Bready or Not: No-Bake Cookie Bars
When you have no time to bake and you need sweets fast–or you don’t have an oven or can’t heat the house–no-bake treats are the way to go. These No-Bake Cookie Bars involve little fuss and are sweet and tasty.
Also, these are pretty cheap to make. I used a generic kind of vanilla wafers that were a dollar-something.
Since I live in Arizona, I had to store these in the fridge, but in most places, you’d probably be fine keeping them at room temperature.
Bready or Not: No-Bake Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9×9 pan
- nonstick spray
- aluminum foil
- waxed paper
- heavy glass
Ingredients
- 11 ounces vanilla wafer cookies generic is fine
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips semisweet or milk
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- Use a food processor or a gallon bag, rolling pin, and muscle to crush all of the vanilla wafers.
- In a big bowl, stir together the cookies crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, nuts, vanilla, and salt. Completely mix and coat.
- Dump the mixture into the prepared pan. Level it out, then use waxed paper and a heavy object such as a glass to evenly compress the crumbs. Chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board. Slice up and store in a sealed container either at room temperature or in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Double Apple Spice Cake
This Double Apple Spice Cake includes chopped apples in the batter and sliced apples prettily arranged on top. You’re pretty much guaranteed to get apple in every bite!
I came across a version of this recipe promoted by Kerrygold Irish Butter. I thought it looked amazing, but I wanted to change it to a square pan for easier slicing and freezing and make a number of other little changes, too.
Instead of dusting the top with confectioners’ sugar, I decided to use a technique I also use for my Calvados Apple Galette: brushing honey across the top near the end of baking to add some sweetness and glisten.
This is really such a pretty cake. The spices are gentle, but present enough to boost the flavor of the apples.
Modified from Kerrygold.
Bready or Not: Double Apple Spice Cake
Equipment
- 8×8 or 9×9 square pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- basting brush
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces Kerrygold Salted Butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 3 medium baking apples like Pink Lady, Envy, Granny Smith, etc
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the apples. Peel then dice up one of the apples. The other two, peel and slice thinly.
- To a large bowl, add the brown sugar and eggs. Whisk for about a minute until thoroughly combined and creamy.
- Add the sour cream/yogurt, pure vanilla extract, and melted butter. Whisk well.
- In a separate medium size bowl, combine flour, kosher salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Before the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, add the diced apples. Continue to fold in until no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, then use an offset spatula to smooth it out. Shingle the thinly sliced apples on top. The sprinkle turbinado sugar all over the slices.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Pull out the cake and brush on the honey across all of the nooks and crannies. Place the cake back in oven to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is turning golden brown. The apples on top should be fork-tender with the center cake passing the toothpick test.
- Let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing in. Store covered in the fridge. Cake can also be frozen for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Marcona Almond Bars
I’ve used almonds in many cookie and bar recipes, but these Marcona Almond Bars are especially decadent and good.
First of all, the base recipe starts with browned butter. Almond butter is also mixed in, which adds to the taste and texture. There’s just a touch of spice involved. These bars are really about the almonds.
What makes Marcona almonds different? They are from Spain, for one, and have the skin removed. They have a high standard of quality, a buttery, clean, crispness to them that is especially nice in contrast to chocolate. (They are also great on a Spanish-themed cheeseboard with things like Manchego cheese and membrillo paste.)
These bars are delicious for a snack or dessert, and they look especially pretty in their simplicity.
Modified from February 2014 issue of Food & Wine Magazine.
Bready or Not: Marcona Almond Bars
Equipment
- large saucepan
- 9×13 pan
- offset spatula
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 3 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 5 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup roasted almond butter
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Marcona almonds 9 ounces
- 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips 11 ounces (1 bag)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set off-heat to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Start oven preheating at 325-degrees. Place a large strip of aluminum foil in a 9×13 pan and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- Add the sugar, eggs, almond butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon to the cooled browned butter. Mix until smooth. Add the flour. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the almonds and 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to even out dough. Scatter the remaining almonds and chocolate chips over the top and lightly press in.
- Bake for 60 minutes. The middle should pass the toothpick test. Cool at room temperature, speeding process in the fridge, if desired. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
New Publications for January
New year, new month, and finally a chance to update my bibliography with my new releases. Here’s what is new!
Short Story
“Family Get-Together,” Nature (Dec 16 2022)
Poetry
“Birthday Cake,” co-written with Rhonda Parrish, Dreams & Nightmares (issue 123 January 2023)
“The Deal” and “Lucky Shot,” co-written with Rhonda Parrish, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (Jan/Feb 2023)
“That Monster Beneath the Bed,” Haven Spec
“Following the White Horse,” Daikaijuzine
#SFWAPro
Read MoreBready or Not: Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate
How do you make Chocolate Chip Cookies better? More chocolate, of course–in this case, a chocolate disc inside these Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate makes them extra delicious.
Fun fact up front: this is a modification of my most reliable, most-baked cookie recipe. The differences: add another cup of chocolate chips, and remove the chocolate discs. These Soft Batch-esque cookies are the ones I make whenever I go home to California. I usually have a round or two frozen in case of urgent cookie needs at home, too.
This new take on my old favorite adds a luscious chocolate layer right in the middle. If you can’t find the Ghirardelli version of these discs, seek out another one, or even use a pinch of chocolate chips! A Hershey’s Kiss or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup would work, too, though you might need to add some extra dough to seal them inside.
Even better, these cookies will keep for weeks, if you have the fortitude to make them last. That makes these great for gift-giving, cookie exchanges, and mailing (if you’re not someplace hellishly hot).
Bready or Not: Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate
Equipment
- tablespoon scoop
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 10- ounces Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers
- flaked salt or coarse sugar to sprinkle on top, optional
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, which takes several minutes in a mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- The cookies can be made right away, but texture is thicker if the dough is chilled for several hours or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap if it will be in for a while.
- When it’s time to bake, preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use a tablespoon scoop to form a ball of dough. Make a deep imprint and shove a chocolate wafer inside. Fold and press the dough to completely encase. Repeat, spacing them out to allow for spread on the pan. If desired, sprinkle some flaked salt or coarse sugar atop each to provide extra texture and flavor.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies look golden and set. Let them continue to rest on pan for 5 to 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature. These cookies can keep for weeks.
