Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Ginger-Orange Brownies

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These ginger-orange brownies are delicious, fudgy brownies with a hint of orange, ginger, and salt.

ginger-orange brownies

Ever since moving to Denver I feel that I bake much less than I used to. I think a large part of it is that I used to bake a lot on the weekends; however, now that I have easy access to the mountains and an overwhelming amount of things to see I try to spend the bulk of my weekends out exploring rather than in the kitchen experimenting.

I mean, when you have the chance to go see this and this and this and this can you really blame me!?

But then there are things like this – these ginger-orange brownies.

ginger-orange brownies

They make me remember how much I love to bake (and eat) brownies.

Surely, there is plenty of time to both bake and explore.

ginger-orange brownies

Ginger and orange and brownies may seem like a strange combination, but it works. Quite well, actually.

Or at least it does in my opinion. Bake them and let me know your thoughts!

Ginger-Orange Brownies
 
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These ginger-orange brownies are delicious, fudgy brownies with a hint of orange, ginger, and salt.
Serves: 12 brownies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • zest from one orange
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter
  • 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 ounces high quality dark chocolate, chopped (I used a Lindt Intense Orange chocolate bar)
  • Sea salt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the brownies can easily be lifted out of the pan. Grease with butter or oil.
  2. Add the sugar and orange zest to a bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fully combined. Set aside.
  3. Combine the cocoa powder, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. Melt the butter and bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler (a saucepan over a larger saucepan of boiling water) or in the microwave (heat for 30 seconds then stir, continuing this pattern until everything is melted). Let this cool slightly.
  5. Whisk in the vanilla extract, espresso powder, and orange-zested sugar, then whisk in the eggs one at a time.
  6. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the chopped chocolate.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with a generous amount of sea salt.
  8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake! Brownies can be slightly underdone and gooey (<-- the best!).

ginger-orange brownies

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caramel apple snack cake

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I love caramel, apples, snacks, and cake, so a caramel apple snack cake just makes sense.

caramel apple snack cake

The cinnamon/caramel/apple flavor combination is essentially the epitome of fall. The smell of this snack cake baking in the oven will make you want to grab some friends, go on pretty fall walk, and jump in piles of crisp leaves.

Maybe those crisp leaves are now buried under a pile of snow?? A walk is still a good idea.

So go do that as these are cooling. Then when you come in you can enjoy a slice with mugs of steamy coffee and your favorite people.

caramel apple snack cake

To make these I took a basic blondie recipe (1 stick butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup flour) and added in some cinnamon, a shredded Zestar apple, and some caramel bits (these things). The moisture from the apple made these light and cakey rather than gooey and dense like blondies typically are.

Which is why I am calling it a snack cake.

Side note: Make sure to squeeze the excess moisture out of the shredded apple!

caramel apple snack cake

On a semi-related note, Katie and I had friends visiting this weekend from California (hi Ellie & Oliver!), so we drove towards the mountains for short, yet scenic hike at St. Mary’s Glacier. It was so, so beautiful. We took lots of pictures and stopped for lunch near the glacier. Naturally, I packed pieces of this caramel apple snack cake for dessert.

St. Mary's Glacier

It was such a fun afternoon. I don’t think the beauty of the mountains will ever stop surprising me. Never, ever.

caramel apple snack cake

caramel apple snack bars
 
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A snack cake full of all the best fall flavors: cinnamon, apple, and caramel!
Serves: 16 pieces
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ¼ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 medium apple, shredded (I used a Zestar)
  • ½ cup caramel bits
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8” baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
  2. Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and egg together until everything is combined.
  3. Stir in the flour and cinnamon until incorporated.
  4. Fold in the shredded apple and caramel bits (saving a bit to put on top).
  5. Place batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle on the remaining caramel bits and a little bit of sea salt.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set.
  7. Cool completely in the pan, then cut and serve!

caramel apple snack cake caramel apple snack cake

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Pumpkin Oreo Bars

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I know for a fact that I am not the only one indulging in all the pumpkin spice things right now. It’s October. ‘Tis the season.

pumpkin oreo bars

Soon we’ll be obsessed with cranberries and peppermint and gingerbread, so let’s soak up all the pumpkin while it’s seasonably appropriate.

