Posted by Beth on Apr 6, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, cake, chocolate | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Triple-Marble Pound Cake
The Triple-Marble Pound Cake is tender, soft, and has three incredible complementary flavors combined in one cake. It’s not hard to make, either, though it does dirty a few extra dishes.
Oh yes, and it’s pretty, too. The interior reminds me of a calico cat!
Something I really like about this recipe is that it is no-frills. The flavors are all built into the dough itself. There’s no need for frosting or glaze. The end result is a nice, tidy slice. You can throw it in a sandwich bag or some plastic wrap, and this is great as a to-go snack of treat. It might get crushed, but it won’t melt (and that is always a concern in Arizona!).
The cake keeps well, too. Store it sealed at room temperature for up to four days. It’s also fantastic to freeze in slices to enjoy later.
Greatly modified from Bake from Scratch Sep/Oct 2020.
Bready or Not: Triple-Marble Pound Cake
This pound cake is marbled with three colorful flavors: chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. The texture is tender but still durable, making this a great cake to slice and take as a snack on the go!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: cake, caramel, chocolate, loaf cake
Author: Beth Cato
9×5 loaf pan
parchment paper
food scale
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 and a half sticks) softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup jarred caramel or dulce de leche
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate melted and cooled slightly
- 1 Tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven at 300-degrees. Cut a piece of parchment to fit like a sling inside the pan, extending up both long sides. Apply butter or nonstick spray in the pan, then set the parchment inside and spray it again.
Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients in with the wet, adding in the yogurt/sour cream as well.
Either by using a food scale or by eyeballing, divide the dough into three roughly equal portions.
If the caramel/dulce de leche is stiff, microwave briefly in a microwave-safe bowl to make it looser. Mix that into one portion of dough.
Add the cocoa powder with the melted chocolate, and fold that into a second portion of dough until the color is even throughout.
To the third portion, mix in the vanilla to completely incorporate.
Set a tablespoon with each portion. Scoop vanilla and chocolate to form a checkerboard-like formation in the bottom of the loaf pan. Add scoops of caramel dough sporadically over top. Tap pan to settle the dough. Repeat, mixing up the pattern so that different colors are near each other, tapping the pan on occasion. Once all of the dough is in the pan, use a butter knife to gently swirl for an extra marbling effect on the top. Tap pan again to level and work out bubbles.
Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes. Check the middle with a toothpick. If it’s still wet, bake longer, checking every few minutes for doneness. Once it passes the test, let cool on stove top for 10 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the loaf onto a rack to cool completely.
Cake can be served warm or at room temperature. It will keep for up to 4 days in a sealed container. It can also be frozen in slices for later enjoyment.
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Posted by Beth on Mar 30, 2022 in biscoff spread, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, chocolate | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are a delicious new twist on classic ingredients. They are incredibly thick, chewy, and indulgent, the kind of treat that makes a person want to continue nibbling away.
A big part of the deliciousness is the use of cookie butter. This is, essentially, pureed spice cookies with oil to form a peanut butter-like consistency, and they are indeed a perfect substitute for nut butters in most any recipe. The major brands are Biscoff Cookie Butter (carried at many major grocery chains in America) and Speculoos at Trader Joe’s.
Cookie butter enhances the inherent cookie dough flavor in any baked cookie/bar recipe. It’s also a delight to eat straight from the jar!
Add white chocolate chips and a generous amount of sugar and oats to that, and you really have a great combo.
These bars can be a little messy, but that’s okay. Every crumb is delicious!
Modified greatly from Bake from Scratch Magazine Sept/Oct 2018.
Bready or Not Original: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These chewy, slightly crumbly bars are packed with cookie butter, oats, and chocolate, the kind of stuff that will delight kids and adults alike!
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, chocolate, cookie butter, oats
Author: Beth Cato
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup creamy cookie butter
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 ounces white chocolate chips divided
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with a long piece of foil. Apple nonstick spray or grease with extra butter.
In a big bowl, beat together butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy. Add the cookie butter followed by the eggs and vanilla, scraping the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
In another bowl, stir together the flour, 2 cups of the oats, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mix. Using an offset spatula, spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Dough will be thick and somewhat sticky. Sprinkle half of the chocolate over the top. Dollop on the rest of the dough, spreading into an even later again. Sprinkle on the rest of the white chocolate chips along with the remaining 1/4 cup of oats.
Bake for 27 to 35 minutes. The middle should be set, not jiggly, and pass the toothpick test. Cool completely at room temperature and then the fridge (the bars will be firmer and less messy to slice if they are chilled).
