cookies

Bready or Not: Coffee Cookie Bars

Posted by on Apr 3, 2024 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast, cookies | 1 comment

These Coffee Cookie Bars are infused with coffee flavor inside and out, the perfect complement to the chewy sweetness of the bars.

Bready or Not: Coffee Cookie Bars

If the caffeine doesn’t give you a boost, the sugar will. These bars are not only sweet, but tend to caramelize along the edges and bottom. That means you need to be careful that the foil doesn’t adhere!

Bready or Not: Coffee Cookie Bars

These bars are great for a breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Bready or Not: Coffee Cookie Bars

Modified from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies 2021.

Bready or Not: Coffee Cookie Bars

These chewy, sticky bars are infused with potent sweetness and espresso. Modified from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies 2021.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: coffee
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • 9×13 pan
  • aluminum foil
  • nonstick spray
  • pastry brush

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 Tablespoon espresso powder plus 2 teaspoons
  • 1 Tablespoon milk or almond milk
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • 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!

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    Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

    Posted by on Mar 13, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, chicken, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

    These Custard/Powder Chocolate Chip Cookie are made with a recipe I first featured back in 2015. It’s time to revisit it!

    Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

    Custard powder isn’t common in the States. It’s very much a British/Canadian thing. Bird’s Custard Powder, in particular, is an important kitchen item. However, if you don’t have a canister of Bird’s available–or it’s prohibitively expensive–you can buy good ol’ instant vanilla pudding powder and use it instead.

    Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

    This recipe makes a huge batch of cookies–about 80, if using a small scoop. Therefore, I find this recipe is a good opportunity to divide the dough and freeze half for later.

    Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

    Whatever your pudding powder of choice, give these a try. Live deliciously.

    Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

    Custard powder or pudding powder in the dough creates a vanilla-rich cookie that will make your taste buds sing. A Bready or Not Original.
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: British, Canadian
    Keyword: chocolate, cookies, custard powder
    Servings: 80 cookies
    Author: Beth Cato

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • 1 cup brown sugar packed
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 6 Tablespoons custard powder or instant vanilla pudding powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 11 ounces chocolate chips 1 bag

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract.
    • In another bowl, stir together the flour, custard/pudding powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly blend the dry ingredients with the butter mix. Add the chocolate chips.
    • Use a large cookie scoop or spoon to place dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
    • Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

      Posted by on Feb 14, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies | 1 comment

      If you’re in need of a small-scale dessert for just a couple of people (hey, it is Valentine’s Day as I post this), this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie is perfect.

      Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

      You’ll need a 6-inch cast iron skillet or cake pan for this recipe. I have the former.

      Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

      This is a treat best enjoyed while it’s warm. Therefore, let the big cookie cool enough so you won’t get burned, and then dig in. If you want to make this even more luxurious, add some scoops of ice cream in the middle and eat everything with spoons!

      Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

      Modified from Bake from Scratch July/August 2023.

      Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

      This small-scale treat is perfect as a sweet treat for a small family or as a date night dessert for two adults. This is the kind of dish where you don’t expect to have leftovers–but if you do, they are best served warmed. Modified from Bake from Scratch July/August 2023.
      Course: Dessert
      Cuisine: American
      Keyword: chocolate, cookies
      Servings: 2
      Author: Beth Cato

      Equipment

      • 6-inch cast iron skillet or 6-inch cake pan
      • nonstick spray
      • small saucepan

      Ingredients

      • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
      • 2 Tablespoons white sugar
      • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
      • 1 large egg yolk
      • 1 Tablespoon milk or half& half
      • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
      • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
      • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
      • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
      • 1/2 cup chocolate chips whatever kind you want
      • flaked sea salt and coarse sugar for optional topping

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Prepare the pan by using nonstick spray or some extra butter to coat.
      • In a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat, stirring often. The butter will foam and then turn brown after 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
      • In a mixing bowl, combine browned butter, both sugars, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Fold in the chocolate chips. If desired, add a sprinkle of flaked sea salt and coarse sugar on top.
      • Bake until the edges are brown and the middle is no longer gooey, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before digging in, but it is ideally eaten while it's still warm.

      OM NOM NOM!

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        Bready or Not: Lemonade-Like Cookies

        Posted by on Feb 7, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies, lemon | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Lemonade-Like Cookies

        It’s February (how did that happen?), but these brightly-flavored Lemon-Lake Cookies will add some sunshine to your day, no matter when you make them.

        Bready or Not: Lemonade-Like Cookies

        These are not fancy cookies. They are fairly straightforward to make. The only real “extra” bit is etching the lemon effect onto the cookies. I found it annoying that the example picture in Allrecipes Magazine, where I found the original recipe, showed the cookies when they were unglazed, hence the lemon effect is quite bold.

        Bready or Not: Lemonade-Like Cookies

        The reality is that the glaze fills in many of the lines and holes, making the etching much more subtle. It is still visible, though (if you impress the lines and dots enough).

