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Bready or Not: Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Posted by on Nov 22, 2023 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, bundt, cake, cheese galore | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake is simple but oh so good. Rich flavors of butter, vanilla, and cream cheese infuse the whole thing.

Bready or Not: Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake

The middle features a velvety crumb while the crust is browned and crisp, creating a wonderful contrast. This has All the Textures.

Bready or Not: Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake

In full disclosure, this is a recipe that will test your mixer. My poor Kitchen Aid strained to handle this thick, massive quantity of batter. It kept tripping the circuit at the end!

Bready or Not: Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake

The annoyance was worthwhile, though. This cake is extraordinary. So basic in appearance, and then you take a bite and your mind is blown. Make this one for the holidays this year, and you’ll feed a crowd and awe them while you’re at it.

Modified a lot from Bake from Scratch: Cake 2019.

Bready or Not: Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This cake is not photogenic, but it is rich, lush, and oh-so-good. The creation process is straightforward but requires a stand mixer such as Kitchen Aid; there is a lot of dense batter involved. Make sure that the butter, cream cheese, and eggs are at room temperature, too. If you lack cake flour, see the note for an easy substitution. Modified a lot from Bake from Scratch: Cake 2019.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bundt cake, cake, cream cheese
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • nonstick spray with flour
  • large straight-sided tube pan or angel food cake pan
  • stand mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks) room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (1 box) room temperature
  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups cake flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Generously coat the interior of the pan with nonstick spray with flour.
  • In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until they are fluffy and pale, about 8 minutes, scraping the bowl several times during the process. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure the recent addition is fully mixed in before adding the next. Scrape the bottom of the bowl again. Mix on medium-high for about 3 minutes, until everything is light and airy.
  • Gradually add the flour. If the paddle attachment can't handle the load (and/or it is too messy), remove the paddle and use a spatula to incorporate the flour.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Level out the top. Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes. When it is done, the top will be golden brown and the middle will pass the toothpick test. Let it cool in pan for about 20 minutes, then invert it onto a rack to cool completely.
  • Slice into pieces. It is delicious by itself or can accompany fruit and/or ice cream. Store covered or in individually wrapped pieces at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!

    Notes

    To make your own cake flour, measure out 1 cup of flour. Remove 2 Tablespoons. Replace that with 2 Tablespoons corn starch. That means, for this recipe, measure out 3 cups of all-purpose flour. Remove 6 Tablespoons of it. Add 6 Tablespoons of corn starch instead. Stir together.
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    Bready or Not Original: Lemon Butter Cookies

    Posted by on Nov 15, 2023 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies, lemon | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Lemon Butter Cookies

    Let’s say you need a lot of cookies. They don’t need to be fancy. You just need something sweet and good that kids and adults will both like. Well, these Lemon Butter Cookies might be just about perfect.

    Bready or Not Original: Lemon Butter Cookies

    Another thing to know about this recipe: it makes a lot. The entire batch produces over 100 cookies. The nice thing is, though, it’s also a great recipe to divvy up. It’s no problem to keep half the batch wrapped in the fridge to make a day or two later, while the other half is frozen.

    Bready or Not Original: Lemon Butter Cookies

    Or make them all at once and pretend you can swim through piles of cookies like Scrooge McDuck through his money bin.

    Bready or Not Original: Lemon Butter Cookies

    The lemon flavor may make some people think of spring and summer, but I’m of the opinion that good food is good all year long. Plus, you can use different colored sugars to customize it for sports teams or holidays.

    Bready or Not Original: Lemon Butter Cookies

    These classic-styled cookies that won’t win prizes for refined glamor, but deliver in cozy, refreshing flavor. This is a good recipe to make a day or weeks ahead of time, as the dough keeps well in the fridge for days or in the freezer for weeks. This recipe makes a LOT of dough, too–enough for 100 to 120 cookies.
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cookies, lemon
    Servings: 110
    Author: Beth Cato

    Equipment

    • parchment paper
    • cookie cutter
    • cooling rack

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 1/4 cup milk or half & half
    • 3 teaspoons lemon extract
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • colored sugar for topping, optional

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the milk and both extracts. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.
    • In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to the wet mix to create a cohesive dough (and it makes a LOT of dough!).
    • At this point, the dough can be divided to rest in the fridge or placed in the freezer for weeks. If the cookies will be made today, chill the dough, covered, for about 30 minutes. (Note that if the dough is chilled for a longer time, it will need to sit at room temperature for a bit to become soft enough to roll out.)
    • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    • Lightly flour a clean, flat surface. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Parcel out using a 2-inch inch cookie cutter. Place spaced out a bit on cookie sheet. If using colored sugar, sprinkle atop each cookie to coat. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until set. Let the cookies idle on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat process to make more cookies. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
    • The full batch of cookies will make 100-120, dependent on the thickness.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Bready or Not: Irish Coffee Blondies

      Posted by on Nov 8, 2023 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast, cookies, nutty | 2 comments

      This Irish Coffee Blondies recipe is a long-overdue revamp of a recipe I first shared over a decade ago on the first iteration of Bready or Not on LiveJournal. I made it a few times after that, only for the paper to be buried amid many other recipes.

