Tag: cookie exchange

Categories
Dessert

Fudge recipe is one in a million holiday treat

Million dollar fudge is a rich treat, made with fluffy marshmallow crème and featuring lots of crunchy walnuts to create a wonderful texture.
Million dollar fudge is a rich treat, made with fluffy marshmallow crème and featuring lots of crunchy walnuts to create a wonderful texture.

Over the years, I have had a few kitchen disasters that resulted in major cleanup afterwards.

There was the time I dropped my flour container, spilling it all over the floor.

There was another, when I accidentally turned my mixer on too high and exploded chocolate cake batter all over my backsplash and cabinets.

The worst one was knocking a two-liter of pop off the counter. That one resulted in cleaning the ceiling.

This week, it was as sudden overflow on my stovetop, burning a mixture of sugar and evaporated milk into a thick, impenetrable mess and filling the kitchen with smoke.

Luckily, that was the only part of my cooking experiment that was a disaster, as the recipe for million dollar fudge that Carolyn Doyle of Newton submitted for our holiday recipe guide turned out absolutely delicious, and as long as you keep an eye on what you’re doing, you’ll end up with an excellent holiday treat without the big mess I had.

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Million Dollar Fudge

Million dollar fudge is a rich treat, made with fluffy marshmallow crème and featuring lots of crunchy walnuts to create a wonderful texture.
Course Dessert
Keyword candy making, cookie exchange, fudge, Hershey, holiday dessert, marshmallow creme, milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate chips, vanilla, walnuts

Ingredients

  • 2 7.56- ounce Hershey bars chopped
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 7- ounce jars marshmallow crème
  • 4 tablespoons margarine
  • 4 1/2 cups sugar
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts
  • whole walnuts for decorating

Instructions

  • Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by greasing it with butter. (This will give you about two-inch tall pieces. Use two dishes if you want something thinner.) Set it aside.
  • In a large, heat-proof mixing bowl, add the chopped Hershey bars, chocolate chips, marshmallow crème and margarine, and set it aside, as well.
  • In a medium-sized saucepan, add the sugar and evaporated milk, and heat it over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until it reaches soft ball stage (240 degrees). (Be careful to watch it, because it can overflow easily.)
  • Pour the hot sugar mixture over the ingredients in the mixing bowl and beat until everything is well combined. Beat in the vanilla, and fold in the chopped walnuts.
  • Spread the mixture out evenly in your prepared pan(s), and press a whole walnut into each spot where you’ll want to cut a piece of fudge.
  • Let the fudge cool completely on the counter or in the refrigerator, and then slice into one-inch pieces.
  • Store in an airtight container.

This was extremely rich and decadent, exactly what you want out of a holiday treat.

The inclusion of walnuts throughout the fudge adds a nice crunch, and the marshmallow fluff keeps it from being overly dense.

It’s also pretty, which makes for a great addition for a treat table or a cookie box.

And I suppose my stovetop needed a really good deep clean anyway, so maybe my sugar mess was really just the universe letting me know it was time to get to scrubbing. At least I had some excellent sugar-filled treats to enjoy while I did so.

This piece first appeared in print Dec. 25, 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.

Categories
Cookies Dessert

Don’t let this tasty recipe go in one ear and out the other

Raspberry lime hamantaschen has a light flavor of lime in the cookie part of the dessert and the rich flavor of raspberry jam in the filling. A traditional treat for the Jewish celebration of Purim, its pretty red color makes for a great Christmas cookie, too.
Raspberry lime hamantaschen has a light flavor of lime in the cookie part of the dessert and the rich flavor of raspberry jam in the filling. A traditional treat for the Jewish celebration of Purim, its pretty red color makes for a great Christmas cookie, too.

I have loved our new tradition of sharing holiday recipes from readers in our annual guide that inserted into our newspapers last week.

It’s so interesting to see what dishes everyone makes for their own friends and families this time of year.

One dish that really intrigued me came from Rachel Hindle of Yoder. It was for hamantaschen, something I wasn’t familiar with, but it sounded delicious. (Despite the fact that we messed up and put the wrong ingredients list in the holiday guide. Sorry, Rachel. Don’t worry, everyone, you’re getting it here.)

I decided to look up what hamantaschen is, and while there are several stories about its origin (read the article on the Anu Museum’s website for a deep dive), the most common is that the name comes from an evil character in the Book of Esther named Haman.

In the story, Haman sets out to try to get the king to destroy the Jews, but Esther, the queen, swoops in and saves the day.

Now, many Jews enjoy hamantaschen, or “Haman’s ears,” on Purim, a celebration of Esther’s bravery.

But these are also going to be a delicious addition to your Christmas treat table, so be sure to save this one for later.

