Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars
These Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars are thick and luscious with just the right balance of chocolate and cookie dough flavors.
If you’re one of those people who had just to discover the joys of cookie butter–you’re in for a treat! Think cookies blended with oil to create a spreadable mass just like peanut butter. There is nothing healthy about it, but it tastes like cookie dough. You can find it at Trader Joe’s as Speculoos and at other stores as Biscoff or as a generic.
Cookie butter can pretty much replace peanut butter in any recipe, or even on something as simple as a sandwich. Here, it’s great swirled in with brownie batter. Chocolate and cookie dough, ever the perfect combination.
Since the swirl-in includes cream cheese, be sure to refrigerate these after they’ve baked and cooled. They are divine straight from the fridge!
Bready or Not Original: Swirled Cookie Butter Brownie Bars
Equipment
- 13×9 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- uneven spatula
- cutting board
Ingredients
Brownie base
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup baking cocoa sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Cookie butter swirl-in
- 2 boxes cream cheese (8 ounces each) softened
- 1/2 cup creamy cookie butter
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In a big bowl, beat together eggs, butter, and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the brownie dry ingredients and gradually add them to the egg mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set aside 1 cup of the brownie batter for the topping. Scoop the rest into the prepared pan and use an uneven spatula to even it out.
- In another bowl, beat together the cream cheese blocks, cookie butter, and sugar. Once that is blended, add the egg and milk. Use an uneven spatula to spread the mixture in a thin layer across the top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the reserved brownie batter on top. Use the tip of the uneven spatula or a butter knife to create swirls.
- Bake pan for 35 to 40 minutes, until the very middle passes the toothpick test. Cool on a wire rack for an hour, then place in fridge to completely chill. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board. Slice up and store in a sealed container in the fridge. Keeps for at least 3 days.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies! These are simple, delicious classic cookies, with warm spices inside and out.
These were among the last cookies I made in Arizona as I was frantically trying to use up my remaining butter and eggs. I thought I had everything figured out, and then I realized (after I made the dough) that I’d already packed up all of my rolling pins. Whoops. Therefore, I used good ol’ arm muscle to flatten the dough, and I ended up satisfied with how they turned out!
That said, don’t be like me. Make your life easier and use a rolling pin! You’ll get more consistent cookies, for sure.
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- plastic wrap
- parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter
- cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Topping
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs. Gradually mix in the flour and pie spice. Roughly divide the dough in half, flattening each portion into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Tuck into the fridge overnight.
- Let dough sit out about 20 minutes to warm up enough to roll out. Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Prepare a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the topping ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- On a lightly floured flat surface, roll out one disc of cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Portion out using the cookie cutter. Press the top of each round into the topping mix and then set, spaced out, on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies ae set. Let sit on sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining dough, reassembling scraps to create more cookies. Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Chewy Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ready for fall, even if only psychologically? These Chewy Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are loaded with apple, cranberry, and walnut. They are autumn in a single bite!
I will always prefer chewy cookies over crisp ones, and these are especially chewy thanks to the apple pieces, dried cranberries, and walnut bits along with the oats. They are such a great combination!
I love using apple butter in this recipe because of the deeper flavor, but by all means, you can substitute applesauce. It’s certainly cheaper and easier to find. (Just to note, I have a great Crock Pot Apple Butter recipe on the old Live Journal if you want to make your own.)
Bready or Not Original: Chewy Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- parchment paper
- teaspoon scoop or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 baking apple such Granny Smith or Gala
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats also called rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup apple butter or applesauce
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 35-degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Peel apple and finely chop enough to fill 1/2 cup. This likely will not be an entire apple; eat and enjoy the rest.
- Mix together oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, apple butter, and egg. Gradually incorporate the contents of bowls. Fold in the chopped apple, cranberries, and walnuts.
- Use a teaspoon scoop or spoon to place dough, spaced on, on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set but still soft. Let sit on cookie sheet on stove for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Continue to bake rest of dough.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Finnish Almond Cookies
These Finnish Almond Cookies are a lot like a classic sugar cookie, but include a topping of brushed egg, almonds, and decorator sugar to make them a little more fancy.
You can shape these using a regular old knife or cookie cutters, but I used this recipe as an opportunity to use a rolling pastry cutter set I’ve had for years and never tried before. I loaded the rolling cutter, rolled it, and lo and behold, it worked great!
These cookies are soft and chewy. The butter and vanilla really come through. The almond pieces on top add a fantastic crunch in contrast. I imagine these would be great with chopped walnuts or pecans, too–I need to try that sometime!
Bready or Not Original: Finnish Almond Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- rolling pastry cutter or cookie cutter
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for surface
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or sliced almonds
- colored decorator sugar optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until they become light and fluffy. Beat in flour and vanilla, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. If the dough chills overnight, let it sit at room temperature for a bit before rolling out, as it can get quite firm.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Use a rolling pastry cutter or cookie cutters, shape cookies and move to parchment, granting each slight space to expand. Reform dough leftovers to shape more cookies.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg to break it up. Use a pastry brush to wash the top of each cookie with egg. Sprinkle almonds pieces atop each, followed by a dusting of decorator sugar, if using.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges turn a touch brown. Let sit on sheet a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cornish Fairings Cookies
Cornish Fairings Cookies (to use the American wording, as these would be Corning Fairings Biscuits at their point of origin in Cornwall) are light, delicious cookies that use golden syrup for flavor and sweetness.
Golden Syrup is a delicious ingredient out of the UK. Some recipes call for using a half and half mix of light corn syrup and honey to replace it in American recipes, but I’ve found that’s not a good replacement for the flavor. If you’re in the US, look for Lyle’s Golden Syrup in the British section of a grocery store or at World Market.
Ginger gives these cookies a pleasant warming element, but I should note that these aren’t heavy like most gingerbreads. This is something different, light and chewy.
Do note that I found these cookies got stiffer in texture after a day, but they were still delicious.
Adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking by Gemma Stafford.
Bready or Not: Cornish Fairings Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- food processor
- teaspoon scoop
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons golden syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a food processor, dice up butter. Add flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse to mix, scraping the blades clean as needed. Add golden syrup and pulse to incorporate.
- Use a teaspoon scoop to dole out dough, spaced out, on parchment paper. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until cookies are set and crackled across the top. Cool on sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to completely cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature; they will get stiffer in texture after a day, but the flavor is still wonderful.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Crunchy Biscuits
These are Crunchy Biscuits in the British sense–that is, they are crunchy cookies with a satisfying snap.
I found the recipe in Bigger Bolder Baking by Gemma Stafford [affiliate link], a book gifted to me by my mother-in-law. Gemma is Irish-born and now lives in America, and her fantastic cookbook has ingredients and cooking temperatures in both British and American measurements.
This small-batch recipe includes a quintessentially British ingredient, golden syrup, that has no real American parallel. I’ve seen some recommendations to substitute with half measures of light corn syrup and honey, and while that works as a liquid replacement, the flavor isn’t quite the same.
That said, golden syrup isn’t hard to find in America, it just tends to be expensive. Even in the wastelands of Phoenix, I could find Lyle’s Golden Syrup in the small British goods section of my local Fry’s (Kroger) chain.
Bready or Not: Crunchy Biscuits
Equipment
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- tablespoon scoop
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 2 2/3 cup rolled oats also called old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until it is soft and light in color. Add golden syrup. Follow up with the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, mixing until just combined.
- Use a tablespoon scoop to shape dough, rolling each lump briefly with hands to compress and flatten, then place spaced out two-inches apart on baking sheet. They will spread as they bake.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and set. Let them idle on the cookie sheet about 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
