Spreads Cookies by Pioneer Woman

Spreads by The Pioneer Woman

On Saturday morning, I turned on the DVR and found a new episode of Ree Drummond in The Pioneer Woman Food Network show. It was all about football camp with her making 120 sandwiches and these "Spreads" cookies for the football camp boys.

Spreads are the often requested treat of Ree's older brother and it's basically a cookie dough topped with melted chocolate chips. In her 2009 post on her blog, she doesn't top it with extra stuff, but on the show, she went crazy and filled it with toppings.

On this spread, I topped it with two types of candy sprinkles.

This was topped with Heath English Toffee Bits. I just love these. They go great in scones too (see this recipe)

The dough is very close to a cookie dough and you simply spread it on a baking sheet. After it bakes for 15-20 minutes, you take it out and place chocolate chips on top. Then it goes back in the oven for 1 more minute (just long enough to soften the chips) and then you spread them out with your offset spatula. Seriously easy peasy.

After they chill out, you can cut the spreads into any size pieces. I found it helpful to refrigerate them for 15 minutes before cutting.

I made one batch and split it between two quarter-sheet pans. You can make one big spread, or smaller individual ones too. On the show, she topped one with this crazy s'mores gone wild: crushed graham crackers, mini marshmallows, M&Ms and caramel sauce.

Cidney the Girl Dog was hanging out on her Costco doggie bed (the cover was in the wash) while I made the Spreads. I'm not sure she liked me interrupting her rest. :)

Spreads by The Pioneer Woman
See her original recipe (2009) and from the Food Network

1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (I added this, not in the original recipe)
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 - 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 8 ounces, but I think 6 ounces would be fine)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place parchment paper on a half-sheet or quarter-sheet pan. The Pioneer Woman does not use parchment, but I find the clean up easier with parchment.
3a. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
3b. With an electric mixer and paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and blend together, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the vanilla and blend.
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and salt and blend until just combined.
7. With an offset spatula, spread dough on the baking pan to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Don't spread it the edges of the pan.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on the edges.
9. Pull out of the oven (leave the oven on) and sprinkle the chocolate chips on the cookie.
10. Return to the oven and for 1 minute. Remove and spread the chips over the top with the offset spatula.
11. Spread your selected toppings on top.
12. Let cool before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

From @instagram - My account is @foodlibrarian - follow along! (it's 85% food, 10% dog and 5% more ridiculousness).

Meyer Lemon Glazed Cookies

Meyer Lemon Glazed Cookies

Our coasts in the US are polar opposites right now. Los Angeles has been going through another heatwave...we've been in the 80's. And the East Coast is getting hit by a snow storm. What to do?

Make cookies. That's the answer for everything.


My parent's have a great Meyer Lemon tree and come winter, it's bursting with lemons. Meyer Lemons are very fragrant and sweeter than your regular lemon. They've gotten super popular in recent years and they deserve the attention! I hope you are able to find some...and I hope they are from California.

This is a simple cookie to make. I made it while watching Sherlock. Oh, I love that show. Don't you? I tried really, really hard to stay up to watch it after Downton, but didn't make it so I watched it the next day while baking these cookies.

I made smaller cookies - the original recipe from Martha Stewart has about double the yield.

Both the cookie batter and the glaze include lemon zest.

Fresh from the oven. Let them cool completely before glazing the cookies.

After glazing the cookies, let the cookies rest for an hour so the glaze sets up.

Recipe: Meyer Lemon Glazed Cookies
Adapted from: Everyday Food/Martha Stewart Glazed Lemon Cookies

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (original recipe was 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated meyer lemon zest (I used two meyer lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh meyer lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners'/powdered sugar
zest of 1 meyer lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh meyer lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the lemon zest until damp and fragrant. This will release the lovely meyer lemon flavor.
3. In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter with the lemon zesty sugar until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. It may look curdled but that's okay.
4. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture until just combined.
5. Drop dough onto cookie sheets (I line my half-sheet pans with parchment paper). I used a small cookie scoop and got 42 cookies. The originally recipe uses one heaping tablespoon and yields 24 cookies.
6. Bake until edges are golden, 12-15 minutes for small cookies or 15-20 minutes for larger cookies, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest until pourable. Spread glaze on the cooled cookies and let sit for an hour until the topping is set.

