Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Sprinkle Pudding Cookie Bars

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Find me a person that doesn’t love sprinkles. I want to tell them to their face that they’re crazy. sprinkle pudding cookie bars Sprinkles. They just make everything so much more fun. And couldn’t we all use an extra dose of fun on Mondays?

I think so. That’s why I’m bringing you these sprinkle pudding cookie bars.

And as if sprinkles weren’t enough, I topped them with these cute frosted animal cookies. Because, why the heck not? sprinkle pudding cookie bars

sprinkle pudding cookie bars In case you’re curious: yes, they do taste as good as they look.

The secret here is in the instant pudding mix. A couple of months ago I made these banana pudding cookie bars and discovered how truly amazing pudding cookies are. They are just so… soft. Soft and crumbly and delicious.

From the flavor to the sprinkles to the texture to the animal cookies, I just love everything about these adorable little bars. They appeal to both the eyes and the taste buds. sprinkle pudding cookie bars They are also super easy and quick to make. The dough comes together like standard cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and our new favorite cookie ingredient (pudding mix). Stir in the dry ingredients. Throw in sprinkles and crushed up cookies, just for fun. Press the dough into a pan.

sprinkle pudding cookie bars Top it off with some animal crackers. Bake for approximately 13 minutes. Wait for bars to cool (warning: this is the hardest part). Then cut them up and enjoy one… or five. sprinkle pudding cookie bars Then go bring some to your friends because they deserve sprinkles on Mondays too. sprinkle pudding cookie bars And because having an entire pan of these around is a dangerous thing.

Sprinkle Pudding Cookie Bars
 
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I love everything about these adorable little bars. The addition of pudding mix into the dough makes these bars extra soft and delicious. The sprinkles and animal cookies make them super fun.
Author:
Serves: 20 bars
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup animal cookies, coarsely chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup sprinkles
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
  5. Add in the flour mixture. Stir until combined.
  6. Fold in the cookie chunks and sprinkles.
  7. Put the dough into the prepared pan and press until even. Then press animal cookies on the top of the dough. I did 5 columns and 4 rows (20 total).
  8. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let bars cool completely before cutting and eating.

sprinkle pudding cookie bars

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Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread

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Let’s kick off this week with some bread. Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread  Brown bananas are a little bit ugly, but beautiful at the same time and filled with so much delicious potential! Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread What to make, what to make… I was brainstorming as I watched these bananas slowly turn browner with each passing day. Then I decided: chocolate banana bread. With some cacao nibs. And a little bit of Greek yogurt. Delicious, yes?

Have you ever heard of or tried cacao nibs? They are basically pieces of cacao beans that have been chopped up and roasted. If you were to grind them up with some sugar you’d have chocolate! Cacao nibs themselves aren’t very sweet, but still have a light chocolate flavor to them. They also have a nice crunch, kind of like a roasted coffee bean. As an added bonus cacao nibs are pretty healthy. They are full of antioxidants as well as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. Plus, they can elevate your mood and give you an energy boost! Soooo… let’s eat some. Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread My mom had given me some a while back to try, but I had stuck them in my cupboard and forgot about them. Out of sight, out of mind, you know? Then when I was in Costa Rica I came across some dark chocolate covered cacao nibs, which led me to remember the long-lost cacao nibs in my cupboard, which led me to buy the chocolate covered ones, which led me to want to make something delicious with them, which is now leading me to this bread with my brown bananas. Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread Isn’t that a nice little chain of events? It led to such a delicious place.

This chocolate banana bread isn’t overly sweet. The melted butter and Greek yogurt give it the perfect level of moist-ness (is that a word?) and density. The cacao nibs add a nice crunch. You can have it for breakfast with some jam or, better yet, some almond butter. Or you could have it for a mid-day snack or a post-dinner dessert. Or you could just eat it all day, every day for the rest of your life, but I’ll let you make that decision.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread So the next time you have some brown bananas on your counter staring you in the face, you should probably make this bread. You can track down cacao nibs (plain, chocolate covered, or both) in Costa Rica, but also Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s if that’s more convenient for you. If you aren’t interested in cacao nibs, that’s ok! You can replace them with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or nothing at all.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread
 
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A delicious chocolate banana bread studded with cacao nibs. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Author:
Serves: 1 loaf
Ingredients
  • 1½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (~1-1 ½ cups)
  • ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup cacao nibs (I used a mix of plain and chocolate covered cacao nibs)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Let is cool slightly.
  4. Whisk in the eggs. Then add the brown sugar, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
  5. Add in the dry ingredients and stir until combined, being careful not to over mix.
  6. Stir in the cacao nibs.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then take it out and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
  9. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
I used a mix of plain and chocolate covered cacao nibs, but feel free to use one or the other.
The cacao nibs can be replaced with a mix of chopped nuts and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread

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Fruit And Nut Chocolate Zinfandel Cookies

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Some of my favorite things: fruit, chocolate, wine, nuts, cookies. I went ahead and combined them and these Fruit & Nut Chocolate Zinfandel Cookies were born.

zinfandel cookies I know, insane. But sometimes insane is a good thing.

