Beth Cato's Blog, page 37

InterGalactic Medicine Show now available to read online, for free

InterGalactic Medicine Show was a highly-acclaimed sci-fi and fantasy publication with a 14-year run. It shut down last summer. Most of the stories were available to subscribers only… until now. The full library is now open to the public.

I tried to get into the magazine for years and finally succeeded with “The Sweetness of Bitter” in issue #35.

#SFWAPro

Bready or Not Original: Cranberry Lemon Biscotti

This lemon-themed month needs some breakfast food. How about some Cranberry Lemon Biscotti?

The lemon here isn’t hardcore. Zest throughout the dough adds freshness, and the dried cranberries are soaked in the juice to rehydrate. This gives the cranberries an especially pleasant zing.

For years, I was intimidated by biscotti, but now I enjoy coming up with a couple new recipes a year. Really, the trickiest thing about this is how sticky the dough is when it’s time to shape it.

I like the addition of white chocolate drizzle to add a touch more sweetness, but that’s optional.

The end result is a biscotti with a bright, sunny flavor that complements plump, tart cranberries, all in crispy, bready form that’s especially good dunked in coffee or tea!

This recipe is midway through my April of lemon recipes!

Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars

Cranberry Lemon Biscotti [today]

Cream Cheese Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Frangipane

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Bready or Not Original: Cranberry Lemon Biscotti


This biscotti is full of bright, sunny flavor complemented by plump, tart cranberries. They are especially good dunked in coffee or tea!

Course Breakfast, SnackCuisine ItalianKeyword biscotti, chocolate, cookies, lemon





Author Beth Cato


Ingredients1 lemon3/4 cup dried cranberries2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon salt2 eggs3/4 cup white sugar1/3 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon lemon extract4 ounces white chocolate optional, to drizzle on top
InstructionsPreheat oven at 350-degrees. Zest and juice lemon. Set aside zest, and soak cranberries in juice. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs with white sugar. Add oil, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and zest. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Drain lemon juice out of cranberries; discard juice. Fold cranberries into dough to equally distribute. Divide dough in half. Place each piece spaced out on parchment. Dough will be very sticky, so shape with plastic spatula or greased or floured hands into 1-inch high flat rectangular logs. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Use a long bread knife and slice down--don't saw--into long, even cookies. Space out cookies upright, if possible, or lay on sides. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes; if cookies are laying on sides, flip them to other side halfway through. Biscotti should be golden and somewhat crisp. Let biscotti sit out for anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours so that they can cool off and dry out even more. If adding white chocolate on top, melt chocolate in microwave or on stovetop (keep in mind, white chocolate can burn fast!). Use a fork to drizzle chocolate, or dip an end of each biscotti into the chocolate. Let set again for an hour or so, then pack into sealed bags or plastic containers. Biscotti can keep in sealed containers for as long as a month. OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Classic: Oatmeal Cream Pies

I prepared two classic recipes to repost while I was on vacation this summer. That isn’t happening now. Therefore, I’m sharing them earlier with the hope that my fellow #stressbakers can enjoy them. Eat well and stay safe out there!

Today I present something seriously delicious: Oatmeal Cream Pies, aka Sandwich Cookies.

These things are about the size of a sandwich, too, and about as filling because of the chewy oatmeal cookies. You have two tablespoons worth of dough with a teaspoon of marshmallow cream between them. So yeah.

I don’t think I’d make smaller cookies, though, for sheer reasons of space and time. The recipe makes over four dozen cookies, which makes for over two dozen sandwich cookies. This is a recipe to make for a lot of hungry adults or kids!

If you love commercial-made cream pies like the ones from Little Debbie, these homemade ones will blow your mind. They have that same taste and texture, but with some extra chewy freshness.

I highly advise that you use tablespoon and teaspoon scoops for this recipe, too. It helps a lot if the cookies are of uniform size and that the amount of filling is equally distributed.

Modified from Taste of Home.

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Bready or Not: Oatmeal Cream Pies


These taste like Little Debbie's Oatmeal Pies, but incredibly fresh. The cookies are chewy, and the filling is perfectly sweet--like a fluffier Oreo filling. These are time-consuming to make simply because of the sheer number of cookies. Modified from Taste of Home Feb/March 2001 issue.

