Bready or Not

Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Posted by Beth on Feb 6, 2019 in bacon, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, chocolate, pork | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These soft, chewy blondies are savory, sweet, and amazing–and my original creation.

The year 2018 was awful in a lot of ways, but it offered one bonus: frequent sales on bacon at my regular grocery stores around Phoenix. I developed quite a strategic stockpile.

I then realized, hey, I should try baking bacon into more sweets. After all, my bacon fat chocolate chip cookies are among my most popular recipes.

I didn’t have a lot of free time, though. I wanted something to bake up fast, without a lot of fuss. Therefore, cookies were out. I wanted bars.

To my surprise, I couldn’t find an existing recipe that appealed to me. I decided that if I wanted soft, chewy bacon and chocolate chip bars, I needed to develop my own recipe.

That’s exactly what I did.

This is a recipe that utilizes sweet and savory together, and it’s a must-bake for any bacon lovers.

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Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These soft, chewy bars combine sweet and savory by using bacon and bacon fat along with loads of butter and chocolate chips.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bacon, bars, chocolate

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 2 Tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips divided
• 4 slices thick-cut cooked bacon chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and grease with butter or nonstick spray.
• Cream together the butter and bacon fat. Mix in the sugars until pale and fluffy, then add the vanilla and eggs.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet, until just combined. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips along with the chopped bacon.
• Press dough into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool until room temperature. Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board for easy slicing. Keep stored in sealed containers at room temperature or in the fridge.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Praline Snickerdoodles

Posted by Beth on Jan 30, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Praline Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are a regular theme on Bready or Not, and this time I present you with a praline version!

These Praline Snickerdoodles are absolutely divine. Bits of pecan add a soft crunch, and Heath pieces add an entirely different kind of crunch.

These new textures and flavors add a lot to the already-awesome taste of snickerdoodles.

I had a hard time choosing which pictures to feature. These cookies were incredibly photogenic.

Plan ahead when you make these. The dough needs at least a couple hours to chill. I love to make the dough a day in advance so I can start baking at will.

I wish I could say how long these will keep, but my husband takes these to work and the cookies just… vanish.

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Bready or Not: Praline Snickerdoodles

These snickerdoodles are even more awesome than the usual variety thanks to the addition of pecans and toffee! Plan ahead to make these, as the dough needs to chill for at least a couple hours. A tablespoon scoop yields about 40 cookies.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: cookies, snickerdoodle

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Heath toffee pieces
• 3/4 cup pecans chopped

Topping

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

• In a large bowl, beat the butter until it's soft and creamy. Add the sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Once combined add the eggs and vanilla, followed by the flour. Fold in the Heath pieces and pecans.
• Wrap dough in plastic and chill at least two hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Stir together the topping ingredients. Use a tablespoon scoop to drop dollops of dough into the topping. Roll to coat. Set spaced out on a greased stoneware pan or parchment-lined cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack then store in a sealed container.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Milk Chocolate Toffee Bars

Posted by Beth on Jan 23, 2019 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Milk Chocolate Toffee Bars

The time for healthy recipes is over. Time to make an entire casserole dish-worth of candy bars with this recipe for Milk Chocolate Toffee Bars.

These things are chewy and downright dreamy. Seriously, HOMEMADE CANDY BAR. FRESH. SO GOOD.

Ahem. Forgive the caps. I get enthusiastic about this sort of thing. But can you blame me?

I mean, these have it all going on. Chocolate. A crunch from the toffee and pecans. A chewy blondie base.

My husband took these to work and had several co-workers dub this a new favorite. Considering the goodies they get from me, that’s saying something.

Make these to share with a crowd. You don’t want to be home alone with them.

Modified from Brownies & Bars Magazine.

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Bready or Not: Milk Chocolate Toffee Bars

This recipe makes a whole casserole dish of chewy, delicious candy bars! Pecans and toffee add a wonderful complementary crunch. Make these to feed a crowd!

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: bars, chocolate

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups milk chocolate chips divided
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup toffee bits

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter and vanilla. Beat until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips and the pecans. Distribute the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and press down evenly.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. Immediately sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of milk chocolate chips. Let sit a minute or two to soften, then use an uneven spatula to spread chocolate across the crust. Sprinkle toffee bits on top.
• Cool in pan on wire rack; if desired, place in fridge to speed the process. Once the pan is cool, use foil to move contents to a cutting board. Slice into bars. Keeps in fridge or at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Posted by Beth on Jan 16, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, cookies, maple | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

We made it three weeks into 2019 before we hit a maple recipe. Glazed Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies, to be exact.

This is a recipe that involved heavy experimentation for me. The base recipe made maple logs, which were then dipped in chocolate. I found the log-making process awkward. I didn’t want milk chocolate paired with maple, either.

Therefore, I tweaked and twisted things around, and the end result was a cookie that reminds me a lot of Pecan Sandies from the grocery store, just with a necessary oomph of maple.

Instead of making the cookies into logs, I press them flat and used by bench knife to slice them into squares. A drizzle of maple glaze added just the right touch of sweetness after baking.

These are ideal cookies to go along with coffee or tea. They are a little dry and crumbly, but easy to eat in a bite or two.

Plus, you can omit the pecans if necessary! You’ll get fewer cookies, but the texture and maple goodness are still downright scrummy.

