Posts made in July, 2024

Bready or Not Original: Apple Custard Cake

Posted by on Jul 31, 2024 in apples, Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, cake | 0 comments

This newest entry in my series of apple cakes is on the fancier side. This Apple Custard Cake is light, airy, and loaded with fruit. It truly does have a gourmet vibe.

Apple Custard Cake

While it’s not difficult to make, it is tedious to construct. This is a recipe that dirties a lot of dishes. Bowl after bowl after bowl. That said, the result truly is something special.

Apple Custard Cake

If you’re going to go through a lot of fuss, it should be worthwhile, right?

Apple Custard Cake

Bready or Not Original: Apple Custard Cake

This is a fancier apple cake that is light and divine, the apple pieces suspended in airy, moist crumb. Be warned, this recipe dirties a lot of dishes, but the result is both gorgeous and delicious.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: apple, cake, springform pan
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan
  • parchment paper
  • uneven spatula

Ingredients

  • 4 medium baking apples such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Cortland
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1 medium lemon zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 Tablespoons
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs divided
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk or half & half
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1/3 cup white sugar for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the disc of the springform pan. Use nonstick spray on pan. Add the cut parchment paper. Spray again over the paper, making sure to cover the sides of the ring.
  • Thinly slice the apples. Place them with the raisins in a big bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to place in bowl; use any remaining juice for something outside of the recipe. Add all of the zest, the cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir to coat the fruit. Set aside for a while; there are a lot of other bowls to dirty.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together the whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, the baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In another mixing bowl, beat together 2 of the eggs with the 2/3 cup sugar, until they are thickened and pale. Add the vanilla. Measure out the milk and oil. Take turns adding the milk and oil to the egg mixture alternatively with the dry ingredients.
  • In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Add 1 cup of the batter along with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until just combined. Set aside to use for the topping.
  • Fold the apple bowl contents into the main batter and mix until everything is coated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Use an uneven spatula to spread the reserved batter over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup white sugar over the top of the cake.
  • Place the cake on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. The edges should be pulling away from the sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the inner ring. Pop the release to open the pan and lift away the ring to allow it to cool more.
  • Cake can be kept wrapped at room temperature or in the fridge. Slices can also be individually wrapped and frozen for weeks.

OM NOM NOM!

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    Bready or Not: Gingerbread Cookie Bars

    Posted by on Jul 24, 2024 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, cookies | 0 comments

    I suppose I could try to justify the timing of these Gingerbread Cookie Bars with a line like “It’s five months until Christmas!” but nah. Good food is good food, and should be enjoyed at any time of year.

    Bready or Not: Gingerbread Cookie Bars

    I don’t care that it’s the middle of summer. Gingerbread Bars are awesome. If your house gets hot, bake these up early in the day or late at night, then enjoy a cool-weather-vibe treat in the days ahead.

    Bready or Not: Gingerbread Cookie Bars

    This is a very straightforward recipe that makes a lot of bars that keeps for many days. A perfect recipe for a large gathering or a cookie exchange, this is a great version of a classic treat.

    Bready or Not: Gingerbread Cookie Bars

    Bready or Not: Gingerbread Cookie Bars

    This big batch gingerbread bar recipe is perfect to feed a crowd, and even better, it keeps beautifully for days! Modified from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies 2021 Magazine.
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Keyword: gingerbread
    Author: Beth Cato

    Equipment

    • 15×10 pan (jelly roll pan)
    • aluminum foil
    • nonstick spray

    Ingredients

    • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 4 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 1/2 cups shortening
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup molasses
    • 1/2 cup coarse sugar such as turbinado sugar

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line the jelly roll pan with wide foil and apply nonstick spray.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
    • In a large bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar until they are fluffy. Scrape the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs and molasses. Slowly add the dry ingredients; if using a stand mixer, it may be necessary to stop doing so at the end to finish mixing by hand. Pat the dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the coarse sugar across the top and lightly press it in.
    • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The edges should be turning golden. Cool in pan on wire rack. Use the foil to lift it onto a cutting board for easy slicing. In a sealed container, keeps up over five days at room temperature.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

      Posted by on Jul 17, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies, maple | 0 comments

      Maple is a regular theme here on Bready or Not, and these Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies are as delicious as they look.

      Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

      They are simple to make, too. Easy dough. Chill it for a bit. Shape and bake. Make the glaze. If you use a complicated cookie cutter, that might make the glazing more tedious, but that’s a choice to make. This scalloped version was easy to do with the back of a spoon.

      Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

      These cookies are great year-round! Good flavors should be confined to no particular season.

      Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

      These classic cookies are imbued with maple from top to bottom! The dough can be made a few days in advance. I used a scallop-edge cutter, but use whatever shape you want, including a maple leaf. A 2-inch cutter makes about 50 cookies.
      Course: Dessert, Snack
      Keyword: cookies, maple
      Servings: 50 cookies
      Author: Beth Cato

      Equipment

      • plastic wrap
      • baking sheet
      • cookie cutter
      • Rolling Pin

      Ingredients

      Dough

      • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
      • 1/2 cup white sugar
      • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
      • 2 teaspoons maple flavor
      • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

      Glaze

      • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
      • 1/3 cup maple syrup

      Instructions

      • In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, cornstarch, and maple flavor. Gradually add the flour. Shape the dough into a disc and encase in plastic wrap. Chill it for at least 45 minutes in the fridge until it’s firm enough to roll out, but it can be kept there for up to 2 days–but note that it will get quite hard with longer storage. If it’s there over a day, let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes to an hour to soften enough to roll out (but don’t let it get too soft, either).
      • Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
      • Lightly flour a surface and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies. Place spaced out on parchment.
      • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Once they are cool, mix the glaze. Use the back of a spoon to spread glaze onto cookies, Set them back on cookie sheet or rack to set for an hour or two. Pack in sealed containers for up to a few days.