Course Dessert, SnackCuisine AmericanKeyword cookies, oats, sandwich cookies



Servings 30 cream pies

Author Beth Cato


IngredientsCookies:1 1/2 cups shortening2 2/3 cups brown sugar packed4 large eggs2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg4 cups old-fashioned rolled oatsFilling:3/4 cup shortening3 cups confectioners' sugar sifted7 oz marshmallow creme 1 jar1 - 3 Tablespoons milk or half & half
InstructionsPreheat the oven at 350-degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until they are light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add this dry mix to the creamed mix. Stir in oats. If you're using a stand mixer, you'll probably need to stir the last of the oats in by hand. This is a lot of dough! Use a tablespoon scoop to dole out the dough onto a cookie sheet, keeping two inches between each spoonful. These will spread. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes; they brown very fast, so keep an eye on them at the end. Remove them when they are turning golden brown. Let sit on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transitioning them to a rack to cool. To make the filling, start by sifting the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl. Add the shortening and marshmallow crème. Add a tablespoon of milk and gradually add more as needed to get it to spreadable consistency. Use a heaping teaspoon to dollop filling onto the base of a cookie. Spread it with a knife, top with another cookie, and press together to get cream to the edges. End result: about 30 large sandwich cookies. OM NOM NOM!

r/Fantasy Virtual Con

The Fantasy community on Reddit is hosting a virtual convention throughout April. The posts are completely free and available to the public. Just show up each day and follow along! You don’t have to be registered on Reddit, but if you are, you can participate in the con and other threads as well.

I’m scheduled for two panels thus far:

Sat Apr 11: Short Fiction Panel w/ Ken Liu, John Wiswell, Beth Cato, Zen Cho, Amal El-Mohtar

Mon April 20: Fantasy Romance Panel w/ Stephanie Burgis, Beth Cato, J. Kathleen Cheney, Jeffe Kennedy, Quenby Olson, C.L. Polk

Bready or Not Original: Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars

These Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars are zippy and fresh, perfect to serve at the holidays and year-round!

I firmly believe good food should be enjoyed whenever. I suppose some people would try to classify these as a Christmassy thing because they are a kind of gingerbread bar. To that, I say NOPE.

I’m rebellious. It’s April. Ginger is an awesome spice. It should be confined to no season. Be free, ginger!

These bars aren’t all about the ginger, though. The spices here are nuanced and delicious, and the lemon plays a pretty big part in the crisp glaze.

Try to make these things at least a day ahead of when they will be served, too, as they taste even BETTER after sitting in the fridge. I say that, but they are pretty awesome while fresh, too.

This is the second entry in my April of lemon recipes. Here’s what else you can look forward to this month!

Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars [you are here]

Cranberry Lemon Biscotti

Cream Cheese Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Frangipane

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Bready or Not Original: Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars


These Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars are zippy and fresh, perfect for any time of year! One large lemon should provide enough juice and zest for the glaze. Helpful hint: these taste even better after sitting in the fridge for a day!

Course Dessert, SnackKeyword bars, gingerbread, lemon





Author Beth Cato

Equipment13x9 pan
IngredientsBars10 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened3/4 cup brown sugar packed1/2 cup molasses1 large egg2 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons ground ginger1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup dried cranberriesGlaze1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted1 cup confectioners' sugar plus more as needed5 teaspoons lemon juice3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
InstructionsPreheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet, until just combined. Fold in the dried cranberries. Pour batter into prepared pan and even out. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until middle passes toothpick test. Cool completely. To make the glaze, in a small bowl melt the butter. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir to create a thick, spreadable consistency, adding more sugar if needed to thicken or more lemon juice or water to thin. Spread atop bars. Sprinkle zest over the top. Let glaze set before cutting. Store bars sliced, with waxed paper between layers, in sealed container in fridge. Note that these bars taste even better after chilling for a day! They keep well for several days, too. OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not Original: Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake

No foolin’. This Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake is simple and delicious.

This isn’t a hardcore sweet dessert. I found it similar to a mild lemony shortcake, something good on its own and over-the-top amazing with the addition of fresh fruit and whipped cream.

I didn’t even bother with a glaze. Doesn’t need it. That makes this an especially friendly recipe to slice and freeze for later enjoyment.

I know some people worry about the taste of sour cream in cakes. Don’t. Sour cream (or substitute with vanilla or plain Greek yogurt) adds moisture, creating a soft, tender crumb.

