Buttermilk Bundt

Posted on May 5, 2021 by sparecake

This bundt came out great! It’s not particularly tart, or anything else that really comes to mind with buttermilk, it’s just…cake flavored. Good cake flavored? It doesn’t feel heavy, but it is dense enough that I’ve been feeling satisfied after eating normal human slices, not the mega chunks of cake I may at other times consume. (Looking at you, Moravian Sugar Cake…) It also freezes and bounces back fast! I made this the day before leaving on a trip, cut it into rough quarters, and froze 3. I kept the thawed part in a ziplock, and (once I was back home) when I ate the last thawed slice, would just move another frozen piece out into the bag to thaw for the next day’s dessert. Handy-dandy! Even the chocolate on top freezes/thaws no problem.

Cut up to freeze a bit before bagging and longer storage.

I never end up using all the milk/buttermilk I buy at once, so to prevent it going bad I tend to measure 1 cup into (pre-sharpied) ziplocks. If you lay them in the freezer on a sheet pan, they’ll freeze flat, and then you can take them out of the pan and store them as a little flat sheet whichever way is most convenient, and they thaw again quickly, with all that surface area. When thawed they may look a bit weird, but have always worked great for baking in anything I’ve put them in.

The only thing to be aware of when starting this cake is that many of the ingredients should be room temperature when you start, but if you’ve thawed your buttermilk (if needed) and given everything else a while to come up to temp, get at it!

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup salted butter, room temperature (how many years since I last bought salted butter?!)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 5 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Glaze (can be made thinner than shown, to drizzle more nicely):

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 or more tablespoons very hot water

Preheat oven to 325. Heavily grease a bundt pan using shortening, then flour the pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each.

Add the dry goods in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2, beating until just combined.

Gently transfer to the prepared pan and bake 1 hour, or until it passes the toothpick test.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then flip a wire cooling rack onto the pan and then turn the pan/rack so that the bundt is upside-down. Let sit for 1 minute, then lift the pan off. If it doesn’t come easily, run a thin knife along the inside of the pan and try again.

Once the cake has mostly cooled, combine the butter and chocolate of the glaze in a medium dish. Microwave 30 seconds, then stir/swirl. Microwave again in short burst, stirring in between, until the butter and chocolate are completely melted, then stir in the powdered sugar. Stir in 2 tablespoons of hot water, then add more as desired to thin for texture.

I left mine more of a soft clay than a glaze, because I wanted to hurry up and get it in ziplocks, but you can do what looks nicest to you! Drizzle/pat on, and enjoy!

Buttermilk Bundt

Cake from Bake at 350, glaze a bit adapted from The Spruce Eats.

Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 5 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 or more tablespoons very hot water

Preheat oven to 325. Heavily grease a bundt pan using shortening, then flour the pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each. Add the dry goods in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2, beating until just combined.

Gently transfer to the prepared pan and bake 1 hour, or until it passes the toothpick test. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then flip a wire cooling rack onto the pan and then turn the pan/rack so that the bundt is upside-down. Let sit for 1 minute, then lift the pan off. If it doesn’t come easily, run a thin knife along the inside of the pan and try again.

Once the cake has mostly cooled, combine the butter and chocolate of the glaze in a medium dish. Microwave 30 seconds, then stir/swirl. Microwave again in short burst, stirring in between, until the butter and chocolate are completely melted, then stir in the powdered sugar. Stir in 2 tablespoons of hot water, then add more as desired for texture. Drizzle over cooled cake.

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Moravian Sugar Cake

Posted on April 28, 2021 by sparecake

A really light, poofy cake with a crunchy sugar top! I brought this into work and 1 person had 3 pieces and then asked me to bring in more!

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water (110-115)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups melted butter, divided
  • 1 cup hot mashed potato
  • 5-6 cups sifted flour
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Soften yeast in the warm water; let stand 5-10 minutes. Mix together the sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the melted butter.

Clearly my butter wasn’t 100% melted. Oh well.

Gradually beat in the mashed potato.

Add 1 cup of the flour; beat until smooth.

Stir in the yeast and beat in enough of the remaining flour to form a light soft dough. I got to 5 cups, then added another third before realizing I wasn’t making/didn’t want a dense bread, and left it at that, which was the right move.

Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Divide dough into 3 portions and press evenly into 3 greased 9” square pans.