Let’s be real basic.

Let’s make Pumpkin Oreo Bars.

Let’s can’t even.

And let’s not feel bad about.

pumpkin oreo bars

These Pumpkin Oreo Bars are worth all the cliché’s. They are full of pumpkin and spices and are studded with black and orange Halloween Oreos.

What’s not to love?!

pumpkin oreo bars

I’m dying.

pumpkin oreo bars

The bars come together quickly with a couple of bowls and a spoon. Combine the dry (flour + spices), combine the wet (butter + pumpkin + sugar), then stir it all together with some festive Oreo chunks. It’s truly that simple.

The result is a pan full of pumpkin-y, spicy, moist, delicious bars that will make you want to tie your hair up in a high bun, put on your best flannel, throw on your Ugg’s, and go do any (or all) of the following activities: watch football, drink lattes, pick apples, see a scary movie, shop for a Halloween costume.

pumpkin oreo bars

Go do it. I know you want to……………

Pumpkin Oreo Bars
 
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These delicious bars are full of pumpkin, spices, and festive Oreos that will make you love fall more than you already do!
Serves: 16 bars
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon all spice
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cup Halloween Oreos, chopped
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the brownies can easily be lifted out of the pan.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the spices, baking powder, and flour. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and vanilla until no sugar lumps remains.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
  5. Stir in the chopped Oreos.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let bars cool completely before cutting.

pumpkin oreo bars

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Peach Almond Butter Shortbread Bars

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I know it’s September, but it’s still summer and it’s still hot. We should still be eating peaches every single day for every single meal: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert.

Are we on the same page with this? I hope so, because I have a dessert for you. These beauts are peach almond butter shortbread bars.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

Let’s dissect.

On the bottom is buttery shortbread acting as a strong base to hold the other delicious layers. It’s a simple crust made of butter, powdered sugar, flour, just a little bit of vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt.

Next is a layer of almond butter. This acts as a shield to protect the shortbread from getting soggy from the peaches. Not to mention, almond butter is amazing on approximately everything. I made my own by pulverizing almonds with a little bit of sea salt and maple syrup in my food processor, but you could totally use store-bought almond butter here.

Finally, we pile on peaches that have been roasted with maple syrup and brandy. They are juicy and delicious and perfect in every way; the real stars of this recipe. The brandy is totally optional, but really why would you skip it?

peach almond butter shortbread bars

And hey, let’s just add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on there as well. It’s summer and we should live a little before settling into fall.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

I kept these bars in the fridge and the shortbread crust stayed strong and crispy for days (3 to be exact). There was no sogginess in sight, which is excellent, because I’m sure we can all agree that soggy crust is the worst. The mix of the shortbread with the creamy almond butter and the juicy peaches is a textural experience for your mouth. Your taste buds won’t be sad about it.

They tasted good cold and they tasted good heated up. They tasted good morning, afternoon, and night. I can say this all with confidence, because I did all the research.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

So go run to the grocery store and buy all the peaches and enjoy every single last minute of summer.

Oh and while you’re at it, a few more peach recipes: browned butter ginger peach blondies, bourbon peach crisp, and fruit & coconut water ice pops.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

Peach Almond Butter Shortbread Bars
 
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Serves: 9 bars
Ingredients
  • 3 medium ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup (separated)
  • 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry roasted almonds
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the bars can easily be lifted out of the pan.
  2. Place the sliced peaches on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and one of brandy (optional), then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  3. In the large bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the flour. Mix until incorporated. Then press dough into the prepared pan.
  4. Place both the shortbread and the peaches in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The rim of the shortbread should be lightly browned.
  5. While the peaches and shortbread are baking, add the almonds, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and the sea salt to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Be patient as this can take up to 10-15 minutes depending on the strength of your processor. You can also use store bought almond butter.
  6. Allow the shortbread and peaches to cool slightly, then spread a layer of almond butter on the shortbread. You’ll want to make sure everything is covered. Then add the peaches.
  7. Cut, serve, and enjoy! I added a dollop of sweetened whipped cream to mine, because yum.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

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Almond Butter Cannellini Blondies (gluten free, vegan)

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Almond Butter Cannellini Blondies.

