Tag: cinnamon

Categories
Breakfast Dessert

Roll through your cinnamon cravings with a simple cake

A cinnamon roll cake is an easy way to accomplish the great flavor of homemade cinnamon rolls without all the work.
A cinnamon roll cake is an easy way to accomplish the great flavor of homemade cinnamon rolls without all the work.

Do you have those friends in your life where you have to try several times to plan a get-together before you can actually find a date on the calendar that works?

This past weekend, the stars aligned for us to finally spend an evening with just such a pair. They were gracious enough to invite us to their home, where they had a delicious bowl of chili and fresh cornbread waiting for us.

Knowing that chili was on the menu, I started to wrack my brain earlier in the day about what kind of dessert goes with it, and my mind just kept going back to cinnamon rolls.

I mean, yeah, cinnamon rolls are a perfect compliment to a big bowl of chili, but they’re also generally pretty time consuming, and time was not on my side that afternoon.

Thank goodness I found a recipe for a cinnamon roll cake that came to my rescue instead, and I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

This comes from the blog “The Country Cook” by Brandie Skibinski. You can find the original post at https://www.thecountrycook.net/cinnamon-roll-cake/. I doubled the vanilla and quadrupled the cinnamon in my version.

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Cinnamon Roll Cake

A cinnamon roll cake is an easy way to accomplish the great flavor of homemade cinnamon rolls without all the work.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, cake, cinnamon, cinnamon roll, coffeecake, easy cinnamon roll, vanilla

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups milk I used skim
  • 1/2 cup butter melted

Filling Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 4 tablespoons cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 5 tablespoons milk I used skim
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray. Set it aside.
  • For the cake, in a mixing bowl, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and milk until everything is smooth and well combined.
  • Hand stir in the butter, and then spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan.
  • For the filling, in another mixing bowl, beat together all of the filling ingredients until it forms a smooth paste.
  • Drop the cinnamon mixture by the tablespoonful onto the cake batter, and then swirl it into the batter using a knife.
  • Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • When the cake comes out of the oven, whisk the glaze ingredients until it is smooth. If you want a thicker glaze, add a little more powdered sugar. If you want it thinner, add a little more milk.
  • Pour the glaze over the cake and serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

This was very much like if a coffee cake married a cinnamon roll. The main difference is because you put the glaze on the cake while it’s still warm, it melts into the cake instead of staying visibly on top like a normal cinnamon roll. If you’d rather have that look and texture, I’d recommend letting the cake cool completely before glazing and making a bit of a thicker glaze.

I ended up making an eight-by-eight pan of this by halving the recipe. There was only going to be four of us, and I really didn’t need the leftovers in my kitchen all week, so that made it perfect.

Even better, we had an excellent meal with excellent people. Being able to spend time with friends, cinnamon rolls or not, is so, so sweet.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 11, 2024.

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

Breakfast bars are ‘apple’utely great for a morning treat

Apple crisp breakfast bars are not overly sweet. The warm cinnamon flavor, along with the nuttiness of oats, makes these a fabulous morning treat with a hot cup of tea.
Apple crisp breakfast bars are not overly sweet. The warm cinnamon flavor, along with the nuttiness of oats, makes these a fabulous morning treat with a hot cup of tea.

Recently, I had the chance to meet one of our readers from Hesston.

We had a fairly short (but very pleasant) conversation, and before I left, he gestured to a bag on his kitchen counter.

“Do you like apples?” he asked me.

And that’s how I became the excited owner of four huge, beautiful golden delicious apples. He said he bought an entire case of them recently and had been working through them, little by little. I was happy to take these off his hands.

I was very tempted to just eat all of them, but instead, I felt like the gift deserved a spot in a new recipe, and after searching for an apple recipe that used sweet apples instead of tart, I landed on the one I’m sharing with you this week.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Healthy Family Project” by Amanda Keefer. You can find the original post at https://healthyfamilyproject.com/recipes/apple-crisp-breakfast-bars/. I added extra maple syrup and cinnamon in my version.

