Brownie cookies are soft and chocolaty with a little crunch from mini M&Ms. They’re a great cookie to share with friends.
Brownie cookies are soft and chocolaty with a little crunch from mini M&Ms. They’re a great cookie to share with friends.
Last weekend, our house was the scene of an end-of-season party for Joey’s bowling team.
I always love when that crew comes over. They are a super nice group, and it’s always fun to share a big meal and hear them tell stories and tease each other about their bowling gaffes.
It’s also a great excuse for me to try out a new recipe.
This year, I decided to make a cookie recipe I have had my eye on. The good news: they were awesome. The bad news: there wasn’t one cookie left over at the end of the night.
This recipe comes from the blog “Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt” by Miranda Couse. You can find the original post at https://www.cookiedoughandovenmitt.com/brownie-cookies/. I added extra vanilla in my version.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set them aside.
Add the chocolate chips and butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between each heating, until everything is melted. Set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla for a couple minutes until the mixture is light yellow and well combined.
Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, baking powder, salt and flour until the dough is smooth, and then fold in the M&Ms.
Using a cookie scoop (I used a two-inch scoop), place scoops of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, keeping them about two inches apart.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops and edges of the cookies are set. Let them cool, and then store the cookies in an airtight container.
These were just as advertised: a nice combination of brownie flavor in cookie form. If you wanted to double down on the chocolate flavors, you could easily sub in dark chocolate chips for the semi-sweet or even use mini chocolate chips instead of the M&Ms.
I wish I could tell you these cookies were the most popular thing on the table last weekend, but since Joey smoked a pork shoulder, I came in second. But who can be mad when you’re fighting those odds?
The only unfortunate thing is I guess I’ll have to make these cookies again if I want to eat another one. Such is the burden of greatness—and great friends.
This piece first appeared in print June 5, 2025.
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.
These German chocolate cupcakes feature a from-scratch chocolate cake, topped with a coconut frosting, ganache and a buttercream chocolate frosting, too. They are decadent, delicious and absolutely beautiful.
These German chocolate cupcakes feature a from-scratch chocolate cake, topped with a coconut frosting, ganache and a buttercream chocolate frosting, too. They are decadent, delicious and absolutely beautiful.
Someone told me last week that I don’t really qualify as an amateur baker, since I’ve been writing this column way too long for that, but I still claim the title, especially after taking on a recent huge project.
A dear friend of the newspaper, Debbie Pierce, celebrated her retirement last week, and since we were combining her party with a Press Club event, I volunteered to bring dessert. Her favorite? German chocolate cake. And I found the most decadent German chocolate cupcake recipe I could, which was ambitious enough, since it was made up of four separate components.
But then I decided to quadruple the recipe.
My math skills and my ability to judge just how many ingredients would fit into the bowl of my stand mixer were definitely put to the test on this one, but goodness gracious was the end result worth it.
This comes from the blog “A Monkey on a Cupcake” (how great is that name?). You can find the original post at https://amonkeyonacupcake.com/german-chocolate-cupcakes/. I doubled the vanilla across the board in my version below, and I changed the bake temperature on the cupcakes to get a better rise.
These German chocolate cupcakes feature a from-scratch chocolate cake, topped with a coconut frosting, ganache and a buttercream chocolate frosting, too. They are decadent, delicious and absolutely beautiful.
Course Dessert
Keyword baker’s chocolate, buttercream, chocolate, chocolate ganache, cocoa powder, coconut, cupcakes, dark chocolate, decadent dessert, ganache, German chocolate, German frosting, heavy cream, pecans, sour cream, vanilla
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
1/4cupbutter
1cupsugar
2ouncesdark baker’s chocolateI used 55 percent cacao
2eggs
2egg yolks
1/2cupvegetable or canola oil
4teaspoonsvanilla
1/3cupsour cream
1cupflour
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2cupcocoa powder
1/2cupwater
Coconut Layer Ingredients
1/2cupevaporated milk
2egg yolks
1/2cupbrown sugar
1/4cupbutter
1teaspoonvanilla
1cupsweetened shredded coconut
3/4cuppecan piecescut small
Frosting Layer Ingredients
1/2cupbuttersoftened
1 1/2cupspowdered sugar
1/4cupcocoa powder
3tablespoonsheavy whipping cream
2teaspoonsvanilla
Ganache Layer Ingredients
1/2cupchocolate chipsI used semisweet
1/4cupheavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cupcake Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare about one and one-half cupcake tins by lining them with cupcake liners (I got about 16 cupcakes out of a batch), and set them aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until it is well combined.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, heating 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between. Let it cool enough that you can touch it without burning your finger, and mix it into the butter mixture. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time.