Wait.

What?

Cannellini blondies.

almond butter cannellini blondies

I get it. It’s weird. Stay with me.

These blondies were never on my radar. I never thought about them nor did I ever dream about them. They just kind of happened.

What I originally wanted to do was make black bean brownies. You have heard of those before, right? The surprisingly delicious and healthy little faux brownies made with black beans and cocoa powder (among a few other things). That was my plan.

But when I went to go grab a can of black beans from my cupboard, I *GASP* didn’t have any. My inventory (which I manually track in my memory) must have been off. Whoops.

(insert nerdy supply chain joke about inventory discrepancies)

I spotted a can of cannellini beans, shrugged my shoulders, and switched directions. If brownies can be made with black beans, then blondies could be made with cannellini beans, right?!

Well…

almond butter cannellini blondies

Sure.

These cannellini blondies aren’t made with butter, flour, egg, or lots of sugar. Instead there is coconut oil, cannellini beans, flax meal, maple syrup, and only two tablespoons of brown sugar. They also have some almond butter, walnuts, and dark chocolate chips, because those things just seem to be involved in everything that I do.

The texture is a lot softer and resembles more of a moist quick bread than a regular blondie (like these brown butter bourbon blondies or these brown butter ginger peach blondies). The taste is, well, different. No, they don’t taste like beans. They taste like a tasty sweet treat that I don’t have to feel guilty about. Not even if I stress eat two in the same sitting.

almond butter cannellini blondies

But who even stress eats? I DO.

I’m running a marathon TOMORROW and kind of have been nonchalantly internally freaking out about it all week. I think I’m in denial that it’s even happening. After doing a bulk of my runs solo and struggling a lot with my performance this training season, it just doesn’t feel like I’ve worked hard enough for the marathon to actually be here. Plus, my recently diagnosed arrhythmia hasn’t helped the situation. I guess my heart beats to it’s own awkward drum?

The Cardiologist gave me a Zio patch (like this) and told me I could run it. I am thankful that none of my other muscles or bones are injured and that my whole family is driving up to Duluth to cheer me on and that everyone else in the Calhoun Beach Run Club is totally going to kill it and that the experience as a whole will be really fun and rewarding.

Annddddd…. Back to the blondies. I am thankful for these too. Did I mention they are gluten-free and vegan (if you use vegan-friendly chocolate chips)? Neat!

I guess I really shouldn’t even call them blondies, but I’m going to anyways. What’s done is done.

almond butter cannellini blondies

Have cherry walnut butterscotch blondies when you ate healthy salads all week and want to delight yourself by eating something sweet and sinful. Have these almond butter cannellini blondies when you want a healthy little treat during the week so that you can save your big indulgence for Friday night pizza.

Different situations, but both are great ideas.

almond butter cannellini blondies

So yeah, cannellini blondies are real and I like them… for regular healthy enjoyment and for stress eating.

Now I’m headed up to Duluth to get ready for a 26.2 mile run tomorrow. Wish me luck??

almond butter cannellini blondies

Almond Butter Cannellini Blondies (gluten free, vegan)
 
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These almond butter cannellini blondies might seem strange, but they are a healthy little treat. They are gluten free and vegan (if using vegan-friendly chocolate chips) and easy to make. These are perfect for a mid-day snack or for a post-dinner dessert without all the guilt of a classic blondie.
Serves: 9 blondies
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon flax meal
  • 15 oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ almond butter
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips (use vegan chocolate chips if needed)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the blondies can easily be lifted out of the pan. Lightly grease with butter or oil.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the water and flax meal. Let sit for about 5 minutes. This is your flax egg.
  3. Add all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor excluding the walnuts and chocolate chips. Process until smooth, 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips, reserving a little bit of each to sprinkle on top. Process a few times so that they get mixed into the batter and break up a little bit.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining nuts and chocolate.
  6. Bake for 26-32 minutes. It will be will difficult to tell when these are done.
  7. Let these cool completely in the pan before removing and cutting.
  8. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for a few days. I personally like them stored in the refrigerator and I bet they would hold up well in the freezer.

almond butter cannellini blondies

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Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

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These triple berry almond oat bars, I love them.

 

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

 

The tasty little things are like eating fruit crisp in bar form.

