Yossy Arefi doesn’t tout herself as the inventor of the “snacking cake,” a highly adaptable single-layer cake that can be quickly and easily thrown together. But the Brooklyn-based author, blogger and photographer deserves credit for creating a smash cookbook around its concept. That tidy little volume, “Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings,” won me over when I reviewed it three years ago, and it’s been my go-to baking book ever since. So when Arefi’s latest collection of treats based on her streamlined strategies arrived, I couldn’t wait to delve in.
As with those in her previous book, none of the offerings in “Snacking Bakes: Simple Recipes for Cookies, Bars, Brownies, Cakes, and More” (Clarkson Potter, $25) require an electric mixer or more than one bowl and pan. Flavor variations come with each, along with tips for making ahead and storing. And I was especially happy to find some savory suggestions amid the sweet ones.
One night, I whipped up an 8-inch square pan of Everything Bagel Bread with Scallions: a savory biscuit-like bread flavored with the seasoning blend and bits of cream cheese. While it baked, I prepared the dough for maple-sweetened, gluten-free Almond Thumbprints, and popped the cookie sheet filled with scoops in the oven as soon as the bread emerged. Both tasted as delicious as promised, leaving me with only a few dishes to wash.
Sticky notes are in place for Frosted Lemon-Lime Sugar Cookie Bars (with an option for replacing the citrus juice and zest with vanilla and rainbow sprinkles), Ginger Cherry Oaties (an updated riff on molasses cookies), her downsized version of Hummingbird Cake (with or without the cream cheese frosting) and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark — in which the dough is simply pressed into a thin round on a baking sheet and broken into shards after baking.
On every page, Arefi demonstrates that, with a few basic tools and staple ingredients, the ability to produce bakery-worthy treats on a moment’s notice is within anyone’s reach.
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