Bready or Not Original: Shortbread-Crust Brownies
If you like brownies that aren’t quite so hardcore on chocolate, these Shortbread-Crust Brownies are for you! The golden, buttery base provides the perfect complement to the chocolate flavor.
Also, I daresay, it makes these bars even prettier. Look at that lovely color contrast!
This recipe uses a 13×9 pan, so make this big batch to share with a crowd.
Bready or Not Original: Shortbread-Crust Brownies
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- foil
- nonstick spray
- wax paper
- heavy glass
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) cold
Brownie layer
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 ounces chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or extra butter.
- In a bowl, combine the three crust ingredients, cutting in the butter until everything is crumbly. Spread out on bottom of prepared pan. Use a piece of wax paper and a heavy glass to press down crumbs into an even layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until set and golden.
- In a large bowl, beat together flour, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, egg, vanilla, and baking powder. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to be sure to combine everything. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the middle is no longer jiggly and passes the toothpick test.
- Cool completely, speeding process in fridge, if desired. Use the foil to lift the brownies onto a cutting board. Slice into bars. Store in sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
POSTPONED: Signing in Duluth
I’m very sad to announce that my author signing at the Bookstore at Fitger’s in Duluth, originally set for April 4th, needs to be rescheduled. Winter is not going away without a fight, alas. I’ll post again once we have a new date!
In the meantime, hey, they already have my books in stock, so if you’re in Duluth, please pop in and show support by buying a book or five! The image below is from their Instagram; they are well worth a follow.
Bready or Not: Rice Cooker Risotto
No fooling here. I’m sharing a real recipe for Rice Cooker Risotto that will rock your world if you make risotto but hate the tedious stir-stir-stir nature of the usual version.
I have a more traditional take on risotto on Bready or Not, one that uses pancetta. I will never make this old version again.
The rice cooker is the way to go. Instead of being stuck at the stove for about an hour, babysitting a pot and stirring a lot, I get to add ingredients in two batches and then spend about 10-15 minutes stirring at the end. That’s it.
Please note that I’ve now made this several times using my Zojirushi, which holds 3 cups max. This recipe fills the bowl pretty well, which means the hardest part is not spilling ingredients during the final stirring phase. If you have a larger pot, then things will be much easier! In my cooker, the white rice is done in 45 minutes. This cooking phase will vary with machines, of course, but generally speaking, this is a recipe that will be done in about an hour with little effort involved.
Bready or Not: Rice Cooker Risotto
Equipment
- rice cooker (3 cup minimum capacity)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons dried shallots
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 3 to 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth divided
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more for serving
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 ounces shredded Parmesan plus more for serving
Instructions
- In the bowl of the rice cooker, place shallots, garlic, arborio rice, wine, 2 cups broth, 4 Tablespoons butter in pieces, salt, and pepper. Close the lid and set to cook on WHITE RICE SETTING.
- As soon as the timer goes off, set the rice cooker to WARM if it does not automatically do so. Open the lid and add the lemon juice, peas, Parmesan, and 1 cup broth. Cut the last 4 Tablespoons of butter into pieces and add to bowl. Stir until the butter and cheese are melted–this is the hardest part of the whole recipe, as the bowl may be quite full.
- Drizzle in more broth about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each time, until the risotto reaches the desired consistency. (Note that having leftover broth may be a good thing if you also have leftover risotto, as the risotto will thicken a lot when chilled and will need some broth stirred in to loosen it during reheating.)
- Once the consistency is right, add more cheese, salt, and pepper, if desired. Serve risotto by itself or with added meat such as chicken, and of course, more of the white wine to wash down the food.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Buttered Pecans
This Buttered Pecans recipe is very simple. In under 30 minutes, you’ll have a nice serving of toasted, sugared nuts that can be divided for use as gifts or offered up to feed people at a gathering.
Or, if you’re like me, make them for yourself and enjoy them alongside cheese for a few weeks.
These pecans are not thickly coated with sugar, though you may get some sweet globs depending on how things are stirred together at the end.
Bready or Not Original: Buttered Pecans
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 cups whole pecans
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Preheat oven or air fryer at 325 degrees.
- Combine brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Measure pecans into the baking pan. Pinch off some of the soft butter and rub it into the pecans. Repeat until all of the butter is coating the pecans. Pour on the sugar mix and stir to coat.
- Bake pecans for 5 minutes. Stir. Bake 10 more minutes. Taking care, because this stuff is hot, scoop up any liquified sugar and coat the nuts. Transfer the pecans to a plate or another pan to cool.
- Start enjoying after the nuts have cooled to a safe level. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for upwards of 3 weeks.