Use the foil to lift contents onto a cutting board. Slice into pieces. Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
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Posted by Beth on Mar 23, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Cinnamon Swirl Cookies
These Cinnamon Swirl Cookies look like cinnamon rolls and are oh so good.
Unlike soft, pillowy rolls, these cookies are chewy when fresh and then become crispier after the first day.
The filling here is pretty simple: flour, cinnamon, and maple syrup. This makes a sweet, spreadable paste that I’d love to try in other baked goods as well.
One of the nice things about this recipe is that these cookies can be prepared and formed into logs, then stashed in the fridge or freezer for later baking. That makes them extra convenient for when you need to bake under a time crunch.
Greatly modified from Holiday Cookies 2019 from Bake from Scratch.
Bready or Not Original: Cinnamon Swirl Cookies
These beautiful Cinnamon Swirl Cookies look just like cinnamon rolls, but are chewy-crisp instead of pillowy soft. The dough can be made ahead and chilled or frozen for a convenient fast-bake later on. Makes about 48 cookies.
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookies
Author: Beth Cato
parchment paper
Rolling Pin
uneven spatula
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Filling
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
In a large bowl, beat butter until it is creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla, beating a few more minutes until combined.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet until it roughly forms a ball. Divide in half.
Lay out a piece of parchment and add a dusting of flour. Roll out a portion of dough to about an 11-inch square. Use parchment to move dough into fridge to chill. Repeat with other half of dough.
While that is chilling, make the filling. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, and maple syrup to create a thin, spreadable paste.
Pull out the dough one piece at a time. Use an uneven spatula to spread the filling to within 1/4 of the edges. Tightly roll up the dough to form a log. Wrap in parchment and set in fridge to chill at least two hours; it can also be encased in plastic wrap and frozen for later baking.
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with fresh parchment.
Use a sharp knife to slice dough into 1/4-inch pieces. Set slightly spaced out on parchment. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
Cool cookies completely. Store in a sealed container at room temperature. Cookies will be chewier the first day, then crisp up more.
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Posted by Beth on Mar 16, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, yeast bread | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Crescent Rolls
Crescent Rolls are a classic yeast bread side. This recipe guides you through the steps to make these tear-apart hot bready bits of heaven.
As I grew up, the only fresh crescent rolls I got to have came out of a can, and they were a real treat. Those still have a major advantage in convenience.
Here’s the thing, though–from-scratch rolls do take a while to make, but this recipe makes a big batch (24) and they are fantastic to freeze. That means if you dedicate a day to bread-making, you can portion out your rolls and freeze a bunch to last for weeks.
That also involves some measure of self-control, because these Crescent Rolls are AMAZING.
These things are enriched, meaning they include both milk and butter. That gives them a soft, tender texture inside. They are also brushed with butter before and after baking, because butter makes everything better.
There’s nothing quite like unspooling a hot, steamy Crescent Roll, the dough flaking apart between your fingertips.
Recipe modified from Bake from Scratch November-December 2018.
Bready or Not: Crescent Rolls
Homemade crescent rolls take some time but are straightforward to make using this recipe! The result is delicious rolls that keep well at room temperature for several days and can be frozen for later, too! Makes 24 rolls.
Course: Bread, Breakfast
Keyword: yeast bread
Servings: 24 rolls
Author: Beth Cato
kitchen scale
two large baking sheets
parchment paper
pizza cutter
pastry brush
- 4 1/4 cups bread flour
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter half stick, melted
Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attached, combine the flour, yeast, and salt.
Use a microwave or stove top to warm the milk, butter, sugar and honey to about 120-degrees (if it gets above that, give it a few minutes to drop down). Add the warm milk mixture to the flour until just combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Follow up with the egg and egg yolk, and continue to beat for about 6 more minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Add nonstick spray to a large bowl. Drop in the dough, flipping it to grease the surface all over. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until it is doubled, about 45 minutes.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Punch down the dough in the bowl. Lightly flour a work surface. Use a food scale to weigh the dough; divide it in half. Keep one of the halves covered while the other is rolled out to a foot-wide circle. Use a pizza cutter or knife to slice it into twelve triangles, like a pizza.
To form a crescent roll, start at the wide end of a dough piece and roll it up, tucking and pressing the pointed tip underneath. Set spaced-out on a prepared pan. Repeat to form more rolls. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap to rise another 45 minutes to an hour.
Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven at 375-degrees. Melt the half stick of butter and brush about half over the rolls.
Place both sheets on racks inside oven and bake for 7 minutes. Switch placement of baking sheets on the racks. Bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until they are a nice golden brown. Brush on the rest of the butter.
Eat immediately, while warmed, or at room temperature. Crescent rolls will keep in a sealed bag for at least 2 days, and can also be frozen for later enjoyment.
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