Putting hot coffee in cake, and soy sauce in cookies: here are 7 treats our reporters baked in 2023

Across 2023, our newsrooms have had their share of hellos and farewells, anniversaries and celebrations, and nothing brings a workplace together quite like homemade baked goods.

Reporters from Appleton, Green Bay and Fond du Lac newsrooms were polled on their favorite homemade sweet treats from among those made for our gatherings this year, and others chimed in to praise the desserts. Whether chocolate-laden or gluten-free, bread or cookie, there were several unique recipes tested.

Here are seven of the most praised desserts, along with recipes, cooking instructions and why staff thought they were worth highlighting.

Natalie Eilbert balances mental health reporting with chocolate in many shapes

Natalie Eilbert, mental health reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, also happens to be an avid baker in her spare time. Eilbert made a number of sweet treats this year, and many of her coworkers couldn't help but to praise her creations.

Most mentioned in our totally official newsroom poll was her double chocolate and coffee layer cake, made to celebrate business reporter Jeff Bollier's 20th anniversary with the company.

"I baked a chocolate cake using Ina Garten’s double-chocolate layer cake recipe with a simple buttercream frosting and piped the number 20 on it," Eilbert said. "I added sprinkles because, why not?"

The cake was praised for its taste and texture.

"I'm still thinking about it," Becky Jacobs, The Post-Crescent's paper industry reporter, said. "I really want to steal her recipe to make it for home."

Eilbert, on more than one occasion — and often just for fun — baked chocolate chip s'mores cookies using a viral TikTok recipe, but her most experimental, yet, unexpectedly successful, dessert was the Adobo chocolate chip cookies, made with soy sauce and pink peppercorns. That recipe was found in the New York Times.

"The soy sauce creates this next-level umami taste, as does the brilliant choice to brown butter with bay leaves," Eilbert said. "I have never eaten a more exciting cookie."

Double chocolate layer cake

Cake

• Butter, for greasing the pan
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Frosting

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 2 teaspoons hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment; butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt at low speed. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool. Peel off the parchment.

For the frosting, in a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate at high power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until most of the chocolate is melted. Stir until completely melted, then set aside to cool. In a bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for one minute, scraping down the side of the bowl.

At low speed, slowly beat in the powdered sugar for about one minute. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in two teaspoons of hot water. Slowly beat the coffee and the cooled chocolate into the butter mixture until just combined.

Set a cake layer on a plate with the flat side facing up. Evenly spread one-third of the frosting over the cake to the edge. Top with the second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

S'mores chocolate chip cookies

• Favorite cookie dough recipe
• Graham crackers
• Chocolate candy bars
• Marshmallows

Use your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, or store-bought if you'd like to save time. Assemble graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows in the s'mores fashion on a cookie tray. Flatten and place the cookie dough on top of the s'mores. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Adobo chocolate chip cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 fresh bay leaves or 4 dried bay leaves
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 packed cup dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 10 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Place the butter and bay leaves in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the specks of milk solids turn golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately pour the brown butter into a large bowl and discard the bay leaves.

Set aside until cool enough to touch, about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour and baking soda until the baking soda is evenly distributed. Add both sugars to the cooled butter and mix by hand until well combined. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, soy sauce, vanilla and vinegar. Gently mix in the flour mixture until no floury streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate until evenly distributed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight to allow more time for the flavors to meld. If the dough has rested overnight, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to make it easier to scoop into balls.

In a small skillet, toast the pink peppercorns on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Coarsely crush the peppercorns, then using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into balls. Place about 6 balls on a prepared sheet, making sure to leave at least 2 inches of space between the balls. Sprinkle some of the crushed pink peppercorns and flaky sea salt on top of the dough balls before putting it into the oven.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.

Lynne Fort stays 'bread-y' so she doesn't have to get 'bread-y'

Lynne Fort is an audience manager for the Center for Community Journalism and, this year, her flavored breads and cookies brought smiles to the Appleton newsroom.

Fort made chocolate chip zucchini bread, for fun, and pumpkin bread to help bring in the fall season. Fort's pumpkin bread was made using an Allrecipes recipe, with a few changes for Fort's preference.

"The pumpkin bread gave me life," Post-Crescent editor Taima Kern said. "It was that perfect balance of sweet and soft on top to bread-y on the bottom, and not overwhelming. I spent a lot of time in the kitchenette carving off just one more slice."