I don’t have 3 9x9s!

Cover; let rise until doubled.

Blend together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Make indentations about 1 inch apart in dough in each pan and spoon sugar mixture into each depression. Drizzle remaining ½ cup melted butter over top of dough.

Bake at 350 about 20 minutes.

Moravian Sugar Cake

From the Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbook: Fine Old Recipes Made Famous by the Early Dutch Settlers in Pennsylvania.

  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water (110-115)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups melted butter, divided
  • 1 cup hot mashed potato
  • 5-6 cups sifted flour
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Soften yeast in the warm water; let stand 5-10 minutes. Mix together the sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the melted butter. Gradually beat in the mashed potato. Add 1 cup of the flour; beat until smooth. Stir in the yeast and beat in enough of the remaining flour to form a light soft dough. — got to 5, then added 1/3 and then realized i wasn’t making bread and didn’t need dense. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours. Divide dough into 3 portions and press evenly into 3 greased 9” square pans. Cover; let rise until doubled. Blend together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Make indentations about 1 inch apart in dough in each pan and spoon sugar mixture into each depression. Drizzle remaining ½ cup melted butter over top of dough. Bake at 350 about 20 minutes.

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Pineapple Crumb Cake

Posted on April 21, 2021 by sparecake

We’re making a bit of a mess here today, but not too bad, and for worthwhile results! A pineapple right-side-up cake, because who needs flipping?! This should in theory be cooked in a 10″ cast iron skillet, but if you do it in a dutch oven, you can just throw the lid on with leftovers, which seems convenient to me! I figured this must be bigger than 10″, as I didn’t have to overlap the pineapple rings at all, but even if it was a bit bigger, that did not result in the cake cooking any faster than the expected time.

Ingredients:

Topping:

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • a pinch salt

Cake:

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 8 fresh pineapple rings, 1/2″ thick (you can probably find these somewhere in a refrigerator case in your supermarket’s produce section)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 egg yolks

Glaze:

  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup (…I only had light, it was fine)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • a pinch salt

To make the topping, combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Using a fork or your fingers, combine until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is in small pieces. Cover, and put in the fridge until needed.

To make the cake, heat the oil in a 10″ cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the pineapple rings and cook until lightly browned on each side, about 1 minute each, then remove and repeat with the remaining pineapple. Let cool, then wipe out excess grease.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a large bowl, and beat together until combined on medium speed.

Add the milk and vanilla and beat again, on low speed, until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

Again at low speed, add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gently transfer the batter to the skillet, then place the browned pineapple rings on top, overlapping if needed.

Sprinkle the refrigerated topping evenly over the top. Bake 35-40 minutes, until what you can see of the surface of the cake is golden.

When the cake is done baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches a simmer, then cook another 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth.

Drizzle over the cake, slice, and ideally serve with vanilla ice cream!

Pineapple Crumb Cake

From Bake or Break.

Topping:

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • a pinch salt

Cake:

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 8 fresh pineapple rings, 1/2″ thick
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 egg yolks

Glaze:

  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • a pinch salt

To make the topping, combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Using a fork or your fingers, combine until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is in small pieces. Cover, and put in the fridge until needed.

To make the cake, heat the oil in a 10″ cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the pineapple rings and cook until lightly browned on each side, about 1 minute each, then remove and repeat with the remaining pineapple. Let cool, then wipe out excess grease.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a large bowl, and beat together until combined on medium speed. Add the milk and vanilla and beat again, on low speed, until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Again at low speed, add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gently transfer the batter to the skillet, then place the browned pineapple rings on top, overlapping if needed. Sprinkle the refrigerated topping evenly over the top. Bake 35-40 minutes, until what you can see of the surface of the cake is golden.

When the cake is done baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches a simmer, then cook another 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle over the cake, slice, and ideally serve with vanilla ice cream!

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Peanut Butter, Apple, and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on April 14, 2021 by sparecake

There’s a lot going on in these cookies, but you know all those flavors go together, and you probably already have everything in your pantry/fridge, so… go for it. You’ll be happy you did.

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup diced apples
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment/silpats and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until well combined, then the peanut butter.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, beating until just combined, then add the apple and white chocolate chips, again beating until just evenly mixed through.