And they are healthy!

And vegan!

And so, so delicious!

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

Earlier this week I was paging through the ole Duesterhoeft Café cookbook and came across the recipe for fudgy oatmeal bars. My mom would make them for potlucks and other such things, because they make such a large pan and are super tasty. I decided that I needed to make them.

But then I decided to try to make them just a leeetle bit healthier. And then I accidentally completely transformed them into something else.

Something amazing.

Something that you can eat two of and not feel guilty about afterwards.

Something that looks like this:

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

I swapped:

  • All purpose flour for oat flour and almond meal
  • Butter for coconut oil
  • Chocolate fudge for tripe berry chia seed jam
  • An egg for a flax egg
  • Brown sugar for less brown sugar
  • Deliciousness for guilt-free deliciousness

So yeah, not quite the same. But that’s ok, because I’m pretty obsessed with how they turned out.

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

On the bottom there is a crust made with coconut oil, brown sugar, almond meal, oat flour, oats, a flax egg, and almond extract. This stuff alone is pretty amazing. Try not to eat it all (you gotta taste test a little!) before getting it into the pan.

There are a lot of substitutions you can make here – gluten-free, non-vegan, etc – so make sure to check out the note section in the recipe.

In the middle there is a fruit layer made with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and chia seeds. AKA triple berry chia seed jam. This stuff alone is also pretty amazing. Truth be told I don’t eat a lot of jam. I never buy it and this was my first experience making chia seed jam (or any type of jam) and now I’m in love. It’s super easy to make, tastes delicious, and is healthy! I’m sure you could easily swap out the sugar for some honey or maple syrup. I made some more again yesterday to use for oatmeal, yogurt, spoonfuls into my mouth, etc.

The two layers are topped off with some crumbled oat mixture, then placed it in the oven until baked to perfection (20-25 minutes).

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

As you can see these triple berry almond oat bars are made with a bunch of wholesome, healthy ingredients. Yes, they have some sugar, but I’d say it’s a forgivable amount. They are healthy enough to eat for breakfast and delicious enough to eat for dessert.

I ate these chilled in the fridge. I ate them heated up. Both were pretty dern good.

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

Now I’m going to go run 22 miles (pray for me) and when I come home I’ll probably polish off the rest of the pan. But to be honest, there really aren’t many left.

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars
 
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These bars are full of oats, nuts, and berries - almost like eating fruit crisp in bar form! They are vegan, can easily be made gluten-free, and are super healthy and delicious.
Serves: 16 bars
Ingredients
For the chia seed jam filling:
  • ½ cup strawberries, diced
  • ½ cup raspberries
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon chia seeds
  • ¾ cup chopped almonds
For the crust and crumble:
  • ¾ cup oat flour
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups rolled oats
  • ½ cup coconut oil, solid state
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the bars can easily be lifted out of the pan. Grease with butter or oil spray.
For the chia seed jam filling:
  1. Add the berries, lemon juice, and sugar to a saucepan and stir on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until it begins to bubble. The fruit should break apart and release liquid. Use the back of your spoon to press down on the blueberries and raspberries a little bit. Turn to medium-low, add the chia seeds, and continue to stir for an additional 10 minutes. It will thicken as you stir.
  2. Add the chopped almonds then set aside and allow to cool slightly.
For the crust and crumble:
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, almond meal, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the coconut oil and brown sugar until they are fully combined. Stir in the almond extract and flax egg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.
To assemble:
  1. Press ¾ of the oat crust into the baking pan. Spread the chia seed jam over the crust then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top.
  2. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. These taste awesome both warm and cold.
Notes
Use any berries you want for the jam. You can also just buy fruit preserves at the store.
You can sub all-purpose flour for both the oat flour and almond meal (1 ¼ cups total).
Make your own oat flour by processing oats in a food processor or blender until it reaches flour consistency. Almond meal can be made the same way (by using almonds).
Use gluten-free oats to make this recipe gluten free.
To make a flax egg mix 1 tablespoon flax meal with 2 ½ tablespoons water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Use a real egg in place of a flax egg if you aren’t vegan.

PS – Have you made chia seed jam before? What’s your favorite jam flavor?

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

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