Category: Dessert

Recipes for desserts.

Categories
Cookies Dessert

Do ‘nut’ miss out on some delicious cookies

These classic white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies are a real crowd pleaser.
These classic white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies are a real crowd pleaser.

According to the “New World Encyclopedia,” the macadamia nut hails from Australia originally, but once the Europeans discovered them in 1828, the evergreen trees they grow on eventually made their way to Hawaii in 1881.

It wasn’t long before they became a commodity, and while the United States produces quite a few, Australia is still the leader in growing them.

The website “Australian Macadamias” notes that the nuts were considered a delicacy by Aboriginal people and were used in trade and ceremonies for a long, long time. They even had a special legend for how macadamia nuts came to be.

I’ve always loved macadamia nuts. I will sometimes pick them first out of a bowl of mixed nuts, and every time I was ever approached over the years to buy cookie dough from my students, I opted for white chocolate chip macadamia nut dough.

To be honest, most of that dough ended up as a snack out of the freezer, but I really like the baked cookies, too, so I decided to whip up a batch this week—avoiding the temptation to polish off the dough before it made it into the oven.

The recipe I used comes from the blog “Back for Seconds” by Stephanie Brubaker. You can find the original at https://backforseconds.com/the-best-chewy-white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-cookies/2/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.

Print

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

These classic white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies are a real crowd pleaser.
Course Dessert
Keyword cookies, macadamia nuts, white chocolate

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until very well combined.
  • Beat in the vanilla and eggs until smooth.
  • Beat in the salt, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder and flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
  • Drop the dough about two inches apart in about two to three tablespoon scoops onto a baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges.
  • Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for about five minutes and them place them into an airtight container to keep them soft.

I wish I could say more of these cookies made it out of the house to be shared with others than they did, but we thoroughly enjoyed them over the course of the week.

They were a nice change from my normal inclination to make something with darker chocolate or oatmeal, and the taste of macadamia nuts always makes me think about summer, too.

It also makes me thankful to those folks in Australia thousands of years ago who first started harvesting those little treasures so that they made it to my kitchen in 2019.

This piece first appeared in print on April 4, 2019.

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
Breakfast Dessert

‘Pecan’ make ‘berry’ good coffeecake

A cranberry-laden coffeecake is perfect for breakfast or for any occasion where cake is present—no glazes or frosting needed.
A cranberry-laden coffeecake is perfect for breakfast or for any occasion where cake is present—no glazes or frosting needed.

Before I get any letters or people shaking their heads at me, yes, I know I did a large swath of cranberry recipes this winter, and here I am sharing yet another one with you.

I couldn’t help myself.

If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of cranberry desserts, but for those of you who are sick and tired of those little red berries, rest assured that this coffeecake would be great with blueberries, too, so if you’d rather use fresh fruit than frozen now that spring is knocking at the door, I’d go that route.

But regardless of whether you like cranberries or not, there’s no denying that they make for a beautiful dessert. There’s a great wow factor when it comes to those bright red spots poking through.

I took this coffeecake to a gathering with family, and we devoured it.

I found this recipe on the blog “Lemon Tree Dwelling.” You can find the original at https://www.lemontreedwelling.com/cranberry-pecan-coffee-cake/. I changed up the spice mixture, doubled the vanilla and decided to skip making a glaze for this coffee cake. It’s moist and perfect without it.

Print

Cranberry-Pecan Coffeecake

A cranberry-laden coffeecake is perfect for breakfast or for any occasion where cake is present—no glazes or frosting needed.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword coffeecake, cranberries, pecans

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter, divided and softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries or blueberries or thawed, drained frozen berries
  • a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup pecans coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a tube pan and set it aside.
  • Cream together the 1/2 cup butter, sugar and vanilla.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sour cream and beat until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the remaining butter, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pecans.
  • Pour half of the batter into the tube pan and spread it out evenly. Top with half of the cranberries and half the spice mixture.
  • Spread the rest of the batter evenly into the pan and top with the remaining cranberries and spice mixture.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out dry.
  • Cool completely before removing the cake from the pan. Store in an airtight container.

