Posts by Beth

• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Apply nonstick spray with flour to a large bundt pan.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, both sugars, and vanilla extract, until fluffy. Scrape down bottom of bowl. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, pausing to add the buttermilk at several points. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, then fold in the apple pieces.
• Scoop batter into the prepared pan. Even it out. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a rack to completely cool before making the glaze.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the cider to a low boil and keep it there for about 4 minutes, watching it closely to bring down heat if necessary to ensure it doesn’t boil over. Add the brown sugar, butter, and half & half, then bring to a boil for another 2 to 4 minutes, until it has thickened. Remove from heat to set and cool for about 15 to 20 minutes. While the caramel is still warm (if it’s not warm, heat it again gently to make it pliable), drizzle it over cake. (If you have any caramel leftover, let it cool and then refrigerate it for other delicious uses!)
• Let cake set in fridge. Keep covered under a dome or individually slice and wrap for storage, keeping it in the fridge. It'll keep for at least 5 days.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with aluminum foil. Apply a coating of nonstick cooking spray. Dice up the butter into chunks.
• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Drop in the butter and pulse until the mix looks crumbly. It will not be cohesive. Pour everything into the prepared pan. Use the heel of a hand to press it into an even layer across the bottom.
• Bake the crust for 15 to 18 minutes, until it is lightly brown. While that is cooking, make the filling.
• In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and both extracts. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is combined. Pour the filling over the hot crust.
• Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until the middle has only a slight jiggle. The filling may form large bubbles near the end of baking but they do not need to be popped. Let the pan cool to room temperature.
• Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board. To make neat bars, use a knife to slice off the very edges, reserving these especially-candied portions for later enjoyment. Slice the rest into small squares. The bars can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or pull out a scone pan.
• In a big bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Cut in the butter, mashing it until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the vanilla and half & half, stirring until just combined. Fold in the diced apple.
• If using a baking sheet to bake, flour a work space. Flour hands and fold and pat the dough into a thick disc. Use a knife or bench knife to slice it into 8 wedges. Move wedges, spaced out, onto baking pan. Alternatively, press dough into scone pan to evenly fill each hole. Whichever method is used, chill scones for about 15 minutes.
• If softer scones are desired, measure out a tablespoon of milk and brush that atop the scones. If crisper tops are wanted, leave the scones be.
• Bake scones until tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
• Make the glaze. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, a sprinkle of pie spice, half & half, and clear vanilla until they achieve a thick but oozy texture. Drizzle over scones.
• Enjoy scones right away, or store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen and thawed for later enjoyment.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch pan (also called a jelly roll pan) with foil; apply nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, butter, and egg, until they are crumbly. Pat the entire dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. It will be very thin and fiddly to work with.
• In the same bowl, beat together the cream cheese and eggs until they are fairly smooth; a few clumps are okay. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar to make a cohesive mix. Spread on top of the crust.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle is set and golden brown. Cool at room temperature, and chill in fridge to completely set.
• A reminder that this is called ‘Gooey Butter Cake.’ Cut pieces finger-sized. Some in the middle may be particularly gooey. If not serving immediately, move pieces to a lidded container and use waxed paper between the stacked layers. They will stay firmer and less-gooey if they are kept chilled.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a small bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk and 1 Tablespoon espresso powder. Set aside 1/4 cup of this mixture.
• In a big bowl, mix together the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons espresso powder. Add the melted butter, eggs, both sugars, and vanilla, mixing well. Follow up with the flour, baking soda, and salt, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Set aside 1 cup of the dough.
• Place the bulk of the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan and even out with hands. Pour the larger amount of the sweetened condensed milk mixture over the top and spread out evenly. Crumble the reserved 1 cup of dough over the top.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set. Immediately brush the reserved 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk/espresso powder over the top. Cool completely.
• Lift onto cutting board to slice into bars. Be wary that caramelization may make the base quite sticky, so make sure no foil adheres to the bars. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!