Beat in the oil, vanilla and sour cream until the mixture is smooth, and then add the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder in batches, mixing in between each addition.
Finally, beat in the water until the mixture is smooth.
Fill the prepared liners about two-thirds full, and then bake for five minutes at 425. Without opening the oven, drop the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes from the tin and let them come up to room temperature before assembling.
Coconut Layer Directions
Add the evaporated milk, egg yolks, brown sugar and butter to a saucepan, and heat it over medium heat. Stir constantly for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens. It’ll be like a thick syrup consistency.
Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it through a mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any chunks of cooked egg.
Stir in the vanilla, coconut and pecans, and set it aside to cool.
Frosting Directions
Beat all the ingredients together until everything is well combined and light and fluffy. Transfer it into a piping bag with a wide tip (like a star), and set it aside.
Ganache Directions
Add the chocolate chips and whipping cream to a microwave-safe bowl and heat, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Assembly Directions
Add about one to one and one-half tablespoons of the coconut layer to the top of each cupcake, spreading it into a flat, even, thick layer on each.
Using a frosting bag, a spoon or a fork, drizzle ganache across the top of each of the cupcakes (use as much as you want, but note that these are very rich, so proceed cautiously).
Finally, pipe a swirl of the chocolate frosting on top. If desired, add some more pecan pieces to the top of each cupcake.
Store in an airtight container. These can stay at room temperature, but if it’s especially warm, they may start to melt a bit, so you might want to store them in the refrigerator in that case.
These were insanely decadent, and the combination of textures and flavors just took these over the top. I didn’t have to worry about leftovers after the event, even though I made over 60 cupcakes. They all went home with someone.
And my kitchen is mostly recovered from the war zone I created from ingredients splashing everywhere on my countertops, which is a relief.
It cemented for me that I am nowhere near a professional baker, but I’d say this amateur attempt was a pretty darn good one.
This piece first appeared in print May 29, 2025.
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.
Carlota de limon is an icebox cake that is really easy to make with fresh limes and yummy vanilla cookies.
Carlota de limon is an icebox cake that is really easy to make with fresh limes and yummy vanilla cookies.
We attended a high school graduation this past week, and since I only knew one graduate, I had a little time to let my mind wander during the ceremony.
I thought about how making friends has changed for me in the 20-plus years since I was in high school. It used to be so easy: you all went to the same place every day for nine months of the year.
Recently, we had a wonderful dinner at some friends’ house. The only reason it happened? We put it on the calendar almost a month in advance.
It used to be a lot easier to keep up with people when I just saw them in my fifth-hour class every day.
Regardless, I was so excited to be able to break bread with these friends, as we’ve been talking about making plans for about forever and finally managed to make it happen.
Plus, they were making a spread of Mexican food, which is always on my thumbs up list.
I offered up my dessert-making abilities to contribute to the meal and immediately started looking for a new recipe to try.
I landed on an icebox cake from Nancy Lopez at the blog “Mexican Made Meatless.” You can find the original post at https://mexicanmademeatless.com/carlota-de-limon-mexican-lime-icebox-cake/. I added extra vanilla in my version.
Pour the freshly squeezed lime juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove any small particles.
Add the strained lime juice, evaporated milk, condensed milk and vanilla to a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
Pour just enough of the mixture into the bottom of an eight-by-eight-inch baking dish to create a thin layer.
Cover the entire bottom of the dish with a single layer of cookies, breaking them to fill in gaps, if you need to.
Pour a layer of the milk mixture on top. You want enough to cover the cookies. Spread it out evenly.
Repeat with another layer of cookies and then another layer of the milk mixture, continuing until all the mixture is used up. Make sure the final layer is the milk mixture.
Sprinkle lime zest, to taste, on top, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Slice the cake and serve it, and make sure to refrigerate the leftovers.
