BethCato.com | Site of Author Beth Cato

CoKoCon is this coming weekend!

Posted by Beth on Aug 29, 2022 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on CoKoCon is this coming weekend!

Note that this is updated from the previous post several weeks ago. I now have a signing on Sunday afternoon.

I’m attending my first in-person convention in about three years this Labor Day weekend. CoKoCon is a small con in the Phoenix area. This year, it’s at a new location at the DoubleTree in Tempe. I’ll be there Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and early Monday morning. Feel free to talk, ask to have books signed (which I’ll gladly do unless I’m on the run to a panel!), and generally hang out. I’ll be in a black mask, channeling my old favorite Mortal Kombat ninjas.

Panels are always subject to change; I’ll post any updates via Twitter and Facebook.

Friday, September 2

4:30pm Writing on the Spectrum

Fiesta Ballroom 2, 4:30pm – 5:30pm

Neurodiverse writers talk about how their unique filter on the world impacts their writing and about neurodiverse representation in books.

Saturday, September 3

10am Beth & Mike’s Book Club: The City We Became

Coronado, 10am – 11am

Michael Senft, who runs the Sci-Fridays Book Club at the Poisoned Pen, and Nebula Award®-nominated author, Beth Cato, will be leading a discussion on The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin. Read or listen to it ahead of the event or come in blind, but beware of spoilers!

6pm Writing Speculative Poetry

Fiesta Ballroom 2, 6pm – 7pm

Join our award-winning poets as they discuss the craft and market for speculative poetry, and maybe even share some of their own award-winning work!

Sunday, September 4

1pm Literary Charcuterie

Coronado, 1pm – 2pm

Let’s talk about the glories of food in literature and reality and inspire everyone to scamper for the nearest cheese shop (and there are several near the hotel!)

2:30pm Signing: Beth Cato

Dealers’ Room, 2:30pm – 3:30pm

6pm Author Self-Care: Not Post-COVID Yet

Fiesta Ballroom 2, 6pm – 7pm

We’re back in person, but are we really back to normal? This popular panel returns in a world that still hasn’t gotten through the COVID times.

7:30pm Historical Fiction Meets Fantasy

Fiesta Ballroom 2, 7:30pm – 8:30pm

What is the proper proportion of facts with fiction when writing historical fantasy? What resources the perils and joys of research.

Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake

Posted by Beth on Aug 24, 2022 in Blog, Bready or Not, cake, chocolate | 1 comment

I love frosting, so take it on my authority that this Marble Sheet Cake is delicious without need of any frosting on top. Plus, enjoying the cake in naked or near-naked form with just a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar on top reveals that beautiful marbling to the world.

That marbling is delicious stuff, too. The base batter is vanilla-flavored, with the other portion including cocoa powder and additional goodness.

The texture of the cake is tender and soft. Since there’s no need for frosting, this is a good travel cake. When I made this for my husband to take to work, I individually wrapped pieces to-go in a plastic bin. They made the journey without issue.

Modified from One Bowl Baking Special Issue from Bake from Scratch.

Print Recipe

Bready or Not: Marble Sheet Cake

This beautiful 9×13 cake features marbled cocoa and vanilla. It’s delicious enough (and pretty enough) to not need any frosting on top. Just a dusting of confectioners’ sugar will do!

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: cake, chocolate

Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

9×13 pan
aluminum foil
nonstick spray

Ingredients

Vanilla batter

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups milk room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs room temperature

Cocoa batter

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Topping, optional

2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, pour in milk, butter, and vanilla, stopping a few times to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Batter should be smooth.
Measure out about 3 cups of the vanilla batter and pour it into the pan. Add the remaining three ingredients to the bowl, mixing until smooth. Dollop heaping spoonfuls of the cocoa batter onto the vanilla. Use a butter knife to swirl the colors to create a marbled effect. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to knock air bubbles free.
Bake for about 35 minutes. The middle should pass the toothpick test. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Use foil to lift the cake onto a cutting board for easy slicing. Sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Store in a sealed container.

OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

Posted by Beth on Aug 17, 2022 in Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, breakfast, cookies, nutty | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Peach-Almond Bars

These Peach-Almond Bars are peachy-keen, if you ask me! They aren’t super sweet and they really let the flavors of the fruit shine through.

I don’t do a lot with peaches because I live in Arizona and the peaches available here are not the best. There are a lot of things I miss about Central California, and the fresh fruit is a big one. (Oh, don’t start my yearning for strawberries…)

The good news is, you don’t need ripe or especially sweet peaches for this recipe because you add a touch of sugar and cook down the fruit. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a British ingredient that can be found in the import section of a lot of grocery stores; there is no exact American substitute, but a mix of half light corn syrup and half honey is one I have seen in recipes more than once.

These bars are a pleasant mix of softness, crispness, peachiness, and crunchy almonds. Not only would they make for a good dessert or snack, but a fine breakfast as well.

Print Recipe