Categories
Snack

Show people how you roll with a classic customizable snack

Tortilla rollups are a classic staple for the snack table. This recipe features ranch dressing mix as the main flavoring in cream cheese, along with shredded cheese and deli meat.
Tortilla rollups are a classic staple for the snack table. This recipe features ranch dressing mix as the main flavoring in cream cheese, along with shredded cheese and deli meat.

In looking up ideas for summer snacks in anticipation of a recent get-together, I realized I have completely missed trying out one of my favorite items to see on a snack table: tortilla rollups.

If you want to go on a deep dive of about a million versions of the classic snack, just Google it and see how many posts pop up.

My criteria were that I needed it to be decently quick, easy and pretty to look at, and after lots of clicking around, I found the recipe I wanted to try.

This came from the blog “The Cookie Rookie.” You can find the original post at https://www.thecookierookie.com/ham-cheese-ranch-rollups/. I changed things around just a bit in my version.

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Tortilla Rollups

Tortilla rollups are a classic staple for the snack table. This recipe features ranch dressing mix as the main flavoring in cream cheese, along with shredded cheese and deli meat.
Course Snack
Keyword cream cheese, deli meat, easy snack, flour tortillas, green onion, no-bake snack, ranch seasoning, shredded cheese, snack table, tortillas

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 packet ranch dressing mix
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/2 bunch green onion chopped
  • 5 flour tortillas burrito size
  • 8 ounces thinly sliced deli meat

Instructions

  • Beat the cream cheese, dressing mix, shredded cheese and green onion in a mixing bowl until everything is well combined.
  • Slightly warm the tortillas in the microwave (15 to 20 seconds) to make them more pliable, and lay them out on a clean countertop.
  • Divide the cream cheese mixture between all five tortillas, and spread it evenly on each, spreading it all the way to the edges.
  • Layer the deli meat evenly on the tortillas. (You won’t have complete coverage, and that’s totally fine.)
  • Tightly roll each tortilla, and place them in plastic in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until the cream cheese is cooled through.
  • Slice each roll into rounds that are about three-quarters of an inch thick.
  • Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container if not serving immediately.

I made two versions of this recipe, and it was super easy to accomplish. Making 10 of these rolls meant my snack tray was overflowing, but almost every rollup was gone at the end of the night, so I’d call that a win.

One of the combinations I made used spinach tortillas, Monterrey jack shredded cheese and turkey. The other used regular tortillas, sharp cheddar and ham. Both were delicious.

I’m sure you could come up with even more great options for roast beef, prosciutto, salami or a variety of other meat and cheese combinations.

I feel like I righted a wrong by finally putting tortilla rollups into this space, although I’m sure most people already have their favorite version.

If not, I’d recommend giving this one a try, or you know, you could always spend a few hours digging through the hundreds online. It’s up to you.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 3, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Add more than a pinch of flavor with crab cakes for dinner

Crab cakes are extremely easy to make and are an excellent dinner for any time, but especially in the summer months, when seafood just seems to taste even better.
Crab cakes are extremely easy to make and are an excellent dinner for any time, but especially in the summer months, when seafood just seems to taste even better.

I married into a seafood-loving family. Apparently it’s weird that I am not nearly as excited about eating non-fried fish as the rest of them are.

I maintain that it’s perfectly logical for a lifelong Kansan to want everything with gills to be dropped into a vat of oil and fried to a crisp.

My only saving grace is that I do really like shellfish—shrimp, lobster, and apt to this week’s recipe: crab.

I have found that to be a solid compromise when hanging out with the Youngs.

And while Joey knows that if he wants to cook up a beautiful piece of salmon, his wife is going to opt for her own dinner that evening, he was very sure when he pointed out a good deal on some lump crab meat that I would be all in.

Of course, I had to look up a recipe right there in the grocery store. I was wholly unprepared for a seafood meal, but the good news is, I found a great dish to try, and our dinner was absolutely delicious and perfect for a hot summer night.

This comes from the blog “Schnell Rezept.” You can find the original post at https://schnellrezept.com/en/crispy-restaurant-style-crab-cakes/. I changed up the seasonings a bit in my version.

