Wholewheat Oats Nutbutter Brookie Bites

Okay people, time to get real.

I have long unrealistically horrific working hours sometimes, that makes it well nigh impossible to eat right, sleep enough or wake up early enough to exercise a bit. As a result, I've been putting on some unhealthy weight. Flab around the waist, pants don't seem to fit and shirts look like they're fit to pop a button or two. And I can't have that. Especially when I've controlled a large part of my diet. 

Except the sweet nibbles. I simply cannot seem to stop craving for it. I've applied all the hacks possible, have dates, fruits (ugh) instead. Chew a handful of almonds. Have a glass of fresh juice. Nothing seems to work. The problem compounds itself when most desserts don't translate too well into whole wheat. All desserts are APF, or white flour, something that is really not so good for health. So far, all conversions to whole grain have failed miserably. Heavy, sad cakes and cookies that don't fluff up too well and are eaten only as a last resort.

Except what I made last night. Now weekends are my time to shine and bake (or try to bake) stuff that while it's good, is also marginally healthy. So this came about, while tinkering about. Wholegrain Nut Butter Brookie Bites. Brookies are currently hugely popular thanks to Masterchef, and there are multiple recipes floating about. Essentially brookies are a cross between a brownie and a cookie. My brookies are beautiful chocolatey nuggets, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, made of whole wheat flour, rolled oats, Horlicks, a giant scoop of peanut butter and chocolate. Very delicious, surprisingly filling and makes the house smell like a dream!

Wholewheat Oats Nutbutter Brookie Bites

You need:

• 11 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp chocolate Horlicks (or regular)
• 3 tbsp chocolate powder
• a handful of oats
• 1 egg
• 8-9 tbsp oil
• 9 tbsp sugar
• 1 heaped tbsp peanut butter (I used chunky, you can smooth if you wish)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• Optional: chopped or flaked almonds

The how:

• Sift and reserve the flour, Horlicks, chocolate powder and baking powder.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar till foamy. Add the oil and mix in.
• To this add the peanut butter and gently whisk in.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients and the oats, mix gently to form a dough.
• Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour at least.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.
• Grease a baking pan, or line with a silicon mat or parchment paper and place small balls of the dough, about 1/2 tbsp sized. They do not spread, so you can place them about 1/2 inch away from each other.
• Press an almond flake on top if you're using it, else skip.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• When you take them out to cool, they will feel a bit soft, but they'll crisp up in no time.

That's it! Enjoy with a glass of cold milk and let health save the day!