A holiday cookie for your consideration: Healthy free-form buckeyes

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Last week, I promised a holiday cookie recipe. And, boy, do I have one for you. It’s super tasty, extremely easy and about as healthy as a holiday cookie can be. Plus, it is reminiscent of a holiday favorite: the peanut butter-chocolate yumminess that is the “buckeye.”

Yes, buckeyes without the powdered sugar and butter, but with all the taste. (They’re Megan Stuke/Flying Fork approved, so yeah, they’re GOOD.)

Now, I’ll quit my yapping and cut to the recipe, because I’m sure you want to get started.

Healthy Free-Form Buckeyes

1 cup puffed kamut or brown-rice cereal (I used Arrowhead Mills Puffed Kamut)

½ cup smooth peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter)

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup chocolate chips

Cacao nibs (optional)

First, cover a cookie sheet in parchment or wax paper OR fill a mini-muffin pan with liners — you will be freezing your buckeyes either on the paper or liners, it’s up to you.

Next, in a food processor, mix together the maple syrup and peanut butter until smooth.

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Add cereal and process, taking care to stop the machine and scrape down the sides when necessary. Process the dough until it gets to the “ball” stage.

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Next, use a teaspoon to scoop out loose balls onto your parchment or into your mini-muffin liners.

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Once all the dough has been used, pour your chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl or Pyrex and melt them in the microwave, going at 30-second intervals and then 15-second intervals as you get closer to all the chips being melted. Stir in between stints in the microwave. When your chips have all melted into a thick liquid, use a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate on top of your buckeye balls. Top with cacao nibs if desired.

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Next, put them in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. The chocolate should get hard, while the dough will stay chewy. Enjoy!