This is a post in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and The National Peanut Board. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Around 3pm each afternoon, my boys are usually starving. Or as they say, STARVING!
They’re not really – they’re just looking for something to pop into their mouths. I’m not a big fan of snacks, especially giving my children anything to eat right before suppertime. However, sometimes I like to give them a nourishing sweet treat when the hour of starvation arrives just to make them smile and it gives us an excuse to homeschool together in the kitchen.
Just this week, the boys and I have been discussing the topic of salvation and how important it is to share our faith so that others may come to know Jesus. In our morning study we were talking about some ideas on how they could share their faith to their friends, even complete strangers. Big Brother and Big Cousin came up with an idea to bake cookies and take them to a nursing home where they could share them with grandma’s and grandpa’s. They thought it would be a great way to share God’s love and maybe open some doors to talk about salvation.
I thought it was a great idea and the boys loved that they would be able to take in a bit of a sweet treat as well…especially since they were starving!
Since we were going to be baking cookies, I wanted to make sure that we could add a bit of nourishment as well. Together we decided to make pumpkin peanut butter cookies with dark chocolate. Very seasonal of us, don’t ya think?
Peanuts are one of my families favorite snacks on the go. I have a large bag of them that I take to our soccer games that my kids pop like candy. I don’t mind at all since I know how much protein and essential vitamins they contain. With 7 grams per serving, peanuts have more energy boosting protein than any nut. Coupled with their more than 30 essential vitamins and nutrients, peanuts are considered a superfood.
For these cookies I added seasonal pumpkin and peanut butter to give my kids (and anyone else eating them) energy and nourishment. For a bit of decadence we added a fair trade, organic, dark chocolate bar from Trader Joes that we crumbled to bits and pieces.
They turned out soft and cake like filled with peanut butter goodness and just the right hint of pumpkin and spice. The boys loved them and so did all of the grandma’s and grandpa’s that we shared them with.
Nourishing pumpkin peanut butter cookies with dark chocolate. Filled with goodness and energy! The perfect after school snack for kids.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground all spice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (substitute rapadura or maple syrup)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 fair trade, organic dark chocolate bar, smashed into bits
- turbinado sugar to garnish
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar at a medium speed.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and honey until incorporated; then, add the pumpkin puree and peanut butter until mixed through.
- Lower the speed of your stand mixer and gently add in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
- Slowly add the chocolate bits until just mixed through.
- Spoon dough onto cookie sheets with a tablespoon.
- Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start turning golden brown.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
What are your favorite after school nourishing treats that you like to make for your children?
These look awesome! Love the addition of dark chocolate. We also eat a lot of nuts (almonds, peanuts). I’ll also pop some natural popcorn on the stove – our kids love that!
Wow. Some how I missed this recipe back when you posted it.
Wow.
I will not rest until I have made them!
😉