Crispy Rice Sun Butter Bars

Crispy Rice Sun Butter Bars

     I have a sweet tooth so I like to have something on hand I can grab when that sweet tooth hits. I came up with these bars after having a hard time finding a bar at the store that met all the criteria I wanted. No peanut butter, made with gf ingredients, and sweet but not too sweet. These bars are sweetened just enough to feel like a treat. They also include a great crunch from the crispy rice and the addition of chia and hemp seeds gives them a nutrient dense boost. They can be kept at room temperature but I prefer the extra crunch you get from keeping them in the refrigerator or even the freezer. I love a recipe that its easy enough to make in just a few minutes and can also be flexible based on what you have on hand.

Crispy Rice Sun Butter Bars

Ingredients 

2 cups gf puffed rice cereal ( Nature's Path and One Degree Organics brands have them) 

2 TBSP hemp seeds

1 TBSP chia seeds

1/2 cup sun butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 TBSP coconut oil 

1/4 tsp sea salt 

Directions

1. Line a 9 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large microwave safe bowl add the sunbutter, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir, and microwave for 30 more seconds. 

3. Stir the mixture and then add the rice cereal, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and sea salt. 

4. Press the mixture into the parchment lined loaf pan using a spatula to press the mixture firmly down. This will help to shape the bars and allow them to set. 

5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars. 

Enjoy!

* You can just any nut or seed butter in place of the sunbutter. You also may add other nuts or seeds, or even coconut just make sure your total of dry ingredients is very close to two cups or the bars will be dry. The hemp and chia seeds aren't in a large enough amount to need to count towards the two cups.  

 

*These bars keep best in the refrigerator in a sealed container for a week. They can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container but will be softer when you eat them. You may also freeze them for up to three months. I personally like the texture of them frozen! 

 

Old Fashioned Key Lime Cookies

 Old Fashioned Key Lime Cookies 

     These cookies are inspired by my Grandma Lucille Elliott. When she moved up to Omaha, Nebraska after living in Miami most of her life she brought an old cool whip container full of frozen key lime juice she had juiced. She knew that key lime pie was my favorite dessert she made and she didn't think you could get key limes in Nebraska. You didn't used to be able to but now during the right season you can find them! I used regular limes in this recipe as I couldn't find key limes but both work well. I love the soft texture of these cookies from the addition of sour cream, baking soda, and baking powder. The recipe is based on my Great Aunt's old fashioned sour cream cookies, or as they were called in her recipe book, boy and girl cookies. I think maybe it's because she used boy and girl cookie cutters? Whatever you call them these cookies are delicious! 

Old Fashioned Key Lime Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature 

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 TBSP key lime zest

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 3/4 cups flour or gluten free flour ( I used Pamela's Gluten Free Blend)

1/4 tsp salt

1tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

Key Lime Drizzle

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 TBSP key lime juice

1-2 TBSP milk of choice

1 TBSP key lime zest divided 

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the sugar, butter, and lime zest for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.

3. In a separate medium sized bowl combine the flour, salt,  baking soda, and baking powder stir to combine. 

4. Turn the mixer to low and incorporate the eggs one at a time, turn the mixer to medium speed and add in the sour cream until incorporated. 

5. With the mixer on low speed slowly add the flour mixture a third at a time, once the flour is all added stop the mixer and use a spatula to stir a few times to make sure all the ingredients are evenly mixed in. The dough will be sticky but should still roll out well. 

6. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper lightly sprinkled with flour. Using a rolling pin roll the dough out to 1/4 of an inch, added more flour as needed so it does not stick. 

7. Using a 3 inch diameter round cookie or biscuit cutter cut the cookies into round discs and place at least 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. You will need to bake these cookies in batches or use two cookie sheets for all 18 to fit. Repeat steps 6-7 gathering the dough together, rolling it out, and cutting the cookies out until all of the dough is used. 

8. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. The tops will still be light.

9. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes before frosting. 

10. Make the key lime glaze, in a medium bowl sift the 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Add in 2 TBSP lime juice, 1/2 TBSP lime zest, and 1 TBSP milk of your choice. Using a whisk combine the ingredients until a thick glaze forms. If the glaze is too thick add a tsp of milk at a time until it is the right consistency. 

11. Once the cookies have cooled place the glaze in a piping bag and snip of the end. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies using a back and forth motion. Before the glaze sets use the remaining 1/2 TBSP of lime zest to sprinkle over the cookies.

Enjoy!

These cookies will keep at room temperature for 5 days.