Beth Cato's Blog, page 52
July 22, 2018
Sunday Quote has a kid starting school soon
“Prose is architecture, not interior decoration.”
~Ernest Hemingway
July 18, 2018
Bready or Not: Lemon Brown Butter Crinkle Cookies
Today’s recipe involves a bit of cookie alchemy: Lemon Brown Butter Crinkle Cookies.
They combine a lot of elements that you don’t normally see together, but the result is an amazing and unique lemon cookie that is spicy and fresh.
This is a nuanced cookie. You take a bite, and different levels of flavor evolve on your taste buds.
It’s also messy because the cookies are rolled in confectioners’ sugar, so this isn’t a cookie to eat before a fancy meeting or on the go.
Note that the sugar coating will be absorbed and/or fall off the cookie over time, so if you want them to look fully coated, eat them fresh. But the flavor is fine if you wait. The presentation changes, that’s all.
If you need tips on how to brown butter, there is a lot of advice to be found online, including videos! Browned butter really does make a different in a recipe, as it has a nutty new flavor going on. It’s well worth the effort for certain recipes.
Modified from Martha Stewart Living.
OM NOM NOM!\n","cookTime":"P","prepTime":"P","totalTime":"P"}
Bready or Not: Lemon Brown Butter Crinkle Cookies
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These lemon cookies are incredibly nuanced, with spices, brown butter, and a powdered sugar coating. Note that the dough needs to be chilled overnight, at minimum, as the dough is otherwise difficult to work with.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Brown butter in a saucepan, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. Set aside to cool.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, place the two sugars. Stir in the browned butter, followed by the eggs, zest and juice, and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mix. Dough will be loose and oozy. Wrap it up well in plastic wrap and set in fridge to chill for a day or two.
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet.
Measure out confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoon of dough, roll it between palms to shape, then roll it in the powdered sugar. Set on parchment paper. Repeat process with other cookies, spacing them out, though expect minimal spreading.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until cookies spread a smidgen and crackle. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to completely cool.
Store between strips of parchment or wax paper in a sealed container. Will keep up to two days, but note the confectioners' sugar will absorb more over time.
OM NOM NOM!
July 15, 2018
Sunday Quote prefers Sesame Street-style Monsters
“I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.”
~Stephen King
July 11, 2018
Bready or Not Original: Salted Caramel Chip Blondies
Salted Caramel Chips now exist. There is hope for our world yet.
“What makes these chips different than just using caramel chips?” Well, they have the texture of and keep their shape like regular chocolate chips. Caramel bits are more chaotic–they melt, they ooze, they can create a sticky mess.
More and more stores are carrying salted caramel chips around Arizona. Locally, I have found Ghirardelli (at Walmart), Nestle (at Walmart and several stores), and a Kroger-branded kind (at Fry’s Grocery Store).
All three work and have a good flavor, but I liked the Kroger one the least. The color looks more artificial (yeah everything is about these is artificial but…) and the pieces are small and not quite as rich in flavor. Still, their price is good and they aren’t bad, by any means.
You’ll see these chips used in a couple recipes in the next while–I bought several bags to test out!
While I’ll definitely stick to using real caramel in things like pies, these salted caramel chips are now my go-to for cookies and bars.
I do suggest keeping the ratio of 1 cup chocolate chips with 1 cup of caramel chips in this recipe. The caramel chips ARE strong–they are like butterscotch in that way–and the white chocolate adds a different kind of sweetness to balance them out.
OM NOM NOM!\n","cookTime":"P","prepTime":"P","totalTime":"P"}
Bready or Not Original: Salted Caramel Chip Blondies
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Use a new innovation, salted caramel chips, to create stunning blondies! Ghirardelli or Nestle brands of caramel chips are recommended over store brands, but they’ll all work well. These blondies are chewy and sweet perfection, embodied with the lovely flavor of salted caramel (and without the goop and stickiness of real caramel).
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup salted caramel chips
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 10x15 jelly roll pan with wide aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, both sugars, and vanilla to create a smooth batter. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by the flour mixture. Stir in the cup of white chocolate and cup of salted caramel chips. Spread batter evenly in pan.