This recipe kicks off an entire month of lemon recipes! Look forward to these delectable treats in the coming weeks:

Glazed Lemon Ginger Bars

Cranberry Lemon Biscotti

Cream Cheese Stuffed Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Frangipane

 

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Bready or Not Original: Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake


There's no sourness in this fresh-taking bundt cake, just bright lemon flavor and a tender crumb thanks to the sour cream. It's great on its own, but would be amazing with some fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Course Dessert, SnackCuisine AmericanKeyword bundt cake, lemon, sour cream





Author Beth Cato

Equipmentlarge bundt cake pan
Ingredients3 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoons baking soda1/4 teaspoons salt1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks softened1 1/2 cups white sugar1/2 cup lemon juice4 eggs1 cup sour cream 8 ounces
InstructionsPreheat oven at 350-degrees. Grease a bundt pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice, then mix in the eggs one at a time. Stir in half the flour mix. Add the sour cream, then follow up with the rest of the dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test. Cool for twenty minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to completely cool. Store covered at room temperature. OM NOM NOM!

Bready or Not: Ginger Chai Carrot Cake

Trust me, this Ginger Chai Carrot Cake is amazing. This is the only carrot cake I have ever liked.

That’s right, I made the cake even though I was pretty ambivalent about carrot cakes overall. The combination of ingredients just appealed to me somehow. I actually went out and made the cake a week after reading the original recipe in Bake from Scratch Magazine.

Some modifications I made straight up: I used a square pan rather than a round and tall cake pan, which meant the bake time was a little higher, too. I also upped the cinnamon because, well, cinnamon. I was worried about buying enough grated carrot so I measured and weighed that; this is why I made sure to put the “7 ounces” info in the ingredients.

The recipe looks long because of the spices it includes, but it’s actually a very easy recipe to make. To save some time on baking day, mix the dry ingredients the day before! That’s what I did.

This cake is incredibly moist. It’s sweet and spicy, embodied with cozy heat courtesy of the candied ginger. Everything melds beautifully.

If you love carrot cake, make this cake. If you hate carrot cake, give this one a try. It just might convert you!

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Bready or Not: Ginger Chai Carrot Cake


This carrot cake is packed with spices and sweetness, and will even convert carrot cake haters to the ways of this cake! Note that soured milk can be made using milk or half & half along with a few teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar; let sit for 10 minutes to curdle, then use. Recipe modified from Bake from Scratch Magazine.

Course Dessert, SnackCuisine AmericanKeyword cake, carrot





Author Beth Cato

Equipment9x9 square pan
IngredientsCake1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour3/4 cup brown sugar packed1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon ground cardamom1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1/8 teaspoon ground cloves1/8 teaspoon ground pepper1/3 cup canola oil1/3 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note), room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 large eggs room temperature9 ounces crushed pineapple drained2 cups grated carrots about 7 ounces1/2 cup golden raisins1/3 cup candied ginger finely chopped Glaze1 cup confectioners' sugar3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream or half & halfcandied ginger finely chopped
InstructionsPreheat oven at 350-degrees. Line pan with heavy foil to fully covers bottom and sides; apply butter or nonstick spray. In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, cloves, and pepper. Into the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Mix in the pineapple, shredded carrot, raisins, and candied ginger. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then use foil to lift it onto a rack. Continue to cool to room temperature, or place in fridge to completely chill. Once cake is cool, combine the confectioners' sugar and cream to form a glaze. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle extra candied ginger over the top. Slice and enjoy! OM NOM NOM!

Four poems as Rhysling Finalists

I feel odd reporting good news as the modern civilization seems to be eroding around us, but I’ll take whatever positives I can get. Four of my poems were nominated for the Rhysling Award this year. That means they’ll be published in the Rhysling Anthology, and members of the SFPA will consider them as they vote for the annual winners. I’m honored to have anything up for such an honor again!

Here are my works that are finalists, with links to the two available online:

Short category:

– “My Ghost Will Know The Way” • The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August

– “A Purring Cat is a Time Machine” • Daikaijuzine 1

– “What You Hear When Your Best Friend Falls for a Supervillain” • Star*Line 42.1

Long category:

– “Childhood Memory from the Old Victorian House on Warner” • Uncanny 27

Here is the complete list of nominees.

#SFWAPro

Bready or Not Original: S’Mores Brownies

Create luscious S’Mores in brownie-bar form with my original recipe for S’Mores Brownies!