I threw some extra whole pecans on the top of my coffeecake, too, to give it a prettier top.

And, yes, I probably have a cranberry addiction, but there are worse things, I suppose. I’ll try to give you more variety in my ingredients going into spring and summer, but I probably can’t make any promises.

This piece first appeared in print on March 14, 2019.

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’s time to soup up your dessert

The secret ingredient for this cake is a can of tomato soup, although most people won't ever guess it's included.
The secret ingredient for this cake is a can of tomato soup, although most people won’t ever guess it’s included.

This weekend, Joey walked into the house after leaving me alone for an afternoon to the wonderful smell of spices wafting through the house and a Tupperware container full of cake.

“You’re going to have to guess the secret ingredient,” I told him. “And it isn’t the raisins.”

He sat down, fork in hand, ready to see if he could figure it out.

He managed to identify the bevy of spices I added to the recipe, although I think that’s a bit like cheating since he knows cinnamon, cloves and ginger are among my favorite baking spices.

But he was stumped by the main ingredient.

After finishing the slice and still not guessing, he gave up.

“It’s tomato soup,” I told him.

It took a full 10 seconds of eye contact for him to realize I wasn’t just messing with him, and after the initial shock wore off, he said, “It doesn’t taste like tomato. I just thought it was a spice cake.”

I found this unique recipe on the blog “Lord Byron’s Kitchen.” You can find it at http://www.lordbyronskitchen.com/tomato-soup-cake/. I substituted other spices for the pumpkin pie spice the recipe called for.

Print

Tomato Soup Cake

The secret ingredient for this cake is a can of tomato soup, although most people won't ever guess it's included.
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, tomato soup

Ingredients

  • 10.75 ounces tomato soup
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup raisins

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a bundt pan or tube pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a bowl, combine the tomato soup and baking soda. (Be sure it has room to fizz, because it will bubble up.)
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.
  • Beat in the egg, and then beat in the tomato soup mixture.
  • Finally, add the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking powder and salt and beat until just combined.
  • Fold in the raisins.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared bundt pan.
  • Drop the pan onto the surface of your counter a few times to even it out and get rid of any air bubbles.
  • Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes and then invert onto a plate to remove it from the pan. Store in an airtight container.

The recipe’s author serves theirs with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, but it’s completely unnecessary unless you just like the look of it. This cake is delicious without it and doesn’t need the added sugar.

I was expecting more of a reddish color to my cake, but it turned out a bit darker. I’m guessing that’s thanks to my liberal use of cloves.

If you wanted to dress this up, it would be fantastic with cream cheese frosting, too.

I would argue this recipe is worth trying not only because it’s a great cake but also because it’s a fun combination to experience.

I don’t know why it works or why someone tried it in the first place, but I suppose since tomatoes are technically a fruit, it makes sense to try them in a dessert, too.

This piece first appeared in print on March 7, 2019.

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
Cookies Dessert

Simple oatmeal cookies are ‘raisin’ the stakes

There is nothing remarkable about these classic oatmeal raisin cookies outside of being a good, old-fashioned recipe.
There is nothing remarkable about these classic oatmeal raisin cookies outside of being a good, old-fashioned recipe.

A friend of mine recently posted on social media, “Raisin oatmeal cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues.”

I chuckled a bit, although I am a lover of both raisin-filled and chocolate-chip-filled oatmeal cookies. But then I started thinking about how good an old-fashioned, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie sounded.

With this column, I often try to get out of my comfort zone and try recipes I’ve never made before and sometimes with ingredients I haven’t ever used in my kitchen.

But the classics are classics for a reason.

So I pulled out my canister of oats and bag of raisins and whipped up a batch of just plain, delicious oatmeal raisin cookies. The recipe I used only adds nutmeg for spices, which I liked. While I love a good cinnamon-flavored oatmeal cookie, this lets the raisins be the star in the middle of the comforting flavor of oats and brown sugar.