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 15

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt 

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 15

Happy National Bundt Day! November 15th is one of my favorite days of the year! :) I don't know who made up this silly food holiday, but I'm glad they did.

I hope you make a Bundt to celebrate the inverted, curvy cake! If you do celebrate today, let me know by filling out this ONLINE FORM and submitting a photo - I'm going to do a round-up of yummy cakes. (You don't need a blog to join in). If you want, I'll send you some food gift tags that you can put on a slice of Bundt cake that you give to friends and family. (Don't have a photo of these yet, because I haven't made them yet ;) If you live in the US, you'll be entered in a raffle for a cool Jubilee Bundt pan too! Notes: Bundts need to be made within the last 30 days, and deadline to enter is Nov 23, 2013. This is not sponsored - I'm paying for this.

This is the Julibee Pan you could win if you bake for National Bundt Day! 

I make this cake All. The. Time.
Really.
If you invite me to a meeting next week, I'm likely to show up with this Bundt.
You just got home with a new baby? This Bundt might show up on your doorstep.

And you should make it too! Each year I have profiled this Bundt because it's my go-to Bundt and so versatile - I've made cupcakes with the recipe too.

You don't need a mixer and it all comes together in a flash. If you want to celebrate National Bundt Day today and can't decide from the 100 plus recipes I've made in the past... then pick this Bundt. You probably have many of the ingredients in your house. And if you don't have buttermilk, just make it with some milk and vinegar.

This cake is moist and delicious. It keeps for a few days too...if you don't eat it first!

See this earlier post for step-by-step instructions with photos!

Thank you sooooo much for following along on my crazy adventure (I'm not the crazy cat lady, I'm just the crazy Bundt lady). Although it was the "light" edition with only 15 days of bundts this year, I'm going to take a breather and rest for a bit... Happy Bundt Day to you and yours! - mary the food librarian

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 c plus 1 T (or 5 T) cocoa (I have used both Dutch processed and natural cocoa with fine results). I used 30 grams of Hershey's Cocoa.

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400 grams) sugar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 c buttermilk
1 t baking soda

2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Instructions:
Prepare 10-cup or 12-cup Bundt pan (I prefer to use Pam with Flour or Bakers Joy but you can also butter and flour the pan). Preheat oven to 375 degree.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together: flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon
2. Bring to a boil in a pot: Water, oil, butter and cocoa. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat.
3. Add the chocolate mixture to the flour and whisk by hand until combined.
4. Add the buttermilk and baking soda and mix.
5. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla. Add to the batter and combine.
6. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes (depending on your oven and pan), until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let sit on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto wire rack and let cool completely.
9. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.

I Like Big Bundts 2013
Day 15: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt (this post)
Day 14: Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Bundt
Day 13: Fresh Ginger & Molasses Bundt
Day 12: Matcha Green Tea Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 11: Triple Chocolate Bundt
Day 10: Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt
Day 9: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 14

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 14

Dude, tomorrow.
Tomorrow is National Bundt Day!
Whoo hoo!

I hope you are celebrating with me by making a Bundt for your friends, family, co-workers, or even your frienemies. Bundts are great - easy to make, little or no frosting, shapely cakes that always deliver love and deliciousness.

If you make a Bundt, let me know and I'll post a photo/link on a round-up! You have til November 23rd to submit. If you want, I'll send you some homemade food gift tags (so you can gift your next bundt to friends). If you are in the U.S., I'll enter you in a raffle to win the pretty new Jubilee Bundt pan. Submission info here.


Today's bundt is super yummmmmy. If you follow my instagram, you know that I often bring food to meetings at the library. One my monthly meeting colleagues sent me a link to this recipe that she makes all the time. Ricotta, Lemon and Blueberries - sign me up!


Ricotta makes the cake rich and moist. Definitely make this - it's perfect for a meeting with a cup of coffee or tea. I like baking with ricotta - try this delicious Orange Ricotta Bundt!