This was delicious, and it was really easy, too. If you’re not familiar with icebox cakes, the cookies basically melt into the filling a bit while in the refrigerator to create a slice-able dessert.
If you’re a fan of key lime pie, you’ll like this, too. It’s a great summer dessert. And if you’ve never tried Maria cookies, they are delicious. They’re basically a very thin vanilla wafer.
And now we need to get busy with our friends to get another dinner on our schedule. If we act quickly, we may get to see them again before the summer is out.
This piece first appeared in print May 15, 2025.
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.
This poke cake is a super easy dessert to create, using all box mixes, but it’s also gorgeous, deliciously moist and can be customized for any occasion.
This poke cake is a super easy dessert to create, using all box mixes, but it’s also gorgeous, deliciously moist and can be customized for any occasion.
In the past seven years, I have written a number of columns that stemmed from my life goal of being the “cool aunt.”
This week’s is another in that installment, after I asked our family group chat if anyone had any dessert requests for Easter, and my sister responded with one from my niece for an “Easter-themed cake with pink frosting and with bunny and egg sprinkles.”
Actually, that was an easy one, but I also wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to completely overload the rest of the family on a sugar rush to end all sugar rushes, so I was super happy when I found this week’s recipe, which looks like it’s overly sweet but is actually a fabulous cake that is moist and full of flavor. Plus, if you don’t consider yourself much of a baker, you’re in luck: this is just elevated box mixes.
This comes from Morgan Reed on the website “Cooktop Cove.” You can find the original post at https://cooktopcove.com/2024/03/18/hands-doesn-this-is-the-only-cake-my-hubby-will-eat-for-easter/. I didn’t change anything in the ingredients for this one. It was just too simple.
This poke cake is a super easy dessert to create, using all box mixes, but it’s also gorgeous, deliciously moist and can be customized for any occasion.
1box white cake mixplus the ingredients on the box
a variety of colors of food coloring
2 3.4-ounceboxes vanilla instant pudding
4cupsmilk
8ounceswhipped toppingthawed
sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside. Preheat the oven to the temperature instructed on the cake mix.
Start by mixing up the cake mix, according to the instructions on the box.
Decide how many colors you want to have in your cake, and pour even amounts of the cake batter into that many bowls.
Using the food coloring, dye each bowl to your desired shade.
Plop the colored batters into the prepared baking pan by the spoonful, distributing them randomly to cover the bottom of the pan.
Once all the batter is in the pan, gently swirl the batter with a knife to integrate the colors a bit more. (Be careful not to do it so much that they mix into a solid, yucky shade.)
Bake the cake for the amount of time specified on the box, and remove it from the oven when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, and then, using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake, placing them about one inch apart.
In a bowl, whisk the pudding mix and milk together, and continue whisking until it just starts to thicken.
Pour the pudding on top of the cake, spreading it out evenly and letting it run down into the holes you created. (Some of it will stay on top, and that’s OK.)
Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Before serving, spread the entire container of whipped topping on top of the cake, and decorate with any sprinkles you would like to use. (I also colored my whipped topping with food coloring.)
Refrigerate any leftovers.
The cool thing about this recipe is you can make it for any holiday or occasion you want. I went with pastel colors for my version, but I could easily see using a few shades of green for St. Patrick’s Day or red, white and blue for July.
The pudding in this was such a great addition. It took the cake from being a normal box cake to something a bit more special, and I really liked the lightness of the whipped topping instead of thick buttercream.
And this ended up being both adult and 7-year-old approved after our Easter lunch, which cemented me as both the family dessert maker and the cool aunt, all in the same day.
One day, her imagination is going to completely outpace my abilities, but at this point, I’ll be happy to have my colorful cake and eat it, too.
This piece first appeared in print April 24, 2025.
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.
Walnut date coffee cake has a great combination of flavors, from the hints of stone fruit with the dates to the nuttiness of the walnuts and the sweet bitterness of the coffee.
Walnut date coffee cake has a great combination of flavors, from the hints of stone fruit with the dates to the nuttiness of the walnuts and the sweet bitterness of the coffee.
I’ve struggled over the years with the definition of coffeecake.
Generally speaking, it’s cake that is meant to be enjoyed with coffee and doesn’t actually contain any.