You what else is insane? The fact that it is September already! How, how, how in the world did that happen? Did I accidentally hibernate all summer? Where did it go?

I guess I’ll cope by eating these cookies. Let me tell you, a very delicious coping mechanism.

zinfandel cookies I love summer, but I do really enjoy fall as well. The crisp air, the changing leaves, all the varieties of apples, boots and sweaters – so great. Also, the start of school. I always loved the first day of school. I’m a huge dork, but I just really enjoyed back-to-school shopping, school supply shopping, and the first day feeling. I should’ve bought new pens or something to bring into work today. Oh well. Next year.

Anyways, these cookies! Let’s talk more about them.

zinfandel cookies The base is a delicious chocolate drop cookie, but I added in a boost of flavor with some red wine. Why? Because chocolate and wine is always a good idea. And what else goes with chocolate and wine? Fruit and nuts, of course! So I threw those in as well. The nuts add a great texture and additional crunch to the cookies, whereas the dried fruit adds some sweetness.

zinfandel cookies zinfandel cookies Cheese also works very well with this combination, but I didn’t want to go completely overboard. I’ll save that for another day.

For the wine I used Redux Zinfandel from California, which I received in one of my Club W shipments. The recipe calls for a ½ cup of wine. ½ cup < 1 bottle, so pour yourself a glass.

zinfandel cookies Go ahead and have a glass while you bake and maybe another while you taste test. Then invite some girlfriends over to devour the cookies and drink more wine. Maybe you can serve some cheese with it too? Talk about how awesome the summer was and how great the lingering weeks of it will still be. Then start getting excited about fall and having Sunday fundays while pretending to watch football paying really close attention to football games.

That’s just a suggestion. Take it or leave it.

Baking these cookies, though. That is not a suggestion. Use them as a coping mechanism for the end of summer or as a celebration for the beginning of fall. Either way, you need these in your life. You deserve these in your life.

zinfandel cookies

Fruit And Nut Chocolate Zinfandel Cookies
 
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Chocolate drop cookies with Zinfandel red wine, studded with chopped nuts and dried fruit - so many delicious things combined into one little cookie.
Author:
Serves: 36
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 1 cup mixed nuts, chopped
  • 1 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
  4. Add the egg, vanilla, and red wine. Beat for another minute.
  5. Add in the flour mixture. Mix until combined.
  6. Fold in the nuts and fruit.
  7. Place scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared pans. Bake for 11-12 minutes, be careful not to overbake. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
You can use any red wine, dried fruit, and nuts that you have on hand. I used Zinfandel, a mix of dried cranberries and cherries, and a mix of almond and pecans.

Happy Tuesday. I hope you all had as amazing and relaxing of a Labor Day weekend as I did. I was actually fairly productive and finally created an index page. Check it out here.

zinfandel cookies

 

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Plantain Chips

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I’m backkkkkk from Costa Rica. And within approximately 12 hours of landing in Minneapolis I had a batch of homemade plantain chips in the oven.

plantain chips Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE SO GOOD. And I missed them. And they are super easy to make.

plantain chips Plantain chips were our snack of choice in Costa Rica. You know, something to tie us over when hunger struck at the beach or during our 20 minute drive home from the grocery store. I wouldn’t say we were obsessed, but I’m pretty positive we bought at least one bag every time we stopped at the grocery store, which was approximately every 2-3 days. However, they were small bags. Sometimes we shared with each other, but sometimes we just bought our own.

I love going to grocery stores when I travel. It’s like a whole new world of brands and snacks. I thoroughly enjoy them here in Minnesota too, but international grocery shopping is just way more interesting. Plus, if I’m at an international grocery store it means I’m travelling somewhere, which is just fun in general.

plantain chips I’ve always enjoyed plantains, but I fell in love with them in Puerto Rico (Mofongo? So delicious). However, I never buy or cook plantains back in Minnesota. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. This may need to change (and basically already has), because Costa Rica reignited my love.

After getting back home (where my refrigerator was completely empty apart from condiments) I needed to make a desperate trip to the grocery store. I bought plantains for the first time ever. Then I made some plantain chips and chowed down on them while I pretended I was back in Costa Rica.

plantain chips Plantains look like bananas, just like you may look like one of your siblings. Similar, but different.I purchased the sweeter yellow variety, but if you prefer the savory side of things, go for the greener ones.

