Posts made in March, 2024

Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

Posted by on Mar 27, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, chocolate, quick bread | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

These Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves are an easy make-ahead breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Use fresh or frozen raspberries–I used frozen!

Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

I have a Pampered Chef Stoneware loaf pan that I swore I’d use more often because I bothered to haul the big thing from Arizona. It has spaces for four small loaves. This recipe can be made with that kind of pan, or use 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch disposable pans. The individual pans, with a tasty baked treat inside, are great for gift-giving!

Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

Use any kinds of chocolate chips with this recipe, or a mix. Flavor-wise, I’d prefer white chocolate here, but brown chips or chunks certainly look better for pictures.

Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

Modified from a muffin recipe at King Arthur Flour.

Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

Make mini loaves packed with fruit and chocolate that are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! Modified from King Arthur Flour.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: chocolate, mini loaves, quick bread, raspberries
Servings: 8 half loaves
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • Mini loaf pan with four spaces or 4-count 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 disposable pans
  • nonstick spray

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Batter

  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 3/4 cup milk or half & half
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips any kind
  • 1 cup raspberries fresh or frozen
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the loaf pans.

Make the topping

  • Mix the topping ingredients together until the mixture is very moist and crumbly. Set aside. If the kitchen is warm, place the bowl in the fridge.

Make the loaves

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk or half & half, and eggs.
  • Measure the flour into a large bowl. Into separate bowls, place the chocolate chips and the raspberries. Add a generous scoop of flour to the chocolate chips and toss them to coat. Repeat with the raspberries. This coating will help them to resist sinking in the batter.
  • To the remaining flour, add the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold in the chocolate chips, followed by the raspberries.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans. Sprinkle the topping over each loaf to cover, pressing it in slightly to help it adhere.
  • Bake for 25 to 35 minutes; separated pans may cook faster. When done, they should be browned across the top and pass the toothpick test in the middle. Cool for 30 minutes. If using a large pan with four mini loaves inside it, run a sharp knife around the edges of each divot and then carefully tip the loaves onto a pan or counter. Set them on a rack to completely cool.
  • Store loaves in a sealed container at room temperature or freeze soon after making. Eat at room temperature or warmed in the microwave.

OM NOM NOM!

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    Bready or Not: Mini Focaccia for Two

    Posted by on Mar 20, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, side dish, yeast bread | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Mini Focaccia for Two

    This Mini Focaccia recipe creates the perfect serving amount for two people to use as a side with a nice meal!

    Bready or Not: Mini Focaccia for Two

    One blessing/curse of most bread recipes is that they can make a lot of bread. This can be problematic if a person has limited freezer space or simply doesn’t want leftovers.

    Bready or Not: Mini Focaccia for Two

    Let this recipe come to the rescue. It uses only about a cup of flour to create a small, thin loaf, the perfect size for, say, a yeast bread side for a date night or for one person to even use as a treat for a meal or two.

    Bready or Not: Mini Focaccia for Two

    I completely rewrote this recipe from a poorly written, confusing one that I found online.

    Bready or Not: Mini Focaccia for Two

    Need a small focaccia loaf to feed a couple people as a supper side dish? This is the recipe for you! A food scale is a must, as all ingredients are done by weight measurements for precise results.
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: yeast bread
    Servings: 2
    Author: Beth Cato

    Equipment

    • food scale
    • bench knife or spatula
    • towel or plastic wrap
    • loaf pan

    Ingredients

    • 120 grams all-purpose flour or bread flour
    • 3 grams kosher salt
    • 5 grams white sugar
    • 90 grams warm water 90-110 degrees
    • 3 grams active yeast
    • 10 grams extra virgin olive oil plus about 2 Tablespoons for pan
    • Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning
    • flaked sea salt

    Instructions

    • In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and sugar. Pour the warm water into the middle. Sprinkle yeast on top and wait a minute for it to begin to bloom. Add oil, then mix dough together.
    • Use a bench knife or spatula to begin folding the dough over, turning the bowl to knead from different angles. Dough will be very sticky. Work it until it can form a small ball.

    Cover dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes.

    • Using a damp hand or the bench knife, knead the bread, folding it over repeatedly until it begins to tighten.

    Cover again to rest for 15 minutes.

    • Knead again using the same method. It may still be somewhat sticky, but the dough's texture should be smooth.
    • Add about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the loaf pan. Use fingertips to rub it across bottom and sides. Transfer the dough to the pan. Use already-oiled fingers to stretch it out toward the sides of the pan, but don’t expect it to make contact.

    Cover pan and let dough rise.

    • After about 30 minutes, oil fingers again and push and stretch dough with fingertips to reach the sides and corners of the pan. It's okay if fingertips touch the bottom or tear the dough; it'll rise again. Cover pan again to rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Right before putting the focaccia in the oven, drizzle more oil over the top. If desired, add a sprinkling of herb seasoning and a sprinkle of flaked salt.
    • Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is a nice golden brown. Pull pan from oven. Carefully tip the bread out onto a cutting board and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
    • Enjoy right away. Leftovers, if there are any, can be stored in a sealed bag and reheated later.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

      Posted by on Mar 13, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, chicken, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

      These Custard/Powder Chocolate Chip Cookie are made with a recipe I first featured back in 2015. It’s time to revisit it!

      Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

      Custard powder isn’t common in the States. It’s very much a British/Canadian thing. Bird’s Custard Powder, in particular, is an important kitchen item. However, if you don’t have a canister of Bird’s available–or it’s prohibitively expensive–you can buy good ol’ instant vanilla pudding powder and use it instead.

      Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

      This recipe makes a huge batch of cookies–about 80, if using a small scoop. Therefore, I find this recipe is a good opportunity to divide the dough and freeze half for later.

      Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

      Whatever your pudding powder of choice, give these a try. Live deliciously.

      Bready or Not Original: Custard/Pudding Powder Chocolate Chip Cookies Redux

      Custard powder or pudding powder in the dough creates a vanilla-rich cookie that will make your taste buds sing. A Bready or Not Original.
      Course: Dessert, Snack
      Cuisine: British, Canadian
      Keyword: chocolate, cookies, custard powder
      Servings: 80 cookies
      Author: Beth Cato

      Ingredients

      • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
      • 1 cup white sugar
      • 1 cup brown sugar packed
      • 2 large eggs room temperature
      • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
      • 3 cups all-purpose flour
      • 6 Tablespoons custard powder or instant vanilla pudding powder
      • 1 teaspoon baking soda
      • 1 teaspoon salt
      • 11 ounces chocolate chips 1 bag

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
      • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract.
      • In another bowl, stir together the flour, custard/pudding powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly blend the dry ingredients with the butter mix. Add the chocolate chips.
      • Use a large cookie scoop or spoon to place dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
      • Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

      OM NOM NOM!

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        Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake

        Posted by on Mar 6, 2024 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, cake | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake

        Cake is good. This Berry Butter Cake, loaded with fruit, is very good.

        Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake

        This cake features a tender, moist crumb that provides a delicious cushion for things like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. It’s not fancy.

        Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake

        I modified this a lot from Bake from Scratch Magazine, adjusting some ingredients and other directions. The bake time was way too long, for starters. I was also perturbed that they call for vanilla extract in the glaze, but obviously used clear vanilla extract for their picture, because using regular extract muddies the glaze.

        Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake

        This cake is great to freeze and thaw later, even weeks later. It stores beautifully sealed up in the fridge or at room temperature.

        Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake

        This buttery-fresh is a single layer loaded with berries of your choice, fresh or frozen! Greatly modified from Bake from Scratch July/August 2023.
        Author: Beth Cato

        Equipment

        • 9-inch springform pan
        • parchment paper
        • nonstick spray

        Ingredients

        Cake:

        • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
        • 1 cup white sugar
        • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
        • 2 large eggs room temperature
        • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
        • 2 cups all-purpose flour
        • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
        • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
        • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
        • 3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk, see note

        Fruit:

        • 1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen berries such as raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries (210 grams)
        • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

        Vanilla Glaze:

        • 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar plus more if needed
        • 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half, plus more if needed
        • 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

        Instructions

        • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Prepare springform pan by cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit inside. Use nonstick spray on interior of pan, then place cut parchment inside and spray again.
        • Beat together butter and both sugars until they are light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
        • In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter bowl alternatively with the buttermilk/soured milk. Scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times.
        • In another bowl, stir the flour into the fruit to coat it. Reserving 1/4 cup of fruit, fold most of it into the batter. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved fruit over the top.
        • Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake looks golden brown and the middle passes the toothpick test. Let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then pop open the springform ring to remove it. Let cake cool completely on rack.
        • Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl until they are smooth. Add more confectioners’ sugar or milk, if necessary, to achieve a thick but good consistency for drizzling. Immediately drizzle across the top of the cake. Let set at least 20 minutes before slicing in.
        • Cake keeps well in sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen in individual slices for weeks or kept in fridge.

        OM NOM NOM!

          Notes

          Make soured milk by pouring about a Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a liquid measuring cup, then add milk or half & half to reach the 3/4 cup line required by this recipe. Let it sit about 10 minutes. It should start to thicken and curdle. Add all of that acidic goodness to the batter.
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