But then I run into a recipe like I made for this week, which is a coffee cake—a cake that includes coffee.
We hosted an event at the office, where I shared it, and I was constantly saying, “It’s a coffee cake. Like, I mean, it has coffee in it, not like a coffeecake.”
I am also often baffled by when something is a cake or a quick bread. The banana breads and pumpkin breads I grew up with are moist and cake-y. I always thought they were called a quick bread because you made them in a loaf pan.
But then here comes this week’s recipe again, where it’s in a loaf pan, but it’s still a cake.
Regardless of the semantics, this week’s recipe is a must-try and turned out to be a real crowd-pleaser at our get-together.
This comes from the blog “Creative Culinary.” You can find the original post at https://creative-culinary.com/date-coffee-cake-walnuts-espresso/. I added extra spices, vanilla and coffee powder in my version.
Walnut date coffee cake has a great combination of flavors, from the hints of stone fruit with the dates to the nuttiness of the walnuts and the sweet bitterness of the coffee.
Prepare a nine-by-five inch loaf pan by greasing it and lining it on the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set it aside.
In a bowl, combine the chopped dates, hot coffee and baking soda, and stir to combine. Set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars for a couple minutes until they are smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Strain the dates, reserving them and the liquid, too.
Alternate between beating in part of the liquid and the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until everything is smooth and combined.
Fold in the dates and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan until it is comfortable to handle, remove it from the pan, and let it cool completely before adding the glaze.
Glaze Directions
In a small bowl, combine the hot water and espresso powder, stirring until the powder is dissolved.
Add the powdered sugar, melted butter and vanilla, and whisk to get a glaze consistency you’re happy with. If it’s too thick, add just a touch more water until it’s to your liking. If it’s too loose, add just a touch more powdered sugar.
Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top of the cake (it will run down the sides, too). Sprinkle the walnuts evenly on top, and let the glaze set up before cutting the cake into slices.
Store in an airtight container.
This had great depth of flavor, and if you like coffee, you’ll definitely like this cake. I served mine in slices, but you could also cube it to serve like more traditional cake. And if you’d rather cut down on the sugar, this would be delicious without the glaze, too.
Just be ready to try to explain to anyone enjoying it with you that it’s a coffee cake, not a coffeecake.
That should be easy enough.
This piece first appeared in print April 3, 2025.
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.
There are only three ingredients in this easy lemon cake (and one is optional). The best part is it can be served in slices to be eaten with a fork or as a finger food for your next gathering.
There are only three ingredients in this easy lemon cake (and one is optional). The best part is it can be served in slices to be eaten with a fork or as a finger food for your next gathering.
With plans to have company over recently, I was on the lookout for something easy to share for our snack table.
After perusing several websites, I landed on one of my favorite ways to make a quick sweet without working all that hard for it: a cake mix transformation.
The recipe I tried promised to produce lemon bars with only three ingredients—cake mix, pie filling and powdered sugar—and I decided I was in.
And these turned out well, although I wouldn’t really call these lemon “bars.” Because you use an angel food cake mix, these are more cake-like than bar-like, but they are still darn delicious, so regardless, you can’t argue with the results.
This comes from the blog “My Crazy Good Life” by Becca Ludlum. You can find the original post at https://mycrazygoodlife.com/3-ingredient-lemon-bars/. I didn’t add anything to this recipe, but I did leave something out when I made these. I didn’t feel like the extra powdered sugar was necessary.
There are only three ingredients in this easy lemon cake (and one is optional). The best part is it can be served in slices to be eaten with a fork or as a finger food for your next gathering.
Course Dessert
Keyword angel food, cake mix recipe, easy dessert, lemon bar, lemon pie filling, light dessert, powdered sugar, tea party
Ingredients
16ouncesangel food cake mix
21ounceslemon pie filling
1/2cuppowdered sugaroptional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch pan by spraying it with cooking spray or coating the insides and bottom with butter, and then set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix the dry cake mix and the pie filling until everything is well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
Let the cake cool completely.
Once it’s cool, evenly sprinkle the powdered sugar over the top, if you want to use it (this is plenty sweet and tasty without it), and slice into pieces.
