Javelina Turds

I've had lots of requests for this recipe, its something we typically have around the house.. they are perfect when you get home from the pool or a hike or the gym or off a plane and need to eat something.  I posted a version of this a while back, but that version has lots of options (different nut butters, sweeteners, etc).   Since I make them so often, I have developed an efficient process.   First, I weigh the ingredients (an idea from Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking), especially since almond butter and honey are messy to measure. This also insures that I use exactly half the jar of almond butter, since this the only place I use it.   Then, instead of making balls or log shapes (which begat the nickname which has stuck), I mash into in a large square and cut -- see the pictures.  I can do these in about 20 minutes, including clean up.

Javelina Turds

8 oz     1 cup almond butter (Trader Joes organic creamy / salted)

6 oz     1/2 cup honey (usually from small producer - the flavor of the honey comes through)

1 tsp vanilla extract 

9 oz     3 cups old fashioned oats

3 oz     1/3 cup dried cranberries ( sweetened)

3 oz     1/3 cup chocolate chips (Ghirardelli dark)

Combine all ingredients together; mix well.  Dump onto a cutting board covered with wax paper, and form into a large square, about a ½ inch thick.  Cut into 1 or 1 ½ inch squares. Place squares on another piece of wax paper, put in a large baggie or other container, and refrigerate. 

Mixed:

After pressing (you can use a rolling pin with a top piece of wax paper) to get really smooth, plus I use the edge of the knife to straighten the edges:

And cut:

Think twice about eating these if you have not just been at the gym, swum 2000m, or hiked up a mountain.  They are about 100 calories per square inch.