Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Blondies
Snickerdoodles are awesome. But what do you do when you need to make a lot but don’t have the time to make individual cookies?
Make blondies, my friend.
These are packed with all the Snickerdoodle flavor you know and love, all in a convenient new shape. The cinnamon chips add a potent oomph of flavor that takes these to a whole new level.
Oh yeah. These are chewy, dense, and all kinds of amazing.
I’d like to tell you how long these keep fresh, but I don’t know. My husband took them to work and they just kinda vanished. I take that as a good sign.
Modified from Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen.
Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 10 oz Hershey’s cinnamon chips 1 bag
Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado or other raw sugar
- pinch nutmeg
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and applying nonstick spray. Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, nutmeg, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry mix into the large bowl. Once everything is mixed, add the bag of cinnamon chips.
- Evenly spread the dough into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, mix the turbinado sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping mix over the dough.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Use the foil to lift out the contents and cut into bars. Store at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette with Spaghetti Squash
It’s getting hot (ugh) but that also means it’s time for light, fresh salads and pasta dishes. Today that means two recipes: lemon-basil vinaigrette and an easy technique to make spaghetti squash in the microwave.
Last summer I planted some basil. The basil apparently really liked the Arizona heat, and it grew huge and I had to keep making pesto and figure out other recipes to utilize it.
This quick dressing became a favorite because it made a reasonably-sized amount and was great with both spaghetti squash and salads. This would be great tossed with any pasta, too.
The pictures I have here show that I used it to make a modified caprese salad. I heated up my squash, mixed in the vinaigrette, heated it some more, and then topped it with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. All kinds of mix-ins would be great with this dressing.
If you don’t have fresh basil handy, I bet this would be great with some jarred pesto, too.
Vinaigrette modified from My Recipes.
Bready or Not: Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves firmly packed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 garlic clove minced
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and pulse a few seconds, until blended. Store in the fridge and use on pasta, spaghetti squash, sandwiches, or salads.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Easy Microwave Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 lb spaghetti squash
Instructions
- Wash and dry the squash. Very carefully stab with a knife to penetrate the surface every few inches.
- Place the squash on a microwave safe plate and cook in microwave on normal heat for 7-9 minutes, depending on size. Remove from microwave--the plate will be hot--and set on counter to cool at least twenty minutes.
- Use a large knife to cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise. Be cautious of escaping steam. Let the opened squash sit out a while more to cool.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then use a fork to shred the squash itself. Store in fridge up to five days. Use in various dishes as a pasta substitute and heat up the squash in the oven or microwave.
- OM NOM NOM!
Guest post: M. Darusha Wehm with Books and Bread
I’m excited to host M. Darusha Wehm as a guest today. She’s the author of Children of Arkadia from Bundoran Press, just released on April 28th, but she’s not just here to talk books. Oh no. She’s here with a BREAD RECIPE. I’ll let Darusha say it best…
Children of Arkadia follows three generations of humans and AIs participating in an audacious experiment — to create a just and free society in an orbital space colony. The book is, in many ways, utopian science fiction. The Arkadians are literally trying to build a better world. Of course, it’s not that simple, and this story revolves around how people can (or can’t) resolve the inherent conflict between competing views of what doing the right thing actually entails. And, of course, how they are going to feed themselves.
Arkadia is a mix of high-tech and rural living. Farming is the chief concern of most of the people — human and AI — and even those not directly participating in growing food are, to some extent or another, foodies. Among the human population, at least, everyone needs to eat.
There is no commerce on Arkadia, but there is trade. Chen Wu is one of Arkadia’s volunteer bakers and he doesn’t think of himself as lazy — he’s efficient. He makes a lot of bread, so he does it the easy way: by letting time do the work.
Chen Wu’s Seed Loaf
Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
2 cups water
1/2 cup seeds (flax, sunflower, chia, sesame, whatever)
Instructions
Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir them up.
Add 2 cups of warm water, mix until you get a damp, doughy ball. You can do this all with a wooden spoon, there’s no need to knead! Cover with a cloth and let it sit overnight.
The next day, pour the dough into a loaf pan and bake at 220C/425F for 40-60 minutes.
This seed loaf is my real-life everyday bread, using 3 cups of white flour, 1 cup of whole wheat and flax seed or meal. I’ve let the dough sit for more than 24 hours and as little as 8 hours. Longer is better, but the bread has always turned out.
You can use more or fewer seeds; I wouldn’t go with more than a cup, though.
This recipe is based on Jim Lahey’s No-Work Bread, from How To Cook Everything.
Bio:
M. Darusha Wehm is the three-time Parsec Award shortlisted author of the novels Beautiful Red, Self Made, Act of Will and The Beauty of Our Weapons. Her next novel, Children of Arkadia (Bundoran Press), will be released April 28, 2015. She is the editor of the crime and mystery magazine Plan B.
She is from Canada, but currently lives in Wellington, New Zealand after spending the past several years traveling at sea on her sailboat. For more information, visit http://darusha.ca.
Publisher’s Blurb:
Children of Arkadia
Kaus wants nothing more than to be loved while its human counterpart, Raj Patel, believes fervently in freedom. Arkadia, one of four space stations circling Jupiter, was to be a refuge for all who fought the corrupt systems of old Earth, a haven where both humans and Artificial Intelligences could be happy and free. But the old prejudices and desires are still at play and, no matter how well-meaning its citizens, the children of Arkadia have tough compromises to make.
When the future of humanity is at stake, which will prove more powerful: freedom or happiness? What sacrifices will Kaus, Raj, and the rest of Arkadia’s residents have to make to survive?
For more information, click here or go directly to Amazon to order.
Read MoreBready or Not: Lemon Bars
I present to you one of my favorite stand-by recipes, one of the first that I mastered as a newlywed.