I had a jar of marshmallow fluff I wanted to use. I deliberated what to use it for and hit upon S’Mores Brownies, but to my surprise, I didn’t find an existing recipe that used jarred fluff. Time to make my own recipe!

Using regular marshmallows to bake is delicious and all, but you also end up with caramelized, hollow sections. I wanted marshmallows to stay soft and gooey alongside the chocolate crumb. By golly, my idea worked!

This is definitely a brownie for people who love chocolate. I loaded it with chocolate chips, inside and out. The graham cracker crumb and marshmallow complement it in a beautiful way.

This will look messy as a batter. Marshmallow fluff is not the easiest stuff to work with. It’s lumpy and sticky. The good news is, as the pan bakes, the contents will even out. The resulting marble effect make it look as delicious as it tastes.

Store these brownies in a sealed container for days–and they can be frozen for longer, too.

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Bready or Not Original: S'Mores Brownies


This Bready or Not Original recipe melds jarred marshmallow fluff and graham cracker crumbs into brownies, creating luscious, portable S'Mores!

Course Dessert, SnackCuisine AmericanKeyword brownies, chocolate, marshmallow





Author Beth Cato


Ingredients1/4 cup unsalted butter half cube2 cups semisweet chocolate chips divided1/2 cup white sugar2 eggs room temperature2/3 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt7 ounces marshmallow fluff one jar1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
InstructionsPreheat oven at 350-degrees. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with heavy foil and apply butter or nonstick spray. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter and 1 cup of chocolate chips in brief bursts until fully melted and smooth; watch it carefully and stir well between each burst. Stir in the white sugar, followed by eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour half the chocolate batter into the ready pan and spread into an even layer. Add small dollops of the marshmallow fluff across the top; it will be gloppy and sticky, so don't worry about getting it even. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the fluff and batter. Drop dollops of the rest of the chocolate batter on top along with the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips. Even out a bit, then use a butter knife or narrow spatula to swirl the layers together for a marbled effect. It may be mountainous in some areas but it will even out as it bakes. Bake until the top is crinkled and edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for an hour, then stash in the fridge for another few hours to completely cool. Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store in a sealed container in fridge, waxed paper between stacked layers to prevent sticking. Keeps for up to three days, or freeze for later enjoyment. OM NOM NOM!

Book Blog: Sixteenth Watch by Myke Cole

I review everything I read and post reviews on Goodreads and LibraryThing. That’s not enough. Good books are meant to be shared. Therefore, I’m spotlighting some of my favorite reads here on my site.

Sixteenth Watch by Myke Cole

out now; Indiebound, B&N, and Amazon

 

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

In Sixteenth Watch, Myke Cole has created a compelling, action-packed work of military sci-fi where United States settlers face off against Chinese interests on the moon–and the United States Navy and Coast Guard likewise face off, escalating an already hot situation into one that could go nuclear.

I trust Cole to get the military aspects right; I know the guy, and he knows his stuff. As a former Navy wife, I have some familiarity with the subject matter myself. The rivalry he writes about within the ranks here is absolutely plausible, on earth and the moon, and ratchets up the tension to a major degree. This is one of those books that is almost impossible to put down. You NEED to find out what happens next.

This isn’t a thriller full of vapid action, though. At its heart are incredible, vivid characters that I came to care about. The protagonist is Jane Oliver, a Coast Guard veteran of decades who loses her sailor husband during an initial lunar flare-up between the US and China. Instead of taking a quiet retirement, she is invited back to the moon for a rather unusual challenge: to prepare an elite squad of Coasties for a reality game show that the Marines have dominated for years. This has not only impacted recruitment efforts on Earth, but also gives the Navy more power in the struggle for military dominance on the moon. Navy commanders are too keen on war, to Jane’s thinking; the Coast Guard, carrying out a role on the moon similar to what they do on the ocean, is largely about deescalating tension and saving lives. It’s awesome to see the Coast Guard be in the spotlight in a space setting because the role that they play (even without a literal coast to guard) makes absolute sense.

The reality show angle adds to the originality of the book, and again, I know Cole knows what he’s talking about, as he is a reality show veteran himself. The stakes around the show feel realistic in this near-future setting, but hanging over everything is that threat of war with China.

This is a darn good book, and I hope it’s the first in the series because I’d love to read more about these characters and this world.