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Apple Crisp Breakfast Bars

Apple crisp breakfast bars are not overly sweet. The warm cinnamon flavor, along with the nuttiness of oats, makes these a fabulous morning treat with a hot cup of tea.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword apples, breakfast bars, cinnamon, Golden delicious apples, maple syrup, quick oats, sweet apples

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup and 4 tablespoons maple syrup divided
  • 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon divided
  • 1 egg
  • 2 sweet apples I used golden delicious, diced
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, and set it aside.
  • In a bowl, mix the oats, flour, salt, one-fourth cup maple syrup, butter and two teaspoons cinnamon, and mix until everything is well combined and the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Set aside one-half cup of the mixture.
  • In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork, and then pour it into the remaining crumb mixture, stirring to incorporate it completely. Spread the dough into the prepared baking dish into an even layer.
  • In another bowl, mix the apples, remaining maple syrup, remaining cinnamon and cornstarch until the apples are well-coated.
  • Spread the apple mixture evenly over the dough in the pan, and then top it with the oat mixture you set aside, crumbling it evenly over the top. (It won’t completely cover it; just get it evenly over the entire thing.)
  • Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are fork tender.
  • Let the bars cool completely before slicing them into squares.
  • Store the bars in an airtight container.

These are not overtly sweet, even with the extra maple syrup I added in my version. They truly are a great breakfast bar, even though you could totally get away with sharing them as a dessert, too.

I ended up doubling my batch of these bars and sharing them as part of a brunch with friends. It’s an incredibly easy recipe to double.

It was nice to be able to take a simple gift and turn it into another gift for others. (I’m sure there’s a small-town metaphor in there somewhere.)

And it was a doubly sweet experience to have a nice conversation on a cold afternoon. Thanks again, Harvey; I hope we will chat again one day.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 9, 2023.

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

Overcome your baking fears and give these rolls a ‘swirl’

These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, with lots of cinnamon, and topped off with a fabulous cream cheese icing. They’re the perfect side for a bowl of chili.
These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, with lots of cinnamon, and topped off with a fabulous cream cheese icing. They’re the perfect side for a bowl of chili.

I have had cinnamon rolls on the brain lately.

Making them from scratch has always intimidated me a bit, and after making a particularly dry batch a couple years ago, I just haven’t had the bravery to try them again.

I have two distinctly different recipes—one from my grandma and one from my great aunt—that I couldn’t get enough of as a kid, and I’ve really been thinking about how I want to give them a go.

But I didn’t want to try those nostalgic recipes first and fail at them, so I decided instead to give a stranger’s recipe a try. And they turned out so well.

This comes from the blog “Butternut Bakery Blog.” You can find their original post at https://butternutbakeryblog.com/easy-homemade-cinnamon-rolls/. My only change was adjusting the amount of cinnamon.

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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, with lots of cinnamon, and topped off with a fabulous cream cheese icing. They’re the perfect side for a bowl of chili.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, cinnamon, cinnamon roll, cream cheese, cream cheese icing, vanilla, yeast

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour divided
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 packets yeast 4 1/2 teaspoons
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg

Filling Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • cinnamon to fully coat dough about 2 tablespoons

Icing Ingredients

  • 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1/4 cup butter room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together two cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast and salt for the dough.
  • In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the water and butter. Heat for about 30 seconds. You want it just warm.
  • Add the butter mixture along with the egg to the flour mixture, and mix well. (I used the dough hook on my stand mixture. You can also do this by hand with a big spoon.)
  • Stir in two more cups of flour to create a thick, sticky dough. Finally, add in the last one-half cup of flour. Once it’s well-combined, either knead by hand or using your dough hook. If the dough is still sticky, add one-quarter cup of flour and continue to knead. If it becomes smooth and not sticky, you’re ready to go. If not, add another quarter cup of flour.
  • Once you can press a finger to the dough and it doesn’t stick, you’re ready to let the dough rise. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest for 10 minutes, uncovered.
  • Flour your counter, and roll the dough out into a large rectangle—about 10 by 15 inches.
  • Spread the butter for the filling in a thin layer, leaving one-half inch around the outside uncovered (I found this easier to do with my hands than with a utensil).
  • Sprinkle the brown sugar all over the buttered area, and press it down lightly into the dough. Liberally sprinkle the entire area with cinnamon.
  • Tightly roll the dough, starting from the long, 15-inch side. Be sure to press it together a bit as you go so you don’t leave open spaces in the roll.
  • Once the dough is rolled, place it seam-side down and cut it into 12 even pieces.
  • Lightly grease a nine-by-13-inch pan and place the rolls, cut-side down, into the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and place it in a warm spot for one hour. They should double in size during this time.
  • To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top of the rolls are a light brown.
  • For the icing, whisk the cream cheese and butter together with a fork. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread the icing on the warm rolls and eat right away. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

