Breaded

My friend Andie, who has her blog at Cafe 305, shared this recipe with me a few years ago. We make sure it’s on the menu at least once every Christmas season. Tomorrow we are having friends for dinner and to watch the mid-season finale of Walking Dead and this will be our dessert.

Eggnog Pound Cake

3 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 c unsalted butter — room temperature
2 c sugar
3 whole eggs
1 c eggnog
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp dark rum

2 tbsp dark rum
2 tbsp water
1/4 c sugar

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan.

Cake:
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl twice. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg. Scrape the bowl down again. On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the eggnog mixture. End with dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove. Brush on glaze while cake is warm.

Glaze:
In a small bowl, blend rum, water and sugar. Warm on low heat until mixture thickens. Brush on with a pastry brush.

Serve topped with vanilla whipped cream and fresh grated nutmeg.

Snickerdoodle Blondies
A cinnamon sugar covered bar cookie, very similar to the cookie. Soft, chewy, sweet, perfect.

This is why I always lightly sift, even a recipe doesn’t call for it. The large white chunks are baking powder. They will usually break up while mixing, but if one doesn’t and you are the lucky one to bite down on it, eeeeeeeeeeew. It sucks all moisture from your mouth and ruins the dessert experience.

Now comes the hard part. You have to wait for it to completely cool before cutting into it. Time will slow down, almost coming to a stop, at this point.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

24 Blondies
350° for 25 to 30 minutes

2 2/3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray.

Using a colander, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside. Discard anything left in the colander.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar on low to combine, then on medium until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, adding vanilla with the second egg. Beat, scraping the sides, until thoroughly combined. Gradually fold in the flour mixture until combined, making sure all of the flour is incorporated.

Pat the blondie dough evenly into the parchment lined pan. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the blondie dough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the surface springs back when lightly pressed. Cool blondies completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.