Bake until evenly golden brown and set in the middle, 24 to 27 minutes. Cool completely at room temperature or chill before cutting. Blondies keep for up to 3 days in a room temperature sealed container.
OM NOM NOM!
July 10, 2018
Bready or Not Guest Recipe from Author Wendy Nikel: The Grandmother Paradox Cherry Cupcakes
Today I welcome Wendy Nikel! Her novella The Grandmother Paradox is out TODAY from World Weaver Press. This is the sequel to The Continuum. I’ve read both, and I can testify they are fun, fast reads that reminded me of old favorite shows like Quantum Leap and Sliders. Find out more about her new release below, and grab a recipe for some cupcakes that are loaded with cocoa and cherries!
When Dr. Wells, the head of the Place in Time Travel Agency, learns that someone’s trying to track down the ancestors of his star employee, there are few people he can turn to without revealing her secrets. But who better to jump down the timeline and rescue Elise from being snuffed out of existence generations before she’s born than the very person whose life she saved a hundred years in the future?
But Juliette Argent isn’t an easy woman to protect. The assistant to a traveling magician, she’s bold, fearless, and has a fascination with time travel, of all things. Can the former secret agent Chandler, with his knowledge of what’s to come, keep her safe from harm and keep his purpose there a secret? Or will his presence there only entangle the timeline more?
THE GRANDMOTHER PARADOX Cherry Cupcakes
by Wendy Nikel
Today is release day for THE GRANDMOTHER PARADOX, the second time travel novella in the Place in Time series. Which means, once again, it’s time to celebrate with cupcakes!
In this novella, which can be read as a sequel or as a standalone story, Chandler – a man from our present who’s been living in the future – is sent back to the year 1893 to protect the great-great-grandmother of the woman who saved his life. There, he joins up with a traveling magic show touring Michigan before heading down to the Chicago World’s Fair.
One of the many wonderful things that Michigan is known for is its cherries, which made cherry cupcakes an easy choice for this book’s recipe. Substituting fats like butter and oils with fruit in baking also makes for a healthier cake, which is something I’ve had to keep in mind since I’m still recovering from having my gallbladder removed. Fortunately, I happen to have a cherry tree in my backyard filled with sweet cherries just ripe for the picking.
THE CUPCAKES:
Bready or Not Guest Recipe: THE GRANDMOTHER PARADOX Cherry Cupcakes by Wendy Nikel
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One of the many wonderful things that Michigan is known for is its cherries, which made cherry cupcakes an easy choice for this recipe inspired by Wendy Nikel’s novella The Grandmother Paradox. Substituting fats like butter and oils with fruit makes for a healthier cupcake.
Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup cherries (pitted & pureed)
Frosting ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tablespoons milk
1 pkg cherry-flavored instant gelatin mix
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In separate bowl, mix egg whites and vanilla.
Add honey, sugar, applesauce, and buttermilk.
Gradually add the dry mixture into the egg and milk mixture until well blended.
Add cherries
Fill cupcake liners half full and bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool.
After cupcakes are cool, frost.
Sprinkle gelatin mix on the top and enjoy!
THE CONTINUUM (book #1) out NOW
paperback via World Weaver Press $9.99
eBook via iTunes
eBook via Barnes & Noble
eBook via Amazon
eBook via Kobo
THE GRANDMOTHER PARADOX (book #2) out TODAY
paperback via World Weaver Press $8.95
eBook via iTunes
eBook via Barnes & Noble
eBook via Amazon
eBook via Kobo
Wendy Nikel is a speculative fiction author whose short stories have appeared in Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, Daily Science Fiction, AE Sci-Fi, Nature: Futures, and various anthologies and e-zines. She is a member of SFWA and Codex Writers Group and is a managing editor at Flash Fiction Online.
July 8, 2018
Sunday Quote is excited about this week
“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
~ Thomas Mann, Essays of Three Decades
July 4, 2018
Bready or Not: Blueberry Hand Cake
If you’re looking for a delicious way to use up summer blueberries, oh, do I have a recipe for you.
These Blueberry Hand Cake Bars are really easy to make. Seriously, there are only 6 ingredients!