These were soft and full of great cinnamon flavor, and the cream cheese frosting was amazing. We ate them along with some smoked chili Joey made, and they were a perfect combination.

Thanks to this recipe, I think I have finally conquered my fear of trying to bake cinnamon rolls, although I’m still a little nervous my favorite family recipes won’t turn out. But I also know that if either of those amazing women were still here with me, they’d go out of their way to encourage me to give it a try anyway. Maybe even an imperfect recreation can still be pretty great.

This piece first appeared in print on March 2, 2023.

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 for the ‘mousse’t complicated pumpkin dessert

This pumpkin chocolate mousse cake is a huge time commitment, but it also sports a ton of wow factor with its five layers—chocolate cake, pumpkin cinnamon mousse, pumpkin butterscotch mousse, salted caramel mousse and chocolate ganache.
This pumpkin chocolate mousse cake is a huge time commitment, but it also sports a ton of wow factor with its five layers—chocolate cake, pumpkin cinnamon mousse, pumpkin butterscotch mousse, salted caramel mousse and chocolate ganache.

I would normally tell a little story to kick off my column, but if you have read ahead, you know that I have a monster of a recipe to share with you this week.

I took this cake to a Friendsgiving meal with friends, and it was definitely a hit. Beware, though, you will spend literally hours in your kitchen to create this recipe, so be sure to clear your schedule before trying it.

This comes from the blog “Sugar Hero” by Elizabeth LaBau. You can find the original post at https://www.sugarhero.com/pumpkin-chocolate-mousse-cake/. I changed a few of the ingredient amounts just slightly, but honestly, I was a bit intimidated to change a lot.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Mousse Cake

Course Dessert
Keyword butterscotch chips, cake, chocolate ganache, cinnamon, cinnamon chips, ganache, heavy cream, layered cake, mousse, pie, pumpkin, salted caramel, salted caramel chips, vanilla, whipped cream

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk with a touch of vinegar
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Cinnamon Mousse Ingredients

  • 10 ounces cinnamon chips
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream divided
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

Pumpkin Butterscotch Mousse Ingredients

  • 10 ounces butterscotch chips
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream divided
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons water

Salted Caramel Mousse Ingredients

  • 10 ounces salted caramel chips
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream divided
  • 1/3 cup salted caramel dessert topping
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons water

