HOW TO USE EXCESS CAKE-CHOCOLATE CHIP SPICE BARS

Cake decorators and bakers!

Do you need to clear out your freezer and use EXCESS CAKE?

That cake that was left when you evened out the cake layers OR

cake that was left after carving OR

cake that did not turn out saleable!

Suggest CHOCOLATE CHIP SPICE BARS….

Less fussy and time-consuming

than cake pops and

the cookies can be frozen, then defrosted

and served as needed…IF…

there are any leftovers….!

 

Years ago, I worked in sales at a cake salon noted for

sculptured cakes.

Every week, I noticed that buckets of cake scraps

were thrown out and

wondered why they were not used to make

other saleable products.

This was before the cake pop craze but cake

pops would not have been the answer for

such a large-scale-fast-paced bakery.

 

A couple of years later when I took over the

Campus Bakery at West Valley Occupational,

I did not want to waste anything.

Sometimes there were student goofs or a bit of overbaking;

we put all of that in a freezer labeled SPICE BARS…

We included not-quite-perfect, therefore,

non-salable fruit muffins in the mix as well as

edible mistakes and student test cakes.

 

The huge bars, four per package,

were sold as loss leaders or seasonal specials.

The aroma of the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves

is just so enticing.

Once customers tasted the moist 4-inch by 4-inch

square bars…LOVE!

 

I share the formula with you here.

The cake scraps that you use need to be moist.

You can mix the cake scrap flavors.

My original formula is for 50 pounds of dough.

So, I have considerably reduced all by factoring

and hope

that you find them comforting.

 

I sized the formula for the SHEET-TYPE COOKIE

using a ¼ -sheet cake pan

for home and family

AND

EXPLAIN how to shape the dough into

A BAR-TYPE COOKIE option.

If you choose THE SHEET METHOD option and

cut them 4-inch by 4-inch,

like we did for the school bakery,

the cookies will be deli-size OR you could cut

the cookies into smaller 1×2 inch bars!

WHICHEVER METHOD AND SHAPE YOU CHOOSE…

the cookies will be gone in a heartbeat!

I would love to have you share your experience

with the formula on Facebook or

Email me: susan@bakingandcakeart.com.

Happy aromatic baking!

AND USE UP THAT EXCESS CAKE!

Chef Susan

CHOCOLATE CHIP SPICE BARS

INGREDIENTS	OUNCES	FRACTIONAL MEASUREMENTS	GRAMS
Excess Cake (Processed Crumbs)	1 lb + 4 oz		567
Granulated Sugar	12oz		340
Ground Cinnamon		1 Tablespoon	11
Salt		1 ⅛ Teaspoon	7.9
Baking Powder		1 ¼ Teaspoon	6.2
Ground Allspice		2 ⅛ Teaspoon	5.31
Ground Clove		1 Teaspoon	2.55
Light Corn Syrup	3 oz		86.
Crisco Shortening	4.5 oz		130
Bread Flour	7.0 oz		199
Eggs	1.75 oz		50
Chocolate Chips	7.0 oz		199
Vanilla Extract		½ Teaspoon	3.5

OPTION ONE: SHEET COOKIE METHOD

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

5-quart mixer and bowl, paddle attachment, parchment paper, bowl scraper, scale, measuring spoons, spatula, 9×13 inch cake pan, large non-beveled knife, food processor.

PROCEDURE:

1. Place pan release such as shortening on the bottom of the cake pan.
2. Line the pan bottom with parchment paper.
3. Place cake into processor and process just until crumbs.
   

   Processed cake crumbs

    

4. Place granulated sugar, excess cake crumbs, ground spices, baking powder into the five-quart mixer bowl and fit with paddle.
5. Mix above ingredients with paddle until mixture forms a paste.
6. Add shortening, egg, extract and mix on low until these ingredients disappear into the paste-like dough.
7. Add flour and mix at low speak until it disappears into the mixture.
8. Add chocolate chips or raisins and mix on low until just distributed throughout the dough. Do not overmix.
9. Remove paddle and bowl from mixer and with a bowl scraper bring the bottom portion of dough onto the top dough as you rotate the bowl so as the dough is more evenly mixed than the mixer can do it alone.
   
10. Crumble the dough over the pan to evenly distribute it and press with you fingers and hand and level the dough edges with a bowl scraper to avoid a ragged look.
             
11. Refrigerate the covered dough overnight to enhance texture. (see note below.)
12. Bake the dough in a preheated calibrated oven at 380 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
13. Cool for 20 minutes.
14. With a knife, loosen the edges, being especially mindful of the corners. You may want to put the knife in those areas twice to make sure that the sheet of cookie is not sticking.
15. Place parchment paper over the cookie and top with a sheet pan and invert the baked cookie onto it.
    

    Parchment paper placed over sheet pan in order to flip to release baked bars

     

16. Remove the parchment paper lining the pan.
    

    Remove this parchment paper before flipping.

17. Now place parchment onto the sheet of cookie dough, top with a sheet pan or cardboard and invert again onto the pan.
    
18. Cool thoroughly.
19. With a large knife cut the sheet into bars or squares depending upon your preference.
20. The yield for approximately 2-inch squares is twenty-four.
21. Wrap and freeze for longer storage or keep in an airtight container for up to five days.

 

OPTION TWO: BAR COOKIE METHOD

EQUIPMENT: 3- ½ sheet pans lined with parchment paper (INSTEAD OF THE 9X13 -inch CAKE PAN), turner, cooling rack. STEPS 1 -9 ABOVE.

1. Do steps 1-9 above.
2. Weigh six 9+3/8-ounce portions of dough.
   

   Scaled dough ready for shaping into logs.

    

3. Roll dough to almost the length of the sheet pan to be able to pick the log up and transfer it to the sheet pan. Continue to roll the log on the parchment paper until the dough is a scant one inch from each end of the sheet pan.
4. Press down on the log to flatten to 1.5 inches wide. The dough may also lengthen a bit as you do this process. Even out the ends with your hands so it does not touch the pan sides. It is best to put two logs on each sheet pan as the dough will spread
   

   Dough before and after flattening.

   

   Cut the dough crosswise into approximately 1+3/4 inch bars.

   

   Cut bars after cooling for no more than 10 minutes.

5. Cover the pan with parchment paper and then with an eco-friendly trash bag.
6. Refrigerate the three covered sheet pans overnight. (see note below)
7. Preheat calibrated oven to 380 degrees F.
8. Bake each sheet pan for 15 minutes.
9. Cool 10 minutes (should still be a bit warm) and cut the dough crosswise into approximately nine 1 +3/4-inch bars.
10. Use a turner to remove the cut cookies onto a cooling rack (careful as they are delicate at this point).
11. Cool and package for freeing or store in an airtight container for 4 days.

Note: I like to refrigerate the dough in pan overnight as it bakes into a moist, somewhat dense texture. The ingredients meld and the flour can hydrate.