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Bready or Not Original: Fruity Pastry Bars

Posted by on Sep 21, 2022 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast, cookies, nutty | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Fruity Pastry Bars

These Fruity Pastry Bars are the perfect treat for a crowd. This recipe makes a nice big pan to share with others!

Bready or Not Original: Fruity Pastry Bars

When I make bars like this, I’m always worried about how crumbly they will be. I can report that, at least for me, these were surprisingly durable bars that could even be held in the hand when eating. They barely crumbled when they were cut.

Bready or Not Original: Fruity Pastry Bars

I love how they can be customized, too. You can use all sorts of berry preserves; these pictures depict Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves. The rich, bold flavor is lovely with the buttery crust, while the nuts add a great textural contrast. Of course, you could substitute different nuts like sliced almonds, or omit them entirely.

Bready or Not Original: Fruity Pastry Bars

Bready or Not Original: Fruity Pastry Bars

This Fruity Pastry Bars balance bold fruit flavors with a dense, buttery crust. This recipe makes a big batch!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: bars, cherries, walnuts
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • jelly roll pan
  • aluminum foil
  • nonstick spray

Ingredients

Bars

  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter (3 sticks) room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping

  • 12 to 13 ounces fruit preserves such as strawberry, cherry, or raspberry
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup quick oats

Instructions

  • Line a jelly roll pan with a large piece of aluminum foil. Apply nonstick spray or butter. Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour and the salt. Batter will be very thick. Grease a hand and use that to pat down about 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the pan.
  • Wash hands. Spread preserves over the dough. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top. Add quick oats to the reserved dough. Place small handfuls of dough spaced out over the top.
  • Bake for about 35 minutes, until top is set and doesn’t jiggle in middle. Cool completely, speeding process in fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store in a sealed container. Bars can also be frozen for later enjoyment.

OM NOM NOM!

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    Bready or Not: Almond White Chocolate Cookies

    Posted by on Sep 14, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies, nutty | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Almond White Chocolate Cookies

    These Almond White Chocolate Cookies are quick to fix-up and bake, making them the perfect treat when you need cookies in a hurry!

    Bready or Not: Almond White Chocolate Cookies

    And who among us hasn’t had a few cookie emergencies in their lives, truly?

    Bready or Not: Almond White Chocolate Cookies

    These cookies are light and crisp. The almond flavor is imbued in the dough thanks to almond extract and the almond slivers throughout. White chocolate is the perfect sweet to balance with the nuttiness.

    Bready or Not: Almond White Chocolate Cookies

    Modified from a McCormick product ad.

    Bready or Not: Almond White Chocolate Cookies

    These cookies are fast to make and bake, and are light, sweet, and crunchy!
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Author: Beth Cato

    Equipment

    • parchment paper
    • baking sheet
    • teaspoon scoop

    Ingredients

    • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
    • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
    • 9 ounces white chocolate chips
    • 1 cup slivered almonds

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs and almond extract. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, scraping the bowl as needed. Fold in the white chocolate and almonds.
    • Use a teaspoon scoop to place dough, spaced out, on cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until cookies are set. Immediately transfer to a rack to cool.
    • Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Graham Cracker Cookies

      Posted by on Sep 7, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Graham Cracker Cookies

      Today’s Chewy Honey Graham Cracker Cookies are a new twist on my original Chewy Honey Cookie base recipe.

      Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Graham Cracker Cookies

      This time around, crushed graham crackers are substituted for some of the all-purpose flour. This not only changes the texture, adding some pleasant grittiness, but also introduces a different sort of sweetness that pairs beautifully with chocolate.

      Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Graham Cracker Cookies

      Want to try some of my other original cookie recipes that use this same base? Here you go!

      Chewy Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

      Chewy Honey Maple Cookies

      Chewy Honey Snickerdoodles

      Chewy Honey Lemon Cookies

      Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Graham Cracker Cookies

      Bready or Not Original: Chewy Honey Graham Cracker Cookies

      This fresh take on my classic Chewy Honey Cookies substitutes crushed graham crackers for some of the flour, resulting in a delicious cookie with a different texture and sweetness.
      Course: Dessert, Snack
      Keyword: chocolate, cookies, graham cracker
      Author: Beth Cato

      Equipment

      • plastic wrap
      • teaspoon or tablespoon scoop

      Ingredients

      • 3/4 cup 1 1/2 sticks 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
      • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
      • 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
      • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
      • 1 teaspoon baking soda
      • 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, graham cracker crumbs, cornstarch, baking soda, 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.
      • Store 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!

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        Bready or Not: Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake

        Posted by on Aug 31, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, bundt, cake | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake

        If you’re in need of a refreshing summer bundt cake, look no further. This Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake is it.

        Bready or Not: Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake

        This is a super-easy cake to make. The ingredients are minimal. It doesn’t make a massive cake. The oranges get used in the cake and in the glaze, so nothing is likely to go to waste.

        Bready or Not: Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake

        I love that the orange makes the cake look orange AND taste orange. There is something aesthetically pleasing about that. No surprises, no fake-outs. Orange cake tastes like orange. Got it.

        Bready or Not: Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake

        If you have any leftovers, no worries. I found that the cake freezes wonderfully, even glazed. Freeze those extra slices the first day and they’ll taste fresh when you thaw them later!

        Modified from Food & Wine September 2020 issue.