This can be served as a finger food or eaten with a fork. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
These had delicious lemon flavor without being overpowering. I think sometimes lemon bars tend to have a bit of a pucker factor that I’m not as big on, but these were light and tasty.
I was also really glad I left out the extra sugar. I think it would have taken away from the rest of the flavors.
I kept thinking these would be such a cute little dessert to serve at a tea party because of the lightness and the pretty pale yellow color. Putting a little strawberry sauce over the top would be absolutely delicious.
And despite the fact that these took almost no time or effort, our guests were happy to help us dig into them. Time in the kitchen can be very satisfying, but time with friends is much more rewarding.
This piece first appeared in print Feb. 27, 2025.
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.
There’s no baking involved to make this dark chocolate pistachio tart, but there are plenty of steps, from making a nutty chocolate crust to a creamy pistachio paste and a decadent dark chocolate ganache.
There’s no baking involved to make this dark chocolate pistachio tart, but there are plenty of steps, from making a nutty chocolate crust to a creamy pistachio paste and a decadent dark chocolate ganache.
I love acts of subtle service.
You know, acts that are seemingly so ordinary that, to someone who has never struggled with that particular essential, it’s almost an invisible need in their day-to-day lives.
One subtle act that I really like is an event that takes place every Thursday in Newton, Kansas, called “Laundry Love.”
It’s not flashy. It’s merely an event that gives free laundry service and detergent, along with a meal, for those who attend. Clean clothes is something so many of us take for granted, and I love this amazing service that seems so small but makes such a huge difference.
So why do I bring this up? Because I’m sharing a recipe with you that will be featured on the dessert auction at the annual Peace Connections soup supper on Thursday, Feb. 20, and Laundry Love is one of several amazing programs they sponsor in the community.
I decided to go for a complicated dessert, and this one comes from the blog “Addicted to Dates.” You can find the original post at https://addictedtodates.com/dark-chocolate-pistachio-tart/. I simplified a bunch of the measurements, and I added extra vanilla in my version.
There’s no baking involved to make this dark chocolate pistachio tart, but there are plenty of steps, from making a nutty chocolate crust to a creamy pistachio paste and a decadent dark chocolate ganache.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate ganache, cocoa powder, coconut cream, coconut milk, dark chocolate, decadent dessert, maple syrup, matcha, no bake, pistachios, vegan dessert, walnuts
Ingredients
Pistachio Paste Ingredients
1 1/4cupshelled pistachios
3tablespoonspure maple syrup
4teaspoonsvanilla
1teaspoonmatcha powderas a coloring agent, optional
Crust Ingredients
2cupspecans, hazelnuts, walnuts or cashews(I used walnuts)
1scant cup cocoa powder
1/2teaspoonsalt
3tablespoonspure maple syrup
Ganache Ingredients
1 1/2cupfull-fat canned coconut milkchilled or coconut cream
6ouncesdark chocolatefinely chopped
3tablespoonspure maple syrup
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/3cupshelled pistachioschopped
Instructions
Pistachio Paste Directions, part one
Place the shelled pistachios into a bowl of room temperature water for four hours or into a pot of boiling water (take it off the stove, first) for 30 minutes to let them soak.
Rinse and drain the nuts, and then rub as much of the skins off the pistachios as you can. Set them aside for now.
Crust Directions
For the crust, prepare a nine-inch tart pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Add the walnuts, cocoa powder and salt to a food processor, and process until everything is in fine crumbs. Process in the maple syrup until the mixture starts to stick together. (If it isn’t coming together, add just a little more maple syrup until it does.)
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your prepared tin. Freeze for 30 minutes or until the crust is firm.
Pistachio Paste Directions, part two
Clean out your food processor and add the pistachios you prepared earlier, along with the maple syrup, vanilla and matcha powder. Process until the mixture is extremely smooth. Once the tart crust is firm, spread the pistachio paste evenly into the bottom of the crust, and place the tart in the refrigerator.
Ganache Directions
If you are using chilled coconut milk, only scrape off the congealed cream from the top of the can, and leave the milk for a different use (I ended up using the solids from two cans). Add the coconut solids to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat in order to bring it to a low simmer.
Add the dark chocolate to a heat-proof bowl, and when the coconut solids are at a simmer, pour them over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for five minutes, and then whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the maple syrup and salt.