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Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are extremely easy to make and are an excellent dinner for any time, but especially in the summer months, when seafood just seems to taste even better.
Course Main Course
Keyword bread crumbs, dijon mustard, eggs, garlic powder, lump crab, mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, Old Bay, onion powder, panko, paprika, seafood seasoning, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise I used Miracle Whip
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard I used spicy brown
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning like Old Bay
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound lump crab meat
  • 1 rounded cup unseasoned bread crumbs or panko
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, parsley, seafood seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt and pepper, mixing until everything is smooth.
  • Double check to remove any shells in the crab meat and add it, along with the bread crumbs, to the mayonnaise mixture, and stir gently to combine.
  • Split the mixture into six equal parts and form thick patties (about an inch thick), and place the formed crab cakes on a plate.
  • Refrigerate the patties for at least 20 minutes.
  • To cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the crab cakes into the preheated skillet and cook for three to four minutes on each side until they are golden brown.
  • Serve immediately with a side of lemon juice and/or tartar sauce.

These were really tasty. They maintained moisture while also having a really nice, crispy outside.

If cooking seafood isn’t your forte, the recommended internal temperature for the thickest part of a crab cake is 140 degrees, and you’ll want to be very gentle when you’re flipping the cakes over so they don’t break apart.

And I was able to live up to my married name for a change, when it came to something sort of fishy. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t be breaking out the PB&J the next time I see a salmon fillet on our counter.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 27, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Say ‘marlow’ to this vintage cold treat

Banana marlow is a vintage recipe from the ’30s that creates an ice-cream-like dessert with a wonderful creamy texture, using marshmallows in the base.
Banana marlow is a vintage recipe from the ’30s that creates an ice-cream-like dessert with a wonderful creamy texture, using marshmallows in the base.

Often, when I try a recipe I’ve never heard of, I love to jump into its history.

I was especially interested in marlow, an ice-cream-like dessert that was wildly popular for decades but fell out of favor sometime during the 1960s, when people had access to electric ice cream makers at home and no longer had to use the old, hand-cranked models.

I highly recommend an article by Andrew Coletti on “Atlas Obscura.” He goes into grand detail about marlow, which I was happy to dive deeply into.

He explains that before people could make ice cream at home very efficiently, marlow became popular, thanks to the use of marshmallows, which helped to keep the mixture a creamy, ice cream consistency, rather than letting it become rock hard in the freezer.

“The proliferation of mass-produced gelatin marshmallows in the early 20th century allowed for lots of recipes made with them, and marlow became a home ice cream favorite,” he writes.

You can read his entire article at https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/vintage-marshmallow-dessert.

So the real question: was it good?

Oh. My. Goodness. You guys. It was fabulous.

The marlow recipe I tried comes from a post by influencer B. Dylan Hollis. If you’ve never heard of him, look him up. He’s great. He makes a ton of vintage recipes and has a couple cookbooks out, too. He’s a fun watch. I figured out the proportions of some of the add-ins and added peanuts to my version below.

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Banana Marlow

Banana marlow is a vintage recipe from the ’30s that creates anice-cream-like dessert with a wonderful creamy texture, using marshmallows in the base.
Course Dessert
Keyword banana, heavy cream, lemon juice, maraschino cherries, marlow, milk, mini marshmallows, no-churn ice cream, peanuts, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup milk I used skim
  • 32 regular-sized marshmallows
  • 1 banana mashed (I used an overly ripe one)
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 10 ounces maraschino cherries chopped
  • 1/2 cup peanuts chopped

Instructions

  • Add the milk and marshmallows to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring regularly to keep the milk from scalding, until the mixture is smooth.
  • Remove it from the heat and let it set until it cools to about room temperature.
  • Stir the banana, lemon juice and vanilla into the marshmallow mixture.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, and then fold it into the marshmallow mixture. Finish it off by folding in the cherries and peanuts, and spread the mixture into a nine-by-13-inch dish. Put the dish in the freezer and let freeze over night.
  • Serve like you would any other ice cream, and enjoy.

This was creamy and super banana-y, and the added pops of sweet from the cherries and crunch from the peanuts were perfect. The texture was better than any other no-churn ice cream recipe I’ve ever tried.

And, according to both Coletti and Hollis, there are tons of other flavors you can make. I’m definitely going to be making a chocolate version before the summer is up.

There are plenty of very weird vintage recipes that should probably stay in the past (Jell-O aspics, anyone?), but it’s time to bring this one back.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 20, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert Side Dish

My memory about peach season got a bit fuzzy this year

Peach cornbread is a new take on classic cornbread, featuring juicy pops of fruit throughout the sweet corn cake. It would be great served drizzled with honey or just with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Peach cornbread is a new take on classic cornbread, featuring juicy pops of fruit throughout the sweet corn cake. It would be great served drizzled with honey or just with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I got a bit overzealous about fresh peaches back in June.

