Bready or Not: Almond Croissant Bars
These Almond Croissant Bars can’t match the texture of the real-deal, but the flavors? Oh yeah. Honestly, I think of the pastry base here as a buttery conveyance for the glories of frangipane.
Frangipane is one of my favorite things on the planet. Oh, you ask, what is frangipane? To quote Wikipedia, which has scarily become one of the better media platforms in this doomed timeline: “…A sweet almond-flavored custard, typical in French pastry, used in a variety of ways, including cakes and such pastries.”
Frangipane can be part of some very fancy, complicated desserts. This bar recipe is incredibly straightforward. You don’t even need to wash the bowl between making the crust and frangipane. This is the kind of treat that works well as a dessert but is also a fantastic breakfast or brunch item.
Bready or Not: Almond Croissant Bars
Equipment
- 9×9 or 8×8 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- uneven spatula
Ingredients
Crust:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Frangipane:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick) room temperature
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour or almond meal, sifted
Topping:
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Melt the butter, either in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven at 350. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan foil to extends up all four sides. Apply nonstick spray to base and sides.
- Mix together the unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg, both extracts, and kosher salt. It will become smooth and glossy.
- Beat in the flour and baking powder to form a thick batter. Spread into an even layer.
Make the frangipane:
- Beat together the butter, white sugar, and kosher salt the mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the two extracts followed by the eggs one at a time. The mixture may look curdled. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl again. Fold in the almond flour, mixing until everything is smooth.
- Dollop the frangipane over the base layer and smooth out using an uneven spatula. Evenly sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top and gently press in.
Bake and finish:
- Bake until golden brown and passes the toothpick test in the middle, 38 to 42 minutes. Let cool completely. Speed process in the fridge.
- Use foil to lift the contents onto cutting board. Sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Cut into pieces. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake
I love a good bundt cake, and this Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake is especially good. To me, it seems like a coffee cake with the spiced crumble on the inside!
I’ve had this recipe for years and years, clipped from a pretty old issue of Cook’s Country magazine. Their goal was to make a from-scratch version of the Duncan Hines cake mix recipe that dates to the 1970s–hence the very 1970s name.
They used a food processor, and so I did as well. It does make the cake-making extremely easy, and the crumb was light and soft, as they promised. However, the cake can be mixed by hand or with a mixer. If you do, however, be sure to chop the pecans.
Bready or Not: Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake
Equipment
- food processor
- large bundt cake or tube pan (12 cups)
- baking spray with flour
Ingredients
Streusel
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled a smidgen
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup pecans
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream or vanilla or plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled
Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or half & half
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
- The base recipe is written for the food processor, but the ingredients can be mixed by machine or hand as well, though the crumb will not be as fine.
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Use a baking spray with flour to fully coat every nook and cranny on the interior of the bundt or tube pan.
- Start by making the streusel. In the food processor, combine the flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Pulse until everything is ground down. Transfer to another bowl. Wipe out food processor (no need to do a thorough wash).
- Now it's time for the cake batter. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of the food processor, blend together sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually pour in the melted butter. Add the dry ingredient mix, pulsing until just combined.
- Pour about half the batter into the bundt pan. Sprinkle the streusel to cover. Pour on the other half of the batter. Smooth out the top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the center comes out clean. Cool for about 20 minutes, then carefully invert onto a rack to cool.
- After the cake is fully cool, mix up the glaze. The result should be thick and smooth. Place cake on cutting board or serving dish. Drizzle glaze over cake so it oozes down the sides. Let set about 2 hours, speeding the process in fridge, if desired.
- Slice and serve. Keeps well at room temperature for at least 4 days. Cake pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Irish Coffee Creamer Chocolate Mini Muffins
Lo, many years ago, I featured a recipe called Baileys Irish Coffee Creamer Chocolate Mini Muffins here on Bready or Not. As I had a big container of Irish creamer to finish up, I redid the recipe, changing up some details and adding a glaze.
Really, I think the glaze makes it. The Irish coffee creamer adds such a great flavor to chocolate!
I used a basic box of devil’s food cake mix from Aldi. Whatever brand you get, acquire a 15.25-ounce box, not the larger one.
Bready or Not Original: Irish Coffee Creamer Chocolate Mini Muffins
Equipment
- nonstick spray
- small cookie scoop
- mini muffin pan(s)
Ingredients
Mini muffins
- 15.25 oz chocolate cake mix box such as devil’s food
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup nonalcoholic Irish coffee creamer
- 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 4-5 Tablespoons Irish coffee creamer
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep mini muffin pans(s) by applying a heavy coating of nonstick spray in the wells. Note that the recipe makes about 70 mini muffins, so having multiple pans will speed up the process. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil, and Irish coffee creamer. Once there are no clumps, add the chocolate chips. Batter will be a little runny.
- Use a teaspoon scoop to fill the wells about 2/3 full. Do NOT fill to top, as they will grow during baking.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are springy and the innermost muffins pass the toothpick test. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Use a fork to pry them out and onto a rack to cool. If some chocolate chips stick to the pan, try to pop them back into the muffins… or just eat them.
- If you’re reusing the pan to do another batch, use a paper towel to swipe out the wells before adding fresh nonstick spray. Refill with batter and continue.
- Once the muffins are cooled, place them close together in rows on parchment paper.
- Mix the glaze ingredients to form a thick glaze. Either drizzle lines across the muffins or add a small spoon onto each. Let set an hour or so until glaze is firm.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
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: Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
It’s New Year’s Eve. This year was… something, wasn’t it? Yeah. Something. But now it is almost over, and let’s celebrate with some cake! How about this Brown Sugar Bundt Cake?
The high amount of brown sugar creates magic. The bake results in a crisp, caramelized exterior, while the crumb is soft and sweet and moist.
This cake is fantastic all by itself, but you could also add whipped cream, ice cream, fruit, all kinds of things. It’ll serve as a breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Modified from the King Arthur Flour Catalog, May 2017.
Bready or Not: Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
Equipment
- bundt pan
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- confectioners sugar to dust
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Fully grease a large bundt pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Gradually mix in about half of the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the sour cream and vanilla, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate. Mix in the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Pour batter into the bundt pan and level out. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes; the middle should pass the toothpick test. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to completely cool.
- Before slicing and serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Store covered at room temperature. Slices can also be individually wrapped and frozen for later.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake
There’s something especially cozy and right about a pumpkin and spice bundt cake in the autumn. This Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake hits all those notes perfectly… and that took some effort on my part, as I actually had two fail-cakes in the process of developing this recipe.
This isn’t a heavily sweet cake. There is no dense glaze. This cake is really all about pumpkin and spice, with the chocolate and apple butter beautifully complementary.
This is the kind of cake that functions well for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10-cup bundt pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup half & half or milk
- confectioners’ sugar to dust top
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Generously apply nonstick spray to a 10-cup bundt pan.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, apple butter, and eggs until no eggy streaks remain. Add pumpkin puree and half & half. Fold in the dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl to incorporate everything.
- Pour batter into pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test.
- Let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar over the top. Slice and serve. Cake can also be sliced, wrapped, and frozen for later enjoyment.
