Deep Dish Cookie Pie

I've found that once you get out of your routine, it can be quite challenging to get back into it.  For the past 2-1/2 years, I've been working out 5 or 6 days a week.  Since I began running 2 years ago, I've been almost constantly training for a race.  When I wasn't training, I was doing strength workouts or Zumba just to keep moving.  Since my half marathon last month, I've had absolutely no motivation.  I had told myself I could take the week following the race off from training to give my body a chance to rest and heal.  Well, that week has turned into a month!  I get up every morning to make Mike's lunch and then rather than staying up to exercise, I've gone back to bed.  I just can't find the motivation--a nice warm bed sounds so good!  Some mornings I'll wake up and tell myself that I'm going to work out and the next thing I know, I'm crawling back in bed.  This morning I was convinced I'd go to the gym...but I didn't.  So, if you've seen my motivation, will you please send it back to me?

This dessert has absolutely nothing to do with running or motivation.  Unless of course you count that this deep dish cookie pie is so delicious the taste will motivate you to run to the kitchen to make it.  That was a bit of a stretch but run with me on this...haha.

My friend and I discovered the blog Chocolate Covered Katie around the same time.  It's a blog featuring healthy desserts.  We had my friend and her husband over for dinner and she brought along this pie for dessert.  I absolutely loved it!  She had me try to guess what the pie was made of and I had absolutely no clue.  Who would have thought that such a delicious dessert was made from garbanzo beans?  Honestly, I don't think that you would know it was healthy if I didn't tell you.  Please don't be alarmed by the ingredients in this recipe--it's amazing!

Deep Dish Cookie Pie

2 cans garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed) (500g total, once drained)
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

1.  Blend the garbanzo beans, oats, applesauce, vegetable oil, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar very well in a food processor (not a blender).   If needed, do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your food processor.

2.  Mix in chocolate chips, and pour into an greased 10" springform pan.

3.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

4.  Let the pie stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Slice and serve.

Source:  Chocolate Covered Katie