I baked this cake in a 10-cup Heritage Bundt pan. This is one of my favorites. Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook instagrammed this photo for me. Yes, it's MINI Heritage Bundts. So cute! It's on my list to Santa.


Lemon, Blueberries, Ricotta... do it.

Finally, thanks to the American Libraries for mentioning my crazy little project in this week's eNewsletter, ALDirect (November 6, 2013). See it here (scroll to the bottom or search for "bundts"). Thanks for the shout-out!

Whew! I'm almost done with this year's light version of I Like Big Bundts...

I Like Big Bundts 2013
Day 13: Fresh Ginger & Molasses Bundt
Day 12: Matcha Green Tea Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 11: Triple Chocolate Bundt
Day 10: Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt
Day 9: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Bundt Cake
Adapted from Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Bread on Tasty Kitchen

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cup (250 grams) sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used whole milk ricotta cheese)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cup (245 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup blueberries (I used Trader Joe's organic frozen blueberries)
Powdered sugar

My directions are different than Tasty Kitchen's directions (they didn't use a mixer and started by mixing the eggs and sugar together).

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10-cup Bundt pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or greasing and flouring the pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute after each addition.
4. Add the ricotta, vanilla, and zest and blend to combine.
5. On low speeed, add half the flour mixture followed by the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined - don't overmix.
6. With a spatula, fold the blueberries into the batter.
7. Pour into prepared Bundt pan and smooth out the top.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes (depending on your oven and pan used)until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let sit for 15 minutes and then invert onto wire rack until completely cool.
8. Sift powder sugar on top of the cake and enjoy!

 

OMG. I totally want this Mini Heritage Pan.

Matcha Green Tea Crème Fraîche Bundt Cake - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 12

Matcha Green Tea Crème Fraîche Bundt Cake

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 12

Happy 11/12/13! In just a few short days, it'll be National Bundt Day! And I'm crazy enough to celebrate this November 15th food holiday. I seriously love the Bundt cake - it's the perfect baked good because you can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner...and at midnight.

If you make a Bundt, I'm doing a round up. Send me a photo and/or link to your blog and I'll be posting a listing like this one. To encourage everyone to bake and gift treats to friends, family, and co-workers, I'll send you some homemade food gift tags too! Um, I can't give you a picture of one because I haven't made them yet...remember, this year's I Like Big Bundts is way disorganized. One of them will say "I Like Big Bundts...and I Like You" - a perfect gift tag when presenting a Bundt!

And finally, if you bake a bundt, you'll be entered in a raffle for the cool new Jubilee Bundt! (Note: Sorry, no buttons this year...last time, the mailing/postage was a fiasco so I'm moving to flat items that are easy to mail. I'll mail the gift tags anywhere, but the Bundt pan giveaway is only for U.S. addresses.)

When you make your Bundt (and post it if you have a blog), fill out this secure ONLINE FORM and attach a photo! Deadline is November 23, 2013 so you can make the Bundt on the actual National Bundt Day 11/15/2013.

What's up today? A yummy Matcha Green Tea Bundt made with my favorite new ingredient crème fraîche!

Do you like Matcha or Green Tea flavor? I love it. Matcha is an intense green tea powder that is mostly used in Japanese Tea Ceremony. I can't drink the tea (too strong and bitter for me), but I love anything made with green tea flavor (ice cream, candies, cakes...)

I buy my Matcha powder at the Japanese store. Maeda-en now makes a "Culinary Quality" matcha powder (about $7) that is less expensive than the "Universal Quality" (about $11) and "Ceremonial Quality" (I didn't even look at the price).

I made this in my Fiesta Bundt Pan by Nordic Ware (I don't see it for sale on Amazon or Nordic Ware anymore) I think the outside looks like little trees, and the green tea's color makes it look very "tree-y" (yes, all this Bundt making is getting to me...)

To my friend in Los Angeles: Please come out to this very special and important bake sale:

Eat My Blog 5.0 - Benefit for the Philippine Red Cross & Victims of Typhoon Haiyan

When: November 23, 2013 from 10 AM to 1 PM
Where: Cool Haus Pasadena
(59 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105)
Facebook event info here or website here. If you are in Los Angeles, please come with an empty stomach and a generous heart. The devastation in the Philippines is heartbreaking and we all need to do our best to help. I'll be bringing a sweet treat along with lots of other bloggers. If you can't come, please be sure to donate generously to help those affected.