The recipe I used is from the blog “Brown-Eyed Baker.” You can find it at https://www.browneyedbaker.com/chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/#recipe. I doubled the nutmeg in my version.

Print

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Course Dessert
Keyword cookies, oatmeal, raisin

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats I used quick oats instead
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or greasing them with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Beat the butter on medium speed until it’s creamy. Beat in the sugars for about three minutes until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the eggs
  • Dump in the rest of the ingredients except the oats and raisins and beat on low until everything is well combined. Stir in the oats and raisins.
  • Roll the dough into about two-inch balls and place them about two inches apart on the baking sheets. Place both sheets in the oven.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are browned. Rotate the sheets (both front to back and top to bottom) halfway through baking to get an even bake.
  • Let the cookies cool for a couple minutes and then transfer them to an airtight container to keep them soft and chewy.

Once my cookies were done, I enjoyed a couple with a big glass of milk, and it was the perfect treat. I had to take the Tupperware to work to make sure I didn’t finish off the whole batch—it was completely what I was in the mood for.

I’m sure it wasn’t my friend’s intention to bring more oatmeal raisin cookies into the world with her social media post, but I appreciated the inspiration, no matter how it came my way.

And you could definitely swap out the raisins for some chocolate chips, if you’re not a fan—just don’t try to trick anyone. You don’t want to be the reason for someone’s trust issues.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 14, 2020.

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 Snack

Don’t be a goober; make candied peanuts

Candied peanuts are a bit addictive, make the kitchen smell heavenly and are quick to make.
Candied peanuts are a bit addictive, make the kitchen smell heavenly and are quick to make.

We have a tradition of hosting a number of our friends on the first weekend of the NFL playoffs. We yell at the TV together, share snacks and always have a great time.

This past weekend was especially fun as we watched the Chiefs advance to the next round, and we’re planning on repeating the festivities this weekend for their next game.

No one in our friend group knows how to skimp on the snack table, and I have to admit that I’m as guilty as everyone else of bringing way too much food.

One snack that I tried recently that goes over well is also super easy to accomplish, which is nice for a quick treat.

The recipe author calls these toffee peanuts, but I decided to just refer to them as candied peanuts, since we all agreed that the flavor profile didn’t seem to be what we’d expect in something with “toffee” in the title.

I found this on the blog “Genius Kitchen.” You can find the post at https://www.geniuskitchen.com/amp/recipe/toffee-coated-peanuts-269296. I doubled the spices in my version.

Print

Candied Peanuts

Candied peanuts are a bit addictive, make the kitchen smell heavenly and are quick to make.
Course Dessert, Snacks
Keyword peanuts, toffee

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup I used dark
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  • Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
  • In a bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the peanuts. Add the peanuts and toss to coat.
  • Dump the mixture out onto the baking sheet and spread it into a single layer as much as possible.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once the peanuts are golden brown and the mixture is bubbling, remove them from the oven.
  • Allow the peanuts to cool completely and then transfer them to an airtight container, breaking the larger clumps into smaller pieces if you desire.

After these were finished, Joey and I both taste tested them and declared them a moderate success. But then we kept going back to the container over and over.

I suddenly realized I should probably upgrade their success level, and they didn’t last very long after several of us got our hands on them.

I have another jar of peanuts sitting in my pantry right now, and I’m thinking they may need to get a nice coating of sugar and spices before Sunday’s game.

There’s no guarantee the game will be a good one, but I know for certain the snack table will be on point.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 17, 2019.

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

For weight-loss resolvers, approach these bars gingerly

While gingerbread bars sound like a holiday treat, they are a perfect quick dessert for any time of the year.
While gingerbread bars sound like a holiday treat, they are a perfect quick dessert for any time of the year.

If you’re weak-willed and trying to avoid sweets now that 2019 is in full swing, I highly recommend that you skip over my column this week.