That said, this is a recipe for a stand mixer or hand blender will come in handy. Eggs are the leavening agent, so they need to be beaten with the sugar for an extended period of time.
So if you make this by hand, consider this your arm workout for the day.
The baked bars are just downright summery and fresh. Cakey, light, perfectly sweet. I could come up with more adjectives, I’m sure.
If you want more of my blueberry recipes, be sure to check out:
Blueberry Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
Jumbo XXL Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Truffles
Guest Post: Pat Esden with Old Fashioned Blueberry Cake
OM NOM NOM!\n","cookTime":"P","prepTime":"P","totalTime":"P"}
Bready or Not: Blueberry Hand Cake
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This simple recipe results in blueberry hand cake that is great for breakfast or snacks.
12 ounces fresh blueberries (two pints)
3 eggs, room temperature
1 3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
Gently rinse the blueberries, removing any stems or smashed ones, and set the clean berries in a small bowl.
Using a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for about 5 to 7 minutes, until pale in color and almost doubled in volume. The eggs are the leavening agent in this recipe, so it's important they are beaten until thickened, with the batter forming a ribbon as the beaters lift up.
Add the butter and vanilla, and mix for another two minutes. Measure out 1/2 cup of flour and carefully stir it into the blueberries to coat them, which will reduce sinking into the batter during the baking process. Slowly stir the remaining 1 1/2 cup of flour into the batter. By hand, gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
Pour batter into the ready pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned and the center passes the toothpick test. Let cool completely before lifting up contents by the foil to slice into bars. Eat within two days, or freeze for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
July 1, 2018
Sunday Quote wants this week over with
“My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying.”
~ Anton Chekhov
June 27, 2018
Bready or Not: Pop Tart-Layered Brownies
These brownies are what happened after I bought a box of Cookies & Crème Pop Tarts for my son. He didn’t like them.
Well, darn. I can’t eat them myself. I didn’t want them wallowing in my pantry forever.
Therefore, I decided to use up the remaining packets by baking them into brownies. The layered technique works out well with Oreos, after all!
Turns out, Pop Tarts are fantastic baked into brownies. They are thinner than Oreos, and meld more with the surrounding dough. The mild Oreo-like taste still shines through.
Plus, the resulting brownie isn’t quite as dense. Just in case you aren’t in the mood for brick-like brownies.
The original recipe is from King Arthur Flour. I rewrote it and added in the Pop Tarts and chocolate chips (because, why not?!).
I’ve only done the recipe with Cookies & Crème Pop Tarts, but I think this technique would be great with all kinds of Pop Tarts–try strawberry (frosted or not), or Peanut Butter, or Smores.
Plus, then you can tell people you had Pop Tarts for breakfast, and no one has to know it was encased in a brownie.
OM NOM NOM!\n","cookTime":"P","prepTime":"P","totalTime":"P"}
Bready or Not: Pop Tart-Layered Brownies
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Layer Pop Tarts into a casserole dish-sized helping of brownies for a delicious change! Cookies & Crème results in a mild Oreo-like flavor, but try out other varieties, too.
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional but awesome
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
3 packets (6 pieces) Cookies & Creme Pop Tarts, or other variety
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or foil, and grease with butter or apply nonstick spray.
Stir together, in order, all of the ingredients up to the Pop Tarts. Dollop about half the dough in the prepared pan, and try to spread out as evenly as possible; the dough will be thick. Layer the Pop Tarts over the dough, breaking pieces as necessary to fit. Dollop the rest of the dough on top, and again, smooth out as much as possible.
Bake brownies for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool completely before lifting the brownies onto a cutting board to slice up.
Store in a sealed container at room temperature, or freeze to make them last longer.
OM NOM NOM!
June 24, 2018
Sunday Quote is ready for winter
“I believe that all the best faculties of a mature human being exist in the child, and that if these faculties are encouraged in youth they will act well and wisely in the adult, but if they are repressed and denied in the child they will stunt and cripple the adult personality. And finally, I believe that one of the most deeply human, and humane, of these faculties is the power of imagination.”
~ Ursula K. Le Guin
