“UnChique” Moment: The Dog Ate My Blog

Ever since I saw this recipe on the blog With Style & Grace, I have been craving these scrumptious looking clusters of goodness.  So the other day, I finally had a moment to make a batch as an after school snack.  I whipped them up in no time and they were a big hit with the boys, their friends and even the grown ups. They are rather delicate, so I carefully plated them and put them in the refrigerator overnight. As I was packing lunches the next morning, I decided to snap one last photo in the natural morning light. This is where the story gets funny and for those of you know our crazy hounds, you can probably guess the how the story ends.

I proceeded to take the dish and my camera to the windowsill, snapped a decent shot and got distracted.  I am sure none of you ever get distracted at 7:00 am on a school day while rushing around to make breakfast, pack lunches, feed the dogs, drink your coffee and take blog photos simultaneously, right? About ten minutes later, I went looking for the treats to put them in the lunchboxes. I said to everyone while desperately looking around, “Where are the cookies”? I then ran to the windowsill to find an empty crumb free dish. Well, I must have walked away and left the plate of cookies in perfect reach; mind you this particular spot is right near where the dogs park themselves on the couch to soak up the sunshine.  It is unofficially their territory, so I am sure Snoopy was ecstatic to discover these delicious Banana Chocolate Coconut Cluster waiting for him. Super sleuth dog did not even make a sound, but the cookies were gone and he was smacking his lips.

Mind you this is not the first time he has ingested large amounts of chocolate, which is supposed to be deadly to dogs. He must have a stomach of steel not to mention a hollow leg, because he gave me a crazy look later when I only fed him a tiny portion of his usual kibble. Of course, the boys were up in arms because the dog ate their cookies, but I was upset because the dog ate my blog. So “UnChique”.

Banana Chocolate Coconut Cluster Recipe

1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup almond meal
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
3 large ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients – bananas, vanilla extract and coconut oil. I had to use my handheld immersion blender to mix the banana and coconut oil before adding it to the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and I decided to add walnuts because I love nuts. I put the “dough” in the freezer for about 20 minutes to firm it up. Then place a small cluster of “dough” on a nonstick baking sheet, I used a mini ice cream scooper. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Enjoy!