Of course, if you know you’re going to be tasked with making or taking treats for any event this year, I also highly recommend saving this for later on.

For a recent family get together, I decided to whip these up, since I already had all the ingredients in my pantry and had enough shopping trips during the holidays to last me quite awhile.

They were snapped up pretty quickly, and even my one-year-old niece gave them her stamp of approval.

I found this recipe on the blog “Upstate Ramblings.” You can find it at https://www.upstateramblings.com/holiday-gingerbread-bars-popcorn/. I doubled the vanilla and spices in my version and used chocolate chips instead of M&Ms.

Print

Gingerbread Bars

While gingerbread bars sound like a holiday treat, they are a perfect quick dessert for any time of the year.
Course Dessert
Keyword bars, chocolate, Christmas, gingerbread, molasses

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, molasses and egg together.
  • Add in the flour, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and beat until the mixture is combined.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
  • Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. It will be very thick. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if you want them to really show up in the final product.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let the bars cool before cutting them and store in an airtight container.

I honestly think these were even better after sitting overnight. They were soft and chewy, and the chocolate was a perfect pairing for the spices.

This is a recipe that will make its way into my recipe box for future use when I need to make something quick and delicious to share.

Or I won’t share them. Maybe I’ll start my resolutions in February.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 10, 2019.

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
Cookies Dessert

Baking Mom’s cookies makes me a chip off the old block

Sometimes all you want is a classic, delicious chocolate chip cookie, just like Mom used to make.
Sometimes all you want is a classic, delicious chocolate chip cookie, just like Mom used to make.

Every time it was our family’s turn to bring snacks for any event—youth group, school functions, you name it—my friends would immediately ask, “Is your mom going to make cookies?”

When my sister or I would announce that we needed to bring something yummy to share, Mom didn’t need to ask us what we wanted her to whip up. The default was her chocolate chip cookies, and we rarely brought any home at the end of the evening.

She would sometimes shake her head in disbelief when people would ask for her secret recipe, saying she just got it off the back of a bag of chocolate chips at some point, but though she’ll probably still deny it, there was always something special about those cookies.

Last week, I needed to make cookies for an event, and rather than do my normal thing and try out a new recipe, I pulled out my recipe box and decided to make Mom’s chocolate chip cookies.

As in the days of my childhood, they were the first cookies to disappear from the snack table.

I don’t have an official source for you for these cookies other than to say that the recipe once appeared on a chocolate chip bag somewhere, but if I know my mother as well as I think I do, I’m guessing the vanilla was doubled at some point in its history.

Print

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes all you want is a classic, delicious chocolate chip cookie, just like Mom used to make.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate chips, cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon water
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375.
  • Beat together the shortening, sugars, vanilla, water and eggs until well combined. Beat the flour, baking soda and salt into the mix, and then mix in the chocolate chips.
  • Drop by the spoonful about two inches apart on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let them cool for a bit and then transfer them to a sealed container while still a little warm to keep them a little chewier.

There’s nothing Earth-shattering about these cookies, but they are definitely one of the tastes of my childhood. It’s funny that those cookies were the background for so many of my favorite memories growing up—spending time with friends in the church fellowship hall, dipping them in milk with my sister, sharing them with classmates between taking final exams in high school.

It was nice to share a batch with some of my adult friends, too. It’s amazing how relationships can form around something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie.

This piece first appeared in print on June 28, 2018.

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’s time to revisit your ‘pie’orities

This cherry pie uses tart cherries packed in water, so it has a fuller flavor than traditional cherry pie filling does.
This cherry pie uses tart cherries packed in water, so it has a fuller flavor than traditional cherry pie filling does.

There were quite a number of years when I was younger that I wouldn’t eat cherry pie, despite always having loved it.

My last piece before my break with the dessert was while sitting at my grandparents’ dining room table.

“You know,” my cousins told me. “Those aren’t cherries. Those are baby animal hearts.”

