IntroductionWhen
Snacking Cakes was first published in the fall of 2020, I had no idea that it would have such a huge impact on the lives of everyday bakers. Since the recipes were so quick to make and didn’t require much effort, equipment, or special ingredients, I heard from so many people who told me they cooked from
Snacking Cakes more than any other cookbook they owned—including those who found themselves baking for the very first time (ever!), parents who made those cakes with their kids (or while their kids were napping), and lifelong bakers who relished being able to satisfy their sweet tooth on a whim.
It was clear that the promise of simple, anytime recipes should extend well beyond cakes—don’t we deserve a bite of a rich fudgy brownie or warm, out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie just as easily?
Snacking Bakes delivers just that. You’ll find accessible, irresistible recipes for cookies, bars, brownies, and (more!) cakes that rely on basic pantry ingredients and no special equipment so you can make and enjoy a treat at a moment’s notice. I’ve tried to anticipate and satisfy every sweet and salty craving in this collection, so there will be a little something for everyone. You’ll discover chocolatey cakes, fruit-glazed cookies, gooey buttery bar cookies, brownies, and a lot more.
Plus, you’ll find gluten-free and vegan recipes (marked by GF or V) or easily adaptable options in each chapter, so no one’s left out.
If you are a beginning baker, you will love how simple and fast these recipes are—almost everything can be made in less than an hour, in one bowl. They are full of comforting familiar flavors like chewy peanut butter blondies and soft oatmeal raisin cookies, and hopefully some new and inspiring ones, too, like berries paired with tahini, malted milk powder added to perfectly chewy sugar cookies, and a savory bread filled with everything bagel seasoning and cream cheese that is irresistible warm. You can throw together a batch of cookies or a simple pan of bars on a weeknight or squeeze one in during naptime, and they are special enough that you’ll want to share them with your friends and neighbors. And you can always skip the glazes and toppings if you like. There’s an opportunity for more experienced bakers to take things to the next level by mixing and matching bakes and icings. Or make toppings like salted caramel, hot fudge, or strawberry sauce to turn your baked good into an ice cream sundae. Even though these recipes are easy, they certainly are not boring.
Although I have a relatively spacious kitchen for a New York City apartment dweller, whenever I post a picture of it online I inevitably get comments asking how I cook and bake in such a small space, with no dishwasher. I’ve made thousands of cookies and hundreds of cakes in my little galley kitchen, and it has helped me streamline my cooking and baking so much. I have made many labor-intensive “project bakes” over the years, but in my day-to-day I think twice before pulling out an additional bowl or set of tools to get a job done, and I love to pass those dish savings on to others. These are fun recipes for folks with tiny kitchens like mine and those who need an easy pick-me-up. At the end, you’ll have a tasty treat and only a few items to wash instead of every bowl you own.
The book begins with the original snacking bake—the cookie. Cookies are one of the first things that a lot of folks learn to bake and for good reason. They often feel less intimidating than other desserts, and they are pre-portioned into perfect bites that fit in a lunchbox, picnic basket, or alongside your afternoon coffee or tea. Cookies should feel friendly and easygoing, like you can whip them up at any moment, and these recipes deliver on that exact promise. Not all cookies in the world are that easy, but these are: You’ll never have to wait for butter to soften or get an electric mixer out. I’ll also never ask you to refrigerate the cookie dough before you bake it, and if you have two large baking sheets, you can bake all of the dough in one go, no waiting around for multiple batches. Even though they’re so simple, these cookies have a wonderful variety of flavors and textures and are anything but boring. From pat-inthe pan buttery shortbread that you can riff on so many ways to ooey, gooey, and chewy cookies like White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (page 74) filled with brown butter, or Snack Attacks (page 80) filled with sweet and salty mix-ins, to bright and lemony Blueberry Cornmeal Cookies (page 50), all of your cookie desires will be met.
Next up are the highly shareable (if you must), brownies and bars. These recipes are near and dear to my heart, drawing upon flavors that remind me of mornings grabbing a coffee and treat from the coffee cart when I tagged along to work with my mom, like Pink Cookie Bars (page 101) and Raspberry Mazurkas (page 108). My Midwestern in-laws were also a huge influence (folks in the Midwest are serious about their bars), and you’ll see a range of flavors from buttery oat-filled bars to rich and chocolatey cookie bars to spiced molasses bars topped with coffee glaze.
The bars and brownie recipes don’t require an electric mixer either, and they’re even easier than cookies because you can just throw the dough right into the pan, no portioning needed. Some of them are dressed up with a bit of glaze or frosting, while others are served straight up. As always, there’s lots of room to make these recipes your own by switching up the toppings, spices, or mix-ins. All of the bars use your trusted 8 × 8-inch pan, but if you have a crowd to feed, you can always double the recipes and bake them in a 9 × 13-inch pan, with just a few more minutes of baking time.
There are even two cookie barks that you’ll mix up, pat into a round, and bake on a sheet pan. Bake the cookie until matte, crisp, and golden. Then, use your hands to break the big cookie into whatever size pieces you need at the moment. Cookie barks are big crispy cookies for lazy people (like me!). Eat them as is or serve cookie shards with a scoop of ice cream and some fancy sauce (pages 182 and 183) for a super-quick and satisfying dessert.
The cake chapter picks up right where Snacking Cakes left off with lots more fun, simple cakes, mixed up in one bowl with minimal ingredients and minimal fuss, like Brown Sugar Peach Cake (page 170), Berry Bran Cake (page 148), and a seriously moist and tasty vegan Chocolate Banana Cake (page 153), topped with mocha glaze if you like. You’ll find lots of ideas to customize these cakes, and you can always try your own spin, too!
Copyright © 2023 by Yossy Arefi. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
