Bready or Not Original: Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bundt Cake
That’s right, it’s time to start featuring pumpkin! I’m kicking off the season with a simple yet pretty bundt cake. This Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bundt Cake balances chocolate with pumpkin spice.
First of all: yes, this is a cool bundt pan. I’m blessed to be within a long drive of the NordicWare Factory Store, and I try to get there at least once a year to check out the heavily discounted pans and accessories!
This is such a good cake. It’s not heavily sweet but has loads of good flavor. It’s the kind of cake that is great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bundt Cake
Equipment
- large bundt pan (10-12 cups)
- nonstick spray with flour
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree can
- 2 1/4 cups white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder sifted
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- confectioners’ sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Generously coat interior of pan with nonstick spray with flour.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, and butter. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet. Batter may be lumpy.
- Use the now-empty bowl from the dry ingredients to hold 3 cups of the batter. Stir in the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla, mixing until this portion of batter is one color.
- To the other portion of batter, add the cinnamon and stir to spread throughout.
- Add spoonfuls of each batter to the pan in an alternating pattern. Smooth out the top, but don’t swirl a knife through.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan 20 minutes, then carefully invert onto a rack to cool completely.
- Before serving, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top. Store covered at room temperature. Pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Apple Pie Bars
These Apple Pie Bars are fussier than my usual apple pies, I think, but the work that goes into these bars is also evident in the flavor and texture.
The original recipe is from King Arthur Flour, part of an autumn feature last year. I found some things off-kilter though, especially the way the juice from my apples just plain did not cook off. Therefore, I built in advice on how to handle that if it happens to you as well.
If you like a variety of textures in a single bite, this recipe will please you immensely. You get a firm base crust, tender apples, and melt-in-the-mouth crumbles all together. So good.
Bready or Not: Apple Pie Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Crust
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
Filling
- 6 cups apples (678g) peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces (6 to 8 medium apples, such as Cosmic Crisp)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons pie spice or ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup white sugar
Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 teaspoon pie spice or ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into small cubes
Instructions
Make crust
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8×8 square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the flour and salt. Continue to beat until the mixture is somewhat crumbly; if you squeeze a clump, it should hold together.
- Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pan. Press down into an even layer. Use a fork to dock it all over.
- Bake crust until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
- Increase oven temperature to 350. Set aside crust to cool while filling is prepared.
Make filling
- Place the apples and lemon juice in a big bowl and stir to coat.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the spice and stir.
- Carefully add the apples to the skillet and stir to coat. Continue to stir occasionally for about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle sugar evenly over the apples. Cook and continue to stir occasionally for 6 to 10 minutes. The apples will likely release a lot of liquid. If this evaporates down to become a mere sticky mixture, great. If not, use a slotted spoon to drain-off the apples and set them aside in another dish to cool while the topping is prepared.
- (What to do with that leftover liquid, if you have some? You can simmer it down to create a thick syrup to use on the bars or on something like ice cream, or drink it straight. Seems tragic to let it go to waste!)
Make topping
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and pie spice. Mash in the butter until crumbly.
Assemble and bake
- Transfer the cooked and cooled apples to top the crust, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle the topping over the apples.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is light golden brown. A fork stabbed into the top should confirm the apples are tender.
- Cool bars at room temperature, then move to fridge to chill before cutting. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice.
- Store bars at room temperature or in the fridge in a sealed container. They can also be individually wrapped and frozen.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Glazed Chocolate Chip Walnut Brownies
This original recipe for Chocolate Chip Walnut Brownies is different from my usual brownie recipes: it has a rich glaze on top. These are FANCY.
It also includes a distinctly British ingredient, golden syrup, which gives these brownies a more nuanced sweetness and different texture. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is available in many large supermarkets on the imported goods aisle, or it can be bought on Amazon.
Really, I see these as special occasion brownies, perfectly sweet and nutty bricks to bring out for a birthday or big gathering.
Bready or Not Original: Glazed Chocolate Chip Walnut Brownies
Equipment
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- 9×13 pan
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks) softened
- 2 1/4 cups white sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1/3 cup golden syrup
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 14 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Fudge glaze
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup half & half or milk
- 1/3 cup golden syrup
- 14 ounces dark chocolate chips
Topping
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350. Line 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Stir in cocoa powder and golden syrup. Add eggs one at a time. Add the flour, mixing until no white is showing. Fold in the white chocolate and walnuts.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool completely.
- Bring cream, milk and golden syrup to a boil. Take the saucepan off heat. Add the chocolate and keep stirring until it melts to smoothness.
- Spread glaze over brownies and sprinkle on more walnuts for decoration. Place in fridge to set. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice into bars.
- Store brownies in a covered container in the fridge, using waxed paper between layers if they are stacked.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Cranberry and Cashew Cookies
These Cranberry and Cashew Cookies are plush and delicious, with a perfect contrast of flavors and textures.
Cashew pieces really add a lot to these cookies. Crunchy at first, then quickly softening. The cranberries are chewy in a different way.
Note that the dough here needs to be made ahead. It’s very sticky to work with, and having it chilled helps some.
Bready or Not Original: Cranberry and Cashew Cookies
Equipment
- small cookie scoop
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup cashew pieces
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, beat together brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold in the cashews, cranberries, and white chocolate.
- The dough will be very sticky, and chilling it will make it slightly easier to work with; chill for at least 2 hours, or freeze until a later point.
- Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a small scoop or teaspoon to dole out balls of dough spaced out on the sheet. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until set with tops just turning golden.
- Cool completely then store in sealed container at room temperature. Cookies will keep for at least 2 days.