        Bready or Not: Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake

        This light bundt cake is orange in appearance and in flavor, with a sweet orange glaze for added oomph! Modified from Food & Wine September 2020 issue.
        Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
        Cuisine: Italian
        Keyword: bundt cake, citrus
        Author: Beth Cato

        Equipment

        • small bundt cake pan

        Ingredients

        Cake

        • 2 cups all-purpose flour
        • 3 large oranges zested and juiced
        • 1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
        • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
        • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
        • 3 large eggs room temperature

        Glaze

        • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
        • 3 teaspoons orange juice
        • orange zest

        Instructions

        • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use a baking spray with flour (or alternatively, some extra vegetable oil and flour) to coat the interior of the bundt pan. Set aside.
        • In a small bowl, combine the flour, 2 Tablespoons of orange zest (the rest reserved for the glaze), and baking powder. Set aside.
        • In a big mixing bowl, beat together sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs on high speed until it becomes quite pale, about a minute and a half. Add 1 1/4 cups orange juice, beating until combined. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl as needed.
        • Pour batter into the pan. Bake for 45 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool for about 20 minutes, then invert it onto a rack to completely cool, speeding the process in the fridge if desired.
        • Make the glaze. Measure out the sugar. Add orange juice and any remaining zest. If mixture is thick, add a touch more juice; if runny, add more sugar. It should be a thick texture as it is drizzled on the cake. Let glazed cake set at least 30 minutes at room temperature or in fridge before slicing in.
        • Cake is great kept sealed at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be sliced and frozen, glaze and all, and makes for a delicious treat even weeks later.

        OM NOM NOM!

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          Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake

          Posted by on Aug 24, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, cake, chocolate | 1 comment

          I love frosting, so take it on my authority that this Marble Sheet Cake is delicious without need of any frosting on top. Plus, enjoying the cake in naked or near-naked form with just a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar on top reveals that beautiful marbling to the world.

          Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake

          That marbling is delicious stuff, too. The base batter is vanilla-flavored, with the other portion including cocoa powder and additional goodness.

          Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake

          The texture of the cake is tender and soft. Since there’s no need for frosting, this is a good travel cake. When I made this for my husband to take to work, I individually wrapped pieces to-go in a plastic bin. They made the journey without issue.

          Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake

          Modified from One Bowl Baking Special Issue from Bake from Scratch.

          Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake

          This beautiful 9×13 cake features marbled cocoa and vanilla. It’s delicious enough (and pretty enough) to not need any frosting on top. Just a dusting of confectioners’ sugar will do!
          Course: Dessert, Snack
          Keyword: cake, chocolate
          Author: Beth Cato

          Equipment

          • 9×13 pan
          • aluminum foil
          • nonstick spray

          Ingredients

          Vanilla batter

          • 3 cups all-purpose flour
          • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
          • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
          • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
          • 1 1/2 cups milk room temperature
          • 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
          • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
          • 3 large eggs room temperature

          Cocoa batter

          • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
          • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
          • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

          Topping, optional

          • 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

          Instructions

          • Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
          • In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, pour in milk, butter, and vanilla, stopping a few times to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Batter should be smooth.
          • Measure out about 3 cups of the vanilla batter and pour it into the pan. Add the remaining three ingredients to the bowl, mixing until smooth. Dollop heaping spoonfuls of the cocoa batter onto the vanilla. Use a butter knife to swirl the colors to create a marbled effect. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to knock air bubbles free.
          • Bake for about 35 minutes. The middle should pass the toothpick test. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Use foil to lift the cake onto a cutting board for easy slicing. Sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Store in a sealed container.

          OM NOM NOM!

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            Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

            Posted by on Aug 17, 2022 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast, cookies, nutty | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

            These Peach-Almond Bars are peachy-keen, if you ask me! They aren’t super sweet and they really let the flavors of the fruit shine through.

            Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

            I don’t do a lot with peaches because I live in Arizona and the peaches available here are not the best. There are a lot of things I miss about Central California, and the fresh fruit is a big one. (Oh, don’t start my yearning for strawberries…)

            Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

            The good news is, you don’t need ripe or especially sweet peaches for this recipe because you add a touch of sugar and cook down the fruit. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a British ingredient that can be found in the import section of a lot of grocery stores; there is no exact American substitute, but a mix of half light corn syrup and half honey is one I have seen in recipes more than once.

            Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

            These bars are a pleasant mix of softness, crispness, peachiness, and crunchy almonds. Not only would they make for a good dessert or snack, but a fine breakfast as well.

            Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

            These bars bring out the best in peaches without being hardcore sweet.
            Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
            Keyword: almond, bars, peaches
            Author: Beth Cato

            Equipment

            • 9×13 pan
            • aluminum foil
            • nonstick spray

            Ingredients

            Peaches

            • 6 small peaches about 4 cups, peeled and chopped
            • 1/4 cup water
            • 1/4 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
            • 1 Tablespoon corn starch

            Bars

            • 2 cups all-purpose flour
            • 1 cup almond flour sifted to remove lumps
            • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
            • 1 teaspoon baking powder
            • 1/2 teaspoon salt
            • 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) room temperature
            • 2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

            Instructions

            • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply baking spray
            • In a medium saucepan, cook the peaches, water, and golden syrup about 15 minutes at a simmer, until peaches are soft. Add corn starch and stir well to bring the liquid together. Let set a few minutes to gel.
            • In a mixing bowl, combine flour, almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the butter until it forms a lumpy dough.
            • Press about 2/3 of dough into the prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass to really compress it. Spread the peach mixture on top. Add clumps of the remaining dough to sporadically cover. Sprinkle almonds on top.
            • Bake for about 40 minutes, until middle is set, not jiggly, with a golden brown crust across the top. Cool completely, speeding the process in the fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice up. Store in a covered container, with waxed paper between the layers or with bars individually wrapped.

            OM NOM NOM!

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