Review: Sunland peanut butter

You may remember that in early April, I took a road trip to Chicago, stopping in Iowa City on the way. There, at a Bruegger’s Bagels, I found, tried, and loved a new-to-me brand of peanut butter—Sunland. I bought the Dark Chocolate variety, and it was pretty much heavenly.



I emailed Sunland to let them know I liked their product, and Brittany in customer service wrote me back offering to send me three jars of my choice from their catalog to sample! I settled on Organic Thai Ginger and Red Pepper, Organic Spicy Southwestern, and Natural Caramel.



Though I definitely plan to cook and bake with each, I wanted to try each one on its own first. Since I have a bajillion packages of Corn Thins (ganked from the finish line party of the Hospital Hill half-marathon I ran the weekend before last), I decided to use those as the vehicle for my PB-tasting.

First up was the Organic Thai Ginger and Red Pepper, the flavor that Brittany at Sunland recommended in particular. I’m not generally a big fan of ginger, and was worried it would be overwhelming, but was happy to find it wasn’t at all. The aroma of Thai spices wafts straight out of the jar, and the peanut butter, though thin in texture, is packed with flavor, plus a nice hint of heat. I can tell this will be great on sesame noodles or tofu satay.



Second, I tried the Organic Spicy Southwestern. Whispers of cumin and ground chili permeate this peanut butter, which is also thin, but features giant chewy chunks of peanuts. The lime flavor is front-and-center here, and though it’s different than I expected, this one excites me—I can envision making a killer mole sauce with it.



I saved the sweet for last, of course, and I was not let down by the Natural Caramel. It’s much thicker than the other two, and really appears identical to any other creamy PB. When I first took a bite, all I tasted was the peanut butter—thick, smooth, and full-bodied. As it started to melt away on my tongue, though, the caramel notes came forward and took over, cutting the richness of the PB and treating me to a dulce-de-leche-esque aftertaste. So good! I’ve since eaten this on honey-wheat bagel and on a banana, and it’s downright magical.



So which was my favorite? Honestly, I’d have to say the Caramel. Though I usually consider myself more of a salt person than a sweet tooth, I guess I like my peanut butter on the sugary side. I’ll probably finish my jar of Caramel with a spoon, but I’m definitely stoked to try cooking with the Thai and Southwestern flavors. I really recommend everyone out there check out Sunland’s online store for some cool and interesting PB flavors (their peanut butter diet is also a neat idea). Thank you again, Sunland, for your generosity!



Sadly, I don't have a giveaway to accompany this review. But stay tuned for one of those soon! In the meantime, check out Amanda's soy candle giveaway (update: Jessie is giving away a candle too!) and Fit and Forty Something's Larabar giveaway.

Honey almond power bars

It must be power bar week! On Wednesday, Aimee posted some great-looking cherry energy bars, and here I am today with dried-fruit bars of my own. I bookmarked this recipe awhile back, and made it one morning before work—that’s how quick and easy it is. It’s one of those customize-at-will recipes; there are options for every single item on this ingredient list! Oats (old-fashioned or quick), almonds (use chopped walnuts or pecans instead), sunflower seeds (raw, salted, or honey-roasted), flaxseeds (whole or ground), sesame seeds (raw or toasted), cereal (puffed rice, kamut, or millet), dried fruit (add or substitute things like chopped dried cherries or apricots, goji berries, dark raisins, et al.), nut butter (almond, peanut, or cashew), sugar (raw/turbinado, sucanat, or brown), honey (use agave nectar or brown rice syrup instead), extract (vanilla or almond), and even the sea salt (just use good ol’ table salt).

Some people seem to think that an energy/power bar is the same thing as a protein bar, but they serve very different purposes. For an athlete, or anyone who runs marathons like me, it’s important to distinguish between the two. While protein bars can be good for recovery snacks or meal replacements, a power bar, or energy bar, is actually quite low in protein. It’s meant to be more of a carbohydrate delivery system, providing a mix of slow- and quick-release carbs to fuel workouts, balanced by small doses of fat (to slow digestion) and protein (to aid muscle recovery). So don’t look to a bar like this to keep you full for hours—eat one for a pre-workout energy boost instead.

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp flaxseeds
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 cup unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal
1/3 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup creamy almond butter
1/4 cup raw (turbinado) sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds on a rimmed baking sheet.



Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the cereal, blueberries, cranberries, and raisins; toss to combine.



Meanwhile, combine the almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 2 to 5 minutes.



Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula until no dry spots remain.



Transfer to the prepared pan. Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray and press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer (wait until the mixture cools slightly if necessary). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, before cutting into 10 bars.



Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to a month; thaw at room temperature. These are more delicate than storebought power bars, but I’m quite happy to exchange durability for wholesomeness in this additive- and preservative-free snack. They’re toasty, fruity, nutty, and conveniently grab-and-go!



