Chocolate Cream Cheese Filled Cookie Cake

Though this creation is not terribly unique, I'll still classify it as a mad-science experiment because I threw it together in a moment of hungry, chocolate-lusting insanity. I had finished my last slice of birthday cake the day before, so the sudden absence of endorphin-inducing baked goodness resulted in this...

Ingredients:
For the cookie:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, (but I think a full cup would be better)
For the filling:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Direction:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round baking pan.
In a mixing bowl with a beater attachment, combine all the filling ingredient; mix well; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, sugar; beat until well mixed. Add dry ingredients; then add the eggs; then add the vanilla. Mix well. Lastly, stir in chocolate chips.
In the greased baking pan, press half of the cookie dough into the bottom. Spread the filling evenly over the first cookie dough layer. Top the second layer with the remaining cookie dough.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Apricot, Pecan Energy Bites

You could, of course, make these as bars in a baking dish, but I like the uniform size that comes from baking them in a mini-muffin pan. These bites are great as pre or post workout snacks. Or, if your feeling some between-meal temptation, these will help fight the hunger without making you feel guilty because they are so good for you.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup milled flax
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup textured vegetable protein
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini-muffin pan (or a square baking dish).
In a small saucepan, rehydrate textured vegetable protein (TVP) with 1/2 cup water, cook over medium heat. In a mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, flax, wheat germ, brown sugar. Stir to combine. Once the TVP has absorbed the water, add the the mixture; stir to combine. Add honey, pecans, dried apricots and melted butter; stir to combine. Add eggs; stir to combine. Spoon even amounts into pan. Bake about 12 minutes.