Bready or Not: Fig, Hazelnut, and Herb Crackers
You might know that I have a small interest in cheese. (Ahem.) That interest also extends to good accompaniments for cheese. I’m always on the lookout for delicious crackers–either store-bought or recipes.
These Fig, Hazelnut, and Herb Crackers, greatly modified from a Bake from Scratch recipe, are reminiscent of crackers from Trader Joe’s or the fairly common Raincoast brand. They have a hearty flavor thanks to a mix of flours.
Use different herbs to adjust the flavor, too, especially if you’re pairing with particular cheeses. I used fennel because I had some around, but rosemary or thyme would be great here.
Note that this is a two-step recipe, too, with a break in the middle to freeze the loaf for slicing and a second bake.
Bready or Not: Fig, Hazelnut, and Herb Crackers
Equipment
- loaf pan
- parchment paper
- large serrated knife like a bread knife
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 Tablespoon dried fennel
- sprinkle Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dried figs chopped
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup half & half or milk
- 2 Tablespoons runny honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit like a sling into an 8.5 by 4.5-inch loaf pan. Apply nonstick spray inside pan then on the paper positioned within the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine both flours, herbs, baking soda, and salt. Add figs and hazelnuts. Gradually stir in the half & half and honey, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Go ahead and turn off the oven, as it’s not going to be used for this recipe again for a couple hours, minimum. Let the little loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out to completely cool on a rack.
- Wrap it in plastic wrap and stash in the freezer for 2 hours, or until whenever you plan to finish the recipe.
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a large serrated knife, such as a bread knife, to slice loaf into 1/8-inch thick pieces. Lay pieces on pan.
- Bake 10 minutes. Gently flip to other side. Bake for an additional 20 to 35 minutes, until pieces are crispy and dried, not squishy at all. Keep in mind, bake time will be impacted by cracker thickness; a thin cut will cook quickly, a thick cut, at the higher end of the spectrum.
- Let them cool on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to fully cool. They will keep well in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week, but are also great to freeze (and will thaw quickly, too).
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cider Donut Bundt Cake
Apple Cider Doughnuts have been an especially popular autumn thing the past few years. Good food, however, should be confined to no single season. This Cider Doughnut Bundt Cake would be delicious to make this very day.
Use a good quality nonalcoholic apple cider for this recipe. The more flavor and spice to start, the more flavor in the final bake. I’m rather fond of a Honeycrisp cider that Aldi carries in the fall and I wish they had it year-round for my baking needs.
The end result here is a moist spiced cake with lots of apple pieces and a outer layer coated in cinnamon and sugar. Note that this is a cake to feed a crowd, but leftovers are fantastic to freeze in slices.
Modified a lot from Bake from Scratch Magazine.
Bready or Not: Cider Donut Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10-cup bundt cake
- baking spray with flour
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 cubes) softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider (nonalcoholic) spiced version, if available
- 1/2 cup milk or half & half
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple peeled and chopped
Topping
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Coat the inside of a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour.
- In a big bowl, beat butter, white sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time.
- In another bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In another small bowl, stir together cider, milk, and apple cider vinegar.
- Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with cider blend, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until just combined after each addition. Fold in apple pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan and even out.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 12 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack. Let cool for about 30 minutes more.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and water until smooth. Brush mixture all over surface of cake, working quickly to keep moist.
- Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over cake to coat. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Impersonated by a Scammer on TikTok
I am not on TikTok.
I will never be on TikTok.
This bethcato2 account is impersonating me and direct messaging writers in an effort to sell marketing services. Any account pretending to be me on TikTok is fraudulent. Even more, I will never, ever, in a million years contact people in such a manner to sell marketing services on any platform.
I’ve been informed that reporting an impersonator on TikTok isn’t really possible unless you are the person being impersonated. That said, if you’re on there, report them however you can, and even more, shame them and shame the platform for enabling this behavior. Please. I want people to share my warning posts and graphic everywhere. Get the word out.
Please reach out to new authors online and in person. Warn them to never, ever trust direct solicitations, no matter how flattering they seem, whether they come via email or social media. As I posted just recently, I’m also being impersonated in AI-compiled email scams that also target writers. I get spammed with these scams, too, purporting to be opportunities from book clubs, Goodreads list curators, and even radio stations.
My website lists my real, active social media accounts. If you see a suspicious Beth Cato out there, hey, let me know. Do the same for other authors, too.
Thanks. I hope I don’t have to do another post like this soon, but well…
Read MoreBready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Cream Cheese Cookies
These Glazed Maple Cream Cheese Cookies were subjected to repeated experimentation as I perfected the dough, first rolling it in maple sugar, then realized no, a glaze drizzle was the way to go. I had to make sure that worked, too, to a delicious and beautiful result.
These cookies are something special. So special I entered them in the annual Star Tribune cookie contest. Alas. Those judges apparently didn’t deem them special enough.
Therefore, I present the recipe for your enjoyment. If you love maple like I do, I think you’ll rate them quite highly.
Bready or Not Original: Glazed Maple Cream Cheese Cookies
Equipment
- large cookie scoop or tablespoon
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 cubes) softened
- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 teaspoons maple flavor
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecan pieces
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
Instructions
- Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and both sugars. Add the egg, vanilla, and maple flavor. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet. Fold in white chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
- Cover dough and chill for at least two hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a large cookie scoop or tablespoon to shape dough into rounds. Place spaced out on cookie sheet.
- Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until the top is just starting to gain a golden tint. Let set for a few minutes before moving to a rack to cool. Once the cookies are completely cool, make the glaze.
- Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a piping bag with small tip or a freezer bag with a corner snipped. Pipe lines over the cookies. Let set at least an hour before packing cookies into a sealed container. If stacking cookies, use strips of waxed paper between layers.