        Bready or Not: Lemonade-Like Cookies

        Bready or Not: Lemonade-Like Cookies

        These shaped cookies contain a refreshing lemon flavor to brighten your day, no matter what time of year you make them! The etched pattern will be subtle once the glaze is on, but is still worthwhile. Modified from Allrecipes Magazine.
        Course: Dessert
        Keyword: cookies, lemon
        Author: Beth Cato

        Equipment

        • zester
        • juicer
        • parchment paper
        • Rolling Pin
        • plastic wrap
        • 2-inch cookie cutter
        • skewer or chopstick
        • pastry brush

        Ingredients

        Dough

        • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into thin slices
        • 1/2 cup white sugar
        • 1 lemon
        • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
        • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
        • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
        • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface

        Glaze

        • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
        • 2 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

        Instructions

        • Zest the lemon. Cut lemon in half and squeeze out juice. Set aside zest and juice.
        • Preheat oven at 300-degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
        • Place butter, white sugar, lemon zest, salt, and vanilla in a bowl, stirring together until the butter starts to soften and the ingredients come together. Add flour, mixing until buttery crumbs form. Use hands to press dough together into a ball.
        • Lightly flour a flat work surface. Set the dough there and press it into a 1/2-inch thick disk. Place a long stretch of plastic wrap on top and roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutter, placing rounds slightly spaced out on prepared sheet. Reroll dough scraps cut out more rounds until it’s all basically shaped.
        • If desired, etch a lemon-like effect. Use a sharp knife to form decorative lines atop cookies, pressing in the blade to form 8 triangular wedges on each; make sure to only press into the top of the dough, not all the way through. Use a skewer or chopstick to add decorative holes near the tip of each wedge, creating an effect like a lemon seed.
        • Bake cookies until they are light brown around the wedges, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, but reserve the parchment and pan for the glazing.
        • Return cookies to cooled pan. Mix together the confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, adding more if needed to form a thick but spreadable glaze. Use a pastry brush to apply a layer of glaze to each cookie, adding an extra layer, if desired, with any leftover glaze after the initial coat. Let cookies stand for 30 minutes to an hour, until glaze is set. Pack cookies into a sealed container. Store at room temperature.

        OM NOM NOM!

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          Bready or Not: Chewy Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

          Posted by on Jan 17, 2024 in biscoff spread, Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Chewy Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

          These Chewy Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies taste even more inherently cookie dough-like thanks to cookie butter mixed into the dough. They are chewy, sweet, and oh-so-good.

          Bready or Not: Chewy Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

          Because someone always asks, “What’s cookie butter?” The answer is: an addictive substance found near the peanut butter in most every grocery store in America; even my local Walmart has it in the main Biscoff brand or as a Walmart generic, and Trader Joe’s calls it Speculoos. It’s essentially pulverized cookies and oil. It has the exact same texture as peanut butter and can substitute for it in most any recipe. There is nothing healthy about it and it is incredibly delicious.

          Bready or Not: Chewy Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

          If you search for Biscoff/cookie butter recipes on Bready or Not, you’ll find a ton of recipes. It’s been one of my favorite ingredients for over ten years.

          Bready or Not: Chewy Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

          That’s how old this recipe is, too–so old that I originally posed it on the LiveJournal version of Bready or Not! It was high time it had a remake (or rebake).

          Bready or Not: Chewy Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

          Cookie butter amps up the cookie dough flavor in these baked delights.
          Course: Dessert, Snack
          Keyword: chocolate, cookie butter, cookies
          Author: Beth Cato

          Ingredients

          • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
          • 1/2 cup white sugar
          • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
          • 1/4 cup Creamy Biscoff spread or other cookie butter
          • 1 large egg room temperature
          • 1 teaspoon vanilla
          • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
          • 1 teaspoon baking soda
          • 1/4 teaspoon salt
          • 1 cup chocolate chips
          • flaked sea salt optional, for top

          Instructions

          • Cream butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and cookie butter.
          • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the chocolate chips.
          • Wrap up dough and chill it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
          • Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
          • Drop the dough by large tablespoons onto baking sheet. If desired, press a pinch of flaked sea salt onto each round. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let set on pan briefly and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.

          OM NOM NOM!

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            Bready or Not: Brownie Cookies

            Posted by on Jan 10, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, brownies, chocolate, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Brownie Cookies

            If ever you are experiencing a chocolate emergency (need chocolate NOW, don’t want to leave the house, don’t want to spend a long time making something), these Brownie Cookies will satisfy nicely.

            Bready or Not: Brownie Cookies

            These cookies mix up fast. They bake fast. They cool fast. They enter your stomach fast.

            Bready or Not: Brownie Cookies

            Plus, they are imbued with brownie goodness. The dough includes melted chocolate and chopped walnuts. Yes, you can replace the walnuts with a different nut–or leave out the nuts entirely, if you so choose. I really love the texture of a chewy cookie with a crunchy nut, though.

            Bready or Not: Brownie Cookies

            Actually, you could even replace the nuts with something like M&Ms. That’d make these easy to modify for holidays, too–green and red candies in December, the Valentine’s mix in February. Have fun with this recipe!

            Bready or Not: Brownie Cookies

            Are you craving brownies, but want your fix FAST? Try these cookies. They are quick to make and bake!
            Course: Dessert, Snack
            Cuisine: American
            Keyword: chocolate, cookies, walnuts
            Servings: 25
            Author: Beth Cato

            Equipment

            • baking sheet
            • parchment paper
            • tablespoon scoop or spoon

            Ingredients

            • 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
            • 3/4 cup white sugar
            • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
            • 1 large egg room temperature
            • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate melted
            • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
            • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
            • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
            • 1/4 teaspoon salt
            • 3/4 cup walnuts chopped

            Instructions

            • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
            • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup and egg. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla.
            • In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix this into the wet ingredients, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Fold in the walnuts.
            • Use a tablespoon scoop or spoon to dollop rounds of dough, spaced out, on baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, then let rest on sheet a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

            OM NOM NOM!

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