Cashew Cookie Bars

       There are several reasons why I like these: one, they're 100% healthy, two, there's hardly 4 ingredients, three, they're ridiculously fast to make, four, they're tasty! To be honest, I was very skeptical at first when my sister had me make these for a road trip we took this summer. I thought I didn't like dates and, consequently, I wouldn't like these Cashew Cookie Bars. I thought wrong. They're sweet, they're nutty (in the way only cashews can provide), and they actually fill you up (or at least curb your appetite for quite a while). They taste as though they should be so bad for you, but they're so not bad at all. Complete health. And energy. And no more growling midday stomachs. A not-so-guilty guilty snack. If you don't think you like dates I say heck, give 'em a try anyway. This recipe only makes two small bars anyway (unless you double/triple/quadruple) so what could it hurt?



Cashew Cookie Bars
recipe from chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Yield: Two 2-ish inch long bars


Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cashews (if you use the salted, you probably won't need any additional salt)
• 2/3 cup dates
• tiny pinch of salt
• Optional: a drop or two of pure vanilla extract (about 1/8 teaspoon)

Directions
--Dump all the ingredients in a food processor and blend them all together.

*I like mine a tad bit coarser so they resemble fruit and nut bars, but you can keep processing until your desired texture.

--Form the mixture into squares, rectangles, or balls, then wrap them in plastic wrap for storage.

--Simple as that! Enjoy =)




Happy Baking!
--H