Bready or Not Original: Cadbury Egg Brownies 13×9 Size (Redux)

Posted by on Mar 26, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, brownies, chocolate | 0 comments

Eight years have passed since I shared one of my signature recipes: it is time to revisit Cadbury Egg Brownies.

Bready or Not Original: Cadbury Egg Brownies 13x9 Size (Redux)

These homemade brownies taste like the Cadbury Eggs I was obsessed with as a kid. If you’re not familiar with this candy, it features a hollow chocolate egg the size of a real large chicken egg. Inside is a gooey super-sweet filling that is white and yellow to simulate the white and yolk of a real egg.

These special brownies are not hard to make; if you can make brownies from scratch, you can do this recipe. There is some extra planning involved, though, as the layers must be worked on in spurts, with chilling time in between.

Bready or Not Original: Cadbury Egg Brownies 13x9 Size (Redux)

Truly, these Cadbury Egg Brownies are a showstopper recipe. They look cool. They taste amazing. Keep in mind that this recipe makes a lot, so do make sure you’re sharing these with a crowd.

Bready or Not: Cadbury Egg Brownies

These Cadbury Egg Brownies taste like the candy, but better, as the brownie base balances with the acute sweetness of the top layers. This recipe produces a full 13×9 pan of goodness; make this to share with a crowd!
Course: Dessert, Snack
Keyword: bars, brownies, chocolate
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • 9×13 pan
  • aluminum foil or parchment paper
  • uneven spatula
  • microwave safe bowl or double boiler

Ingredients

For Brownies:

  • 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
  • 12 ounces milk chocolate chopped
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For Cream Filling:

  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (half stick) room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
  • yellow food coloring gel

For Glaze:

  • 8 ounces milk chocolate chopped
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter half stick, cut into cubes

Instructions

Brownie stage

  • Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, making sure to overlap the sides to create handles. Cover with nonstick spray.
  • Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt (and espresso powder, if using) in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or in slow increments in microwave. Stir until smooth. Whisk in sugars and stir until dissolved and mixture has cooled slightly, then add eggs and vanilla extract until just combined.
  • Fold together the chocolate and flour mixes until just incorporated. Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Cream filling stage

  • Beat together corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, mixing until creamy.
  • Dump 3/4 of the cream mixture on top of cooled brownies and spread into an even layer. Add a drop of yellow food coloring gel to remaining cream mixture and stir until evenly colored. Drop dollops of yellow cream on top of white layer, and then swirl gently with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set.

Glaze stage

  • Slowly melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or microwave bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour over cream filling, carefully spreading into a thin, even layer.
  • Chill in the fridge long enough for the chocolate to not quite harden, 15-20 minutes, OR let it chill for several hours and then let set at room temperature for about 15 minutes. The chocolate needs to be soft enough to cut through without cracking, but not soft enough to smear with each cut.
  • Use the foil/paper to lift the entire block out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Using a large sharp knife, cut into 2-inch squares. Keep in sealed container in fridge; brownies will keep upward of a week.

OM NOM NOM!

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    Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

    Posted by on Mar 19, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies | 0 comments

    These Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies taste eerily like birthday cake. They are super-sweet, vivid in flavor and color.

    Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

    I confess, I love rainbow sprinkles. They are just so FUN. They are so easy to customize, too. Go classical just-because, or to celebrate pride. Or use colors of a favorite team, or to designate a certain holiday.

    Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

    Note that the cookie dough here needs to chill for at least a few hours, but can also wait in the fridge for a couple days. I think this dough is a great one to make ahead to spare yourself some extra effort on baking day!

    Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

    Bready or Not Original: Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

    These super-sweet cookies really do taste like a cookie version of birthday cake! Note that the dough needs to chill prior to baking.
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Keyword: cookies, sprinkles
    Author: Beth Cato

    Equipment

    • plastic wrap
    • parchment paper
    • cookie scoop or spoon

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
    • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
    • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup bread flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons milk or half & half
    • 1 cup rainbow sprinkles plus 1/2 cup for topping

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, beat butter and white sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and almond extracts.
    • In another bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture along with the milk. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make certain everything is incorporated. Fold in the sprinkles.
    • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set to chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
    • When it is baking time, preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place the topping sprinkles in a small bowl.
    • Shape the cookies by using a scoop or a spoon. Dip the top of each round into the sprinkles. Set spaced out on the cookie sheet.
    • Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until set. Let them rest on the sheet about 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
    • Pack into a sealed container and store at room temperature.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

      Posted by on Mar 12, 2025 in Blog, Bready or Not, brownies, chocolate | 0 comments

      These Roasted Cherry Brownies are thick, soft, and cakey, the strong chocolate flavor complemented by cherries in most every bite.

      Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

      I looked to two older recipes of mine for inspiration as I came up with a new recipe: Fudgy Chocolate Chunk Brownies and a Roasted Cherry Brownies version I did on the original LiveJournal Bready or Not.

      Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

      The result of this combo? Lush brownies that are the perfect melding of chocolate and cherry. This may become your new favorite brownie recipe.

      Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

      Bready or Not Original: Roasted Cherry Brownies

      Sugary roasted cherries take these brownies to the next level! These are truly indulgent.
      Course: Dessert
      Keyword: brownies, cherries, chocolate
      Author: Beth Cato

      Equipment

      • rimmed cookie sheet
      • cherry pitter
      • 9×13 dish
      • aluminum foil
      • uneven spatula

      Ingredients

      Cherries

      • 2 cups fresh red cherries
      • 3 Tablespoons white sugar

      Brownie Batter

      • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
      • 8 ounces dark chocolate
      • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
      • 1/2 cup cocoa powder sifted
      • 1/2 teaspoon salt
      • 2 cups white sugar
      • 6 large eggs room temperature
      • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips or a mix

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Wash and pit cherries, then cut them in half. Place on rimmed cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Roast for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325.
      • In a large microwave-safe bowl or in a pot on the stovetop, melt together the butter and dark chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
      • Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
      • Return to the large container with the melted butter and chocolate. Stir in the white sugar until no pale streaks remain. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until no white is visible. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips and most of the cherries.
      • Pour batter into the prepared dish. Use an uneven spatula to spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate and cherries over the top.
      • Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Set on a rack to cool for at least an hour, speeding process in fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice up. Store in a sealed container at room temperature. Keeps for at least 3 days.

      OM NOM NOM!

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        Four poems on the 2025 Rhysling Long List

        Posted by on Mar 6, 2025 in anthology:poem, awards, Blog | 0 comments

        four poems

        Four of my poems were nominated for the Rhysling Award long list! A jury will decide the finalists from here. This is the first year that the Hugo Awards have a poetry category, and I’m hopeful that people will consider these already-recognized poems for that award as well.

        Here are links to each of them:

        Short form:

        Long Form:

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