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a nine- or 10-inch springform pan with parchment and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
  • For the cake layer, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
  • Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the batter, beating in between additions.
  • When everything is well incorporated, pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it out evenly.
  • Bake the cake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
  • Let the cake cool completely and remove it from the pan before moving on to the next step.
  • When you’re ready to start the next layers, prepare your springform pan by lining the sides with a double layer of aluminum foil, making sure that the strip creates a stiff wall at least four inches tall, from the bottom of the pan, up. (This is going to hold your mousse layers together while they set up.)
  • For easy serving, cut a piece of heavy cardboard the same size as the bottom of your pan and cover it in aluminum foil or waxed paper. Place the cake on top of the cardboard in the pan.
  • For the cinnamon layer, add the cinnamon chips, pumpkin, 1/2 cup cream and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between each heating until the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the melted mixture into a large bowl and let it cool to close to room temperature, stirring it a few times while you wait.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the gelatin powder and water and stir well. Set it aside.
  • When the cinnamon mixture is cooled, microwave the prepared gelatin for 15 seconds. Whisk it into the cinnamon mixture and whisk in the ground cinnamon.
  • Whip the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cinnamon mixture, and then carefully pour the mousse over top of the cake layer in your springform pan. Spread it evenly and refrigerate for at least 25 minutes before moving on to the next layer.
  • For the butterscotch layer, add the butterscotch chips, pumpkin, 1/2 cup cream and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between each heating until the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the melted mixture into a large bowl and let it cool to close to room temperature, stirring it a few times while you wait.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the gelatin powder and water and stir well. Set it aside.
  • When the butterscotch mixture is cooled, microwave the prepared gelatin for 15 seconds. Whisk it into the butterscotch mixture.
  • Whip the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the butterscotch mixture, and then carefully pour the mousse over top of the cinnamon layer in your springform pan. Spread it evenly and refrigerate for at least 25 minutes before moving on to the next layer.
  • For the salted caramel layer, add the salted caramel chips, 1/2 cup cream, salted caramel topping, vanilla and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between each heating until the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the melted mixture into a large bowl and let it cool to close to room temperature, stirring it a few times while you wait.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the gelatin powder and water and stir well. Set it aside.
  • When the salted caramel mixture is cooled, microwave the prepared gelatin for 15 seconds. Whisk it into the salted caramel mixture.
  • Whip the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the salted caramel mixture, and then carefully pour the mousse over top of the butterscotch layer in your springform pan. Spread it evenly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before completing the final layer.
  • For the ganache, heat the cream to a low simmer and pour it over the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and the chocolate is fully melted. Pour the ganache over top of the salted caramel layer, and gently spread it to the edges of the pan.
  • Refrigerate the finished cake overnight or for at least four hours before removing it from the pan.
  • Remove the cake from the pan, carefully unwrap it, and transfer to a plate for serving.
  • For an extra wow factor, beat some heavy cream until stiff peaks form, and fold in powdered sugar until it reaches your desired level of sweetness. Add it to the top of your cake. Slice the cake with a sharp knife and keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cut this into small slices, because it’s a very rich cake with a lot going on. One friend suggested you could take the same components and layer it into parfait glasses, and I thought that was an excellent idea, too.

I don’t normally take on huge recipes like this one, but it was fun for a change of pace. The leftovers weren’t a bad bonus, either.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 1, 2022.

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
Drinks

‘Chai’ can’t believe I managed to make these lattes at home

Homemade chai lattes take a bit of effort, but the warm fall spices, along with the feeling of accomplishment from creating it yourself pays off in the end.
Homemade chai lattes take a bit of effort, but the warm fall spices, along with the feeling of accomplishment from creating it yourself pays off in the end.

Before I married into the Young family, I was pretty coffee agnostic. I would basically drink whatever was in front of me and be happy with it.

The Youngs, though, are coffee people, by which I mean they know how to make a fantastic cup of the stuff. If you want proof, just pop by my father-in-law’s coffeeshop, Scuttlebutts, if you’re ever in Hutchinson. You’ll see what I mean.

One of the glorious coffee drinks I have discovered now that I know what good coffee is all about is actually made with tea: the dirty chai. It sounds awkward to order, but it’s just a chai latte with a shot of espresso.

If you’re not familiar, chai is a highly spiced tea with a lot of delicious, autumnal spices—cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc.—all the good stuff from a proper loaf of pumpkin bread.

And I discovered this week that it’s way easier to buy a chai latte than make it from scratch, but it does make you feel very accomplished once you have a steaming cup of your own, homemade tea.

So if you want to give chai a shot in your own home, the recipe I tried this week comes from the blog “The Fresh Cooky” by Kathleen Pope. You can find the original post at https://www.thefreshcooky.com/homemade-chai-tea-latte/#recipe. I added extra spices in my version.

