THE BEST Chocolatey Chocolate Cashew Mylk

Whenever I'm searching for a recipe and I find one that says something like "THE BEST MASHED POTATOES EVER" part of me is fooled into thinking it is really the best mashed potatoes ever. So if you were fooled by my title, that was my intention.

I drink this every morning (sans dark chocolate bar), pretty much without fail. It's like my coffee. But sometimes I am craving something really chocolatey in the evenings, so I make an extra cold, extra chocolatey version of it, and that is this recipe below.

I also love spelling nondairy milk as "mylk" - look at how much cooler we are, dairy milk.

THE BEST Chocolatey Chocolate Cashew Mylk

Ingredients:

• Ice - about three handfuls
• Coconut Water to 16 oz. line
• 2 Medjool dates, with pits removed (if you are using a smaller date, use 4)
• 2 heaping tablespoons good-quality cacao/cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 square of very dark chocolate (this adds an extra-rich chocolatey flavor)

Directions:

1. Fill blender with ice up to a little below 16 oz. line (several handfuls).
2. Fill to 16 oz. line with coconut water - you could probably use regular water, but I prefer coconut water and it might not taste as flavorful with regular water.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Blend two times (one time is not enough to blend the ice).
5. Drink cold! I store mine in a thermos-type container that keeps it cold for hours.

Yield: 1 serving

Breakfast Cookies

These are my favorite cookies to make. They are breakfast cookie-y, with the pumpkin puree/applesauce and the rolled oats, but dessert-y with the chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from a recipe from Have Cake Will Travel, but the recipes is no longer posted on the website so I don't have a link to the original recipe for you.

• 3/4 + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree OR applesauce - You can use either here. My original recipe used applesauce, but I tried it tonight with pumpkin puree and it worked just as well.
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin puree/applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
4. Add wet to dry and mix until just-combined.
5. Scoop large scoops onto parchment-lined baking tray (you should have 8 even scoops). Gently flatten each cookie with a wet palm (so the dough doesn't stick to your hand).
6. Bake for 15 minutes. If cookies do not look done, let them bake another 1-3 minutes. Ovens vary, so keep an eye on the cookies to make sure they don't burn.

Yield: 8 cookies