Apple PB Oatmeal Cookie “Dough” Bites

Yay! :D It’s time to reveal the 2014 Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

Last year, I only had one match, but I made a larger batch (see what I did there) of Coconut Cookie Dough Balls so I could send it to other friends as well. I liked the idea so much that I decided to turn the concept into a fundraiser at my school so that I could:

1. Send home-baked goodies to troops, the domestic violence center, and children’s homes
2. Raise some money for the local no-kill shelters: Please Save A Cat & Friends For Life, Inc
3. Feed fellow starving students

It worked out pretty well! I collected over 1000 baked goodies managed to fundraise for the animal shelters. (In retrospect, I should’ve charged more so there’d be more to donate, but you live and you learn.

I requested cookies that were on the healthier end of the spectrum again, and this year, I got 3 matches! :D (Glad I’m not the only one who prefers healthified desserts! :P ) I’m really glad I’m no longer being antisocial in the blogging world (this was only because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep up with everything, but as I’ve discovered with most things, you make time for what you enjoy), because this year, I actually “knew” [of] all three of my matches! :] I’ve been really appreciative of the blogging community; it actually makes me feel less homesick out here. :O

My matches this year were…

• Gina @ SkinnyTaste
  Not gonna lie, I totally fan-girled when I saw her name on my match list. I was also slightly terrified, because she makes amazingggg food. The last time I was back in California, Jun and I got together and made a whole ton of delicious meals based off of recipes on her blog. <3 I’ve been meaning to post those, but sadly, still haven’t gotten around to doing so. (At times, I am the queen of procrastination.)
• Kaylin @ Enticing Healthy Eating
  I think I first discovered her blog through Linda‘s Life in Pictures linkup! She’s awesome and super sweet! :] Apparently, both of us are fans of blue roses (tis my favorite flower!) and volunteer at animal shelters! <3! (Go check her blog out! She has super delicious lookin’ recipes there too!)
  

  I actually found blue roses in China and they were $2.50 for the whole bunch! I couldn’t bring them back though, so I didn’t get them. :'(

• Heather @ Divas Run For Bling
  Heather and I are both Girls Gone Sporty ambassadors! :] She shares a number of different HIIT workouts on her blog, as well as a variety of tips for healthier living habits and lifestyles!

I decided to go with another cookie dough bite theme so I could pack in nutritious ingredients into the recipe. This makes about 40 small-ish cookie “dough” bites! :]

I’d been feeling rather apprehensive that they didn’t arrive in an intact form because I couldn’t, for the life of me, find cookie tins at the store that would fit into the boxes I was repurposing (was trying to go green and all that good stuff ._.). I also brought them back to Lewisburg to mail em’ over the weekend because I never know these days whether or not I’ll be out of the hospital/clinic while the post office is still open…this would’ve been fine and all if I’d remembered to pack all my packaging material with me.

So far, it’s looked like they made it over mostly-intact, but if they are no longer in their ball form, I’ve found that they taste pretty awesome atop yogurt or oatmeal! (I’m so sorry for the fail-packaging! ;_; )

Apple PB Oatmeal Cookie “Dough” Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3 packages cinnamon chia cranberry instant oatmeal (~1 cup oats)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups peanut butter (+ more if not sticky enough)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup apple butter
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix until combined.
3. Shape into little balls.
4. Bake for ~10-12 minutes or until slightly browned/crisp. Allow to cool completely!