cookies

Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by Beth on Jun 26, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bready or Not is back with an original recipe for Chewy Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies!

This recipe arose from my need to create a good, basic chocolate chip cookie that could last for weeks to be shipped cross-country. I looked to my staple Chewy Honey cookies for inspiration, and started tweaking.

On my first try, the cookies were good but a tad bland. Therefore, I upped the vanilla extract and also added espresso powder. Espresso powder is a secret weapon for anyone who bakes with chocolate, as it deepens the inherent flavor without making it taste like coffee.

This second version worked in every way. Not only did it taste delicious, but it was perfect to pack and ship, too.

Mind you, I wouldn’t do that right now because I live near Phoenix. In June, this isn’t a chocolate-friendly place outside of air conditioning!

Try my other original Chewy Honey cookie recipes! If you’ve met me at a con, I’ve likely offered you the Maple or Snickerdoodle Cookies.
Chewy Honey Maple Cookies
Chewy Honey Snickerdoodles
Chewy Honey Lemon Cookies

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Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

This Bready or Not Original reinvents the chocolate chip cookie using a mixture of flours and corn starch for soft and chewy cookies that stay delicious for weeks in a sealed container. Note that the dough needs to chill for at least a few hours prior to baking.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: chocolate, cookies

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 Tb honey
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips add a variety!

Instructions

• In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and honey and beat until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: bread flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Sift together.
• Slowly stir together the wet ingredients and flour mix until just combined. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge for several hours or days; dough can also be frozen at this stage.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven at 350-degrees. Use greased stoneware, parchment paper, or silpat mats. The cookie dough, even straight from the fridge, has a soft Play-Doh-like consistency, and will spread when it bakes; keep this in mind when spacing cookie dough.
• Teaspoon-sized cookies need to bake 9 to 12 minutes; Tablespoon-sized take 11 to 13 minutes. Let set on cookie sheets for 10 to 15 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.
• Stored cookies will keep in a sealed container, between waxed paper or parchment layers, for weeks. They are excellent for travel or shipping.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Classic: Chewy Honey Snickerdoodles

Posted by Beth on Jun 12, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Classic: Chewy Honey Snickerdoodles

If all has gone according to plan, I’ve fled to a far-distant continent to enjoy Wensleydale cheese and scones. I didn’t want to schedule new recipes while I travel as I won’t be able to promote them to the fullest. Therefore, I’m revisiting a classic recipe this week and next. Enjoy!

If you’ve eaten my cookies at a convention or book event in recent years, you may have very well eaten these cookies: Chewy Honey Snickerdoodles.

As WorldCon in Kansas City neared, I asked on Facebook if people had cookie requests. Several people asked for Snickerdoodles. Problem: My traditional Snickerdoodle recipe only stays optimal for a few days.

Therefore, I needed to create a new Snickerdoodle recipe, one that would travel well and hold up to summer heat. I looked at my other go-to convention cookie recipe for Chewy Honey Maple Cookies. I Snickerdoodlified it.

The end result: a new kind of Snickerdoodle with a sweet kiss of honey, and the durability to travel without falling apart AND the miraculous knack for staying fresh ‘n tasty for weeks. As long as three weeks, I’ve been told.

I’ve had numerous people tell me that these are the best Snickerdoodles they have ever had. Try the recipe yourself, and see if you agree!

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Bready or Not Classic: Chewy Honey Snickerdoodles

A Bready or Not Original: classic Snickerdoodle cookies with a touch of honey! These cookies are excellent to pack for conventions or ship cross-country, as they'll stay chewy and delicious for many weeks.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: cookies, snickerdoodle

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

For dough:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For rolling:

• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

• In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and honey and beat until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: bread flour, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Sift together.
• Slowly stir together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge for several hours or days; dough can also be frozen.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Use greased stoneware, parchment paper, or silpat mats. Prepare sugar and cinnamon mix, and roll dough balls to coat. The cookie dough, even straight from the fridge, has a soft Play-Doh-like consistency, so it will spread when it bakes; keep this in mind when spacing the cookie dough balls.
• Teaspoon-sized cookies bake in 9 to 12 minutes; Tablespoon-sized take 11 to 13 minutes. Let set on cookie sheets for 10 to 15 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.
• Cookies will keep in a sealed container, between waxed paper or parchment layers, for as long as three weeks. They are excellent for travel or shipping.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Chewy Oatmeal Apple Chip Cookies

Posted by Beth on Jun 5, 2019 in apples, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Chewy Oatmeal Apple Chip Cookies

Apple Chips are delicious to eat out of the bag, but they can also be used to make delicious baked goods like these Chewy Oatmeal Apple Chip Cookies!

If you recall last month, I shared a new recipe for Apple Chip Blondies as I searched for ways to utilize a Costco-bought gigantic bag of apple chips. I decided to find a way to use them in cookies as well.

This ended up being tricky. I tried one recipe, and while the result was tasty, the cookies were crumbly and turned hard within a few hours. That would not do.

I turned to one of my own old recipes for Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (which I need to bake again to post here, as I posted before on my old LiveJournal). I modified it to use apple chips instead of raisins, and to use one of my new favorite grocery store finds, caramel chips.

These cookies worked in the best kind of way. The apple chips soften, but remain chewier than raisins. The cookies themselves are chewy and stay chewy in a sealed container. The caramel chips–well, like liquid caramel, they pair perfectly with apples. The caramel flavor is at the forefront, followed by the sublime taste of the apple chips.

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Bready or Not Original: Chewy Oatmeal Apple Chip Cookies

This Bready or Not Original recipe uses apple chips, such as Bare brand, along with caramel chips for an innovative, delicious spin on oatmeal cookies. Makes about 45 cookies using a tablespoon scoop.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: apple, cookies

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter melted
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup caramel chips
• 1 cup apple chips broken small

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat, or use seasoned stoneware.
• Melt butter and let cool slightly.
• Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2 to 3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the flour mixture. Add the oats, caramel chips, and apple chip pieces. Mix until just blended.
• Using a tablespoon scoop, place dough balls on pan. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown and the middle is still soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Maple Nut Pie Bars

Posted by Beth on May 29, 2019 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, cookies, maple, pie | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Maple Nut Pie Bars

Bready or Not returns to the theme of maple goodness with these delicious Maple Nut Pie Bars.

These are like pecan pie, but BETTER because they are portable and easily shared. And really, I love the variety of nuts.

That ‘easily shared’ bit is important, as this recipe bakes up an entire 13×9-inch dish of goodness. That’s quite a bounty to keep to oneself.

Each bar is exquisite, too: a shortbread base covered with sweetened mixed nuts. The variety of tastes and textures is perfection.

Store these in the fridge when all is done, and note that you can also freeze them for later. Make the goodness last even longer!

Modified from Brownies & Bars Magazine.

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Bready or Not: Maple Nut Pie Bars

These Maple Nut Pie Bars are similar to pecan pie, but in handy bar form. They consist of a shortbread crust topped with crunchy, sweet nuts. Perfect for the holidays and year-round.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bars, maple, pie

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 3 eggs room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups mixed nuts chopped
• 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 teaspoon maple flavor or substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and grease with nonstick spray or butter. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Use a pastry blender or a knife and fork to cut in the butter until it resembles small crumbs. Evenly press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until light brown.
• As that bakes, make the filling. In a medium bowl, lightly stir the eggs. Add the mixed nuts, brown sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, and maple flavoring. Spread over the hot crust.
• Bake for another 18 to 20 minutes, until top is golden and set. Cool in pan for several hours. Lift contents onto a cutting board using the foil and slice into bars.
• Store with waxed paper between layers in a sealed container in fridge. Bars can also be frozen for later enjoyment.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Oreo Thins Cake Batter Blondies [cake mix]

Posted by Beth on May 22, 2019 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, cake mix, chocolate, cookies, oreo | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Oreo Thins Cake Batter Blondies [cake mix]

I’m no baking snob. Cake mix has a place in my kitchen when I need quick-fix baked goods. This recipe for Oreo Thins Cake Batter Blondies is fantastic.