It was hot. It felt fully like summer, and when I saw a bag of them at the grocery store, I snapped them up.

And they were, well, fine.

I mean, they were juicy and fresh, but they lacked a lot of flavor.

It dawned on me that, despite the summer months being upon us, it was most certainly not quite peach season, and while these looked pretty, they were not the peaches I normally looked forward to in late July and early August.

So, I saved the recipe I’m sharing with you for the proper part of the summer, because while it turned out pretty well with my less-than-flavorful peaches, I’m convinced a late-summer peach would up the wow factor quite a bit with this one.

It’s a bit of a non-traditional way to use peaches, but if you’re tired of cobblers and pies, this might be a good alternative to use up the last few, if you bought a box this year.

This comes from the blog “Butter and Baggage” by Barbara Curry. You can find her original recipe at https://www.butterandbaggage.com/peach-cornbread/. I didn’t add extras in this one, but I did adjust the pan size a bit when I made this.

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Peach Cornbread

Peach cornbread is a new take on classic cornbread, featuring juicy pops of fruit throughout the sweet corn cake. It would be great served drizzled with honey or just with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Course Dessert, Side Dish
Keyword buttermilk, cast iron skillet, cornbread, cornmeal, fresh peaches, sugar

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk or a scant cup milk, topped with vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups fresh diced peaches

Instructions

  • Place a nine- to 12-inch cast iron pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • While the pan heats, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and two tablespoons of the (melted) butter in a mixing bowl.
  • Whisk in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt until everything is well-incorporated.
  • Fold the peaches into the batter.
  • When the oven is preheated, carefully remove the pan, and melt the other two tablespoons of butter in the pan, swirling to coat it.
  • Add the batter, spreading it out evenly, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Serve warm on its own or drizzled with honey or alongside some vanilla ice cream.

This was good. The sweetness from the corn played well with the sweetness from the fruit, and having the diced peaches throughout led to some nice pops of flavor.

It was a nice change of pace for how to incorporate peaches into something new, too.

And while my first attempt wasn’t quite as spectacular as it could have been, I’m looking forward to trying it again with some actually in-season peaches.

As they say, good things come to those who wait.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 13, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

New (to us) seasoning is a ‘rice’ change of pace

Biryani is a rice dish that garners its name from the Persian language but that many in India claim was made delicious by their additions. Regardless, it’s a flavorful meal with tender chicken, fresh vegetables and warm spices.
Biryani is a rice dish that garners its name from the Persian language but that many in India claim was made delicious by their additions. Regardless, it’s a flavorful meal with tender chicken, fresh vegetables and warm spices.

I have long written about how much I love to buy a random ingredient at the grocery store (especially one that’s on sale) and figure out how to use it.

But I don’t think I’ve outed Joey as being the same way—except with spices and sauces.

I can’t even count the number of times we come home with a new sauce (almost always spicy) or a strange bottle of seasoning.

One of his recent finds I believe intrigued him for two reasons: one, there was a lot of Arabic-style writing on the packaging and, two, it was in an all-metal tin, making it look especially exotic.

So, I had to figure out what biryani spices were for. Apparently, it’s for a dish by the same name.

It turns out, we stumbled our uncultured selves into quite the culinary controversy, as when I tried to figure out what biryani is, I was greeted with several points of view as to where it actually originated.

An article from the BBC claims “There can be little doubt that biriyani originated in Iran. Even the name biriyani can be traced to the original Persian “birinj biriyan”—literally, fried rice,” but many argue that India made biriyani/biryani what it is once it crossed over their borders.

Regardless, I had a spice to use, so I started researching recipes.

I landed on a blog called “Aayi’s Recipes.” Her website is a pretty bare bones, and she writes her recipe instructions kind of like you’re trying to follow along with a friend who is making everything from memory and without measuring, so I will try to clean that up below with some of my own clarifications and modifications. You can find her original post at https://www.aayisrecipes.com/rice-items/biryani-with-biryani-mix/.