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Homemade Chai Latte

Homemade chai lattes take a bit of effort, but the warm fall spices, along with the feeling of accomplishment from creating it yourself pays off in the end.
Course Drinks
Keyword cardamom, chai, chai tea, cinnamon, cloves, Darjeeling, ginger, honey, latte, nutmeg, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 3 Darjeeling blend tea bags
  • 4 one-inch slices fresh ginger peeled
  • 1 two-inch cinnamon stick
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 2 teaspoons cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 heaping tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • dash of nutmeg
  • 2 cups milk

Instructions

  • Pour the water in a medium-sized saucepan, and bring it to a rapid boil over high heat.
  • Add in the tea bags, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, vanilla, sugar, honey and nutmeg and stir to combine.
  • Reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for five to six minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the milk and return the mixture boiling, stirring often to keep the milk from scalding on the bottom of the pot.
  • Once the mixture boils, remove it from heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the tea bags (carefully squeeze them out into the pot), ginger, cinnamon stick and cloves. If you want absolutely no remnants of the other spices in your cups, carefully run the mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter. (I didn’t bother with this step.)
  • Serve the chai lattes hot or let it cool and refrigerate it to serve it over ice.
  • Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator. (This made about four eight-ounce servings.)

This was a good, solid chai latte. Honestly, I like mine way spicier and probably would have doubled the spices that I used yet again, but this one had just the right amount of fall flavor to help me feel better about the colder weather. I sprinkled just a little cinnamon on the top of each cup for effect, too.

It did receive a thumbs up from Joey, so while I didn’t have the true coffee guru of the Young family try it, I figure his son is the next best thing.

At the end of the day, considering the effort of making my own chai latte at home, though, I think I might stick to our local coffee shops most of the time. I’ll save this recipe for any future days of being snowed in.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 17, 2022.

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

‘Galette’ yourself enjoy some tasty, fruit-filled pastry

Strawberry rhubarb galettes are a great summer dessert. The combination of tart rhubarb, sweet strawberries, bright lemon and warm cinnamon creates the perfect sweet to share with guests.
Strawberry rhubarb galettes are a great summer dessert. The combination of tart rhubarb, sweet strawberries, bright lemon and warm cinnamon creates the perfect sweet to share with guests.

I had a great dinner night with my family over the weekend.

After going out for some greasy food, topped off with ice cream and helping my niece extract every last quarter from my purse so she could eventually win a tiny stuffed turtle from a claw machine, I headed back to my parents’ house, where I spied their ever overflowing garden of rhubarb.

This led, of course, to me climbing over the short fence with a paring knife, ready to extract a dozen nearly two-foot-long stalks to take home to my kitchen. It didn’t even look like I made a dent when I was done, and Mom implored me to come back for more later if I decided I needed some.

In the past, I made my grandma’s rhubarb cake with my garden haul. (It’s on my website if you haven’t tried it. It’s delicious.) This time, I figured I should try something new with at least some of my harvest and stumbled on a great recipe for galettes—basically roughly shaped pies.

This comes from the website for the Mill City Farmers Market out of Minneapolis. It was created by Shahreen Ahmed. You can find the original post at https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/recipes/mini-strawberry-rhubarb-galettes/. I added cinnamon in my version.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes

Strawberry rhubarb galettes are a great summer dessert. The combination of tart rhubarb, sweet strawberries, bright lemon and warm cinnamon creates the perfect sweet to share with guests.
Course Dessert
Keyword cinnamon, galette, lemon zest, pie, rhubarb, strawberry, tart

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup very cold butter cubed
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup very cold water

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries quartered
  • 2 cups fresh rhubarb cut into half-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • zest from one lemon
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Other ingredients

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • additional flour as needed

Instructions

  • For the dough, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse a few times to start combining the ingredients and then pour in the water and vinegar. Turn the processor on high and process until the dough pulls away from the sides into a ball. (If it stays wet and sticky, keep adding flour, a little at a time, until the dough comes together.)
  • Split the dough into four even pieces, form them into small discs, and wrap each with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator over night or for at least an hour until the dough is completely cold.
  • When you’re ready to make the galettes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper.
  • Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until the dry ingredients are well distributed through all the fruit.
  • On a well-floured surface, roll out the first dough disc into a rough circle shape to about 1/8-inch thickness. (Keep picking it up and adding more flour underneath as you roll. It will make picking up the filled galette way easier.)
  • Once it’s rolled out, spoon one-fourth of the fruit mixture into the middle of the circle. Roughly fold the sides in about about an inch all the way around.
  • Carefully transfer the galette to the baking sheet. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
  • In a small bowl, beat the egg with one tablespoon of water, and brush all of the pastry on the galettes.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  • Let cool before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

I waited until the galettes were just cool enough to extract from my baking sheet, and we ate them warm. They would have been fabulous with vanilla ice cream.