      OM NOM NOM!

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        Bready or Not: Sweet Crescent Rolls in the Bread Machine

        Posted by on Jul 10, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, side dish, yeast bread | 0 comments

        The blog is titled Bready or Not. Today, it is decidedly bready, as the recipe is one for Sweet Crescent Rolls made using a bread machine.

        Bready or Not: Sweet Crescent Rolls in the Bread Machine

        The recipe requires little hands-on effort. The dough mixes in the bread machine. You divide it and form the crescent rolls, which is actually rather fun. They rise. You then bake. The recipe makes 24 rolls, meaning you can feed a crowd or you can freeze a bunch.

        Bready or Not: Sweet Crescent Rolls in the Bread Machine

        These keep well in the freezer for months. This is the kind of thing you can make at Thanksgiving and then pull out as needed through the rest of the holiday season.

        Bready or Not: Sweet Crescent Rolls in the Bread Machine

        Modified from Allrecipes.com Magazine Oct/Nov 2014.

        Bready or Not: Sweet Crescent Rolls in the Bread Machine

        Mix the dough in the bread machine, shape it for the second rise, then bake in the oven. This dinner side is easy to make, and fantastic to prepare in a big batch to freeze for later! Modified from Allrecipes.com Magazine Oct/Nov 2014.
        Course: Bread
        Cuisine: American
        Keyword: yeast bread
        Servings: 24 rolls
        Author: Beth Cato

        Equipment

        • food thermometer
        • bread machine
        • parchment paper
        • food scale
        • cookie sheet
        • knife or pizza cutter

        Ingredients

        • 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
        • 1/2 warm milk or half & half (110 degrees)
        • 1 large egg room temperature
        • 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
        • 3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
        • 1/2 cup white sugar
        • 1 teaspoon salt
        • 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast
        • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened, for filling

        Instructions

        • Place ingredients in recommended order for bread machine, usually liquid first: water, milk, egg, butter, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Start dough cycle, and let it mix and complete the first rise.
        • Prepare a baking sheet or sheets with parchment paper.
        • Once that is done, remove dough and divide in half using food scale. Roll each half into a 12-inch round. Divide the 1/4 cup butter in half and spread over each round. Use a knife or pizza cutter to slice each round into 12 wedges. Starting at the wide end, roll up each triangle gently but tightly to form a crescent roll. Place each roll, narrow side down, on the baking sheet.
        • Cover pan with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise in a warm spot for an hour. Meanwhile, start preheating oven at 400 degrees.
        • Once rolls are risen after the hour, bake for 10 to 15 minutes, switching pan position in oven, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
        • Cool rolls can also be frozen for later enjoyment; thaw them at room temperature then heat wrapped in aluminum foil at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.

        OM NOM NOM!

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          Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake

          Posted by on Jul 3, 2024 in apples, Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, cake | 0 comments

          Need a smaller portion apple cake? Use your loaf pan! This Dutch Apple Loaf Cake has a crumble topping that is a bit messy, sure, but it’s also delicious.

          Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake

          I used three small apples in this cake, which came to about 2 cups diced up. That would probably equal two mediums or one really huge apple. You have more wiggle room in this recipe’s fruit content than you would in, say, an apple pie where the volume is more obvious.

          Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake

          This is an especially nice recipe to cut into slices and freeze for later. They thaw fast, too, making them great to pack for the road to enjoy on a trip or for a snack or lunch–though remember, they might be a little crumbly, so maybe eat where the birds can enjoy those crumbs.

          Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake

          Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake

          This loaf cake is a lovely smaller portion cake that is perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or to freeze in slices to eat later.
          Course: Breakfast, Snack
          Cuisine: American
          Keyword: apple, walnuts
          Author: Beth Cato

          Equipment

          • 9×5 loaf pan
          • parchment paper
          • nonstick spray

          Ingredients

          Topping:

          • 1/4 cup white sugar
          • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
          • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
          • 1/4 cup unsalted butter cold, cut up

          Cake:

          • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
          • 1 cup white sugar
          • 2 large eggs room temperature
          • 1/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note)
          • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
          • 2 cups all-purpose flour
          • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
          • 1/2 teaspoon salt
          • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
          • 2 cups apple pieces peeled and diced (about 3 small apples)
          • 1/2 cup walnuts chopped

          Instructions

          Mix topping

          • Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Tuck into fridge while the loaf is made.

          Create loaf cake

          • Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit into loaf pan like a sling, the paper extending up both long sides. apply nonstick spray into middle.
          • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add the buttermilk and vanilla.
          • In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold in the apple pieces and the walnuts. Pour batter into the pan and even out. Sprinkle topping mix to cover.
          • Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in pan before using the parchment to lift the cake onto a rack. Keep stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap or otherwise covered. Pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen.

          OM NOM NOM!

            Notes

            To make soured milk as a buttermilk substitute, add 3 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to a liquid 1/4 cup, then add milk to half & half to the 1/4 line. Let sit for about 10 minutes at room temperature. It should curdle. Use full amount in recipe.
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