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Biryani

Biryani is a rice dish that garners its name from the Persian language but that many in India claim was made delicious by their additions. Regardless, it’s a flavorful meal with tender chicken, fresh vegetables and warm spices.
Course Main Course
Keyword basmati rice, biriyani, biryani, carrots, chicken broth, chicken stock, chicken thighs, green beans, green chile, peas, potatoes, Russet potato, Serrano, tomatoes, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Basmati rice
  • 3 cups chicken stock or broth
  • Canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced
  • 7 to 8 chicken thighs I used bone-in. You could use boneless.
  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes diced
  • 2 large carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 large Russet potato cut into half-inch pieces
  • 1 spicy green chile I used a serrano, cut into small rounds
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas or green beans
  • 1 tablespoon biryani seasoning
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Add the rice and stock to a pot with a lid. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer. Let it cook until the rice is about three-quarters of the way cooked through. Remove it from heat, and set it aside.
  • In a Dutch oven, heat about one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and saute, stirring regularly, until they are golden brown. Remove the onions and set them aside for now.
  • Add the chicken (add more oil, if necessary), and saute until all of the sides are nicely browned. Remove the chicken to a plate at the side.
  • Add in the tomatoes, carrots, potato, chile pepper, peas, biryani seasoning and salt, and stir to combine the spices and let the tomatoes begin to give up their juices.
  • Remove half of the vegetables to a bowl at the side, and add half the chicken thighs to the pot.
  • Top with half of the prepared rice, and then half of the fried onions.
  • Add the rest of the vegetable mixture and chicken, and top with the rest of the rice and the rest of the fried onions. Pour one-half cup of water over the top of the mixture, and turn the heat to low. Put a lid on the Dutch oven, and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes. At that point, check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs. If it’s not at least 165 degrees, put the lid back on the pot and let it cook longer, until it reaches that temperature.
  • Remove the thighs, and then mix the rice and vegetables to combine all the flavors. (You may need to add more salt, to taste, at this point, too.)
  • Serve the thighs with the rice and vegetables on the side.

This was delicious. The biryani spices are wonderfully aromatic. There are quite a few recipes to make a homemade blend, if you don’t stumble across it in the grocery store like we did, and those blends feature lots of warm spices like cinnamon, anise, cardamom and more.

Joey was pretty proud of the final product, and since we have an entire tin of biryani seasoning, I’m sure we’ll be making this again in the near future.

It gave us plenty of leftovers, too, which was really nice.

I guess we’ll just have to put up with each other’s love of grabbing random ingredients at the store. At least they generally end in fun experiments like this.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 6, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Don’t leaf through your cookbooks for ideas, make this instead

Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.
Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.

My allergies are totally angry at me right now.

I don’t know what kind of plant is surviving well enough in this late-July heat to attack my sinuses, but something certainly has been.

So when I told you I was immediately attracted to a soup recipe, you’ll forgive my stuffy nose for wanting a hot meal when the mercury is about to burst out of the glass.

I will say that, considering this is a southern-inspired dish, it’s probably not really meant to be consumed in the middle of a Kansas winter, either, but if you can find the fresh collard greens to make it happen, I’d recommend this gumbo literally any time of the year.

I got this recipe from cook Daven Gates from his Instagram account, called “One Stop Chop.” I switched up the protein a bit and retooled the spices, based on what I had available at my local grocery store and my spice cabinet.

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Gumbo Collard Greens

Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword Andouille sausage, bay leaves, bell pepper, cajun seasoning, canola oil, celery, celery salt, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, collard greens, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, garlic, garlic powder, green bell pepper, gumbo, minced garlic, olive oil, onion powder, parsley, red pepper flakes, vegetable oil, Worcestershire, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 pound andouille sausage sliced into medallions
  • 1 cup oil canola, vegetable, olive or avocado
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 10 to 12 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon celery salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • black pepper to taste
  • 3 large bunches collard greens stems removed and roughly chopped (wash it really well)
  • 2 pounds chicken cooked, deboned and shredded

Instructions

  • Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, and add the andouille sausage.
  • Saute until the sausage is lightly browned on all sides, and remove it to a plate to the side.
  • Add the oil and flour to the Dutch oven, stirring constantly and breaking up any lumps, until the roux mixture is chocolate brown in color. (This may take anywhere from seven to 10 minutes.)
  • Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, and stir to coat the veggies in the roux you made.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, and stir, making sure to get any browned bits up from the bottom of the pot. Add in all of the seasonings, and continue stirring until everything is well combined.
  • Let the gumbo come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Add the collard greens, a handful at a time, stirring to wilt it, until all of the greens are in the pot.
  • Add the sausage back in, along with the shredded chicken, and stir to combine. Once the meat is heated through, serve this alongside some fresh cornbread.
  • Store the leftovers in the fridge or freezer. (It’s better the next day.)