I made a different variation of this back on my old LiveJournal lo those many years ago. In that one, I used regular Golden Oreos as Oreo Thins didn’t exist yet.

Both styles of Oreos are great in this recipe. If you use Thins, use the entire package, chopped-up. For regular Oreos, use about 2 cups of chopped cookie.

There IS such a thing as too many Oreos in a recipe like this. They can overwhelm the batter and make everything (a delicious) crumbly mess when it’s cut. I speak from experience.

Use whatever kind of Oreo you want here. I used Oreo Thins Salted Caramel when I took these pictures. Use Golden Oreos, regular Oreos, or any seasonal remix–and choose different color sprinkles to match!

Sprinkles make everything better, right?

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Bready or Not: Oreo Thins Cake Batter Blondies [cake mix]

This super-simple recipe uses cake mix to bake up a delicious dish of blondies. Use an entire package of Oreo Thins, whatever flavor you fancy (Salted Caramel is great if available)! Regular Oreos are also fantastic for this recipe, but use only about 2 cups of chopped Oreos or they will overwhelm the batter. Adding chocolate chips is an option, too, depending on the Oreos being used; with some kinds it may make the bars too sweet.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bars, cake mix, oreo

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 18.25 oz yellow cake mix
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk or half and half
• 1 package Oreo Thins crumbled
• 1/2 cup sprinkles
• 1/2 cup white chocolate or chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 dish with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, oil, egg, and milk. The batter should be thick. Fold in the Oreo Thins and sprinkles [and chocolate chips, if using].
• Pour into pan and even out. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until middle passes toothpick test. Cool completely. Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board to slice into squares. Store in a sealed container.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Cranberry-Candied Ginger Blondies with Macadamia Nuts

Posted by Beth on May 8, 2019 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Cranberry-Candied Ginger Blondies with Macadamia Nuts

Cranberry-Candied Ginger Blondies with Macadamia Nuts! The name is a mouthful, but I assure you, the goodies make for delicious mouthfuls, too.

If the basic ingredients sound familiar, they should. I did a similar-sounding recipe just recently, but you’ll notice, they don’t look the same–nor do they taste the same, but both are excellent.

This recipe has a different sort of soft chewy texture, plus macadamia nuts. Macadamia nuts make almost everything better, right?

I think these look especially pretty because of the topping as well. You have to sprinkle on the cranberry and ginger bits fast at the end to make sure they stick in the melted white chocolate.

It’d be a tragedy if the pieces fell off. Then you have to eat them all. Darn.

Modified from Brownies & Bars Magazine.

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Bready or Not: Cranberry-Candied Ginger Blondies with Macadamia Nuts

These soft, chewy bars include dried cranberries, crystallized ginger, and macadamia nuts inside and out.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bars

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Blondies

• 11 oz white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 Tablespoons candied ginger chopped

Topping

• 4 oz white chocolate chips
• 1 Tablespoon shortening
• 2 Tablespoons candied ginger chopped
• 1 Tablespoon dried cranberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, at low heat warm the bag of white chocolate chips until melted. In the microwave, that means brief bursts at low power and stirring well between each pass--watch it, as it can burn fast! Stir in the butter until it's melted. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar into the white chocolate mix followed by the flour and vanilla. Fold in the macadamia nuts, cranberries, and candied ginger. Spread evenly in the ready pan.
• Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until top is light brown and center passes the toothpick test. Cool pan completely.
• In the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, melt the white chocolate and shortening over low heat until smooth. Drizzle over the bars. Immediately sprinkle the remaining ginger and cranberries over the top and gently tap them into the drizzled chocolate. Let set at room temperature or fridge.
• Use the foil to lift contents onto cutting board. Slice into bars. Store in sealed containers with waxed paper between the layers.
• OM NOM NOM!