Yield: 10 bars. Per bar: 202 calories, 7.5g fat (1g sat), 32.2g carbs, 4g fiber, 4.5g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
No-bake almond butter balls
Oat crumble jam bars
Banana wheat germ muffins

No-bake almond butter balls

Sometimes you can take a bunch of tasty-on-their-own ingredients, combine them in a way that should be good, and end up with something awful. This is NOT one of those recipes. It is the exact opposite—a bevy of sweet ‘n salty items that, when smooshed together, become more than the sum of their parts.

Before you say anything—I know, I know, honey’s not technically vegan. Use agave nectar if you must, though I think it could affect the texture. If you really don’t care at all whether it’s vegan, feel free to use nonfat dry milk powder in place of the (more expensive and harder to find) soymilk powder. For that matter, use natural peanut butter instead of almond butter, or unsweetened cocoa powder in place of the carob. Agave or honey, soymilk or skim milk, almond or peanut, carob or cocoa, vegan or not, there’s no need to take food too seriously. Just play around and have fun!

1 cup dry soymilk powder
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
Dash of vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
2 Tbsp carob powder



Combine the soymilk powder, almond butter, honey, flaxseed, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Grease your hands thoroughly with cooking spray and dig in, squishing everything together until well mixed.



Roll the mixture into about 16 balls (minus however much you munch on right out of the bowl) and place on a small baking sheet. Transfer to the fridge to chill for just a few minutes.



Place the carob powder in a medium bowl. Put the chilled almond butter balls, a few at a time, into the carob powder, and shake the bowl to roll them around until completely coated. Place them back on the baking sheet and chill for an additional few minutes.

These will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week or two, but good luck keeping them around that long. It’s far too easy to pop one, two, five of them at a time, right at the fridge door! At breakfast, for dessert, or in between meals, you’ll find these calling your name at all hours. Surprisingly well-rounded nutritionally, they also make the perfect pre- or post-workout snack. No-bake, no-guilt, and delicious!

Oh, and Hannah, the fact that I could have called these "chocolate-covered nut balls" did not escape me, trust me! ;P



Yield: 16 servings. Per serving: 125 calories, 5.6g fat (trace sat), 16.2g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
Homemade almond milk
No-bake PB-choc-oat cookies
Raw pecan pie cookies

Nutella-stuffed peanut butter cookies

I love Nutella. I am obsessed with peanut butter. Put them together (or, rather, one inside the other), and what do you get? Hand-held perfection. Truly, there is nothing more I can say. The pictures speak for themselves.

For the cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

For the filling:
1/4 cup Nutella
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt

In a small bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the flaxseed with 3 Tbsp warm water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the margarine and sugars.



Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the flax mixture and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the peanut butter and vanilla.



Add the flour mixture a little bit at a time, beating until all the flour streaks are gone (do not overmix).



Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.



Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and beat well.



You should be able to easily roll the filling into balls. If it’s too sticky, add more powdered sugar. Set aside until ready to use.



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Divide the chilled cookie dough into 1-Tbsp portions and roll into balls.



Flatten out two balls of dough at a time. Roll about 1 tsp of the Nutella dough into a smaller ball, flatten, and place on top of one round of dough.



Cover with the other round of dough, pinch edges to seal, and roll gingerly into a ball again. Repeat with all dough (you may have some filling left over) and place balls onto the baking sheet.



Gently press down on the cookies to flatten slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges are golden. Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



WONDERFUL. Please do yourself a favor and make make MAKE these!



Yield: 20 cookies. Per cookie: 203 calories, 10.7g fat (3g sat), 23.6g carbs, 2g fiber, 3.5g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
No-bake PB-choc-oat cookies
Chocolate peanut butter cookies
Peanut butter bliss cake

No-bake PB-choc-oat cookies

Oh, I see, you thought I was going to start out the new year with a totally wholesome, healthy, guilt-free recipe? Not quite, although there’s really no need to feel guilty about eating these. The fiberful whole grain oats, monounsaturated peanut butter fats, and antioxidant-packed cocoa make up for the sugar and vegan margarine. They’re also super-quick and -easy, and the instant gratification factor is high since no baking is required.

My good friend Brandon shared this recipe with me, and challenged me to make it vegan but keep the awesome taste that got him addicted to making these. I am happy to report that I succeeded, and earned his characteristically difficult-to-acquire seal of approval.

1 stick (1/2 cup) Earth Balance
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups quick oats

Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. In a medium saucepan, bring margarine, sugar, cocoa, and soymilk to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute 30 seconds.



Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and oats.



You can either drop by spoonfuls onto the waxed paper, or dump the whole mess on there and spread it out like a cookie pizza.



Let cool at least slightly before slicing and munching. The longer you wait, the more solid they will become. If you just can’t help yourself (we couldn’t), be prepared for a slightly sticky and pliable cookie experience. Not that there’s anything at all wrong with that.