      Bready or Not: Irish Coffee Blondies

      As I culled my recipe collection prior to moving, I rediscovered the print-out and knew I had to make it again soon because it’d help me use up some ingredients. Namely, sliced almonds and vanilla extract.

      Bready or Not: Irish Coffee Blondies

      My husband now mostly uses k-cups for his coffee, a brewing method we didn’t have available back when I first baked this. I found that the 3 Tablespoons of ground coffee called for in this recipe were the exact contents of a Starbucks k-cup. I love when things work out like this!

      Bready or Not: Irish Coffee Blondies

      This recipe would make a great dessert, but really, with the flavors, it’s even better for a breakfast or brunch. It’ll go great with coffee or tea!

      Bready or Not: Irish Coffee Blondies

      These soft, chewy bars are flavored with coffee and sweetness. They are perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
      Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
      Keyword: almond, bars, coffee
      Author: Beth Cato

      Equipment

      • 9×13 pan
      • aluminum foil
      • nonstick spray
      • uneven spatula

      Ingredients

      Blondies:

      • 2 cups all-purpose flour
      • 1 teaspoon baking powder
      • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
      • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted
      • 2 cups brown sugar packed
      • 3 Tablespoons ground coffee equals 1 K-cup
      • 1 teaspoon salt
      • 2 large eggs room temperature
      • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
      • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

      Glaze:

      • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted
      • 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
      • 1 teaspoon water plus more if needed
      • 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

      Instructions

      Make the blondies

      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
      • In a big bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
      • Place the melted butter into a mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, ground coffee, and salt. Stir to combine.
      • Add eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into pan and level out; an uneven spatula makes that easy. Sprinkle with almonds.
      • Bake 27 to 30 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool completely.

      To complete with glaze

      • Mix together the melted tablespoon butter and extract. Gradually whisk in confectioners’ sugar. Add teaspoons of water, as needed, until the glaze is thick but can be drizzled. Place it in either a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip or a sandwich bag of which a corner will be snipped off. Drizzle glaze over blondies in a rough crosshatch pattern. Let glaze set for 1 hour before cutting blondies into squares. Store in a sealed container at room temperature. If making these in a warm place, put waxed paper between the stacked layers of blondies.

      OM NOM NOM!

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        Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

        Posted by on Nov 1, 2023 in Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies, nutty | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

        You cannot get a more classic American pairing than chocolate and peanut butter. These Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies are a dose of delicious nostalgia.

        Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

        These cookies contain some rolled oats, but I wouldn’t term them oatmeal cookies. They don’t have that much density. Rather, these cookies are light and chewy.

        Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

        The dough doesn’t need any chill time in the fridge. Mix it and bake it right away.

        Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

        Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

        This is a classic cookie recipe, simple and delicious.
        Course: Dessert, Snack
        Cuisine: American
        Keyword: chocolate, cookies, oats, peanut butter
        Servings: 46 cookies
        Author: Beth Cato

        Equipment

        • teaspoon scoop or spoon
        • baking sheet
        • parchment paper

        Ingredients

        • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
        • 1/2 cup white sugar
        • 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
        • 1/2 cup peanut butter chunky or creamy
        • 1 large egg room temperature
        • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
        • 1 cup all-purpose flour
        • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats also called rolled oats
        • 1 teaspoon baking soda
        • 1/4 teaspoon salt
        • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

        Instructions

        • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
        • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla.
        • In another bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Gradually combine the contents of both bowls. Fold in the chocolate chips.
        • Use a teaspoon scoop or spoon to place rounded balls of dough spaced-out on the cookie sheet. Flatten them slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set and golden. Cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transitioning cookies to rack. Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.

        OM NOM NOM!

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          Bready or Not Original: Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

          Posted by on Oct 25, 2023 in Blog, blueberry, Bready or Not, breakfast, cake | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

          This Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake is really, really good, people. It has a soft, tender crumb and loads of fruit inside.

          Bready or Not Original: Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

          Plus, there’s some flexibility to the recipe. You can use Greek yogurt in vanilla or plain (you want it thick, not runny), or go with sour cream or crème fraiche.

          Bready or Not Original: Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

          You can flex with the berries, too. I used a mixture of frozen (not thawed) and fresh berries. If you use fresh berries, make sure they are washed and thoroughly dry. I had the fresh and frozen mixed in both layers within the cake.

