Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Bars
Last month I shared a recipe for Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars. This time around, I’m sharing easy and straightforward Apple Butter Bars.
This is a totally original recipe out of necessity. I tried another recipe, and ended up with a crumbly mess. Therefore, I decided to adapt my Lemon Cheesecake Bar recipe.
That attempt turned out perfect. It’s fast to make, as you don’t have to bake in stages, and the end result was cohesive.
Do note that these are best chilled. They will get softer if kept at room temperature for a while.
The taste is phenomenal. The crumb layers taste like vanilla shortbread, with a sporadic crunch from nuts. The thin layer of apple butter adds just the right about of spice and flavor.
This would be great with other fruit butters, too!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup walnuts chopped finely
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups apple butter or other fruit butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, blend together flour, walnuts, confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla, until it is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crumbs; press the rest into the ready pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are turning golden brown and crust is set.
- Pour apple butter over crust and smooth to edges. Crumble reserved flour mixture all over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature then chill in fridge. Use foil to lift out bars to slice. Store in sealed container in the fridge for maximum flavor and cohesiveness.
- OM NOM NOM!
SFF Grand Book Giveaway!
Psst, want to enter to win a bunch of awesome books–no matter where you live in the world? The winner gets over a dozen books total from me, Kate Heartfield, SL Huang, Aliette de Bodard, Jim C. Hines, JY Yang, and Kate Elliott!
While we’re encouraging entrants to sign up for our mailing lists, in keeping with new GDRP rules from Europe, there is no requirement to sign up for a single list. When you click on the author buttons, you get to choose if you want to sign up for a list or not. (If you’re already subscribed to my Cato Log, that means you can easily enter this by choosing the ‘don’t subscribe’ option.)
This contest runs through June 25th.
#SFWAPro
Read MoreSunday Quote digs into post-con laundry
Read More“I am irritated by my own writing. I am like a violinist whose ear is true, but whose fingers refuse to reproduce precisely the sound he hears within.”
~Gustave Flaubert
Phoenix Comic Fest 2018
Phoenix Comic Fest begins today! Here’s a re-post of all the relevant info. My full schedule can be found on their site and is also in their app. I’ll be posting pictures and info on Twitter and Facebook throughout the event.
Friday
12:00 pm
Magic Systems in literature :: North 126C
3:00 pm
Gods and Faiths in Fiction :: North 125AB
4:30 pm
Signing – Sam Sykes, Beth Cato, Aprilynne Pike, Jon Skovron, Myke Cole :: North 124AB
8:00 pm to 11:30 pm
Drinks with Authors :: North 120CD
Join authors and other creators for a glass or two in an informal setting. We’ll have door prizes, giveaways and raffles to support Kids Need To Read. Cost is $10 to attend.
Saturday
10:30 am
Bigger Isn’t Better- Short Stories :: North 125AB
12:00 pm
Signing – Beth Cato, Rae Carson, Amy Lukavics :: North 124AB
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Read MoreBready or Not: Maple Pound Cake
This bundt cake tastes just like a fluffy pancake with maple syrup. I am dead serious.
On this date, my 18th anniversary, I celebrate by sharing this amazing not-a-pancake-but-tastes-like-pancake cake. It’ll blow your mind.
The original recipe was from King Arthur Flour, but I turned it into a poke cake because I didn’t want all the glaze on the outside. I wanted to infuse it. I wanted the dough to marinate in glorious maple.
If you love maple, this is your new favorite pound cake.
This would be great for breakfast if you need to feed a crowd. Bake this up the day before, and slice this up in the morning. No fussing over individual pancakes! Just eat more cake!
Plus, no worries about leftovers. Bundt cakes like this are awesome because you can cut them into slices, freeze them up waxed paper, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. Thaw them to eat, or zap them in the microwave straight from the freezer.
In case it didn’t come across, you should know that this cake is awesome. You should make it.
Modified from King Arthur Flour.
Bready or Not: Maple Pound Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, softened
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 cup sour cream 8 ounces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon maple flavor
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Grease a 9-or-10-cup bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a big mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl in between. Pour in the maple syrup.
- Mix in half the flour mixture. Then stir in the sour cream, vanilla, and maple flavor. Add the rest of the flour mix, until everything is just combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack. Don't wash the pan! Set it aside for now.
- After an hour and a half--or longer--begin making the glaze. In a medium saucepan, combine all three glaze ingredients. Bring it a rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until it thickens to a syrupy consistency. Remove pan from heat.
- Carefully invert the cooled cake into the pan again. Use a chopstick or skewer to stab all over the cake. Slowly spoon or pour about half the glaze into the holes and edges. Let it rest a few minutes. Invert the cake again onto the cake pan base or a storage plate. Again, stab the top of the cake to create holes, then spoon the rest of the glaze on. Can also use a basting brush to cover the exterior of the cake and sweep up any drippings.
- Store cake covered at room temperature. Slices can also be frozen.
- OM NOM NOM!