Once everything is smooth, remove the tart from the fridge, and pour the ganache on top. Spread it evenly, tapping the tart gently on your countertop to release any air bubbles and help it even out.
Chill for at least four hours or overnight.
Before serving, sprinkle the 1/3 cup of chopped pistachios around the edges as decoration. Store the tart in an airtight container.
There are a ton of steps in this recipe, but they are so, so worth it. The flavor profile on this is incredible between the nuttiness of the walnuts and pistachios and the deep chocolate flavor of the ganache.
I shared my first attempt at this recipe with friends, and they absolutely raved about it.
If you want to try to win this at the Peace Connections, auction, be sure to come to their event at Newton Nazarene Church, 1000 N Main St, Newton, on Thursday, Feb. 20. The soup supper is by donation and starts at 5:30 p.m. The dessert auction will take place from 6:15 to 7 p.m. You can find more information at peaceconnections.org.
It is certainly a worthy cause, and I think this is a pretty worthy dessert, too.
This piece first appeared in print Feb. 13, 2025.
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.
Cheetos cookies are a novelty that brings lots of conversation to a get together. With cheesy dust both in the dough and on the outside, these are an interesting take on a sugar cookie with a savory twist.
Cheetos cookies are a novelty that brings lots of conversation to a get together. With cheesy dust both in the dough and on the outside, these are an interesting take on a sugar cookie with a savory twist.
Joey puts up with a lot of weird stuff when it comes to this column.
The poor guy watches me put random ingredients in our shopping cart all the time and never knows what I’m going to come up with next.
With that said, he’s a terrific sport. He tries all my experiments and gives his honest opinion—sometimes helping me raid the spice cabinet to try to improve upon a first attempt.
That was not the case with this week’s recipe.
In this case, he refused—point blank—to try it.
In Joey’s defense, I probably went off the deep end a bit with this one: Cheetos cookies.
This comes from the blog “The Spiffy Cookie.” You can find the original post at https://www.thespiffycookie.com/2018/03/05/cheetos-cookies/. I didn’t change the recipe, because, honestly, I had no idea how this was going to turn out.
Cheetos cookies are a novelty that brings lots of conversation to a get together. With cheesy dust both in the dough and on the outside, these are an interesting take on a sugar cookie with a savory twist.
Course Dessert, Main Course
Keyword cheese puffs, Cheetos, cookies, sugar cookies
Ingredients
4cupsCheetos puffsdivided (I used a 7-ounce bag)
1/4cupbuttersoftened
1/4cupshortening
1/2cupsugar
1egg
a few dashes orange food coloring
1 1/4cupflour
1tablespooncream of tartar
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Crush all of the Cheetos until they are fine by either smashing them in a Ziplock bag or by running them through a food processor.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, shortening and sugar for a couple minutes until it is a light yellow.
Beat in the egg and food coloring. (You don’t have to use the food coloring, but it does make for a striking vision to have these a super bright orange.)
Beat in half of the crushed Cheetos, the flour, cream of tartar baking soda and salt. Once everything is well combined, scoop the dough out in about one-inch balls.
Put the rest of the Cheetos dust into a bowl, and roll the balls in the crumbs to coat them. Put the balls on a plate, cover it, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper, and place the chilled dough about two inches apart on the sheets.
Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until the cookies are set up and just starting to brown on the sides.
Let them cool, and then transfer them into an airtight container.
These smelled really nice while they baked. It reminded me of warm, cheesy popcorn. For the flavor, they weren’t as cheesy as I thought. They were more of a corn-chip forward sugar cookie.
I actually made these a few weeks ago, and several readers helped sample them in Joey’s stead. The reaction was mixed, but most thought they were an OK little cookie. Really, these are more about what they are than how they taste. They are definitely a conversation starter.
That being said, this is probably a one-and-done recipe for me, and not just because I would have to eat another batch totally by myself. Joey can only take so much.
This piece first appeared in print Feb. 6, 2025.
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.
A pumpkin pie cake can be made completely with pre-packaged ingredients but tastes homemade, making it a great dessert for anyone who isn’t a big fan of baking.
A pumpkin pie cake can be made completely with pre-packaged ingredients but tastes homemade, making it a great dessert for anyone who isn’t a big fan of baking.