They are so simple to make. Just toss some plantain slices with melted coconut oil, layer them on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven.

plantain chips The difficult part is trying to resist eating them all instantly. However, they do taste best same day because they lose some of the crispiness factor overnight. So don’t resist too hard, I guess.

I think these would be really good with some additional seasonings sprinkled on too. Maybe some cinnamon or chili powder? I’m going to that next time. Because there will be a next time. A lot of next times.

As a bonus, plantains are great sources of fiber, beta-carotene, calcium, and vitamin c, sooooo… eat up!

Plantain Chips
 
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These are inspired by my recent trip to Costa Rica. A crunchy, little bit sweet, little bit savory treat. They are best eaten the day of, so snack away!
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 2 plantains
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Slice plantains, no more than ¼-inch thick.
  3. Add plantain slices and coconut oil in a bowl. Stir until all the slices are completely covered.
  4. Spread plantains on a baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flip the slices, and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until you reach your desired crunchiness.
Notes
I used sweet plantains, but go for the green ones for more of a savory taste!

One day when I get my life in order I will talk more about Costa Rica (side note: IT WAS AMAZINGGG!!!!) and post some pictures. But until that day comes I hope you make a batch of these and pretend you are on a beautiful beach.

plantain chips

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Blueberry-Mint Brownies (sugar-free & dairy-free)

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Would you still eat a brownie if I told you it was sugar-free?

blueberry-mint brownies

I would. In fact, I made a whole pan of sugar-free brownies and almost ate the whole thing.

No joke. It was a small pan though. And I said “almost”. I still have some to share.

blueberry-mint brownies Earlier this week I was dead set on trying bake up some fudgy, sugar-free, healthy-ish brownies. Then after reading Minimalist Baker’s recipe for simple berry compote I knew I wanted to somehow combine a version of it with my brownies. After all, who doesn’t love fruit and chocolate together?

That is not a rhetorical question. Who doesn’t love that combo?! Let me know.

blueberry-mint brownies Anywho, I had blueberries on hand and some basil. Thus, blueberry-basil compote was born.

Now it was time for the brownies. I baked some up and they were… a total fail. I wanted something fudgy and delicious and these were dense, cake-like, and had little flavor. I baked them in muffin tins and topped them with the compote. They were still edible, just not what I wanted.

I gave them to my co-workers. This is basically how it went:

  • Me: “Hey! Want a brownie?”
  • Coworker: “Sure!”
  • Me: “Great! They are sugar and dairy free!”
  • Coworker: “Nevermind. I don’t want one. (2 second pause) Ok. I’ll still have one.”
  • Me: “Here you go! These were an experiment and not the best… but hey, brownie!”

It is so easy to give away free food. Bless their hearts.

blueberry-mint brownies They did give me some great feedback though. I went home, re-worked the recipe a little bit, annnddddddd……… SUCCESS!

The result was exactly what I was looking for.

blueberry-mint brownies I used a mixture of cocoa powder and melted chocolate instead of all cocoa powder. I reduced the amount of flour (I knew I added too much the first time around! Lesson learned.) I baked them in an 8×8” pan rather than muffin tins. I then swirled the compote in with the brownie batter so that the fruit was baked right into the brownies rather than just sitting on top. Also, I was out of basil, so I used mint instead.

blueberry-mint brownies Since starting this blog I have been doing a lot of baking experiments. Sometimes things work. Sometimes they don’t, which can be disappointing. But failure can lead to a lot of learning and then to success. I like learning and I like success. I also like eating delicious things. So basically, it all works out.

Oh, and as I mentioned before these are both sugar-free and dairy-free. I used honey instead of sugar and coconut oil instead of butter. So you don’t have to feel super guilty when you eat almost the whole pan. And by “you” I mean “I”. But you are welcome to make these and then eat half of the pan and then go share the other half with people who you like. Or keep them all to yourself. No judgement!

blueberry-mint brownies So there you go. Delicious, chocolatey brownies with burst of blueberries and mint. Indulgent, yet healthy-ish. Does it get any better than that?!

