Ginger-insipiration

I cannot believe it is already December. As cliché as this sounds, it seems like just yesterday I was diving into Lake Chelan escaping the heat of the sun. I’m currently bundled in a sweatshirt and wrapped in my most fuzzy favorite blanket (gotta love Costco). Despite the fact that my feet are never the ideal temperature, winter is one of my favorite seasons.

Cuddling up with on the couch with a cup full of steamy hot cocoa after a long day of skiing...you can’t beat that feeling. The glittering snow that falls silently on the hills behind my house is the closest thing to real magic I have ever seen. Watching the deer dance through the sparkling white flakes captivates me. I seriously think I have stood awestruck in front of my window from time-to-time, unable to peel my eyes from the surrounding beauty.

Oh my goodness I am already getting so giddy just thinking about Christmas, and I haven’t even started talking about all the amazing baked goods (oh my oh my oh my). I am a sucker when it comes to yummy baked things, like it is actually my number one weakness. Cinnamon rolls, scones, cookies, seven layer bars...they get me. I also love to bake them. Creating new recipes and sometimes strange concoctions is one of my favorite ways to spend a wintery night...throw some Michael Bubble music on along with that and you’ve got a party.

Anyway, I was experimenting just the other day because I found a somewhat healthy alternative to gingerbread cookies and this recipe turned out a total success. You know it’s good when you have college-age boys who know nothing about healthy eating that devour them. The night I made these, two of my best guy friends came over to make dinner. Neither of them really understand why you want to eat vegetables, or healthy dessert for that matter. Despite their love of processed foods, they LOVED these cookie-bars and at the end of the night the whole batch was gone!

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So here's the recipe, perfect for a holiday treat or energy bar for fueling up a long day at the mountain:

• ½ cup almond butter (or nut-butter of choice)

• ½ cup cashews

• 1 cup pitted dates

• ½ cup shredded coconut

• 2 T. molasses (I also through in a little maple syrup)

• 2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

• A dash of salt

• A trickle of water (if needed)

Basically toss the nuts into the food processor with the dates and blend until pretty smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse the food processor until they are all combined.The texture of mine was like a less sticky version of cookie dough.

Then take either a small pan or a bread loaf and line with saran wrap or foil so that the edges of it stick out of the pan.

Press the dough into the pan and top with more coconut flakes. You might have to press it all down with the palm of your hand so it stays put.

Set pan in the freezer for 30 minutes or the fridge for an hour. Then you can take it out, pull up on the saran wrap and cut the into bars. Bam, that easy. Enjoy!