There was just enough sweetness from the rest of the ingredients in the filling to cut the tartness of the rhubarb, but its flavor still shone through. It was a great dessert.

I still have a glut of rhubarb in my fridge and a lack of quarters in my purse, but it made for the perfect weekend.

This piece first appeared in print on July 28, 2022.

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

This summer, let’s come together and give ‘pies’ a chance

Handheld apple pies are a little more labor intensive than making a whole pie, but they're perfect for a summer get together when utensils are optional. They feature warm spices and a buttery, flaky crust.
Handheld apple pies are a little more labor intensive than making a whole pie, but they’re perfect for a summer get together when utensils are optional. They feature warm spices and a buttery, flaky crust.

When I was growing up, my mom’s specialty, which was required at every family get together, was her deviled eggs.

I remember my uncle jokingly blocking the door, looking for her tell-tale Tupperware box before we were allowed to come inside. I also remember one fateful day when I accidentally dropped the box, creating havoc as everyone had to scoop the filling, which was splattered all over inside the plastic container, back into the eggs. (Sorry, Mom.)

It’s funny how people can sort of become known for their potluck specialties. Over the past couple of years, we have been blessed to be included in some friends’ family get togethers—such as their most recent on July 4—and I’m pretty sure I’ve become the dessert person.

Their family creates an enviable spread of amazing dishes. You literally can’t fit a taste of everything on your plate in the first pass. And there are also always all kinds of cakes and cookies and other great desserts on the table. After introducing them to pineapple tarts last year and handheld apple pies this year, though, I’m pretty sure my spot is cemented in that dessert section.

This recipe is by Katie Ferrier and is featured on the Taste of Home website. You can find the original post at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hand-held-apple-pies/. I went completely rogue on the filling in my version.

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Handheld Apple Pies

Handheld apple pies are a little more labor intensive than making a whole pie, but they're perfect for a summer get together when utensils are optional. They feature warm spices and a buttery, flaky crust.
Course Dessert
Keyword allspice, apple pie, apples, cinnamon, cream cheese, Granny Smith apples, hand pie, summer dessert, vanilla

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 cups tart apples peeled and diced
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons butter cold

Topping Ingredients

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • about 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with a teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  • Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the flour and salt until everything is well combined. Form the dough into a rough ball (It might be sticky. Floured hands is a good idea.), and divide it into two pieces. Form each half into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
  • When you’re ready to start assembling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • In a bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients except the butter and stir well to evenly coat the apples.
  • Remove the dough disks from the fridge and cut each into 12 pieces. Keep any pieces you’re not currently working with in the fridge to keep them from getting sticky.
  • To assemble the pies, roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface into about a four-inch circle.
  • Add about one tablespoon of apples on one side of the circle and add just a bit of butter. (I cut mine into roughly tablespoon-sized squares and then diced it. Each pie got two to three tiny dots of butter.)
  • Fold the dough over into a half-circle shape, and either fold the edges up to seal them or crimp them firmly with a fork.
  • Place the prepared pies one to two inches apart on a baking sheet.
  • Once your baking sheet is full, whisk the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Brush the tops and edges of each pie with a thin layer of the egg mixture, and then sprinkle them liberally with the cinnamon/sugar mix. Finish the pies off by cutting two or three small slits in the top to let the steam vent while they cook.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops of your pies are golden brown. Remove the pies from the oven and let cool before storing in an air-tight container or serving.

These were buttery and full of great spices and were so, so good. They were a huge hit at the Fourth of July party, and I was glad I doubled the recipe for the whole crew to enjoy.

They are also fantastic for breakfast, if you’re into sweets in the morning.

It’s fun to bake for a whole different crowd—especially one that is so sure to tell you when they really enjoy something you make. And I think, as long as I keep my oven going for these get-togethers, we’ll continue to have a standing invitation. (As long as I don’t drop my creations before they get to the table.)

This piece first appeared in print on July 7, 2022.