Yes. Yes, it does. Today is Saturday and it’s beautiful outside. Enjoy your weekend!

blueberry-mint brownies

Blueberry-Mint Brownies (sugar-free & dairy-free)
 
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These are delicious, fudge-y brownies with bursts of blueberries and mint. Since they are sugar-free and dairy-free, they are also a bit guilt-free too.
Author:
Serves: 16
Ingredients
For the blueberry compote:
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint
For the brownies:
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ¾ cup honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the blueberry compote:
  1. In a saucepan, add the blueberries and honey. Heat on medium-high until it begins to bubble.
  2. Turn heat to medium-low. Stir and smash berries every few minutes for about 10-12 minutes.
  3. Stir in the chopped mint. Transfer to a mason jar and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
For the brownies:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8x8” baking pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.
  3. In a saucepan on low heat, melt the unsweetened chocolate and coconut oil.
  4. Whisk in the honey. Let it cool for a few minutes and transfer to a medium bowl.
  5. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  6. Fold in the dry ingredients until combined.
  7. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Add spoonfuls of the blueberry-mint compote. Run a knife or toothpick through the batter to create a marbled effect.
  8. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.
Notes
The first time around I used basil and the second time I used mint. I loved the outcome of both, so feel free to swap out the mint!
The blueberry-mint compote was inspired by Minimalist Baker's Simple Fruit Compote!

blueberry-mint brownies

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Pudding-Wiches

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These pudding-wiches are a blast from the past, bringing me right back to my days at summer camp.

pudding-wiches I was talking to my mom a month or so ago and we were brainstorming snacks to bring to our family reunion (which starts today!!!). She mentioned pudding-wiches and I thought, “OMG! PUDDING-WICHES!!” I had forgotten all about them.

A few of my childhood summers (maybe 3 or so?) I would spend a week at Camp Croix with my siblings, best friends, and our camp counselor mothers. It was always the highlight of the summer. We would make crafts, play softball, tetherball, and nukem (a version of volleyball where you catch and through the ball), canoe, swim, have campfires, sing songs, go to Bible study, put on plays, make new friends, and all those other fun camp activities. So, so fun.

Oddly enough I ran into one of the girls that I met at summer camp one time during an intern event at General Mills. It had been 10 years since we had seen each other, but I have a creepy knack for remembering people (never forget a face!). Isn’t that a crazy coincidence!?

Anyways, the cafeteria would serve these pudding-wiches as dessert or a snack. Then after getting home from camp my mom would whip up a batch or two to keep in the freezer. We would always crave them and then think of fun summer camp memories as we ate them. Plus, pudding-wiches are a super simple and delicious snack to keep on hand and eat when the mood strikes.

pudding-wiches After my mom had mentioned them I decided that I needed to make them immediately. So I did.

Pudding-wiches are essentially graham cracker sandwiches with a filling of chocolate mousse (chocolate pudding + Cool Whip).

Get out your crackers.

pudding-wiches Get our your mousse.

pudding-wiches Dollop on the mousse. Top the sandwiches.

pudding-wiches Freeze for a bit and then wrap in plastic wrap.

pudding-wiches Store in your freezer and eat as your heart desires.

pudding-wiches So that’s it. Nothing fancy or complicated. Just simply delicious.

I have the day off of work and am heading up north in a few hours to celebrate another Dummer Family Reunion. It will be my grandpa, his two brothers, and all the families that stem underneath them. We have the reunions about every three years in various states (Oregon, South Dakota, Colorado) across the country. It is always a great time and this year will be no exception. I love that our family takes the time and money to get together every couple of years to celebrate and actually enjoy our time together.

I don’t remember if my mom actually decided to make pudding-wiches for the reunion or not, but she did text me that she made 3 batches of s’more cookies, 2 batches of salted caramel oatmeal cookies, and a big pan of bars. Plus there will be my Great Grandma Lilian’s German potato salad, burgers, brats, beans, and so many other delicious things. It will be a delicious weekend. Good thing I’m scheduled to lead morning boot camp.

pudding-wiches

Pudding-Wiches
 
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Graham cracker sandwiches filled with chocolate mousse. A great summer time snack!
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 24 graham crackers
  • 8 oz container Cool Whip
  • 3.9 oz box chocolate instant pudding mix
Instructions
  1. Make the pudding according to package directions. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, fold the Cool Whip into the pudding. Place in the freezer for 15-60 minutes to firm up (optional).
  3. Split graham crackers in half. Dollop a large spoonful on half of the crackers. Top with the other half of the graham cracker to create a sandwich. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  4. Wrap individual pudding wiches in plastic wrap and keep in freezer until ready to eat.
Notes
I made my sandwich is batches, making about 8 at a time. This way I could freeze a small amount before making more and stacking them in the freezer.

It’s funny how food can give you such nostalgic feelings. Every time I eat one of these my mind shoots straight back to those summer camp days. It was like the prime of my awkward stage. I’m so glad I (for the most part) am past that. Because, yikes. Those pictures are a bit painful to look back on.

pudding-wiches

 

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