breakfast

Bready or Not Original: Easy Blueberry Pie Bars

Posted by Beth on Sep 18, 2019 in Blog, blondies, blueberry, Bready or Not, breakfast, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Easy Blueberry Pie Bars

These Easy Blueberry Pie Bars taste like blueberry cobbler in a tidier, more compact form. They are DELICIOUS.

Yeah, yeah, I share a lot of good recipes on here, but these are seriously amazing.

The recipe is pretty straightforward, too. Make the shortbread crust. Press it down. Bake. Mix up the middle ingredients, folding in the blueberries last. Sprinkle reserved crust on top. Bake. Enjoy.

I like that this recipe only requires a pint of blueberries, too. During the summer, I can often find a little 12 ounce clamshell container on sale for under a buck!

These bars keep well for as long as three days, maybe longer, in a sealed container in the fridge. They make for a great dessert, but they’d be great for breakfast, too.

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Bready or Not Original: Easy Blueberry Pie Bars

A Bready or Not Original. These delicious treats taste like a blueberry cobbler in convenient bar form!

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bars, blueberries, pie

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks

Filling

• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh blueberries 12 ounces

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees.Line a 9x13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Place flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, and use a knife and fork to chop it into crumbles. Measure out 1 cup of this crumb mixture; set aside.
• Place the rest of the crust mix into the baking dish. Distribute evenly, then compress into a thin layer; a piece of wax paper and a heavy glass work well for this.
• Bake for 15 minutes. In the meantime, make the filling.
• Beat eggs, then add in the sugar, flour, salt, sour cream/yogurt, and vanilla. Gently fold in the blueberries.
• Pour the filling over the prebaked crust. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and passes the toothpick test.
• Cool at room temperature, then chill in fridge to set more firmly. Use foil to lift onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store in sealed container in fridge with waxed paper or parchment paper between layers. Keeps for at least 3 days.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Posted by Beth on Sep 4, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, bundt, cake, cheese galore | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This stunning Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake is gorgeous and delicious, and will win over even people like me that are not big coconut fans.

This cake works for me because the cream cheese creates a rich, tender crumb, and the coconut adds a lovely chewiness to it all.

The cake ends up being chewy, but not too chewy; sweet, but not cloyingly. Really, that makes this great as a breakfast, brunch, or dessert cake.

I highly recommend reserving some coconut to sprinkle on top, too. It adds a certain oomph.

Serve this as cake alone, or like with any pound cake, it would be lovely alongside fresh fruit.

Modified from Cookies and Cups.

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Bready or Not: Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This easy-to-make bundt cake creates a gorgeous and delicious cake that is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bundt cake, cake, cream cheese

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese 1 box, room temperature
• 3 cups white sugar
• 6 eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded flaked coconut

Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons milk
• extra shredded coconut

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Coat a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick spray or butter.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, salt, and baking powder. Gradually mix in the flour until just combined, then fold in the coconut.
• Pour batter into pan and distribute evenly. Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test.
• Cool pan for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to completely cool. Move to a plate or cake platter.
• To make the glaze, stir together the confectioners' sugar and milk to form a smooth yet thick consistency. Pour or spoon glaze over the top, then sprinkle with additional coconut.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake

Posted by Beth on Jul 24, 2019 in apples, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast, cake | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake

Easy Apple Cake! This delicious cake is great to bake up, slice, and store in the fridge or freezer to enjoy for weeks to come.

If this recipe looks familiar, it’s because this is a rewrite of a recipe I posted back in 2016. The original version asked the baker to arrange the apple pieces in the middle and again on top.

After making this cake many, many times, I realized that was an unnecessarily fussy step. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

I started folding all of the apple chunks into the batter, and this saved a lot of time. The apples were perfectly distributed and the taste was the exact same.

This cake remains a very favorite for both my husband and my dad. They’ll eat it for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

When I travel back home to California, I always make this cake for my dad. Since my mom doesn’t stock baking ingredients, I measure up my own (one sandwich baggy with brown sugar and cinnamon; another with flour, baking soda, and salt; one more with white sugar) and whip him up a cake in no time!

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Bready or Not Original: Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake

These dense, luscious apple cake squares are perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert! Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: apple, bars, cake

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 3 medium apples peeled, cored, & chopped into small chunks
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping
• 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs room temperature
• turbinado or maple sugar for topping optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 9×9 square pan with foil and apply butter or nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, toss peeled and chopped apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together the white sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream/yogurt, and vanilla extract until it's smooth. Add the eggs.
• Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything is just mixed. Fold in the apple chunks.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle turbinado or maple sugar over top, if desired.
• Bake 1 hour, until it passes the toothpick test in middle. Cool completely, chilling in fridge if desired. Use foil to list contents onto a cutting board. Cut into pieces.
• These are great individually plastic wrapped and stored at room temperature or in the fridge; bars can be frozen and keep well for months. Eat from the fridge, or at room temperature, or warm in the microwave or oven. However you eat it, it'll be delicious!
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Citrus Scones

Posted by Beth on Jul 17, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, quick bread | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Citrus Scones

These citrus scones offer a bright way to start the day in portable and delicious form!

I managed to score a container of candied citrus peel–the stuff usually used in fruitcakes–on an after-Christmas clearance. “Oh, what to do with us?” I wondered.

Finally, it hit me: scones! An original scone recipe that my husband could enjoy before work.

Of course, I had to add a glaze. Orange juice and confectioners’ sugar made that easy.

Plus, I found that the scones freeze like a charm, even while glazed! They thaw quickly at room temperature, too.