This would no doubt be easier with a stand mixer and the paddle attachment than with a hand mixer, but we work with what we’ve got!

Using a medium cookie scoop, or a regular spoon if that’s what’s available, scoop the dough into balls.

Press down on each ball with the tines of a fork, first in one direction and then crossed to make an X a second direction, partially flattening the dough ball.

Bake 10-12 minutes, then cool on the pan 15 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling, or a serving plate. I have just been cooking these up 2-3 at a time in the toaster oven, keeping the rest in the freezer, so I’ve been eating them red hot as soon as I can pick up a bit. Deeelicious.

Peanut Butter, Apple, and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Slightly reorganized from Picky Palate.

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup diced apples
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment/silpats and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until well combined, then the peanut butter. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, beating until just combined, then add the apple and white chocolate chips, again beating until just evenly mixed through.

Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls. Press down on each ball with the tines of a fork, first in one direction and then crossed to make an X a second direction, partially flattening the dough ball. Bake 10-12 minutes, then cool on the pan 15 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling, or a serving plate.

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Smooth Vegetable Sauce

Posted on April 7, 2021 by sparecake

A pretty terrible name, right? Graham Kerr’s Kitchen is all about basic sauces, that can be adapted in a zillion different ways with a zillion different flavors, and that are intended to reduce calories. This sauce can be made with many different vegetables – I used parsnips, but want to try it again with butternut squash at some point. I then flavored it to make a cheese sauce, but you don’t even have to do that, the your creativity is the only limit on what you can make with your veggie based sauce!

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound vegetable (parsnip, butternut squash, carrot, etc.), peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 14 ounce can evaporated nonfat milk
  • optional flavorings, in this case cheese powder (I think I might have used 1/3 cup??)+ a heavy dash paprika

The way the recipe was originally written uses a skillet, steamer, and food processor. Nuts to all those dishes, we’re going to get it all done in 1!

In a large stock pot, heat the oil and cook the sliced vegetable long enough that you see signs of caramelization of the starch sugars (=you see browning, but not burning).

Transfer the cooked veggies into the largest strainer you have and add an inch or so of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then place the strainer over the pot, and place the lid on top, to create a steamer.

Steam until soft – the slices should “slip between your fingers as if oiled.”

Turn off the heat, pour out the water, and put the veggies back in the pot. Add the evaporated milk and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Add seasonings as desired.

With the cheese powder, this made enough of a cheese sauce to coat an entire 1 pound box of pasta in a quite delicious mac and cheese, but would also make a nice cheese sauce for an au gratin.

There’s tons of room to experiment, so give it a try!

Smooth Vegetable Sauce

From Graham Kerr’s Kitchen.

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound vegetable (parsnip, butternut squash, carrot, etc.), peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 14 ounce can evaporated nonfat milk
  • optional flavorings, as desired

In a large stock pot, heat the oil and cook the sliced vegetable long enough that you see signs of caramelization of the starch sugars. Transfer the cooked veggies into the largest strainer you have and add an inch or so of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then place the strainer over the pot, and place the lid on top, to create a steamer. Steam until soft. Turn off the heat, pour out the water, and put the veggies back in the pot. Add the evaporated milk and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add seasonings as desired.

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Korean Chicken Wings

Posted on March 31, 2021 by sparecake

Spicy wings, hooray! The original recipe for these called for frying the wings – I super hate frying, so baked instead, which produces wings that are much better the second day than fried ones would be anyway. Because, without a fried layer, the wings absorb less of the sauce, this recipe also makes enough sauce for 2 batches of wings. You can store half of it in the freezer, where interestingly it doesn’t actually freeze solid, and then make a second batch of wings later!

Ingredients:

Wings:

  • 3 pounds chicken wings
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Sauce:

  • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup gochujang
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place oven rack in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on the pan.

Place the chicken in a large ziplock and shake with the baking powder until evenly coated. Add the salt and pepper and shake again. Arrange the coated wings, meaty-side-up, on the rack.

Cook for 40 minutes, then turn the heat up to 425 and cook for an additional 40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

While the wings cook, combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Once simmering, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes. Strain, discarding the solids.

Pour into two containers, freezing one for a later batch of wings.

When the wings come out of the oven, brush the top side with the sauce. Wait 5 minutes for the sauce to set, then brush the wings again, all over this time, and serve.

