Bready or Not Original: Honey Nut Apple Bars
Most apple bars have, well, apples in them, the fresh sort. This Honey Nut Apple Bar recipe is different. It uses a small amount of apple butter or applesauce, and that little but goes a long way.
These bars are imbued with apple flavor, spice, and honey sweetness, all of which perfectly complement the crunchy walnuts throughout.
This is a bar that’d be great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Bready or Not Original: Honey Nut Apple Bars
Equipment
- 13×9 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Bars
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/4 cup apple butter or applesauce
- 1/4 cup runny honey
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Icing
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 Tablespoons runny honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil. Add nonstick spray or grease with butter.
- In a bowl, combine both flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the oil, egg, apple butter, and honey. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the walnuts.
- Spread batter in pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Immediately make the icing. Spread over the bars; it may look lumpy at first, but the heat will smooth it out as it is evened.
- Cool bars completely, speeding the process in the fridge if desired. Use foil to lift bars onto cutting board to slice up; place waxed paper between stacked layers. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let’s start off the new year with a new, original cookie recipe: Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies! This is a riff on my old favorite Soft Batch-style Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These cookies feature chocolate melted into the dough. Of course, they still feature chocolate chips as well. That said, the chocolate flavor here is quite gentle, a contrast to heavily chocolaty things like brownies.
Note that the brown tint of the dough can make it trickier to visually gauge doneness in the oven. Look for the cookies to be set, not gooey.
Bready or Not Original: Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips a mix is great
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a few short bursts, taking care not to overcook. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool a smidge.
- Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in the melted chocolate chips, blending until it forms a consistent brown color. Slowly mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Place parchment on baking sheet.
- Scoop the dough using a teaspoon or small scoop, spacing apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until set in middle. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to rack.
- Store in a sealed container. Keeps well for at least 3 days.
