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Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

Posted by on Mar 19, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies | 0 comments

These Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies taste eerily like birthday cake. They are super-sweet, vivid in flavor and color.

Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

I confess, I love rainbow sprinkles. They are just so FUN. They are so easy to customize, too. Go classical just-because, or to celebrate pride. Or use colors of a favorite team, or to designate a certain holiday.

Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

Note that the cookie dough here needs to chill for at least a few hours, but can also wait in the fridge for a couple days. I think this dough is a great one to make ahead to spare yourself some extra effort on baking day!

Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

These super-sweet cookies really do taste like a cookie version of birthday cake! Note that the dough needs to chill prior to baking.
Course: Dessert, Snack
Keyword: cookies, sprinkles
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • plastic wrap
  • parchment paper
  • cookie scoop or spoon

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk or half & half
  • 1 cup rainbow sprinkles plus 1/2 cup for topping

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, beat butter and white sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and almond extracts.
  • In another bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture along with the milk. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make certain everything is incorporated. Fold in the sprinkles.
  • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set to chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
  • When it is baking time, preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place the topping sprinkles in a small bowl.
  • Shape the cookies by using a scoop or a spoon. Dip the top of each round into the sprinkles. Set spaced out on the cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until set. Let them rest on the sheet about 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
  • Pack into a sealed container and store at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!

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    Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

    Posted by on Mar 12, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, brownies, chocolate | 0 comments

    These Roasted Cherry Brownies are thick, soft, and cakey, the strong chocolate flavor complemented by cherries in most every bite.

    Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

    I looked to two older recipes of mine for inspiration as I came up with a new recipe: Fudgy Chocolate Chunk Brownies and a Roasted Cherry Brownies version I did on the original LiveJournal Bready or Not.

    Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

    The result of this combo? Lush brownies that are the perfect melding of chocolate and cherry. This may become your new favorite brownie recipe.

    Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

    Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

    Sugary roasted cherries take these brownies to the next level! These are truly indulgent.
    Course: Dessert
    Keyword: brownies, cherries, chocolate
    Author: Beth Cato

    Equipment

    • rimmed cookie sheet
    • cherry pitter
    • 9×13 dish
    • aluminum foil
    • uneven spatula

    Ingredients

    Cherries

    • 2 cups fresh red cherries
    • 3 Tablespoons white sugar

    Brownie Batter

    • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
    • 8 ounces dark chocolate
    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder sifted
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 6 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips or a mix

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Wash and pit cherries, then cut them in half. Place on rimmed cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Roast for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325.
    • In a large microwave-safe bowl or in a pot on the stovetop, melt together the butter and dark chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
    • Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
    • Return to the large container with the melted butter and chocolate. Stir in the white sugar until no pale streaks remain. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until no white is visible. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips and most of the cherries.
    • Pour batter into the prepared dish. Use an uneven spatula to spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate and cherries over the top.
    • Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Set on a rack to cool for at least an hour, speeding process in fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice up. Store in a sealed container at room temperature. Keeps for at least 3 days.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Four poems on the 2025 Rhysling Long List

      Posted by on Mar 6, 2025 in anthology:poem, awards, Blog | 0 comments

      four poems

      Four of my poems were nominated for the Rhysling Award long list! A jury will decide the finalists from here. This is the first year that the Hugo Awards have a poetry category, and I’m hopeful that people will consider these already-recognized poems for that award as well.

      Here are links to each of them:

      Short form:

      Long Form:

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      Bready or Not: Sourdough Chocolate Loaf Cake

      Posted by on Mar 5, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, chocolate, sourdough | 0 comments

      This Sourdough Chocolate Loaf Cake is rich with a deep chocolate flavor and tender crumb. It’s a fancy way to use up sourdough discard. My starter imbued this cake with a flavor like malt, so combined with chocolate, I was reminded of a chocolate milkshake.

      Bready or Not: Sourdough Chocolate Loaf Cake

      When I say discard, I mean the mother starter should be 1) active and 2) likely fed the evening before if this is being made in the morning. After the starter is divided to be used in this recipe, feed the mother starter again and tend as usual.

      Now, a confession: my first attempt at this recipe was a cake fail. The original Bake from Scratch recipe calls for baking an hour and five minutes. I did that, and the center of my loaf collapsed during cooling because it was completely raw inside. I did salvage the bottom, top, and sides, though.

      Bready or Not: Sourdough Chocolate Loaf Cake

      On my second attempt, I monitored closely after the hour point, and I kept baking. At an 1 hour 30 minutes, I declared it baked, and slicing into it later revealed it was just barely done. So, keep an eye on things. I’d rather have a bake overdone than underdone.

      Bready or Not: Sourdough Chocolate Loaf Cake

      This rich chocolate cake will be imbued with the unique flavor of sourdough. Serve for a dessert or brunch! This is a great recipe to slice up and freeze, too. Modified greatly from Bake from Scratch Cake 2019.
      Course: Breakfast, Dessert
      Keyword: chocolate, sourdough
      Author: Beth Cato

      Equipment

      • loaf pan
      • parchment paper
      • nonstick spray

      Ingredients

      Loaf

      • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
      • 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
      • 1/2 cup white sugar
      • 1 large egg room temperature
      • 1 cup sourdough starter discard 275 grams
      • 1/2 cup buttermilk or soured milk
      • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      • 1 cup all-purpose flour
      • 3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
      • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
      • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
      • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

      Glaze

      • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
      • 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Cut parchment to fit inside the loaf pan like a sling, sticking up at the two long sides. Use nonstick spray in the pan and on the parchment paper.
      • Beat butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add egg. Add sourdough discard, buttermilk or soured milk, and vanilla, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
      • In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, scraping the bottom again. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
      • Bake for somewhere between 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes. After the hour point, use the toothpick test every so often to check for doneness; a digital thermometer is also a good way to check inside, with a goal of seeing over 190-degrees in the middle.
      • After about 15 minutes, use the paper sling to lift the loaf out. Let cool completely on a wire rack, speeding in the fridge if desired.
      • Make the glaze. Spoon it over the loaf pan to dribble over the sides. Let set at least 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy! Store in a sealed bag or container. Cake can also be frozen in slices for later enjoyment.