I originally featured this recipe on Bready or Not back in 2012. I didn’t have as many blog readers then, and my pictures sucked, so I decided it was time to share the recipe again. It’s worthy of the repeat.
There’s a lot to love about the recipe. It’s quick and easy to make. Lemon or yellow cake mix forms the base; there’s no major taste difference between the two. You get to smash up crackers, which is fun.
Cake mix and cracker crumble.
The resulting taste is a mix of lemon, a touch of sweetness, and saltiness, and it works so well. I’ve tried other lemon recipes that have a thicker custard layer, and they don’t keep or travel well. These do. They should be chilled, but they remain solid to pack in a lunch or to bring to a potluck.
Smooth mix of condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks.
These are really the perfect summer dessert. Lemony, sweet, salty. Cool to the tongue.
Plus, they are pretty–ah, the pictures turned out so much better this time around! See? These lemon bars are downright photogenic AND delicious.
Originally posted on Bready or Not in 2012; based on recipe from a Real Lemon juice advertisement.
Bready or Not: Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix or yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups finely crushed saltine crackers whole sleeve of crackers
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, butter, and one egg until mixture is crumbly. Stir in saltine crumbs. Reserving two cups of the crumb mixture, press remaining crumbs on bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Use your fingers to mush it as evenly as possible.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
- With wire whisk, beat 2 egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Spread over prepared crust using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Evenly top with reserved crumb mixture.
- Bake 25 minutes longer or until set and top is golden. Let cool. Refrigerate within 2 hours. Cut into bars. Store covered in fridge.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cookie Dough Fudge Brownies
If you can’t make up your mind about whether you want fudge or brownies, I have the perfect recipe for you.
Eat these straight out of the fridge, and you have brownies with a sweet cookie dough taste. Let them warm up to room temperature, and you have chocolately cookie dough fudge.
I found the original recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. When I visited my hometown last Thanksgiving, my mom handed me a stack of magazines to go through when I unshackled myself from the computer. See, I was zooming through the rough draft of “The Deepest Poison,” and food magazines provided me with a happy, no-effort brain break.
I mixed up the recipe to make it my own. I added marshmallows. I tweaked amounts. Don’t let all the steps in the directions intimidate you. You can make this in layers over a day or so. The leftovers will keep well in a sealed container in the fridge, too.
Do keep in mind that this makes a 9×13 pan. That’s a lot of sweet cookie dough brownie-fudge love, people.
Greatly modified from Two-Tone Fudge Brownies from Taste of Home June/July 2001
Bready or Not: Cookie Dough Fudge Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie layer:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 2 cups mini marshmallows about half a 10 ounce bag
Cookie dough layer:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk or almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips mini chips work well
Ganache:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips
Instructions
Brownie layer
- Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips. Let them cool slightly.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate. Combine flour and baking soda, and slowly mix into the wet ingredients. Stir in the walnuts and half of the marshmallows.
- Glop it into the ready pan and spread the dough out evenly. Top it with the remaining marshmallows. Bake it for 18-22 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test. Allow to completely cool.
Cookie dough layer
- Cream the butter and two sugars, then add the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually add the flour. Add the chocolate chips last.
- Dollop the dough on top of the brownies and use an offset spatula to form a thin layer across the top. Set it in the fridge to chill for an hour or so.
Ganache
- Set chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until you can stir it smoothly. Use an offset spatula to smooth it over the cookie dough layer. Set it at room temperature or chill in fridge to set.
- Use the aluminum foil to lift the brownies out for easy cutting. I found it cut smoothest with the brownies flipped over, chocolate on the bottom. Note that the chocolate will still likely shatter some as you cut it.
- Brownies are best chilled and stored in the fridge. If kept at room temperature for a while, they soften a lot and become very fudge-like, but firm up again when chilled. It's awesome either way.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Maple Brussels Sprouts
I’m here to convert you to the goodness of Brussels sprouts. Also known as: maple syrup makes everything better.
If you’re like me and a lot of other folks, you have scarring childhood memories of Brussels sprouts (or as I remember them, nasty mini cabbage-like things). My mom, bless her heart, boiled them. The result was not delicious.
It was only last year I decided to make my own Brussels sprouts. For a few years, I had noticed recipes on Pinterest that made the roasted version look delicious. Then I ate some at a nice restaurant and realized, “I can do this myself for a whole lot cheaper.”
The maple syrup doesn’t make these sugary sweet, but the sweetness is definitely there. It makes these the perfect complement to all sorts of savory, salty meats. Leftovers are also fabulous cold out of the fridge or chopped into a sweet salad.
On that note, you can also use this maple vinaigrette as a salad dressing. Just increase the amounts in proportion (say, 1/2 cup each of olive oil and maple syrup, and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar) and store the leftovers in the fridge. Use it on mixed greens, slaws, etc.
Maple. Best stuff ever.
Bready or Not: Maple Brussels Sprouts with Maple Vinaigrette Dressing/Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 2 Tb olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 Tb pure maple syrup
- 1 Tb apple cider vinegar
- salt
- 2 - 3 slices bacon optional, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts. Remove any damaged leaves and trim the stem to remove any browning, then slice the sprouts into quarters or halves depending on their size. Place them in a gallon-sized Ziplock-type bag. (If you want to add bacon, add it to bag.)
- Add the oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar to the bag. Seal the bag and give everything a good jostle and shake. You can bake right away or set the bag in the fridge for several hours. If you let it marinate, turn the bag every so often.
- Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Set out a rimmed cookie sheet; for easy cleaning, line it with aluminum foil. Pour the Brussels sprouts onto the sheet and make them as even as possible. Add some salt.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn and stir sprouts, then roast for another 10 or 15 minutes until they are firm yet tender.
- OM NOM NOM!