I immediately dismissed them as liars, and they argued with me a bit before running off to whatever little boys do, and I stared at my half-eaten piece of pie, knowing they were lying but also not being 100 percent sure I should keep eating.

I love my cousins dearly, but I feel like I should get some kind of restitution for avoiding Grandma’s cherry pies for a few years. I suppose the restitution can come now that I’m tattling in newsprint almost 30 years after the fact. (You are reading this, right Grandma?)

Despite my early run in with cherry pie, I’m now back on the wagon and tried a new recipe for a family get together—no baby animal hearts included.

I liked this recipe, because it uses cherries packed in water instead of corn syrup, so they don’t taste quite as candied as they sometimes do. (Although it was still plenty sweet.)

I found this on the blog “Artful Parent” by Jean Van’t Hul. Jean claims this is the best cherry pie ever. I can’t vouch for this statement, but I did really like it. You can find the original at https://artfulparent.com/best-cherry-pie-recipe-ever/. I doubled the almond extract in mine.

Print

Cherry Pie

This cherry pie uses tart cherries packed in water, so it has a fuller flavor than traditional cherry pie filling does.
Course Dessert
Keyword cherry pie

Ingredients

  • 3 14.5- ounce cans pitted dark cherries in water
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 9- inch pie crusts refrigerated

Instructions

  • Combine the undrained cans of cherries along with the cornstarch, sugar, salt and almond extract in a large saucepan.
  • Bring the mixture to a slow simmer over medium-low heat and stir regularly for about 10 minutes until the liquid is thick.
  • Set aside.
  • Once the mixture is cooled down, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Roll out the bottom crust and place into a pie pan, making sure it hangs over the sides a bit for crimping.
  • Pour in the cherry mixture and roll out your top crust. Place it on top and either cut some vent holes or weave a lattice.
  • Trim and fold under the edges of the crust and crimp to seal them.
  • Bake for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat in the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cherries are bubbling. (The author suggests putting a foil-lined baking sheet underneath in case it drips into your oven, which is a great idea.)
  • Let the pie cool for a few hours so the cherries can thicken up before you cut into it.
  • Store in an airtight container.

We cleaned up this pie pretty quickly, and I noticed my cousins didn’t shy away from grabbing a piece, too, so maybe they got over their fears of what’s actually in cherry pie.

Of course, my abilities will never compare to my grandma’s pie baking skills. There’s always something better about hers. It’s definitely not some sort of animal parts, but I do think she puts a lot of heart—and love—into each one she makes.

This piece first appeared in print on June 7, 2018.

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 ‘halo’ to sugar-free angel food cake

It looks like a normal angel food cake, but this one uses a sugar substitute, making it a good option for people watching their sugar intake.
It looks like a normal angel food cake, but this one uses a sugar substitute, making it a good option for people watching their sugar intake.

With a few family members on low-sugar diets, I often try to integrate desserts with sugar substitutes into our get-togethers when I bring something sweet for after dinner.

For Mother’s Day, I decided to try out a recipe for a sugar-free angel food cake for that purpose.

Now, let me give a disclaimer that while this recipe is dubbed “sugar free,” it’s not really 100-percent free of sugar. It uses vanilla extract, which has sugar in it, and if you’re like me and pair it with some fresh fruit, you’ll get natural sugars from that, too.

But it’s extremely low in sugar, which makes it not only a bit healthier as desserts go but also a good option for someone who needs to keep their sugar intake to a minimum.

Another thing to note is the sugar substitute I used converts cup for cup with regular sugar, so I used the full amount listed in the recipe. Some sugar substitutes are a lot sweeter than the real stuff, so they recommend using a fraction of the amount. I’d recommend reading the package of whatever substitute you buy to make sure you’re not overdoing it on the sweetness.

I used a recipe from the blog “Living Sweet Moments” by Tiffany Bendayan. You can find it at https://livingsweetmoments.com/sugar-free-angel-food-cake/. I decided not to mess around with the flavoring on this one, because angel food cake is all about the chemistry, and I didn’t want to screw up the consistency.