      OM NOM NOM!

        Notes

        Make soured milk by pouring a discernible layer of lemon juice or vinegar into the bottom of a liquid 1/2 cup measure. Add milk or half & half to that half cup line. Let sit at room temperature to coagulate, about 10 minutes, then use the lumpy mixture in the recipe.
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        Bready or Not Original: Red Velvet Cookies

        Posted by on Feb 26, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate | 0 comments

        Last month I shared a recipe for Red Velvet Brownies in Two Sizes. Today, I share a Red Velvet Cookie recipe.

        Bready or Not Original: Red Velvet Cookies

        These things are just so pretty. Use enough food gel to achieve a vivid red that contrasts with the white chocolate chips. The cocoa in the dough comes through in flavor, as do the chips. Really, these are fantastic for chocolate lovers.

        Bready or Not Original: Red Velvet Cookies

        Two notes of caution: first of all, the dough needs to chill prior to baking, as it is quite sticky, and two, if you stack the baked cookies, they might stick together, so use something like waxed paper between the layers.

        Bready or Not Original: Red Velvet Cookies

        Bready or Not Original: Red Velvet Cookies

        These Red Velvet Cookies are stunning to behold and delicious to eat! Note that the dough is quite sticky and needs at least a couple hours to chill before baking.
        Author: Beth Cato

        Equipment

        • plastic wrap
        • parchment paper
        • cookie scoop or spoon
        • waxed paper

        Ingredients

        • 2 cups all-purpose flour
        • 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
        • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
        • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
        • 1/2 teaspoon salt
        • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
        • 1/2 cup white sugar
        • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
        • 2 large eggs room temperature
        • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
        • 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt or plain yogurt or sour cream
        • red gel food coloring
        • 1 bag white chocolate chips

        Instructions

        • Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
        • In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and two sugars until they are pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients followed by the yogurt or sour cream. Add a few squirts of red gel food coloring, mixing in until the entirety of the dough is colored and reaches the desired depth of color. Measure out 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips. Fold them into the dough. Reserve the rest of the bag for topping later.
        • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
        • Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
        • Use a small cookie scoop or teaspoon to dole out round of dough spaced out on the sheet. Add a couple of the reserved white chocolate chips atop each round.
        • Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are set, then let them rest on the sheet 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
        • If stacking the cookies in a container, place waxed paper between the layers to prevent the cookies from slumping together. Cookies will keep well for at least 3 days stored in a sealed container at room temperature.

        OM NOM NOM!

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          Bready or Not: Confetti Pudding Cookies

          Posted by on Feb 19, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies | 0 comments

          These Confetti Pudding Cookies are such classic, happy-making cookies. They have sprinkles inside and out, and they taste like cookie dough even after being baked!

          Bready or Not: Confetti Pudding Cookies

          What causes that, you ask? That’s part of the magic imbued by instant pudding mix. You can use Bird’s Custard Powder (which can be hard to find or expensive in the US) or a standard Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding Powder. DO NOT make the pudding. You use the powder! Just make sure it’s not clumpy.

          Bready or Not: Confetti Pudding Cookies

          Use rainbow sprinkles to make these festive for a birthday, pride, or any old day, or use colors coordinated to holidays throughout the year.

          Modified from Bake from Scratch Magazine May/June 2024.

          Bready or Not: Confetti Pudding Cookies

          Instant pudding mix in the dough grants these cookies an inherent cookie dough-like flavor and soft texture. Everything is better with sprinkles! Modified from Bake from Scratch Magazine May/June 2024.
          Course: Dessert, Snack
          Keyword: cookies, pudding mix, sprinkles
          Servings: 44 cookies
          Author: Beth Cato

          Equipment

          • parchment paper
          • small cookie scoop or spoon

          Ingredients

          • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) room temperature
          • 1 cup white sugar
          • 1 large egg
          • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
          • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
          • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
          • 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix or Bird’s Custard Powder (96 grams)
          • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
          • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
          • 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles plus more for the top

          Instructions

          • These cookies can be baked right away or chilled/frozen for later. Note that if they are chilled, the dough may get extra hard, and need to soften at room temperature for 20 minutes before shaping.
          • If baking right away, preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
          • In a big bowl, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and both extracts, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything.
          • In another bowl, stir together flour, pudding mix (make sure that any clumps are pressed out), baking soda, and salt.
          • Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the sprinkles. Pour some extra sprinkles into a saucer.
          • Use a scoop or spoon to shape the dough into a small ball. Press one side into the sprinkles and set on baking sheet with the super-sprinkly side on top. Continue with rest of dough balls.
          • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are flatter and no longer look gooey. Let them rest about 5 minutes before moving them to a rack to finish cooling.
          • Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature. Best eaten within 4 days.

          OM NOM NOM!

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