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

This crisp lets fresh berries’ true colors shine ‘blue’

Blueberry crisp is a simple dessert with warm spices and lots of delicious, rich blueberry flavor.
Blueberry crisp is a simple dessert with warm spices and lots of delicious, rich blueberry flavor.

The past two weeks, every time I walked through the produce department at our local grocery store, pints of blueberries have been calling my name.

I tried to avoid eye contact with them, knowing that I didn’t have a good way to get rid of a lot of dessert. But when we were invited to have dinner with some friends this week, I knew I finally had my chance.

Blueberries are way up there on my list of favorite fruits, especially when they’re baked. They just look so pretty that even if you’re not the most skilled chef, blueberries make your creations seem more impressive.

That was certainly the case with the very simple blueberry crisp I decided to make this week. Of course, the fact that it was delicious didn’t hurt, either.

The recipe I used comes from the blog “Chelsea’s Messy Apron.” You can find the original post at https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/blueberry-crisp/. I added extra vanilla and spices in my version.

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Blueberry Crisp

Blueberry crisp is a simple dessert with warm spices and lots of delicious, rich blueberry flavor.
Course Dessert
Keyword blueberry, brown sugar, cinnamon, crisp, easy dessert, fresh blueberries, lemon juice, nutmeg, oatmeal, summer dessert

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup oats old fashioned or quick
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold butter cubed

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an eight-by-eight-inch or nine-by-nine-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Rinse the blueberries and then dry them well (I spread mine on paper towels to let them really drain).
  • In a large mixing bowl, add all of the filling ingredients. Stir well to coat the blueberries evenly, and place the blueberry mixture in the refrigerator while you make the topping.
  • In another mixing bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients, except the butter, and stir well to combine. Cut in the butter with two knives, a fork or a pastry cutter until it’s well distributed and the mixture is in small crumbs.
  • Pour the blueberry mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. (Be sure to scrape the mixing bowl to get all the juice, too.) Evenly distribute the topping over the filling, and bake the crisp for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
  • Serve warm and refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container.

I loved this blueberry crisp. It had just the right amount of spices to make it taste warm and homemade while also letting the blueberries shine.

It was also good as leftovers later on. If you wanted to keep the topping nice and crispy, I’d recommend reheating it in the oven, but we did ours in the microwave, and it was still phenomenal. Of course, pairing this with some ice cream wouldn’t hurt, either.

I was glad to finally give in to my blueberry craving, although I can’t imagine I won’t keep eyeballing them when I go shopping. Of course, as summer goes on and peaches greet us again, I’m sure my cravings will switch right along with the season.

This piece first appeared in print on June 2, 2022.

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

With new recipes, you ‘cinna’ some, you lose some

Cinnamon roll cake is made very simply, with refrigerated cinnamon rolls and a few extra ingredients.
Cinnamon roll cake is made very simply, with refrigerated cinnamon rolls and a few extra ingredients.

I’d like to think I’m not easily swayed by pretty pictures, but I was totally taken in last week by a photo of these amazing-looking molten cinnamon rolls.

They promised a warm, inviting cinnamon roll with oozing, melty cream cheese in the center.

Of course, I immediately bought a couple tubes of cinnamon rolls to give it a try.

I followed the recipe very closely (which everyone who knows me realizes was a struggle for me), and after wrapping little scoops of a frozen cream cheese mixture with the pre-made dough, I couldn’t wait to see my delicious molten cinnamon rolls come out of the oven.

The timer dinged, and I couldn’t wait to let them cool even a few minutes before I scooped one out and cut it in half.

And…nothing.

The cream cheese mixture had simply melted into the dough. All I accomplished was making some cream-cheesier-tasting cinnamon rolls, and nothing else.

So then I had the problem of another tube of cinnamon rolls in my fridge to solve. I was so sure that my molten rolls were going to be a hit, I already bought a second tube in anticipation. Well, as always, the Internet provided, which is where this week’s very simple recipe comes into play.

This comes from the blog “Love Bakes Good Cakes.” You can find the original post at https://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/cinnamon-roll-crumb-cake/. I added extra cinnamon in my version.

