes 1 8x8-inch square sheet cake |

cake

1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup unrefined extra virgin melted coconut oil
2 pasture raised eggs, at room temp
1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons poppy seeds, plus more for garnish

frosting

4 ounces vegan cream cheese (such as kite hill)
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/4 cup powdered monkfruit sweetener* (or 1/4 cup powdered sugar)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla exytact

*to make powdered monkfruit sweetener: in a high speed blender, whiz 1/2 granulated monkfruit sweetener on high for 25-30 seconds, until completely powdered. store leftovers in an airtight container.

method

preheat oven to 350°F. grease and line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over two sides to make "wings".
in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
in another large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil, until combined. whisk in the eggs, carrots, applesauce, and vanilla, until combined. a little at a time, mix the dry ingredients into the wet, until everything is combined. then, fold in the coconut, walnuts and poppy seeds.
use a rubber spatula to spread the batter evenly into the pan. bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
cool the cake on a rack.
when the cake is completely cooled, use a thin knife and run it around the sides of the cake to loosen it. then use the parchment paper "wings" to carefully lift the cake from the pan.
make the frosting. using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, shortening, sugar, syrup, and extracts, until smooth and fluffy.
use an offset spatula to frost the cake. top with toasted coconut, chopped walnuts, and poppy seeds. slice into 12 pieces and serve. store leftover in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

similar recipes:

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries

vegan vanilla cupcakes w/ strawberry cashew-coconut frosting

strawberry-rhubarb chocolate cake w/ chocolate whip

Breakfast For Dinner: "Cream Cheese" Omelettes w/ Balsamic Greens / March 22, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Breakfast For Dinner: "Cream Cheese" Omelettes w/ Balsamic Greens | Dolly and Oatmeal

frank and i recently celebrated our 8-year dating anniversary. and of course, with those memories of our first year together brings back all sorts of nostalgia. these eggs are part of that story.

mine and frank's first year together was in many ways, a growing experience. i think we both were able to view the world a little differently through each other's perspective. that first year also challenged us as a couple. but we made it through, and persevered. i grew a deep respect and love for frank, how he viewed the world, what made him tick, his passions in life, on and on.

we celebrated our first year together at a little b&b in snowy upstate new york. and the keeper of the b&b, nancy, took such care of her guests, making us delicious breakfasts each morning. our first breakfast was a cream cheese egg omelette! i was completely smitten. i had never thought to schmear eggs with cream cheese, making it melty and warm, and taking an "eh" omelette to the next level. we dubbed them fancy nancy eggs. so once we got back home i immediately took to my kitchen and tried recreating them. after a few tries, i found that the trick was letting the cream cheese come to room temperature, so that way it melts into the eggs in just the right way.

this rendition here is one i've been making for a couple years now. it uses a vegan cream cheese, and adds some greens, and healthy fats to round it out and really make it a wholesome meal. it's got everything to nourish and fill you up: protein, fiber, and healthy fats. plus, it's a super fast dinner (or lunch) i like putting together at least once a week. it's the kind of weeknight meal that understands me: big on flavor, and small on prep. i hope you love as much as we do!

**and be sure to tag @dollyandoatmeal when you're making any recipes from the site or my book! i love regramming you all on instagram stories! xo!

breakfast for dinner: "cream cheese" omelettes w/ balsamic greens | gf & df

| makes 2 omelettes |

PRINT THE RECIPE!

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon good-quality aged balsamic vinegar
1 cup spring greens, arugula, or spinach
salt & fresh ground pepper
olive oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter, for cooking
4 pasture-raised organic eggs
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (my favorite is kite hill), at room temp
1 cup spring greens, arugula, or spinach
1/2 ripe avocado
1/4 cup microgreens
chopped chives and chive flowers, for garnish

method

toss the greens with the olive oil, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper, and toss once more. set aside.
heat an 8 or 10" skillet over medium heat. once the pan is hot add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (or add a knob of ghee or grass-fed butter). whisk together the eggs, and season with salt and pepper. add half the egg mixture to the pan and turn the heat to medium-low, cook until the top of the eggs is a bit sturdy, about 3-4 minutes. then, in one motion, flip the egg with a large rubber spatula, to cook the bottom. cook for about 1-2 minutes, then transfer the omelette to a plate. repeat with the remaining eggs.
cover half of the omelettes with 2 tablespoons of "cream cheese", then split the greens and avocado between both omelettes. top with microgreens, chopped chives, chive flowers, and bit more cracked pepper. eat warm :)