This is for all my fellow runners out there. I would say that a good 10-15 people in my life are running a 5K, a half marathon, triathlons or a full on marathon. Let me say this...KUDOS! I have been a runner for about 14 years. I go in phases, but I always come back to it. Sometimes you just have to run it out. There is something about the feeling of finding and sustaining your body's rhythmic cadence all while getting some serious sweat time in. It often double duties as my think time or prayer time, but I try to be intentional about enjoying my surroundings while I run. There is an amazing sense of accomplishment when you run because you can actually say you went somewhere and saw some things vs. the standard gym treadmill routine (which cannot be avoided in snowy winters of MN). I see the appeal is what I'm getting at. That said...I have never had any desire to run more than 6 miles. I guess it would be safe to say that a 10K is my limit...so for all you hard core runners, I have a special recipe for you! It requires an open mind and it's more savory than sweet, but it's a great way to replenish and refuel after a long run! ENJOY!!! Let me know what you think. This recipe and others like it can be found at: 101cookbooks.com.
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Marathon Cookies
My guess is that you could substitute spelt flour or all-purpose flour if you don't have whole wheat pastry flour on hand, or have difficulty finding it.
2 cups rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon aniseed, crushed in mortar and pestle (or spice grinder)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
one 15-ounce can white kidney, great northern, or navy beans, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup sesame seeds
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees and place a rack in the top third. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Pulse the oats in a food processor (or blender) until they resemble a raggy flour. Transfer the oats to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the flour, aniseed, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and salt.
Pulse the beans and olive oil in the food processor until they are creamy. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and pulse until smooth. Scrap down the sides of the bowl once or twice along the way.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until the ingredients start to come together. Sprinkle the dates across the top of the batter and stir until everything just comes together.
Place the sesames seeds in a bowl. Make each cookie with a scant 1/4 cup scoop of dough. Roll each scoop of dough into a ball then coat it with sesame seeds. Set each ball on the prepared baking sheet and with the palm of your hand flatten the dough just a bit (see photo). Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving at least an inch or so between each cookie - they'll spread a bit, but not much. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the sesame seeds around the bottom start to get golden.
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies. I'm not 100% sure about the yield here because I tested a variety of cookies sizes.