          Bready or Not Original: Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

          This is the kind of bundt that is nicely sweet, not heavily so. This would be a showstopper for a breakfast or brunch for company, but is also divine as a dessert.

          Bready or Not Original: Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

          Use fresh or frozen fruit, or a mix, in this luscious cake! This is the kind of cake that is nicely sweet, not heavily so. This would be a showstopper for a breakfast or brunch for company, but is also divine as a dessert.
          Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
          Author: Beth Cato

          Equipment

          • large bundt pan
          • nonstick spray

          Ingredients

          Cake batter

          • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) room temperature
          • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
          • 4 large eggs room temperature
          • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
          • 3 cups all-purpose flour
          • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
          • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
          • 1/4 teaspoon salt
          • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt or plain yogurt or sour cream, or crème fraiche

          Filling

          • 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
          • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
          • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
          • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries or a mix

          Glaze

          • 1 cup confectioners' sugar plus more if needed
          • 1 to 3 Tablespoons half & half or milk plus more if needed

          Instructions

          • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Generously coat the interior of a large bundt pan with nonstick spray. If using fresh blueberries, wash them and gently pat them dry with paper towels, picking out any stems.
          • In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla.
          • In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternatively with the yogurt. Scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times during the process.
          • In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the filling: brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
          • Spoon about a third of the batter into the bundt pan. Sprinkle about half the dry filling mix over the top. Sprinkle about half the berries over this layer.
          • Repeat the process. Spoon about a third of the batter to cover the blueberries. Distribute the rest of the dry mix around the ring, followed by the blueberries. Top with the remaining batter. Use a spoon or uneven spatula to even it out across the top.
          • Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the middle of the cake comes out free of crumbs. Cool for 20 minutes in pan, then carefully invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely to room temperature.

          Mix the glaze

          • Stir together the confectioners' sugar and 2 Tablespoons of half & half or milk. The glaze needs to be thick so that it doesn't all run off. Add more sugar or milk, as necessarily, to get a thick glaze that can just dribble. Spoon over the domed top of the cake. Let set at least 20 minutes or place in fridge. Slice and serve. Store cake under a cake dome, within plastic wrap, or in individual slices encased in plastic wrap. As individual slices, it can be frozen for later enjoyment.

          OM NOM NOM!

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            Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

            Posted by on Oct 18, 2023 in biscoff spread, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, brownies, cheese galore, chocolate, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

            These Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars are thick and luscious with just the right balance of chocolate and cookie dough flavors.

            Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

            If you’re one of those people who had just to discover the joys of cookie butter–you’re in for a treat! Think cookies blended with oil to create a spreadable mass just like peanut butter. There is nothing healthy about it, but it tastes like cookie dough. You can find it at Trader Joe’s as Speculoos and at other stores as Biscoff or as a generic.

            Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

            Cookie butter can pretty much replace peanut butter in any recipe, or even on something as simple as a sandwich. Here, it’s great swirled in with brownie batter. Chocolate and cookie dough, ever the perfect combination.

            Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

            Since the swirl-in includes cream cheese, be sure to refrigerate these after they’ve baked and cooled. They are divine straight from the fridge!

            Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

            These gorgeously-swirled bars infuse the gentle flavor of cookie butter with rich brownies, a perfect combination.
            Course: Dessert, Snack
            Keyword: brownies, cookie butter, cookies, cream cheese
            Author: Beth Cato

            Equipment

            • 13×9 pan
            • aluminum foil
            • nonstick spray
            • uneven spatula
            • cutting board

            Ingredients

            Brownie base

            • 3 large eggs room temperature
            • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted
            • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
            • 2 cups white sugar
            • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
            • 3/4 cup baking cocoa sifted
            • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
            • 1/4 teaspoon salt
            • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

            Cookie butter swirl-in

            • 2 boxes cream cheese (8 ounces each) softened
            • 1/2 cup creamy cookie butter
            • 1/4 cup white sugar
            • 1 large egg room temperature
            • 2 Tablespoons milk

            Instructions

            • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
            • In a big bowl, beat together eggs, butter, and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the brownie dry ingredients and gradually add them to the egg mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set aside 1 cup of the brownie batter for the topping. Scoop the rest into the prepared pan and use an uneven spatula to even it out.
            • In another bowl, beat together the cream cheese blocks, cookie butter, and sugar. Once that is blended, add the egg and milk. Use an uneven spatula to spread the mixture in a thin layer across the top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the reserved brownie batter on top. Use the tip of the uneven spatula or a butter knife to create swirls.
            • Bake pan for 35 to 40 minutes, until the very middle passes the toothpick test. Cool on a wire rack for an hour, then place in fridge to completely chill. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board. Slice up and store in a sealed container in the fridge. Keeps for at least 3 days.

            OM NOM NOM!

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