Experimenting with a new recipe, Fort baked green tea shortbread cookies, also from Allrecipes, which our child care and early education reporter, Madison Lammert, praised.

"If you are not experienced in baking with matcha, do not mess with the matcha powder amount until after the first bake," Fort said. "I drink a lot of matcha and I really like the taste so I thought I would go over the amount written in the recipe and it did not translate well for me."

Downeast Maine pumpkin bread

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ⅔ cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease two 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pans. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger together in a large bowl.

Mix pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar in a separate bowl until well blended. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until just blended.

Pour the batter into the loaf pans and bake 50 minutes.

Insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean before allowing to cool.

Green tea shortbread cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup white sugar, plus more for topping
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons green tea powder (matcha), or more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a work surface and dust with flour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat butter in a bowl using an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup sugar and continue beating until mixture is lighter in color, about 2 minutes more.

Mix flour, green tea powder, and salt together in a separate bowl; gradually add to creamed butter mixture, beating on low speed until dough sticks together.

Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on the floured parchment paper; cut into 2-inch cookies or bars. Roll remaining dough and cut into more cookies until all the dough is used. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Carefully transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle sugar over each cookie.

Bake in the preheated oven until firm and barely starting to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Daphne Lemke's 'promiscuous' brownies are attention-grabbing in both name and taste

Daphne Lemke, a reporter for The Reporter in Fond du Lac, surprised the newsroom with a batch of triple-decker brownies, otherwise known as "Slutty Brownies." The dessert is made with three layers: cookie dough, Oreo cookies and brownie batter, in whichever order the baker prefers. Lemke followed a recipe from The Domestic Rebel.

She used a cupcake tin for her brownies, and admitted to using store-brought cookie dough from time to time.

As someone who was able to try Lemke's brownies, I'd have to say it was one of my favorite desserts brought in this year.

Homemade slutty brownies

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
• 24 Double Stuf Oreos (you can use any flavor Oreo, but regular is traditional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13 inch rectangular light metal baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil with cooking spray and set aside.

First, make your cookie dough layer. In a bowl, mix together the butter and sugars until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the egg and egg yolk, beating well after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract. Add in the baking soda, cornstarch, salt, and flour and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and press it into an even layer with your hands.

Top with the Oreos in a grid pattern. Set aside.

For the brownies, in a medium saucepan, melt together the butter and chopped chocolate bar over medium-low heat, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the granulated sugar and beat well. Add in the eggs, mixing quickly, followed by the vanilla extract. Add in the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix to combine. Pour the brownie batter evenly over the Oreo layer and try to spread the brownie batter to the edges of the pan to cover the Oreo layer completely.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, but not wet.

Cool the bars in the pan completely before cutting into squares to serve.

AnnMarie Hilton shows how versatile gluten-free desserts can be

Before starting her new job in Maine Morning Star, AnnMarie Hilton, then-education reporter with The Post-Crescent, graced the newsroom with her popular lemon bars.

Hilton made the bars for election night in April, after her flourless chocolate cake the previous year was well-received.

"I got really into baking when I lived up there and I loved sharing what I made with everyone in the newsroom," Hilton said in December. "Election nights can always use a little pick-me-up, so I liked to bring in something home-baked to spark some joy on a long night of waiting."

The lemon bars were made from scratch and, just like the chocolate cake from the previous year, were gluten-free.

"They were very delicious," said Eilbert. "You don't even notice they're gluten-free."

Although Hilton couldn't find the exact recipe she used for this specific batch, we found a recipe from King Arthur Baking Company with high reviews.

Gluten-free lemon bars with almond flour crust

Crust

• 2 cups almond flour
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, cold, diced

Filling

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• pinch of table salt
• 1/4 cup mini diced ginger, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round pan. For the crust, combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl, whisking to blend. Add the cold butter, working it in with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture is evenly combined and crumbly.

Dump the mixture into the prepared pan, shake to distribute, and press the crust into the bottom and about 1/2" up the sides of the pan.

Bake the crust until it's light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. While the crust is baking, whisk together the filling ingredients.

Remove the crust from the oven, pour the filling over the hot crust, then return the squares to the oven and bake them for 14 to 18 minutes, until the filling appears set.

Remove and allow them to cool in the pan before cutting. Cover the squares and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.