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Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon roll cake is made very simply, with refrigerated cinnamon rolls and a few extra ingredients.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, canned cinnamon rolls, cinnamon, cinnamon roll, easy breakfast, easy dessert

Ingredients

  • 17.5- ounce tube refrigerated cinnamon rolls
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 rounded teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an eight-inch cake or pie pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
  • Pop open the tube of cinnamon rolls. Set aside the frosting, and start by placing one cinnamon roll in the center of your prepared pan. Unroll the next cinnamon roll and create one, giant cinnamon roll shape by wrapping it around the roll in the middle. Continue until all of the rolls are used.
  • In a bowl, mix the butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon until the mixture is well-combined and crumbly.
  • Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top of the cinnamon rolls, and bake for 25 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned.
  • Drizzle or pour the frosting over the top of the cake, and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

This was very simple, but it had a wow factor, since it cuts into nice slices for serving. It looks a lot more complicated and impressive than it really is to make.

The addition of the extra crumble on top was really yummy, too, and this was great with a cup of coffee.

And I was glad I was able to find a use for my tube of cinnamon rolls after all. I always hate it when a recipe doesn’t work out, but in this case, at least it wasn’t terrible to have to eat my mistakes.

This piece first appeared in print on March 31, 2022.

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

Pre’pear’ something different for dessert this week

A pear walnut cake with honey and cinnamon buttercream frosting is a tasty dessert that looks beautiful on any table.
A pear walnut cake with honey and cinnamon buttercream frosting is a tasty dessert that looks beautiful on any table.

The problem with writing this column every week is that sometimes I get a little too overzealous.

I assume I can conquer any recipe the first time, and there are definitely moments where I crash and burn.

That was the case recently when I tried to make poached pears to go along with the cake I’m sharing with you this week. The original recipe called for poaching fresh pears and using them to decorate the top of the cake. Although I gave it the ol’ college try, that step didn’t make it into my final recipe. I just couldn’t get my poaching liquid to behave the way it was supposed to.

The good news is that the cake I made still ended up being delicious, and there was never a need for poached pears in addition to the honey cinnamon buttercream I slathered on it. I’ll have to save pear poaching for another day, I guess.

This cake recipe came from the blog “Liv for Cake.” You can find the original at https://livforcake.com/pear-walnut-cake-honey-buttercream/. I added extra cinnamon and vanilla in my version. And then I opted to use Amy Johnson’s honey buttercream recipe from her site, “She Wears Many Hats.” You can find her post at https://shewearsmanyhats.com/cinnamon-honey-buttercream-frosting-recipe/. I added extra cinnamon in mine.

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Pear Walnut Honey Cake

A pear walnut cake with honey and cinnamon buttercream frosting is a tasty dessert that looks beautiful on any table.
Course Dessert
Keyword buttercream, cake, cinnamon, honey, layered cake, pears, vanilla, walnuts

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup buttermilk or milk with a touch of vinegar
  • 1 cup walnuts chopped
  • 2 cups fresh pears cored and shredded

Frosting Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare two eight-inch round cake pans by greasing and flouring them and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for several minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  • Add in the flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon and buttermilk, beating until the mixture is well combined.
  • Fold in the walnuts and pears and distribute the batter evenly between your prepared pans.
  • Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of your cakes comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool until you can handle the pans, and then turn them out onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting them.
  • For the frosting, beat the butter in a stand mixer or mixing bowl until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the salt and cinnamon.
  • Beat in the powdered sugar a bit at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Finish out by beating in the honey, and then beat on high for another couple of minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
  • To assemble the cake, spread a healthy amount of frosting on the top of one of the cooled cakes, and stack the next one on top. Use the rest of the frosting to coat the entire outside. Decorate with more walnuts, if desired.

This cake was really tasty, with all the flavors melding nicely. I especially liked the honey addition.

The buttercream was also delicious, and if you’re looking for a good substitute for the cinnamon butter a lot of steakhouses serve, this actually reminded me of that quite a bit.

And no one even questioned whether my cake needed more decorations—especially after we quickly demolished every last slice. After all, the best compliment a baker can get isn’t oohs and ahs at the presentation—it’s the empty plates afterwards.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 3, 2022.

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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