Yield: 24 servings. Per serving: 174 calories, 7.3g fat (1g sat), 25.6g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein.

If you like this, you might also like…
Peanut butter chocolate cookies
Choc-oat banana walnut cookies
Peanut butter bliss cake

PB–banana “Elvis” cupcakes

These cupcakes from VCTOTW are a tribute to the legend of Elvis’s favorite sandwich. Since my dad is an Elvis buff, I made these for Fathers Day. I only withheld them this long because I’ve posted too many damn cupcakes in the last couple months! But I can’t keep these to myself any longer; they’re just too, too good. I made a half batch of frosting because I chose to just top them instead of also filling them, but feel free to double it if you want them filled.

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup soymilk
2 tsp vanilla

For the frosting:
2T Earth Balance, softened
1T shortening
Scant 3T creamy peanut butter
1 tsp molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2-4 tsp soymilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin or a 24-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners and coat with cooking spray. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, soymilk, vanilla, and banana (make sure it's very well-mashed).



Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet mixture, and fold in until just combined.



Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.



Bake for 20-22 minutes for regular cupcakes, or 15-16 minutes for minis. When done, let sit in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Look at those pretty lil domes!



With an electric handheld mixer, cream together the Earth Balance and shortening at medium speed until smooth. Add the peanut butter, molasses, and vanilla...



...and beat until very smooth, 2-3 minutes. Beat in sugar a little at a time (mixture will be very stiff).



Dribble in the soymilk a little at a time, beating continuously until frosting is pale tan and very fluffy.



I used my fancy schmancy piper to frost these, but it turned out I needn’t have bothered to do such a pretty job—after awhile at room temperature, the frosting softens and becomes slightly melty. No matter; it doesn’t affect the taste at all. After frosting, you can garnish the cakes with banana chips or crushed peanuts if you like.



I LOVED LOVED LOVED these. I know I say I love a lot of things, but these are my favorite cupcakes I have ever made. They beat out such heavy hitters as pumpkin chip, mousse-filled hazelnut, tiramisu (a CLOSE runner-up), and German chocolate. That’s a big deal! My favorite smell is the world (which I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned) is fresh-baked banana bread, and when you top that with a frosting made with my beloved friend peanut butter, my heart (/tummy) can’t help but flutter.



Yield: 12 regular or 24 mini cupcakes. Per cupcake (regular): 237 calories, 11.2g fat (1g sat), 32g carbs, 2g fiber, 3.1g protein.
Per cupcake (mini): 119 calories, 5.6g fat (.5g sat), 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 1.5g protein.

If you like this, you might also like...
German chocolate cupcakes
Dreamy creamy tiramisu cupcakes
Hazelnut cupcakes w/chocolate mousse filling

Chocolate peanut butter cookies

Have you ever taken a bite of a just-baked treat and felt a surge of culinary ecstasy at the realization that you hit it out of the park? I experienced that with these cookies. I got the recipe from my friend Brett at work, and with two eggs and a stick and a half of butter, I never expected it to veganize as well as it did. Using two different egg substitutes seemed to help, and I was even able to reduce the margarine by 1/3. These cookies are a chocolate-and-peanut-butter lover’s dream, and suffice it to say they have a much lower guilt factor than the originals.

1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 Ener-G egg
1T ground flaxseed + 3T warm water
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter and/or chocolate chips



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the Earth Balance, sugar, and peanut butter until light and creamy. A stand mixer is easiest, but a hand mixer would do just fine too.



Add the Ener-G egg, followed by the flax egg, blending well after each addition. Or you can do what I did, and just mix both together and add half at a time.



Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in batches, blending lightly on low after each addition. After adding the last of the dry mixture, blend just until combined.



Gently stir in the chips by hand. I used the swirled peanut-butter-and-chocolate chips, but you can use all peanut butter chips, all chocolate chips, or a mixture of the two if you want, or if that’s what you have. I highly recommend getting both flavors in there, though.



Talk about a delicious dough. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased (or parchment papered, or Silpatted) baking sheet.



Bake for 10 minutes. They will seem underdone when you take them out, but don’t be fooled! Cool them on the baking sheet for a good 3-4 minutes...



...then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



These cookies are soft and almost brownie-like in texture, with just a slight chew. The dense peanut butter merges with the tender margarine to create the ideal backdrop for the deep chocolate flavor of the cocoa. The sugar collides with the peanut butter’s saltiness in pefect complement, and the chips take it over the top. I can’t say enough about these things.



And if you were wondering, they got a resounding thumbs up from the people who tasted the originals. In short, a definite home run.



Yield: 2 dozen cookies. Per cookie: 143 calories, 8g fat (3g sat), 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 3g protein.

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Chocolate chip cookies
Pumkpin oatmeal cookies