Before we get to this drool-worthy recipe, guess what? Today is my 25th birthday.
To be honest, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to turning 25. To prepare for the day, I took a walk down memory lane and reviewed the last six years to remind myself of what I’ve accomplished.
I ran my first 10 km race two days before my birthday, and as a gift to myself I signed up for an all-day outdoor rock climbing course in Kananaskis. It isn’t the exact mountain range in the photo, but it gives you an idea of how beautiful the area is. I love Alberta.
I’m excited for the July class — it’s a bit far off, but well worth the wait. The highlight of my birthday preparations was the dessert I made over the weekend.
I’m not sure whether it’s a dessert or a breakfast — either way, it’s delicious. There’s something comforting about making a dessert just for yourself. It was the only thing I made that weekend, so I took my time and enjoyed the process.
Homemade gifts, even small ones made by you for you, feel special. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to give it a whirl.
I could have sworn we had candles in the house, but when it came time for pictures, those candles were nowhere to be found. Would you leave your house at 10 a.m. on a Saturday to search for candles when these jars were right in front of you? I didn’t think so. Just pretend there’s a candle, okay? And let’s pretend it’s 21 — no need to waste the other four.
- Maple Flax
- 1/2 cup flax seed
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Apple Crumble Cookie
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan rock salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 chia egg (2 teaspoons ground chia seed + 3 tablespoons water)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch white stevia powder
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roasted
- Dates
- 8 Medjool dates, pitted and halved (2 dates per jar)
- Maple Mystery Butter
- 1/4 cup maple mystery butter
- 4 jars
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil for greasing jars
- To make maple flax: Place flax seed in a Ziploc bag on a cutting board. Use a flat object (the bottom of a saucepan works well) and press a few times to separate some germ from the shell. Transfer the shelled flax to a small bowl, combine with maple syrup, and set aside.
- To make the apple crumble cookie: Preheat the oven to 170°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Spread walnuts on the sheet and roast for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway. Remove and cool. Combine ground flax and water in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix oats, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, beat coconut oil and sugar, then add the chia flax egg, vanilla, and stevia. Stir the wet into the dry, then fold in the diced apple and chopped walnuts.
- Assemble: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a 9×9-inch pan with 1 inch of water for a water bath. Grease the inside of each jar with a little coconut oil (warm in the microwave if needed). Layer 2–3 tablespoons of cookie mixture in the bottom of each jar, add 2 date halves, then 1 tablespoon of maple mystery butter, another 2–3 tablespoons of cookie mixture, and top with the maple flax. Place jars in the water bath.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, until the cookie layer pulls away from the glass. Remove jars from the water bath and cool for about 30 minutes before serving.
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They looked so good sitting there unbaked that I couldn’t resist stealing a bit of batter before I popped them in the oven.
Another one of those foil walls — that will never get old.
Next time I’ll use 125 mL mason jars — the larger jars were nice but a bit too much dessert in one sitting. Did I just call it too much dessert? Ugh… maybe I’m getting old.
Happy birthday to me. Nom nom nom.
Stay tuned later this week for my birthday goals post. Since I was little, I’ve treated my birthday like others treat New Year’s: a time to set goals for the coming year, reflect on accomplishments, and thank myself for continuing the journey.
Have you made yourself something special on one of your birthdays? If so, what was it?
When is your birthday?
Do you remember blowing out candles and making wishes as a kid?
I had the same wish for many years: to meet the Backstreet Boys. It never happened, but the memories are still sweet.