Korean Wings

A combo of these two recipes: Bon Appetit/sparecake.

Wings:

  • 3 pounds chicken wings
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Sauce:

  • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup gochujang
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place oven rack in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on the pan.

Place the chicken in a large ziplock and shake with the baking powder until evenly coated. Add the salt and pepper and shake again. Arrange the coated wings, meaty-side-up, on the rack.

Cook for 40 minutes, then turn the heat up to 425 and cook for an additional 40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

While the wings cook, combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes. Strain, discarding the solids. Pour into two containers, freezing one for a later batch of wings.

When the wings come out of the oven, brush the top side with the sauce. Wait 5 minutes for the sauce to set, then brush the wings again, all over this time, and serve.

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Wax Bean Chowder

Posted on March 24, 2021 by sparecake

Simple, filling, and it’s got vegetables so you can count it has healthy. Remember early enough in the day to make some crusty bread, and you’ve got a good thing going!

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of bacon, diced (rather than getting a cutting board contaminated with bacon juice, I just use kitchen shears to cut it right into the pot)
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans wax beans, drained (and ideally cut into bite sized pieces, but who can be bothered?)
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 russet potato
  • 3 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter

In a large saucepan, or in this case the dutch oven I had previously cooked the day’s bread in, cook the bacon and onions over medium heat until the bacon gets almost-acceptably crispy. This always takes longer than I expect when there’s also onion in the dish?

Add the water, beans, salt, and pepper to the dish. While the water heats, dice the potato and add that as well, cooking until the potato is tender.

In a small dish, combine the flour and enough of the milk to make a paste.

More milk than necessary, but the flour is dissolved which is what matters.

Once the potato is tender, add the milk/flour mixture and the remaining milk, and bring just to the boil, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat and add the butter, stirring until the butter has melted in, then serve.

Wax Bean Chowder

Adapted from Farm Journal Cookbook – America’s Best Vegetable Recipes (1970).

  • 2 slices of bacon, diced
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans wax beans, drained and cut into small pieces
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 russet potato
  • 3 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon and onions over medium heat until the bacon is almost completely crispy. Add the water, beans, salt, and pepper to the dish. While the water heats, dice the potato and add that as well, cooking until the potato is tender. In a small dish, combine the flour and enough of the milk to make a paste. Once the potato is tender, add the milk/flour mixture and the remaining milk, and bring just to the boil, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add the butter, stirring until the butter has melted in, then serve.

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Caramel Corn Brownies

Posted on March 17, 2021 by sparecake

I object to the fact that my supermarket only had caramel corn with nuts in it, but even with that massive setback to start with, these are gooood. Tremendous amounts of chocolate, brownies that actually hold together, and caramel corn to make things a bit magical! How few dishes this makes is just a bonus!

Ingredients:

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips, divided – I prefer milk chocolate but go with what you like
  • 1 box Crunch ‘n Munch caramel corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease and then flour a 9×13″ dish then set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the butter and 4 ounces of chocolate over low heat. Cook, stirring, until completely melted, then remove from the heat.

Whisk in the sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla.

Stir in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt, followed by 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Spread in the prepared pan, and then bake 30-35 minutes.

When done, turn off your oven. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the cooked brownies, and return to the still-warm oven for 1 minutes. Remove from the oven, and use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly over the brownies, then quickly sprinkle the popcorn (whatever you didn’t manage to eat in that 1 minute) over the brownies.

Let cool completely in the pan, then enjoy!

Caramel Corn Brownies

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips, divided
  • 1 box Crunch ‘n Munch caramel corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease and then flour a 9×13″ dish then set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the butter and 4 ounces of chocolate over low heat. Cook, stirring, until completely melted, then remove from the heat. Whisk in the sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt, followed by 1 cup of chocolate chips. Spread in the prepared pan, and then bake 30-35 minutes. When done, turn off your oven. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the cooked brownies, and return to the still-warm oven for 1 minutes. Remove from the oven, and use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly over the brownies, then quickly sprinkle the popcorn over the brownies. Let cool completely in the pan, then enjoy!

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Salted Caramel Apple Cake

Posted on March 10, 2021 by sparecake

Salty-sweet caramel apple topping on a cake with a shockingly light, wonderful texture. You do have to refrigerate leftovers, which feel more dense after refrigeration, but it’s still fantastic! Definitely one worth repeating.