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Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies

These cookies taste a lot like Pecan Sandies, just with a special oomph of maple. That said, you can actually omit the pecans and they still taste great, you'll just have fewer cookies. With the recipe intact, the end result is about 35 inch-square cookies.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: cookies, maple, shortbread

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple flavor
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup pecans finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 Tablespoon + milk or half & half
• 1 teaspoon maple flavor

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 325-degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and confectioners' sugar. Beat in the vanilla and maple flavor.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, oats, pecans bits, and salt. Gradually combine with the wet mixture until it forms a cohesive mix.
• Clean off a space of counter or tear off a large piece of parchment paper. Dump the cookie dough out and form it a roughly 8x8 square. Use a bench knife or a pizza cutter to slice into squares about an inch in diameter.
• Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Add a little space between cookies, but they won't spread much.
• Bake for 14-17 minutes, until cookies are set and lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Once all the cookies are baked and at room temperature, set out another piece of parchment paper. Place the cookies there, close together.
• In a small bowl, mix together glaze ingredients, adding enough milk to create a dribbling consistency. Use a fork to dribble glaze or the back of a spoon to coat each one. Leave out for an hour or so to set, then seal in container at room temperature.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Soft Muesli Breakfast Cookies

Posted by Beth on Jan 9, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, cookies, healthier | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Soft Muesli Breakfast Cookies

Let’s continue a healthy theme for another week with Soft Muesli Breakfast Cookies!

Think of these like plump little oatmeal cookies. The texture is cakey and thick, and will otherwise vary depending on the muesli you use.

I tested out this recipe using Seven Sundays Vanilla Cherry Coconut Muesli, which was FANTASTIC in these cookies.

The customization options for this recipe are really endless. Get a new muesli and get baking! Muesli is often on sale at this time of year. Take advantage of that.

These cookies are slightly tacky because of the applesauce, so be sure to keep waxed paper or parchment between the cookies in their sealed container or they’ll stick together.

The cookies will keep well for up to a week, too. In fact, take them on the go. Enshroud some in plastic for a kid’s (or your own) snack or lunch.

The recipe makes about 55 cookies if you use a teaspoon scoop, so you’ll have plenty of cookies to enjoy!

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Bready or Not Original: Soft Muesli Breakfast Cookies

These soft-baked plump breakfast cookies are full of wholesome goodness. This recipe is easy to customize with different muesli mixes. Using a teaspoon scoop, recipe makes about 55 cookies.

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Keyword: cookies

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup applesauce individual serving cup size
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt or plain
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups muesli about 11 ounces

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• In a big mixing bowl, beat together the applesauce, brown sugar, yogurt, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla with a mixer until well combined. Add flour mixture, followed by the muesli.
• Drop cookie dough by teaspoon scoops onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Allow cookies to cool on pan for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container between parchment or waxed paper layers; the applesauce will make the cookies slightly tacky if they touch each other. They'll keep for up to a week at room temperature.
• OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Baked Goat Cheese Salad Rounds [Gluten Free]

Posted by Beth on Jan 2, 2019 in Blog, Bready or Not, cheese galore, gluten-free, healthier | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Baked Goat Cheese Salad Rounds [Gluten Free]

Let’s start off the new year with a deliciously cheesy recipe to make a salad extra special: Baked Goat Cheese Salad Rounds!

This recipe is super easy. There are only four ingredients! The work is minimal as it goes in stages.

The end result is a delicious, fancy cheese to add to your salads over the coming weeks. I do large salads with lots of cheese, so I use two rounds. For a small salad–or if you want less cheese (goat cheese IS strong)–do one round.

The nice thing about this is that the recipe has everything portioned and ready in the freezer. In the time it takes to assemble the salad, the cheese rounds are baked and ready for eating.

This is true whether you’re cooking for one, or for a group over for brunch.

I made this recipe using the goat cheese available at Costco, where it is sold in a pack of two 10.5-ounce logs. A glance at Bready or Not of a month ago will show where the other log went–into Swirled Goat Cheese Brownies.

Adapted from a recipe featured in Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2010.

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Bready or Not: Baked Goat Cheese Salad Rounds [Gluten Free]

This simple and healthy recipe produces gluten-free, pecan-coated goat cheese rounds that are kept frozen until meal time. This is a great recipe for a person eating solo, or to bake up as an elegant cheese to accompany salads for a crowd.

Course: Main Course, Salad

Keyword: cheese, gluten free

Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 10 1/2 ounces goat cheese softened
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 2 large eggs room temperature

Instructions

• In a food processor, pulse pecans until finely chopped. Transfer the pecans to another bowl. Add the cheese and herbs to the processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Chill cheese in fridge in a covered bowl until firm, at least an hour.
• Set up a work station. Beat the two eggs in a small bowl. Place next to the bowl of pecan pieces. Lastly, line a small cookie sheet or plate with waxed paper.
• Use tablespoon scoop to doll out about 12 equal dollops of goat cheese onto the waxed paper. Smooth out a ball of cheese between palms, then dip into the egg, allowing excess to run off, then press and roll the ball to coat with pecan. Set back on waxed paper. Repeat with other balls. Use palm or the bottom of a glass to compress the cheese into flat rounds. Place in freezer for several hours, at minimum.
• Once they are set, transfer the rounds to a sealed container for the freezer with waxed paper between the layers. IMPORTANT: They will go straight from the freezer to the oven. Don't thaw, or they'll lose their shape when baking!
• When ready to bake, preheat oven or toaster oven at 475-degrees. Place foil on cookie sheet. Remove from freezer however many cheese rounds desired to cook; two rounds per large salad works well. Spray foil and cheese lightly with cooking spray.
• Bake until the nuts are golden brown and cheese is warmed through, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool several minutes. Set on a salad of greens tossed with a vinaigrette.
• Frozen cheese rounds will keep well up to a month.
• OM NOM NOM