Are you ready for National Bundt Day? Hope so! See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

I Like Big Bundts 2013
Day 11: Triple Chocolate Bundt
Day 10: Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt
Day 9: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Matcha Green Tea Crème Fraîche Bundt Cake
Inspired by and Adapted from Manila's Amazing Green Tea Cake (she uses sour cream and a bit less oil)

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoon matcha green tea powder (I used Maeda-en Culinary Quality Matcha powder)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7.5 ounce container crème fraîche
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup olive oil (I used Trader Joe's Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10-cup Bundt pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or greasing and flouring the pan.
2. Sift together the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of parchment or a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche and sugar until blended. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the olive oil and vanilla, and whisk to combine.
4. With a spatula, fold half the flour mixture into the liquid mixture until mostly blended. Add the remaining flour and fold just until combined. Don't overmix.
5. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let sit for 15 minutes and then invert onto wire rack until completely cool.
8. Sift powder sugar on top of the cake and enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 11

Triple Chocolate Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 11

Chocolate once.
Chocolate twice.
Chocolate three times!

Welcome to Day 11 of I Like Big Bundts 2013! National Bundt Day is Friday, November 15th and I hope you'll bake a Bundt to celebrate. I'm going to do a round-up so take photos and share with me (info coming soon...my weekend has been busy - sorry for the delay). If you make a Bundt, I'm having a little giveaway for bakers too (but it's not a button because that was a mailing/postage fiasco).

Today's Bundt has so much chocolate. It has 10 ounces of chopped chocolate in the cake, Dutch processed cocoa, and a chocolate ganache with 4 more ounces of chocolate. It's a massive chocolate cake.

I used much of the Pound Plus 72% Dark Chocolate bar from Trader Joe's for the recipe. I also used Starbucks Via for the coffee syrup. I don't drink coffee and find the Via packets are convenient when baking.

There were a couple things with this recipe that affected the outcome. If I didn't have to make more Bundts, I would try it again (perhaps after National Bundt Day!)

(1) The recipe says it fits in a 6-cup Bundt, but my 6-cup bundt pan runneth over. So, I think this would be better in a 10-cup Bundt pan. Or, you can use the 6-cup Bundt and make a couple cupcakes too. Because my cake was too full, I baked it a bit longer and I found it a bit dry.
(2) I didn't use all the coffee syrup. It makes 1/2 cup of syrup. I was afraid the cake would get soggy if I used it all. But then it was a bit dry - Was that because I baked it longer (because is went over the top) or because I didn't use all the syrup? Hum. Thus, I would try it in a 10-cup bundt next time (or not fill the 6-cup Bundt as full). If you make it, let me know how it turns out for you.

A coffee/sugar syrup is brushed over the warm cake. Coffee and chocolate go perfectly together!

You can see all those bits of chopped chocolate. This cake is fulllllll of chocolate!

Note: I was making a double batch of ganache for another recipe and didn't follow their recipe. I also didn't wait long enough for the ganache to thicken up before pouring. Therefore, you should get a richer covering of ganache on your bundt if you follow their recipe! :)

The rest of the cookbook looks really good and this was my first recipe. I hope to make more recipes soon!

Hope you are planning your Bundt making! See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

I Like Big Bundts 2013
Day 10: Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt
Day 9: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
Adapted from the Standard Baking Co. Pastries cookbook by Alison Pray & Tara Smith
Find it on Amazon or in your library.