This was amazing. The flavors melded fabulously, and the slight spice of the sausage, combined with the freshness of the greens made for a hearty meal.

You will likely be a little intimidated by the amount of collard greens I am telling you to include in this. I will just say to trust the process. It’s amazing how much it wilts down once it hits the hot broth. The entire time I was cooking this, I was afraid I was going to max out the room in my Dutch oven, but it just kept reducing into more deliciousness.

This also reheated really well, which is always nice if you’re in the midst of a summer cold, when cooking isn’t always your favorite.

Or, just save this one for when fall hits and the temperatures go down instead. If you’re like me, you’ll be “lucky” enough to have another round of allergies hit about then, too.

This piece first appeared in print July 30, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

It never ‘a curd’ to me that this lemon dessert was worth a try

Lemon curd bars are a simple, fresh-tasting dessert that is perfect for a hot summer day and a great crowd pleaser for any event.
Lemon curd bars are a simple, fresh-tasting dessert that is perfect for a hot summer day and a great crowd pleaser for any event.

Every time I feel like I may have tried pretty much everything in the grocery store, I run across another ingredient I can’t believe I’ve never tasted.

For this week’s recipe, that magical ingredient was lemon curd.

I knew lemon curd existed, but I can’t remember ever buying or trying it before.

If you’re like me and a little unsure what makes something a “curd” (outside of the cheese kind), you might find a post by Dr. Neil Buttery on his website, “British Food: A History,” interesting.

He does a deep dive on fruit curds. He notes that they are a little like preserves and a little like a custard.

“Looking in the recipe books, the earliest mention of the term lemon curd I have found goes back to 1844 in The Lady’s Own Cookery Book by the splendidly named Lady Charlotte Campbell Bury,” he writes.

He goes on to say that some older recipes also call it “lemon cheese,” so who knows?

Regardless of what lemon curd actually is, I recently needed a light summer dessert for an event, and I realized I had a recipe saved that would be perfect for being out in the heat.

This recipe came from the blog “Baked by Rachel.” You can find the original post at https://www.bakedbyrachel.com/lemon-curd-blondie-bars/. I didn’t change anything, outside of adding some powdered sugar to the end.

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Lemon Curd Bars

Lemon curd bars are a simple, fresh-tasting dessert that is perfect for a hot summer day and a great crowd pleaser for any event.
Course Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, butter, fresh lemon, lemon curd, lemon zest, summer dessert

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • zest of one large lemon
  • 1/4 cup lemon curd
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • powdered sugar for decorating

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare an eight-by-eight-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides to help you remove the bars later.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until the mixture is fluffy.
  • Add in the eggs, beating between each one, then beat in the salt, baking powder, zest and lemon curd.
  • Finally, beat in the flour until everything is just combined, and spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are browned.
  • Let the bars cool completely in the pan, and then use the parchment to remove and slice them. If you want to make them look a little fancier, lightly sprinkle the tops of the bars with some powdered sugar. Store the bars in an airtight container.

These were a little cake-y and perfect for a non-meltable dessert on a hot day.

The brightness of the lemon from both the zest and the curd were the stars in these bars, and I went home with exactly zero of them at the end of the night.

I’m pretty sure that would still be true if I would have made a double batch. They were very popular.

And now I have a jar of lemon curd in my fridge that I will get to experiment with. I will say, from newly acquired experience, just eating a big spoonful by itself is pretty darn delicious.

Those Brits clearly knew what they were doing.

This piece first appeared in print July 23, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

‘Lattice’ talk about blueberry pie bars

Blueberry pie bars are a delicious dessert that looks pretty without the headache of trying to roll out a round pie crust or having to break out the forks.
Blueberry pie bars are a delicious dessert that looks pretty without the headache of trying to roll out a round pie crust or having to break out the forks.

One of the best parts of post-Thanksgiving leftovers (in my humble opinion) is going to the fridge and grabbing a piece of pie to just eat with your hands over the sink.

It’s not the most elegant move, but it’s definitely one of my favorite things.

I was thinking about that experience of getting to just enjoy a piece of pie without a fork and plate when I made some fabulous pie bars recently.

I was looking for a dessert to take to an outdoor event, and while I knew there would be forks there for enjoying potato salad, I thought it would be nice to have a more of a finger food for the crowd to enjoy.