Print

Sugar-free Angel Food Cake

It looks like a normal angel food cake, but this one uses a sugar substitute, making it a good option for people watching their sugar intake.
Course Dessert
Keyword angel food, cake, sugar-free

Ingredients

  • 12 egg whites at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar substitute
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
  • Sift the flour, cornstarch, sugar substitute and salt together and then add it little by little, folding it into the egg whites very gently (you want to keep it as voluminous as possible).
  • Dump the mixture into an ungreased angel food cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when you touch it.
  • Invert the cake pan onto the neck of an empty glass bottle (like a pop, wine or beer bottle) to cool.
  • Once the cake is cooled completely, run a knife around the outside of the cake to remove it from the pan. Do the same to the bottom of the pan. You may need to trim the cake to make it sit evenly on a plate.
  • Make sure to store the cake in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out, and serve it with your favorite fresh fruit and some sugar-free whipped cream or ice cream, too.

This didn’t rise nearly as much as full sugar angel food cake normally does for me. I’m not sure if that was just how this recipe is or if it was the humid weather making it act up, but if yours doesn’t rise all the way to the top of the pan, don’t worry. It’ll still be nice and fluffy and airy. (At least mine was.)

We enjoyed our angel food cake along with fresh strawberries and some vanilla ice cream on the side. It was a nice way to finish out an amazing meal with some wonderful people—several of whom are the greatest moms to ever walk the planet.

I don’t think bringing them cake was any way to repay all of the support they’ve given me over the years, but it was at least a start.

This piece first appeared in print on May 17, 2018.

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

Get ready to ‘berry’ your fork into blackberry cake

Blackberry cake is a beautiful summer dessert with fresh fruit that pairs really well with a bowl of ice cream.
Blackberry cake is a beautiful summer dessert with fresh fruit that pairs really well with a bowl of ice cream.

We were out grocery shopping recently, getting the essentials for the week, and Joey disappeared (as he often seems to do) while we were in the produce section and came back holding a pint of some of the biggest blackberries I’ve ever seen.

“These are on sale,” he said, knowing how to appeal to my weaknesses.

I quickly looked on my “Recipes to Try” Pinterest board on my phone and found a really simple cake that called for fresh berries, and we tossed two pints into the cart.

We also decided to add a pint of vanilla ice cream to our shopping list—just to make sure we had the perfect pairing for serving warm cake later that evening.

I found this recipe on the blog “Peanut Butter and Peppers.” You can see it at http://www.peanutbutterandpeppers.com/2014/07/20/blackberry-cake-sundaysupper/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.

Print

Blackberry Cake

Blackberry cake is a beautiful summer dessert with fresh fruit that pairs really well with a bowl of ice cream.
Course Dessert
Keyword blackberries, cake, fresh fruit, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 2 pints fresh blackberries washed
  • 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease a nine-inch spring form pan (line the bottom with parchment if you want to be able to transfer it to a plate. If you’re fine with just serving it from the metal bottom, don’t bother).
  • Combine the blackberries, lemon juice and tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and stir to coat the berries. Set it aside.
  • In another bowl, cream the butter and other 1/2 cup of sugar for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  • Beat in the flour, baking soda and salt until the mixture is just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the spring form pan and then evenly distribute the blackberries and any juices in the bowl over top of the batter.
  • Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Cool for about 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Let it cool completely if you’re planning on transferring it to a separate plate, or serve it warm otherwise.
  • Store in an airtight container.

The recipe’s author suggests letting the cake cool completely, wrapping it up, and letting it sit on the counter overnight. After eating it both warm and a day later, I can say that I don’t think the flavor changes any between day one or day two. Plus, who doesn’t like warm cake?

I also liked that this was super pretty with no effort on my part. And the flavor was spot on.

I asked Joey if he was happy with how his blackberry request turned out. He just smiled with slightly purple teeth.

I think I nailed it.

This piece first appeared in print on May 10, 2018.

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.

Exit mobile version