One of my unofficial New Year’s resolutions each year is to try to use up the random ingredients hiding in my pantry.
In this case, one of the culprits was a large can of pumpkin pie filling that I bought by mistake, thinking I found a great deal on plain canned pumpkin.
It’s been staring at me, mocking me, for months, but I’m happy to report that the can is officially off the shelf and into this week’s recipe, which was a tasty and super easy dessert to make. If you don’t consider yourself much of a baker, stow this one away for the future, because this one take absolutely zero skill to create.
This comes from the blog “The Country Cook” by Brandie Skibinski. You can find the original post at https://www.thecountrycook.net/pumpkin-pie-cake/. I added cinnamon and swapped out salted butter in my version.
A pumpkin pie cake can be made completely with pre-packaged ingredients but tastes homemade, making it a great dessert for anyone who isn’t a big fan of baking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
Beat the pie filling and eggs until the mixture is smooth. Add in the cake mix, butter and salt, and beat until everything is well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is completely set.
Let it cool completely before icing it, and then sprinkling it lightly with cinnamon. Store in an airtight container.
As you can see, this really is a super easy recipe, mostly because it’s made with all pre-made ingredients. But the combination really elevates all of it. The pumpkin pie filling gives the cake just a little bit of a pie texture, which was really nice.
And I received the added benefit of getting that huge can of pumpkin pie filling out of my pantry, along with a long-forgotten cake mix and the container of frosting. Win-win-win.
Hopefully, as I continue to dig through my shelves over the next couple of months, I will be able to find more treasures that work out just as well. And hopefully I’ll read labels a little better in 2025 so I don’t find myself in this same mess next January.
This piece first appeared in print Jan. 23, 2025.
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.
These balls can be made with rum or bourbon and feature cocoa, vanilla and chopped nuts, along with a hint of alcohol.
These balls can be made with rum or bourbon and feature cocoa, vanilla and chopped nuts, along with a hint of alcohol.
It must have been sometime when I was in middle school that a family acquaintance gifted us with a basket of homemade goodies during the holidays.
Most of the items were run-of-the-mill, well-done treats, but there was one none of us could identify initially. Upon further inspection, we discovered a sweet that none of us liked: the rum ball.
In our fabulous, pre-teen humor, my sister and I deemed these as “baby poop balls.” Of course, as an adult, I realize we (A) probably shouldn’t have been eating mildly alcoholic candies and (B) there has to be a better way to make this classic treat that doesn’t induce gagging.
So, with a gathering coming up, I decided it was time to find a recipe and redeem the “baby poop balls” once and for all.
The recipe I settled on comes from the website “Food.com.” You can find the original post at https://www.food.com/recipe/christmas-rum-balls-or-bourbon-balls-13214. I added vanilla to my version.
Process the wafers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Pulse in the chopped nuts.
In a small bowl, stir the rum or bourbon with the corn syrup until the corn syrup is totally incorporated.
Add the alcohol mixture, along with the vanilla, to the processor and process until the mixture looks like wet sand.
Finally, sift the cocoa and one cup of the powdered sugar into the processor and process until the mixture is well combined.
(All of these steps can, alternatively, be done in a mixing bowl.)
Once the mixture is done, place the rest of the powdered sugar into a small bowl.
Roll the mixture into about one-inch balls, and then roll them in the sugar. Store the finished rum balls in an airtight container.
I liked these. I’m sure part of that is that I don’t mind the taste of a little spiced rum, and the texture in this particular recipe was very nice.
Rolling them into one-inch balls instead of the approximately three-inch behemoths I tried long, long ago also allowed the added vanilla, along with the powdered sugar on the outside, to help mellow the rum flavor a bit, which I appreciated. I’m interested to see what the bourbon version would taste like, too.
And, since these do contain some booze, I will caution that they should probably be for adult-only enjoyment, despite the fact that I think you’d have to eat quite a few of these before the rum had any effect on you.
With this recipe in the books, I feel like I have redeemed rum balls in my culinary memory, which also feels nice. Now I’ll just have to make another batch to convince the rest of the family that we can lay the “baby poop balls” to rest.
This piece first appeared in print Jan. 16, 2025.
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.