The recipe I tried comes from Cambrea Gordon’s blog “Cambrea Bakes.” You can find the original post at https://cambreabakes.com/blueberry-pie-bars. I added spices in my version.

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Blueberry Pie Bars

Blueberry pie bars are a delicious dessert that looks pretty without the headache of trying to roll out a round pie crust or having to break out the forks.
Course Dessert
Keyword allspice, bars, blueberry, brown sugar, canned cinnamon rolls, fresh blueberries, lemon juice, pie crust

Ingredients

  • Double pie crust
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 egg beaten
  • sugar for sprinkling on the crust

Instructions

  • Press one of the pie crusts evenly into the bottom of an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan.
  • Put the pan, along with the other crust, into the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Add the blueberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly until the mixture comes to a boil.
  • While the mixture simmers, add the cornstarch, along with one tablespoon of water, to a small bowl and stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Add it into the blueberry mixture, and continue to stir often, letting it cook for a few more minutes until the mixture is thickened.
  • Remove it from the heat, and set it aside.
  • Bake the bottom pie crust for 20 to 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
  • Roll out the second crust and cut it into about one-half-inch strips.
  • Weave the dough into a lattice, placing it on parchment paper and trim the lattice to an eight-by-eight square. Slide the parchment onto a baking sheet and put it in the freezer.
  • When the bottom crust is done, spread the blueberry filling evenly on top and place the lattice on top.
  • Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the lattice with the beaten egg, and then sprinkle the top liberally with sugar.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling.
  • Let the bars cool completely before slicing. Store the bars in an airtight container.

These were really good, and they were gorgeous, too. My container might have been about a third empty before the burgers were even off the grill, thanks to enthusiastic party-goers.

The fresh blueberry flavor was perfect with the light, crispy crust.

And they were a great treat to eat with your hands. Even better, I was able to enjoy a bar without ever having to lean over the sink or worry about making a mess.

What a great way to savor a piece of pie.

This piece first appeared in print July 16, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Rich garlic pasta is the ‘confit’ package

Garlic confit pasta is the perfect dinner for garlic lovers. Featuring both the cloves and infused olive oil from making slow-roasted garlic confit, this recipe is hearty and delicious.
Garlic confit pasta is the perfect dinner for garlic lovers. Featuring both the cloves and infused olive oil from making slow-roasted garlic confit, this recipe is hearty and delicious.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my adventures in making garlic confit.

After slow-roasting all those beautiful garlic cloves, making them soft and deeply flavorful, we’ve been using them on everything we could think of, but if you’re interested in using a boatload of cloves in one recipe, I have the perfect one to share with you.

The original recipe also included instructions for making garlic confit, if you want to check it out, but I opted to follow the procedure I shared with you a few weeks ago. It’s on my website (spiceupkitchen.net), if you missed it.

I found this recipe on the blog “Dang That’s Sweet.” You can see the original post at https://dangthatssweet.com/garlic-confit-pasta/. I added meatballs, mushrooms and spinach, along with a bit of extra cheese, to my version to really make it a meal.

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Garlic Confit Pasta

Garlic confit pasta is the perfect dinner for garlic lovers. Featuring both the cloves and infused olive oil from making slow-roasted garlic confit, this recipe is hearty and delicious.
Course Main Course
Keyword baby bellas, bowtie pasta, butter, fresh spinach, frozen meatballs, garlic, garlic confit, roasted garlic

Ingredients

  • 26 ounces frozen meatballs cooked according to package instructions
  • 1 pound bow-tie or similarly shaped pasta cooked according to package instructions
  • 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil from making garlic confit
  • 12 to 16 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced (I used baby bellas)
  • 25 roasted cloves of garlic confit drain off the oil
  • 8 tablespoons butter softened
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
  • 1/2 cup parmesan freshly grated (plus more for serving)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Begin cooking your frozen meatballs according to package instructions.
  • In the meantime, boil your pasta, and be sure to reserve about one cup of the pasta water when it’s finished.
  • In a large, deep skillet, heat the garlic-infused oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are softened to your liking.
  • Meanwhile, add the cloves of roasted garlic and the butter to a bowl, and mash until everything is well combined.
  • Add the cooked pasta, one-quarter cup pasta water, garlic butter, milk, parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the mushrooms in the skillet, and stir to combine, letting the butter melt and the flavors marry.
  • Turn the heat to low, and stir regularly to keep the dairy from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce thicken to your desired consistency. If it’s too thick, add pasta water until it thins to how you want it.
  • Stir in the fresh spinach until it wilts, and if you want to coat them in sauce, add the meatballs, or just serve them on top of the prepared pasta, topping with more grated parmesan.

This was absolutely delicious. The garlic was definitely the star, but adding in the extra ingredients helped to make it feel more balanced.

We ate our pasta with some crusty bread and fresh green beans (sauteed in garlic olive oil, of course), and it felt a bit fancy for how easy it was to make.

This would be a great meal to make for someone special, if you’re trying to impress them with your cooking skills.

Of course, make sure it’s someone you don’t mind having garlic breath around. Even a strong mint will be no match for this meal.

This piece appeared in print July 9, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Condiment Recipes

Slow-roasted garlic confit creates ‘clove’ at first bite

Garlic confit is made by slowly roasting whole cloves of fresh garlic in olive oil to create a nutty, spreadable garlic with a delicious, concentrated flavor.
Garlic confit is made by slowly roasting whole cloves of fresh garlic in olive oil to create a nutty, spreadable garlic with a delicious, concentrated flavor.

I seem to always be several years behind on the big Internet cooking trends.

I can’t tell if that’s because I’m skeptical of the hype or because I have too many recipes to try already.

This week, though, I finally crossed one that I just hadn’t gotten around to off my list: garlic confit.

Apparently, I’m just in the mood for weird French cooking terms lately.

I wasn’t totally sure what constituted “confit,” but an article by J. Kenji López-Alt on the website “Serious Eats” breaks down the process.

Essentially, López-Alt writes, “The word confit (pronounced ‘kon-FEE’) derives from the French verb confire, which simply means to preserve.”

He goes on to write that, to confit, meats or vegetables are traditionally slowly cooked in fat and fruits in a super-concentrated sugar syrup, which is supposed to kill off bacteria and keep it from growing later on.

López-Alt said the way we use the term confit in modern cooking isn’t quite true to the tradition (or the part of speech), but it’s generally adjacent.

In the case of this week’s recipe, my goal wasn’t necessarily preservation so much as wanting to completely transform fresh garlic.

I read a few different techniques before I began my process, and I ended up combining several ideas to get where I wanted to go. America’s Test Kitchen and the Food Network have nice posts about the process and how they did it, for example, that are both a good read.

In the end, I decided I wanted pure slow-roasted garlic, so while a lot of people add herbs like rosemary to their confit, I opted to leave it alone.

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Garlic Confit

Garlic confit is made by slowly roasting whole cloves of fresh garlic in olive oil to create a nutty, spreadable garlic with a delicious, concentrated flavor.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Keyword confit, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, olive oil, whole garlic

Ingredients

  • at least 3 or 4 bulbs garlic
  • enough olive oil to cover the cloves I used extra virgin

Instructions

  • Peel the whole cloves, trimming just a sliver off each to remove the root ends, and place them in a small oven-safe dish. (They don’t need to be spaced out at all. You just need enough room to cover them in oil.)
  • (As a side note on peeling garlic, I watched various people online put several cloves into a canning jar and shake them up for a bit, which had the magic effect of separating the skin from the cloves. I did this and had decent success with it, although some were still a bit stubborn. It definitely saved time, though.)
  • Pour olive oil into the dish to just cover the cloves.
  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and roast the cloves for one to one and one-half hours, checking after the first hour.
  • The cloves are done when they’re a light, nutty brown and are completely soft.
  • Let the garlic cool completely, and then you can use both the cloves and the oil in recipes where a concentrated garlic flavor would be desireable.
  • Or, you can eat it spread onto crusty bread and sprinkled with some of your favorite seasonings. Just strain the cloves from the garlic and spread them with a knife.
  • Store the cloves and oil in the refrigerator.

We are big into garlic at our house, so the hidden benefit of this was the aroma that filled our house while it roasted.

The final product was a rich, concentrated garlic flavor that we have used for all kinds of applications, from a pasta that I’ll share with you soon to spreading it on burgers. The roasting process takes some of the bite out of the garlic, but it leaves all the flavor.

And I have to be honest, I’m a little mad I didn’t try this sooner. But now that I have little containers of garlic confit and garlic-infused oil in my fridge, I can’t wait to find a ton of ways to use it before I run out. The French got this one right.

This piece first appeared in print June 25, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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