Unlike other scone recipes I’ve made, this one produces soft, fluffy results. Not dry or crumbly at all. I credit the sour cream for that. It sure works wonders in cakes and bars, too.

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Bready or Not Original: Citrus Scones

Use candied orange peel--the stuff used in fruitcakes--to make a deliciously fresh breakfast treat! This recipe makes eight scones, and can be cut by hand or formed in a scone pan. The finished scones can be frozen after glazing for later enjoyment.

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: British

Keyword: citrus, quick bread

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Scones:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup candied orange peel
• 1 egg lightly beaten

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 teaspoons orange juice [or water]
• sprinkle of additional orange peel optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 400-degrees.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• In a different bowl, stir together 1/2 cup milk and sour cream. Stir into dry ingredients until it just holds together, adding more milk if needed. Fold in the candied citrus peel.
• If using a scone pan, pack the dough into the triangular holes. If shaping by hand, transfer the cohesive dough to a large piece of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Shape into a large, even circle. Slice into eight wedges and separate them slightly.
• Whisk egg and remaining tablespoon of milk and brush them atop each scone.
• Bake until scones are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Leave on pan to cool for 20 minutes.
• To glaze, mix together confectioners' sugar and orange juice to create a thick, dribbly consistency. Spoon atop scones. Immediately sprinkle on more candied orange peel and gently press into tops of scones.
• Scones are best eaten within the day, but they can be frozen even while glazed. Freeze on waxed paper then transfer to a freezer bag or plastic container. They thaw quickly at room temperature.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies

Posted by Beth on Apr 10, 2019 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast, chocolate | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies

Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies pack tart cranberries, zesty little nuggets of candied ginger, and mellow white chocolate in a chewy blondie base, to delicious results.

This begins a small spate of dried cranberry recipes that will be on Bready or Not over the next while.

This is because I bought a massive bag of dried cranberries on sale at Costco, and I had an existing stockpile to use up, too. Cue a “oh crap, I need to use up some of this stuff!” response.

This recipe proved to be a fantastic one, too. The blondies are sweet and chewy, and that combination of dried cranberries, candied ginger, and white chocolate complements and contrasts in an amazing way.

I’ve been asked before about where to find candied ginger. Sometimes brands will sell it jarred alongside spices on the grocery store aisle. Also, check the bins at your local health food store or co-op. I’ve bought candied ginger at my local Sprouts.

The good news is that candied ginger (like dried cranberries) keeps well for ages, so you can stock up and enjoy it for months. Though space might be an issue if you’re buying at Costco…

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Bready or Not Original: Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies

Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies pack tart cranberries, zesty little nuggets of candied ginger, and mellow white chocolate in a chewy blondie base, to delicious results.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bars

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup candied ginger chopped
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 inch dish with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Place butter and both sugars in a large bowl and beat until creamed together. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Follow up with the flour, baking powder, and salt, until just combined. Fold in the cranberries, candied ginger, and white chocolate chips.
• Spread batter in the ready pan and even out. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until edges are firm and the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool on a wire rack.
• Use foil to list contents onto cutting board. Slice into pieces. Store in an sealed container at room temperature.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: No Bake Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars [Gluten Free]

Posted by Beth on Feb 27, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, chocolate, gluten-free, healthier, no-bake dessert | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: No Bake Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars [Gluten Free]

I’m here to set you up with a breakfast or snack bar that is delicious and mostly healthy. Plus, these No Bake Chocolate Almond Bars can be tweaked for several dietary needs!

If you need gluten-free, use GF rolled oats. If you need dairy-free, use different chocolate chips. If you have nut allergies… well, you could probably use all-purpose flour and a different nut butter or even Biscoff spread, but I haven’t tested that mod myself.

Though I did test this recipe. A lot. Because it kept coming out tasty, but still a bit off.

The first try, I used milk chocolate chips, which is always my preference in cookies. To my surprise, I found the end result to be too sweet.

The second try, I became quite frustrated when pressing the base layer into the pan. It was a big sticky mess.

Therefore, by the third try, I knew what to do. Use semisweet chips. Chill the oat mixture from the time it is mixed. I also found that these bars were fantastic to freeze; just use waxed paper between the stacked bars.

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Bready or Not Original: No Bake Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars [Gluten Free]

Tweak this recipe to be gluten-free by using GF rolled oats--and it can even be dairy-free by using select chocolate chips! Plan to assemble this recipe over a few hours as you must chill the ingredients between each step. Also, best to avoid milk chocolate this time around, or the bars will be excessively sweet. Use semisweet or dark chocolate instead.

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Keyword: bars, chocolate, gluten free

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Crust

• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 3 Tablespoons coconut oil melted
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or semisweet
• 1/4 cup almond butter

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together all of the crust ingredients. The mixture should be sticky and clump together. If it's not cohesive, add more almond butter; if it's too wet, add some more oats and/or almond flour. Chill bowl in fridge for an least an hour.
• Line an 8x8 or 9x9-inch pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Press half of the crust mix evenly into the bottom of the pan. A piece of waxed paper or parchment and a heavy glass make it easier to compress as much as possible. Place pan and bowl in fridge for another 30 minutes.
• In the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop, melt together the chocolate chips and remaining almond butter. When they become creamy and smooth, remove from heat. Pour the chocolate to completely cover the oat layer. Chill for another hour.
• Dollop the remaining oat mixture atop the hardened chocolate. Again, compress contents into pan as much as possible. Chill another 30 minutes.
• Use the foil to lift contents onto a cutting board. Slice. Keep bars for up to 3 weeks in the fridge, in a sealed container with waxed paper between the layers, or freeze for up to a month.
• OM NOM NOM!