Bake or Break Recipes

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture just until combined. Do not overmix. Stir in oats, cherries, and chocolate.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until bottom edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Beat butter, sugars, and peanut butter at medium speed until fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter/sugar mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, until done. If necessary, cover top of cake with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Garnish, if desired.

Peel, core, and slice (or chop) pears. Place in a baking dish, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with sugar, cocoa, and lemon zest. Mix well to coat the pears. Cover and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, a little at a time, until blended. If the mixture seems to be curdling, add a little of the flour. Stir in flour, ground almonds, and lemon zest and juice.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Scatter raspberries and white chocolate over the batter. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour & 10 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Then, cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Place peanuts in a small baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Place sugars and butter in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg, and mix until combined. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in peanuts, chocolate chips, and salt.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on sprayed or lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans for 5 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 38 cookies.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Alternately, use a food processor with a metal blade to cut in the butter.) Stir in cinnamon and chopped apples. Do not overwork the dough.

Add 1 & 1/4 cups of buttermilk. Mix until combined and the dough begins to stick together. Add remaining buttermilk if dough is too dry.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll or pat dough into two 6-inch rounds about 1 & 1/2 inches thick. Cut each round in half, then cut each half into 3 triangles. Place on baking sheets.

Mix together beaten egg and milk. Brush the tops of the triangles with egg wash. Then, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Serve immediately.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2 minutes.

Turn off mixer and add dry ingredients. Pulse mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Mix just until flour disappears into the dough. The dough should look a little crumbly. Add chocolate pieces and stir just until mixed.

Turn dough out onto a work surface. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into logs about 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The dough may be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Preheat oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

Slice logs into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. These are likely to crack and crumble as they are cut. Squeeze the dough back together and place each cookie on baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake (one sheet at a time) for 12 minutes. These cookies won’t look done or be firm. Cool cookies on pan on a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool completely and store.

Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at half power in 30 second intervals, stirring between each heating. Continue until both are completely melted.

Sift sugar and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/chocolate mixture. Beat in (by hand) the mascarpone, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in flour and salt.

Pour batter into pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on cooling rack.

Place brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat. When butter is melted, increase heat to high and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 3-5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in pecans. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Set aside.

Combine pecans and flour in food processor until pecans are finely ground.

Beat egg yolks at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add ground pecan mixture, 1/2 cup of sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well combined, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture. Spread into pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Cake should spring back when lightly touched in the center.

On a cloth towel, sift confectioners’ sugar into a 15″x 10″ rectangle. When cake is done, loosen from sides of pan and turn onto towel. Peel off parchment paper. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel. Place the cake seam side down on a wire rack. Let cake cool completely.

Gently unroll cake. Spread with filling (recipe below). Reroll cake (without towel) and place seam side down on a serving platter. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar and chopped pecans, if desired.