Traveling? You Need Packable Snacks. Bring Airplane Cookies!

Ready for The Trip!

If you follow me on instagram, twitter or facebook (and why wouldn’t you be?), you know that I’ve been traveling. But before I left, I made sure I had packable snacks for that looooong flight to Amsterdam.

Travel Should Be Fun

Aah, travel. Getting there should be half the fun, but often, it’s kind of a drag.  Whether you are taking a road trip, or heading to the airport, you need to be prepared. Reading material, an ipod, a good neck supporting pillow, and packable snacks are essential.

Foraging in an Airport, Hungry and Tired

There’s no food-lovers dilemma quite as awful as being at the mercy of the food court at the airport. Some of them have gotten better, but unless you know for sure, you can’t bank on it. My hometown hub here in Minneapolis does a pretty good job, and I’ve found a few nice things to eat in places like Portland and San Francisco. And yes, Schipol has a lovely bakery with sandwiches and smoothies, among other things. But I’ve been stuck in a few airports where I had hours to kill because of a delay. To fill the time and get some exercise, I dragged my bag with me to every single food source in the place, scouting for edibles. In a big airport, this can mean covering some territory, using my dormant hunter-gatherer skills. It came down to a choice between a sit down meal of hot, greasy food, or making due with a bag of nuts and some popcorn.

Plan Ahead With Packable Snacks

It was that kind of experience that trained me to plan ahead. Sure, there should be some granola bar or something in the newspaper shop, but even those are questionable. I want something all whole grain, naturally sweetened, organic, and packed with real nuts and seeds.

So I make Airplane Cookies.

A Stack of Snacks!

Make Your Snacks Meal-Worthy

Since I like to grind fresh flours and nut butters in my Vitamix, I put fresh Kamut flour and almond butter in these cookies. You can, of course, use pre-ground Kamut or whole wheat pastry flour, and almond butter from a jar, and they will still be fantastic.

I chose to put them in muffin cups, instead of a classic cookie format, so that they would have more soft middles than crunchy exteriors. They stay fresh longer this way, and don’t break in your bag.

Big, chunky hunks of almonds and walnuts, dark chocolate chips, and hemp seeds provide some delectable protein and good fat to keep you nourished and happy. Chocolate is a health food, and eating a few ounces per day is like taking a delicious, energizing dose of antioxidants.

A Little Dark Chocolate Makes It All More Fun

One Tip to Make it Neater in the Heat

If you are traveling in a hot car, you might want to skip the drizzle of chocolate on top- hard experience has taught me that liquid chocolate on my hands while driving is a little too messy. Just stick with the chips inside and you will be fine. They will melt and give you a really sensuous chocolate experience.

Drizzle Melted Chocolate on Top

With these easy, packable little treats, you can sit back and wait for the attendant to bring the beverage cart, then enjoy your homemade goodies while everyone else makes do with dry pretzels and junk food assortment packs.

You’ll be glad you made real food packable snacks, I promise.

Print Pin

Airplane Cookies

When you travel, you need some good snacks, to avoid falling into the trap of eating airport food. These whole grain, nut and seed filled cookies are just the kind of whole foods treat that will energize you, nourish you, and delight you!

Course Snack

Servings 12

Author Robin Asbell

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole almonds
• 1 cup whole Kamut or kamut flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 2 ounces very dark chocolate for drizzling

Instructions

• If you are grinding fresh flour, do that first- place a scant cup of whole kamut in the Vitamix container, secure the lid and select Variable Speed 1. Turn on the machine and gradually increase the speed to 10, then high, and grind for 1 minute, then pour the flour out on a plate and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the almonds on a sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes, let cool.

  Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin pan and reserve.
• If making nut butter, grind that by putting half a cup of almonds in the Vitamix and securing the lid, then inserting the tamper. Select Variable Speed 1 and star on low, then gradually increase only as long as the nuts are engaged with the blades, tamping. Grind until smooth. Chop the remaining almonds and reserve.
• Place 1/2 cup almond butter in the Vitamix and add the coconut oil, maple syrup, non-diary milk, flax, vanilla and almond extract. Secure the lid, select Variable Speed 1 and turn ont he machine, gradually increase the speed, using the tamper if necessary, and blend well. Reserve.
• In a large bowl, combine the kamut flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Stir until well mixed. Scrape the contents of the blender into the bowl and stir to mix. Fold in the reserved toasted almonds, walnuts, chocolate chips, and hemp.

  Measure 1/4 cup portions of dough into the muffin cups- it's easier if you oil the measuring cup. With damp fingers, press the dough down evenly.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until there is light brown around the edges, but the centers are still very soft. Cool on racks. Melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle on the tops of the cookies, let cool. Pack in heavy zip-top bags or wrap in waxed paper. Freeze for up to two months.

Notes

In this recipe I used the Vitamix to grind the fresh kamut flour, and to make almond butter. Then I mixed the wet ingredients in the blender, since I was already using it. Of course, you can make this with pre-ground flour and almond butter, and mix it by hand. Just blend the wet mix in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon.