Sunday Quote has a Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge recipe up on Wednesday
Read More“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
~ Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
Bready or Not: Lemon Shortbread Bites
If you love lemon, brace yourself. These Lemon Shortbread Bites are small, delicious, and poppable like potato chips.
This recipe would be perfect for a potluck or picnic or shower. Anywhere where you need small cookies that aren’t necessarily filling… if you manage to restrain yourself.
These things are sandy and light in texture, and the lemon glaze gives a refreshing, bright flavor that isn’t hardcore sweet.
That’s what makes these so dangerous. They are cookies you can easily grab by the handful.
If you have clear vanilla extract, that’s ideal for this recipe so that it doesn’t tint the glaze. But regular ol’ vanilla will certainly do.
I don’t know how long these cookies will keep. They tend to vanish rather quickly.
Modified from Pink Cake Plate.
Bready or Not: Lemon Shortbread Bites
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract clear, if available
- yellow or white sanding sugar optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Gradually add in the flour, lemon extract, and zest.
- Lay out plastic wrap. Dump dough onto the surface and form into a 6-inch square about 3/4 inch thick. Completely wrap dough and set in fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Using a knife or bench knife, cut dough into small squares; note that they will spread in the oven. Set up on parchment-covered cookie sheet, with cookies spaced out.
- Bake 22 to 26 minutes, or until cookies are set and turning golden. Use parchment to slide them onto another surface to cool or let cool on cookies sheet.
- Mix confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, until it forms thick but oozy consistency. Drizzle glaze over cookies. If desired, immediately sprinkle sanding sugar on top to create a glittery shine.
- OM NOM NOM!
Sunday Quote hides from the heat
Read More“It is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly.”
~C. J. Cherryh
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Bars
Last month I shared a recipe for Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars. This time around, I’m sharing easy and straightforward Apple Butter Bars.
This is a totally original recipe out of necessity. I tried another recipe, and ended up with a crumbly mess. Therefore, I decided to adapt my Lemon Cheesecake Bar recipe.
That attempt turned out perfect. It’s fast to make, as you don’t have to bake in stages, and the end result was cohesive.
Do note that these are best chilled. They will get softer if kept at room temperature for a while.
The taste is phenomenal. The crumb layers taste like vanilla shortbread, with a sporadic crunch from nuts. The thin layer of apple butter adds just the right about of spice and flavor.
This would be great with other fruit butters, too!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup walnuts chopped finely
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups apple butter or other fruit butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, blend together flour, walnuts, confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla, until it is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crumbs; press the rest into the ready pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are turning golden brown and crust is set.
- Pour apple butter over crust and smooth to edges. Crumble reserved flour mixture all over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature then chill in fridge. Use foil to lift out bars to slice. Store in sealed container in the fridge for maximum flavor and cohesiveness.
- OM NOM NOM!
SFF Grand Book Giveaway!
Psst, want to enter to win a bunch of awesome books–no matter where you live in the world? The winner gets over a dozen books total from me, Kate Heartfield, SL Huang, Aliette de Bodard, Jim C. Hines, JY Yang, and Kate Elliott!
While we’re encouraging entrants to sign up for our mailing lists, in keeping with new GDRP rules from Europe, there is no requirement to sign up for a single list. When you click on the author buttons, you get to choose if you want to sign up for a list or not. (If you’re already subscribed to my Cato Log, that means you can easily enter this by choosing the ‘don’t subscribe’ option.)
This contest runs through June 25th.
#SFWAPro
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