Cake:
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup hot water
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (122 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups (10 ounces) chopped bittersweet chocolate (I used Trader Joe's 72% dark chocolate Belgium bar)

Coffee Syrup:
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (I used 1/2 a packet of Starbucks Via)
2 teaspoons sugar

Ganache:
3/4 cup (4 ounces) chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup half-and-half (I used heavy cream because I didn't have half-and-half)

Directions:
1. Coffee Syrup: Mix together hot coffee and sugar until dissolved. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The instructions say to use a 6-cup bundt pan. I used a 6-cup pan and it was too full, so you might want to reduce some of the batter in a 6-cup bundt and make a couple cupcakes too, or use a 10-cup Bundt pan. Prepare by spraying it with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or greasing and flouring the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa powder and hot water into a paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. The instructions said the mixture would be lumpy, but I mine was pretty smooth.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
5. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Then add the cocoa mixture and mix on low until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.
6. Beat the mixture on medium speed for an additional minute to aerate the mixture - it will lighten in color.
7. Fold in chopped chocolate to distribute evenly.
8. Pour into pan and bake 40-43 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking process, until wooden skewer inserted in the clear or with moist crumbs. (My cake came over the top and took longer to bake)
9. Remove cake and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert on the wire rack.
10. Brush the coffee syrup on the warm cake. (I used about 50% of the coffee syrup). Let the cake cool completely.
11. Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat half-and-half or cream in a small pan until it simmers. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes when stir until smooth.
12. Pour warm ganache over cake.

Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 10

Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 10

Happy Saturday! It's crazy warm and pretty in Los Angeles right now (75 degrees at the beach) so I was out most of the day and finally came in to send up this post!

Don't you just love Biscoff or Speculoos cookies? They are the best! Since Biscoff started making Cookie Butter, I've been in heaven. When Trader Joe's added this Netherland produced delight to their store, it was happytown. I went to Seattle last month (photos of that delicious trip coming soon), flew Delta and I asked for an extra Biscoff cookie pack.

I found this recipe on ButterYum's blog who topped it with a Chocolate Espresso Glaze, and she got it from A Beautiful Bite's blog who topped it with a Cookie Butter Ganache. Be sure to check their beautiful blogs for inspiration.

The Bundt is simple to make. I halved the recipe and baked it in my 6-cup Bundt pan.

You can cover this cake with a straight chocolate ganache, espresso ganache or cookie butter ganache...but I didn't have time (making too many bundts) and just went for powdered sugar. I think a cream cheese & biscoff spread would be awesome too.

To boost the cookie butter flavor, I'm totally in favor of just spreading it straight from the jar onto a slice too!

My Trader Joe's doesn't have the Speculoos Cookie Butter on the regular shelf anymore. They keep it at the front desk - think there is a shortage and high demand. Well, since it is pretty much legal crack...I can understand the need to limit quantities :)

Speaking of limited editions, can I begin to tell you how excited I was when all the peppermint holiday products became available in Trader Joe's last week? (Oh yes, I may have been visiting and calling asking them about their deliveries... :)  I bought 20 boxes of Candy Cane Green Tea. Love, love this stuff. It's decaf and mellow. I can drink it all day long. Last year, I bought 10 boxes and I ran out in September! It was a long, long wait for the new stuff. (If you don't have a TJ's near you, it has the same ingredients (and cute polar bears) as Celestial Seasoning Candy Cane Lane Tea. And the Candy Cane Joe-Joe's are back! Whoo hoo!

What Bundt are you going to make for National Bundt Day on November 15, 2013? Are you going to bring it into work or share it with your family? Hope you find a recipe and bake an inverted cake with a hole in the center (Dude, a Tube Pan cake is NOT a Bundt!)

If you glaze the Bundt, crush some speculoos cookies on top. That would be sooooo good. Let's just take a moment and imagine such yummyness.

I Like Big Bundts 2013
Day 9: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt
Recipe adapted from ButterYum and A Beautiful Bite

Note: I halved the recipe and used a 6-cup bundt pan

3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups (500 grams) sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup Speculoos Cookie Butter or Biscoff Butter (I used Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter)
4 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup milk, room temp (I used whole milk)

Glaze:
See ButterYum's blog (Chocolate Espresso Glaze) and A Beautiful Bite's blog (Cookie Butter Ganache) for options.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup bundt pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or greasing and flouring the pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Cream together the butter, cookie butter, and sugar together in a mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.
5. Add the flour mixture (3 additions) alternatively with the milk (2 additions), beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
6. Spread into prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven, let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack and then invert and cool completely.
8. Garnish: Glaze with a ganache or sift powdered sugar on top.

Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 9

Zucchini Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 9

Hello! Do you have some great neighbors with a green thumb? Do they leave fresh tomatoes on your doorstep every summer?

And do they leave boatloads of zucchini on your porch and run? Oh, zucchini. I love you, but I know that sometimes you go and multiply for gardeners. If you do get some zucchini, make this bundt from The Kitchn (love this website!)

I added some chocolate chips and ganache to the bundt, but it is lovely as is too. Since zucchini can be a watery veggie, you squeeze out as much water as possible before adding it to your batter. Great tip!

Of course, you can enjoy this plain with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Or...

...you can add some ganache. I happened to have some leftover ganache in the freezer and just let it thaw in the refrig until soft enough to spread on the bundt. You can also heat it to get it liquefied and pour it over the bundt.

You may wonder...What happened to Day 8 of I Like Big Bundts? Um...I went out with friends for lunch at Canter's (famous Jewish deli in Los Angeles) and we had a lovely time on our day off. When I walked back to my car, I couldn't find my keys (I've never lost a set of keys!). Nothing like dumping the contents of your purse on the sidewalk! Luckily, one friend didn't drive off yet (we came from three different areas of town) and was able to search the sidewalk, restaurants and bakery (of course we stopped in at Diamond Bakery) for my keys to no avail. So he drove to my friend's work where I hung out and shredded documents for her (hey, what are friends for?) until the end of the workday. Then we went to my area of town, had dinner, drove back to my house for my extra set of car keys, then drove back to Canter's, and I picked up my car. Thus, my 1:00 pm lunch took me until 9:30 pm to get home. Lovely to chat with my friends for an extended period of time...but no time to Bundt!

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway for cool Snapware Pyrex food containers. See this post - deadline 11/13/2013.

P.S.S. If you bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on Nov 15, I'm doing a round up (with a giveaway for an awesome bundt pan for those who bake). Submission info will be up soon...I've been delayed in getting that together but never fear...we'll be celebrating! :)

P.S.S. Need ideas of what Bundt to make? Check out my I Like Big Bundts page with lots of links, and here are this year's so far...

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache 
Adapted from The Kitchn, How to Make Zucchini Bread by Emma Christensen

Bundt:
1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium-sized)
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (200 grams) white sugar
1/2 cup (50 grams)  brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup olive oil or canola oil (I used olive oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional extras: 1 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup raisins, or 1 cup chocolate chips (I used one cup of chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or greasing and flouring the pan.
2. Shred the zucchinis on a box grater. Place shreds in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheese cloth and squeeze to press out as much moisture from the zucchini as possible.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugars, olive oil, and vanilla extract together to combine.
5. Add the squeezed zucchini and the optional nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips into the flour mixture and gentle combine with a spatula. Add the liquids to the flour/zucchini mixture. Fold the batter together, being careful not to overmix.
6. Place batter in Bundt pan and smooth out top with an off-set spatula or spoon. Bake 45-50 minutes until skewer inserted in the center come back clean, and the top springs back when touched.
7. Let cook in the Bundt pan for 15 minutes and then invert and cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Optional: Add some ganache to the top (either pour over ganache or spread on)

Ganache - This makes a cup or so of ganache. You will have extra and can freeze it or use it on another baking project!

1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1. Ganache is a combination of heavy cream and chocolate. So easy and so delicious. You can use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (or a mixture of both). The ratio is heavy cream (in fluid ounces) : chocolate (in weight)
2. Therefore, I used 8 fluid ounces (1 cup) of heavy cream to 8 ounces (weight) of semi-sweet chocolate.
3. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Bring the cream to a light simmer. Turn off heat and slowly pour the cream over the chocolate.
4. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. Then slowly whisk the liquid and chocolate together. Mix slowly...you don't want to incorporate extra air into the mixture. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. You can use ganache in different stages of "set". When it is warm, you can pour it over a cake or cupcake. When it firms up a bit more, you can spoon it on the treats. A bit more settling and you can frost with it. You can also whip it up for a lighter frosting. Oh, the possibilities of ganache.