Need pumpkin cookies in a hurry? Here’s your go-to recipe. Doctored cake mix is the shortcut to tasty, seasonal treats! Makes about 36 tablespoon-sized cookies.
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake mix, pumpkin
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
parchment paper
Ingredients
15ouncespumpkin puree can
1large egg room temperature
2Tablespoonsvegetable oil
1box yellow cake mix
1/2cuprolled oatsalso called old fashioned oats
2 1/2teaspoonspumpkin spice mix
1cupwalnuts chopped
1/2cupdried cranberries
turbinado sugar optional
Instructions
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, and oil. Mix in the cake mix, pressing out any clumps. Add oats, pumpkin spice, walnuts, and cranberries, mixing until combined. Dough will be sticky. Use a spoon to form balls of dough to space out on baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle some turbinado sugar on each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set. Move to cool on a rack. Store in a sealed container with waxed paper between the stacked layers.
These French Rolls Mixed in the Bread Machine take some planning–including awakening the starter a day ahead of time–but are well worth the effort due to the sheer deliciousness.
This is one of those recipes that isn’t a huge time drain, but does require work in little bursts. Begin the starter. Get the rest of the dough going. Do another rise. Shape the rolls and rise a third time. Bake.
Also, just like the real thing in France, these are intended to be eaten fresh. However, that’s no big problem so long as you have room in your freezer. Freeze extra rolls the day they are made, and they’ll thaw and heat later and still be amazing.
Bready or Not: French Rolls Mixed in the Bread Machine
Classic, crusty French rolls are easy to make with the help of a bread machine! Makes about 12 dinner-size rolls. Modified from Making Artisan Breads in the Bread Machine by Michelle Anderson.
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Keyword: yeast bread
Servings: 12rolls
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
bread machine
kitchen scale
plastic wrap
parchment paper
basting brush
Ingredients
Starter (make 12 to 18 hours ahead)
1 1/4cupsbread flour
1/4cupwhole wheat flour
3/4cuplukewarm water 100-110-degrees F
1/8teaspoonactive dry yeast
Dough
3/4cuplukewarm water 100-110-degrees F
1 3/4teaspoonsea salt
3cupsbread flour plus more for work surface
1/2teaspoonactive dry yeast
nonstick spray or olive oil
Finish
1large egg
1Tablespoonwater
Instructions
Make the starter
In the bucket of a bread machine or in a separate pitcher, stir together all of the starter ingredients until combined. Cover the top with plastic wrap and let set to rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
Make the dough
If the starter didn’t rise in the bread machine, place it there now and add the additional water, salt, flour, and yeast. Start the dough cycle.
Once the full cycle is done, apply nonstick spray or olive oil in a large bowl. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, flipping it to completely coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it doubles, about an hour. Prepare one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Weigh the dough and then turn it out in a lightly floured work space. Determine the desired size of rolls; for standard dinner-sized ones, twelve is ideal. Divide the dough accordingly, forming into balls by tucking the lumpier bits and seams underneath. Fill a saucer with water to dab fingertips to make smoothing the dough easier. Space rolls out on prepared pan(s). Lightly cover with plastic wrap.
Let rolls rise about 45 minutes. They should puff up. Preheat oven at 450-degrees.
Make the egg wash
Whisk together the egg and water. Remove and discard plastic wrap from rolls. Brush egg wash over the rolls.
Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Rolls should sound hollow when tapped. They are best eaten hot the day they are made, but if frozen promptly, they will reheat later for same-day eating and still taste delicious!
These Cocoa Pecan Brownies are perfect for when you have a chocolate emergency and need brownies, STAT.
(If you don’t know what might constitute a chocolate emergency, my gosh, why are you even here?)
In any case, these brownies are great because they mix up quickly in a big pot, and they are a pretty straightforward bake, too. If you don’t like pecans, okay. Omit the nuts entirely, or use walnuts, a mix of nuts, cocoa nibs, whatever. This recipe can flex!
The one necessity: you need to enjoy these things. Really savor them. Maybe even stash some in the freezer for when that next chocolate emergency strikes.
These classic cocoa-based brownies mix up fast in a big pot, making for easy clean-up!
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, brownies, chocolate, pecans
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
13×9 pan
Ingredients
1 1/2cupsunsalted butter 3 sticks
3cupswhite sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
12Tablespoonscocoa powder sifted
6eggs
1 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
1cupchopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
In a large saucepan, heat the butter and sugar together on medium heat, stirring often, just until the butter is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and cocoa powder. Add eggs one at a time, mixing in completely before adding the next. Stir in flour. Fold in the pecans.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the very middle passes the toothpick test. Cool at room temperature, speeding the process in fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board. Slice up. Store in a sealed container.
These Browned Butter Lamington Blondies are rich and indulgent, all chewy, chocolaty and good.
A lamington is an Australian dessert wherein pieces of sponge cake are rolled in chocolate and coconut. I haven’t gotten to try the real thing, but I can vouch for the fact that this home-baked version is delicious.
You start out with a blondie base that is rich on its own, with bountiful butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Then you go even more ultra by adding an ooey-gooey chocolate and coconut-laden topping.
The original version of the recipe, in the Bake from Scratch May/June 2019 issue, proposed this Lamington version as a modification for a standard Blondie recipe. I rewrote it to streamline the process and change out some ingredients. Like… this doesn’t need sweetened coconut. It’s already sweet enough!
As I live in Arizona and have a warm kitchen, I found it essential to chill these bars so that they could be sliced up. I stored them in the fridge afterward as well, but if you’re in a cooler area, that likely isn’t needed.
These rich, indulgent blondies are a fun twist on Australian Lamingtons. Make them to share with a crowd–these are dangerously good and oh-so-sweet!
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Australian
Keyword: bars, chocolate, coconut
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
13×9 pan
uneven spatula
Ingredients
Blondie Base
1 1/2cupsunsalted butter 3 sticks
3cupslight brown sugar packed
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonkosher salt
4large eggs room temperature
1Tablespoonvanilla extract
3cupsall-purpose flour
Topping
1cupunsweetened flaked coconut
1cupbittersweet chocolate chips
14-ouncessweetened condensed milk
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, stirring often until butter turns golden-brown with a nutty aroma, about 5 to 10 minutes. Pour into a small bowl to let stand at room temperature while the next steps are prepared.
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the browned butter. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract. Fold in flour until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, evening out with an uneven spatula.
Bake for 30 minutes. Middle needs to be set or the toppings will sink. Once that is done, no need to cool the base layer–remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle coconut over the top followed by the chocolate chips. Pour the sweetened condensed milk all over both.
Place pan back in oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until middle is molten. Let cool for a while at room temperature, then place in fridge to completely set and chill.
Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board. Slice. Store individually wrapped-up or in a sealed container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days.