Ingredients:

Topping:

  • 3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each (I can never be bothered to peel, but I do have a corer that makes cutting into 8 much easier after!)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Cake:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream (they called for half-and-half, but that’s not what I have, and it most definitely worked this way)
  • ice cream or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10″ springform with parchment and grease with cooking spray. If your springform isn’t trustworthy, as mine apparently isn’t, place it on a baking sheet to eventually catch leaks.

In a large skillet, combine all the topping ingredients over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to the cake pan, arranging the apple slices in a spiral pattern.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs and vanilla.

Beat in the dry goods, followed by the cream.

Gently transfer the batter into the cake pan and spread evenly over the apples.

Bake 40-45 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pressed.

Good thing I had the pan underneath to catch the leaks!!

Let cool 5-10 minutes in the pan, then flip out onto a serving platter.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, and refrigerate any leftovers.

Salted Caramel Apple Cake

Adapted from a flyer from Kroger, doesn’t appear to be available online.

Topping:

  • 3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Cake:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ice cream or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10″ springform with parchment and grease with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, combine all the topping ingredients over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the cake pan, arranging the apple slices in a spiral pattern.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, then the dry goods, followed by the cream. Gently transfer the batter into the cake pan and spread evenly over the apples. Bake 40-45 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pressed. Let cool 5-10 minutes in the pan, then flip out onto a serving platter. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, and refrigerate any leftovers.

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Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Posted on March 3, 2021 by sparecake

I really like breakfast burritos, but hadn’t had one in…maybe 12 years?? Weird. Time to fix that, in a way that has them available whenever you ‘need’ one! You cook the insides of these, and then have to let everything cool to room temperature so you can wrap them up and freeze them without any gross condensation or anything. You can then grab one, throw it in the toaster oven, and half an hour later it’s breakfast! (…I ate all of these for dinner.) I got breakfast sausage from a local chicken farm, and it was super good – going to have to make these again soon with some breakfast sausage I got from one of my coworkers, from his pig!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups frozen tater tots
  • 1 pound loose breakfast sausage
  • 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 large flour tortillas
  • gochujang, to taste
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Cook the tater tots according to the package instructions, then set aside. (Thanks, toaster oven!) Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, breaking up and crumbling as it cooks. Set the sausage aside in a dish, and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease left behind. Add the eggs to the pan and cook, continuing to stir, until just beginning to set, then stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until no liquid egg remains, the set aside in another dish.

Place the tortillas between lightly damp paper towels and microwave 30 seconds, to help them be flexible. Smear a bit of gochujang down the center of each tortilla, according to your heat tolerance, then top with 1/8th of the tots, sausage, egg, tomato, and cheese.

The first one you roll goes in the toaster oven while you make a mess wrapping the other ones to freeze…

Roll the burritos, and place them seam-side down on a sheet pan. You could bake now, at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Alternately, place the whole pan in the freezer until frozen solid, then move them into a ziplock. To cook frozen burritos, either microwave 4-6 minutes, turning halfway, or bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. I put mine in the toaster oven, without preheating, for about 35 minutes.

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Adapted from Damn Delicious.

  • 2 cups frozen tater tots
  • 1 pound loose breakfast sausage
  • 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 large flour tortillas
  • gochujang, to taste
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Cook the tater tots according to the package instructions, then set aside. (Thanks, toaster oven!) Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, breaking up and crumbling as it cooks. Set the sausage aside in a dish, and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease left behind. Add the eggs to the pan and cook, continuing to stir, until just beginning to set, then stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until no liquid egg remains, the set aside in another dish.

Place the tortillas between lightly damp paper towels and microwave 30 seconds, to help them be flexible. Smear a bit of gochujang down the center of each tortilla, according to your heat tolerance, then top with 1/8th of the tots, sausage, egg, tomato, and cheese.

Roll the burritos, and place them seam-side down on a sheet pan. You could bake now, at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Alternately, place the whole pan in the freezer until frozen solid, then move them into a ziplock. To cook frozen burritos, either microwave 4-6 minutes, turning halfway, or bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. I put mine in the toaster oven, without preheating, for about 35 minutes.

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch | Tagged | 2 Comments