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.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake
I’m sharing this recipe today to help folks out there be prepared for an awesome way to use up leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays: use it to fill this Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake.
And if you don’t have cranberry sauce–or the full amount this recipe calls for? Use a thick fruit jelly, jam, or preserve.
The texture of this is like a pound cake, moist and soft. It’s perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10 cup bundt pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce or thick fruit jelly, jam, or preserve
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream or plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
Make bundt cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.
- If the cranberry sauce or other filling is cold from the fridge, zap slightly in microwave to bring to room temperature and loosen.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and sour cream.
- Spoon about half the batter into the pan. Use a spoon to create a deep trench in the batter going all the way around the pan. Spoon in the cranberry sauce to fill the trench, taking care that it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan; if it touches, it may stick and make cake removal trickier.
- Pour the remaining batter over the top. Smooth out.
- Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes inside the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack. Cool cake completely.
Make glaze
- In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add more sugar or milk as needed to form a thick texture. Drizzle over the cake. Let set 30 minutes before cutting.
- Cake can be stored under a dome at room temperature. It can also be sliced and individually wrapped to freeze.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Apple Galettes for Two
This recipe for Apple Galettes for Two is perfect for a special occasion breakfast or brunch, especially if the dough is prepared a day or two ahead of time!
Apple is used two ways to fill these tarts: it is thinly sliced, and also minced or grated. Apple infuses every bite in the best kind of way.
The directions are long but the actual procedure isn’t complex. The result, however, is rustic and beautiful, and tastes as good as it looks!
Modified from Tiny Apple Tarts for Two at King Arthur Flour.
Bready or Not: Apple Galettes for Two
Equipment
- food scale
- plastic wrap
- parchment paper
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 1 medium firm baking apple or two small apples such as Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp (200g to 220g)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice divided
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar divided
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- pinch table salt
Topping
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon half & half or milk or water
- 1 Tablespoon maple sugar or turbinado sugar
- jarred caramel optional
Instructions
Make the dough
- Stir together the flour and salt. Use a knife to dice up butter. Use a fork and fingers to break the butter down to small pieces, coated in flour.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of the water and stir in. Add tiny increments, mixing between each addition, just until the dough can form clumps when pressed. Form into a cohesive ball.
- Place down two long pieces of plastic wrap. Use the food scale to divide dough in half. Compress each lump into a small disk. Encase each in plastic wrap and chill until firm, for at least 30 minutes or as long as a day or two.
Make filling
- Begin by preparing the apple or apples. Peel, core, and halve. Cut one half into thin slices. Transfer these slices to a bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Reduce the other half of the apple(s) to small pieces by either finely dicing or grating on the large holes of a box grater. Place pieces in bowl. Toss with other 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon sugar. Stir in the flour, pumpkin spice, and salt.
- On a lightly-floured piece of parchment, roll each chilled dough disk into a rounds about 6-inches in diameter. Divide the diced/grated apple mixture between the rounds; this will be about 1/4 cup in each. Spread out apple bits to form even layers in the center, leaving a 1-inch ring of bare dough around the edge.
- Arrange apple slices on top of the grated apple, overlapping in circles.
- Cut 1-inch slits in dough edge, each about 2-inches apart. Fold flaps in toward center, overlapping them. Press lightly to seal.
- Use the parchment to move galettes onto a baking sheet. Chill uncovered for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Start preheating oven at 425.
Add topping
- Crack egg into small bowl. Lightly beat in half & half, milk, or water. Use a pastry brush to coat the folded-over dough crust on each galette. Sprinkle the maple or turbinado sugar over the crust.
- Bake the apple tarts for about 20 to 25 minutes. If desired, drizzle caramel over the apple center of each galette. Place back in oven to bake another 5 minutes. Apple slices in center will be fork-tender when the tarts are done.
- Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve.


















