A Southern Illinois favorite and other buttery recipes

Growing up in Southern Illinois, I have deep roots for many traditions, and some of those are related to food. In extreme southern Alexander County years ago, you would have found Cairo to be a booming and thriving town. Today, many residents have moved away, and most businesses have closed their doors.

I decided to share an old recipe with you that truly was a Southern Illinois favorite. The coffeecake from Eddie's was always fresh and so good. Then, in keeping with the whole butter theme, I found a few recipes calling for butter as an ingredient, and now browned butter is all the craze. I hope you enjoy!

Cairo Butter-Top Coffeecake

Butter-top coffeecake brings fond memories to many from Cairo and all around Southern Illinois. "Butter-top" was made at a Cairo bakery called Eddie's. Butter-top makes a wonderful snack for breakfast or dessert. This recipe makes one large coffeecake or two mini cakes. The cake also freezes well. Freeze on a plate 6 hours, wrap frozen loaf in plastic wrap and then heavy-duty aluminum foil and return to the freezer for up to six months. Cake ingredients:

• 2 cakes of yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 large eggs
• 6 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand. Mix oil, sugar, salt, boiling water and eggs until well blended, using mixer with regular flat beater. Add dissolved yeast to mixture and blend. Gradually add flour and blend well after each addition, scraping sides often. Mixture will resemble sticky pizza dough. Put bowl of dough in refrigerator and let rise overnight, lightly covered.

The next morning, scrape sides of the bowl and divide dough in half, or use a little oil on your hands to separate. Put half of the dough in a 13x9-inch nonstick or lightly-oiled baking pan, spreading dough to the edges. Repeat with remaining dough and put in second pan, or you may use four 9x9-inch pans. Let the coffeecake dough rise in a warm place about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how thick you like it. I think 3/4 to 1 inch is about right. Meanwhile, make butter-top topping as follows.

Butter-top topping:

• 1 box (1 pound) powdered sugar
• 2 sticks margarine, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons nondairy creamer
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat margarine, eggs, creamer, vanilla and salt until well blended. Gradually add powdered sugar and blend until smooth. Drop evenly by spoonfuls, lightly on top of raised dough. Spread gently to cover dough. Be sure to spread all the way to the edges of dough. Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Makes two 9x13-inch coffeecakes or four 9x9-inch cakes.

Chocolate Chip Butter Bars

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, place butter and sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer until well combined and fluffy. Add in flour, egg and vanilla. Beat again until fully incorporated and a dough is formed, scraping down sides as needed. Add in chocolate chips and stir by hand until mixed in. Spray a 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon dough into dish. Using wet hands, pat out into dish until it is even. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until just lightly browned on the edges, being careful not to over bake. Allow to cool before cutting. Serves: 9 to 12 bars.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies

• 10 tablespoons butter, sliced
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Place the butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to foam. Continue to cook, whisking (or swirling the pan) frequently until the butter becomes an amber color; this should take 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

Whisk together the flour, pecans, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Add the granulated and brown sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pour the cooled butter into the sugars and mix on medium speed to combine. Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing just until smooth.

Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Divide the chilled dough into 1-tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball into the powdered sugar and place onto the prepared pan, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are set.

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Yields about 36 cookies.

Browned Butter and Pecan Blondies Brown butter mixture:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Blondie:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Vanilla ice cream, optional, for serving

For the brown butter mixture:

Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns, for 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer brown butter to a medium bowl; let cool slightly. Add egg, brown sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until mixture is light and falls back onto itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 3 minutes. Fold in flour.

For the blondie:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish and dust with flour. Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Whisk baking powder, salt and 2 1/4 cups flour in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat brown sugar and 1 cup butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating between additions; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients. Fold in half of pecans. Scrape two-thirds of batter into prepared baking dish; smooth top, pushing batter to edges. Alternating, dollop brown butter mixture and remaining batter on top. Smooth and sprinkle remaining pecans over. Bake until blondie is golden brown and firm (a tester will not come out clean), 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool before slicing. Serve with ice cream if desired.

Do ahead: Blondies can be made 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Salty Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or mini chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then bring to boil. Once it starts boiling, swirl the pan constantly until the butter passes the foamy phase and becomes a deep amber color. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool 20 minutes.

While butter is cooling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir dry ingredients together to combine. Add sugars, eggs and vanilla to cooled butter and stir to combine. Pour flour mixture into butter mixture and stir until dough comes together.

Add in chocolate chips and stir again briefly to incorporate. Using a medium 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, drop the dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Yield: 30 cookies.

Have a great week and, until next time, happy cooking.