Dark Chocolate Energy Pennies

I’m a big snacker and so is Scarlett. In our second cookbook, The School Year Survival Cookbook, we have four of our favorite trail mixes that we use quite often. I hate to admit it, but I can polish off a big bowl of trail mix in one sitting. (And, by sitting, I mean 5 minutes of hoovering the bowl.) Instead of picking through the mix trying to create the ultimate bite every time (ideal bite equals one almond, one chocolate chip, one dried cranberry), I decided it was about time to create a recipe that delivered the perfect, single bite. No more search and pecking my snacks.

Hello, Dark Chocolate Energy Pennies. You are the ultimate bite of savoury, sweet and a teeny bit tangy every time. We make these now once a week because the addiction is real. Forget the fact that you can put them together in a snap, what I love most is that they pack up easily–lunch box, backpack, purse, tote, you name it–so it makes them ideal for travel. You can design your own and, if you’re needing to please multiple palettes, they can be individually tailored. In a moment of weakness (or glory depending on how you look at it), we even pressed our favorite sugar-y cereal into them–Mine was Apple Jacks and Scarlett’s was Fruit Loops. If you’re hitting the road, the slopes or looking for a baking project for March break, these are it. And they promise the sweetest travels.

**This post was first published in March of 2020.