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Raspberry Lime Hamantaschen

Raspberry lime hamantaschen has a light flavor of lime in the cookie part of the dessert and the rich flavor of raspberry jam in the filling. A traditional treat for the Jewish celebration of Purim, its pretty red color makes for a great Christmas cookie, too.
Course Dessert
Keyword Christmas cookie, cookie exchange, easy cookies, fresh lime, holiday cookie, lime zest, Purim treats, raspberry jam, raspberry preserves, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 sticks butter room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons water if needed
  • 3/4 cup red raspberry jam

Instructions

  • Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract and lime zest; beat to combine.
  • Add flour and salt; beat until combined and crumbly. Knead the dough into a smooth ball (if the dough is too dry, add water, one teaspoon at a time. Be careful that the dough does not become sticky).
  • Form the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for about 30 minutes until the dough is firm enough to roll; chilling for too long will make the dough hard to roll out.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Lightly flour a smooth surface; roll dough out to 1/4-inch thick. Dust with flour and flip. Roll out more, if needed.
  • Using a cookie cutter or other round object about three inches in diameter, stamp out cookies. Lay cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  • Place about one teaspoon of jam in the center of each cookie. Fold each circle inward on three sides to enclose the jam, forming a triangle with a small opening in the center. Pinch the corners and smooth out the seams to ensure the jam doesn’t leak out.
  • Bake for about 18 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

“The original version of this recipe came from a magazine and turned out to be so good that I make these cookies at least once a year for Christmas,” Rachel wrote when she sent this in.

I see why. They are a pretty cookie, even though several of mine overflowed a bit. (In my normal enthusiasm, I may have added rounded teaspoons of jam.)

I don’t think these really look like ears—or at least it’s a pretty loose interpretation—but I do love the idea of honoring Esther’s faith with a delicious cookie, whether it’s during the March celebration of Purim or during the Christmas season. Either way, these are best eaten alongside a good cup of coffee or cocoa and a great group of friends.

This piece first appeared in print Dec. 4, 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.

Categories
Cookies Dessert

‘Wash’ out for these easy-to-make sugar-coated cookies

Washboard cookies are like a lightly spiced sugar cookie. They get their name from the use of a fork to create light hashmarks on their surface before baking them.
Washboard cookies are like a lightly spiced sugar cookie. They get their name from the use of a fork to create light hashmarks on their surface before baking them.

I have been spending some time reading through the Harvey County Fair’s entry guidelines book, looking at all the food categories.

The one that intrigues me, which I need to pay more attention to when I go look at the exhibits this year, is for cookie jars.

For the entry, the cookies have to be placed in a wide-mouth jar, and it has to consist of six to nine different cookies, each individually wrapped, with at least 18 cookies in the jar.

I am absolutely baffled about how someone can get 18 cookies into a wide-mouth jar. I have to see this for myself.

Of course, I’m guessing the answer is I have a tendency to make my cookies too large. These exhibitors must have a lot more patience and restraint than I generally do. Normally, my cookies get larger and larger with every batch, since I’m normally ready to be done after about three.

Despite that, I did manage to keep my cookies for this week’s recipe at a consistent, smaller size, and they turned out really well—in flavor and presentation.

This comes from the blog Cooktop Cove from a post by Georgia Lynn. You can find the original post at https://cooktopcove.com/2025/02/10/cant-stop-baking-these-cookies—third-night-in-a-row/. I added extra vanilla, along with cinnamon, to my version below. I also inadvertently left out the milk it called for, and since it had absolutely no effect on the end result, I just left it out in my version, too.

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Washboard Cookies

Washboard cookies are like a lightly spiced sugar cookie. They get their name from the use of a fork to create light hashmarks on their surface before baking them.
Course Dessert
Keyword cinnamon, cookie exchange, easy cookies, sugar cookies, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar plus more for rolling cookies
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a couple baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper, and set them aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes until the mixture is light yellow and airy.
  • Beat in the vanilla.
  • Next, beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until everything is well combined.
  • Using your hands, roll the dough into one-inch balls. Put some sugar in a small bowl, and roll the balls in the sugar. Place them about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Use a fork and make a crosshatch pattern on each ball, pressing down gently.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Let them cool for about five minutes, and then transfer the cookies into an airtight container.

These were like lightly spiced sugar cookies. They were crispy out of the oven, but then they softened up in the container. So if you’re into crunchy cookies, let them cool completely before you put them in the container.

And if you follow the directions and roll these into one-inch balls, you could easily fit quite a few of them into a wide-mouth jar. After all, I was able to fit a good number into my wide mouth, too.

This piece first appeared in print July 17, 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.

Categories
Cookies Dessert

Earn brownie points with your friends with these awesome cookies

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.

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Brownie Cookies

Brownie cookies are soft and chocolaty with a little crunch from mini M&Ms. They’re a great cookie to share with friends.
Course Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, chocolate, chocolate chips, cookie exchange, M&Ms, semisweet chocolate chips, soft cookies, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 10 ounces mini M&Ms

Instructions

  • 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.

Categories
Dessert

‘Chews’ something sweet and nutty this week

These decadent bars feature tons of flavor from brown sugar, maraschino cherries, pecans and coconut, resulting in a fabulous addition to the dessert table.
These decadent bars feature tons of flavor from brown sugar, maraschino cherries, pecans and coconut, resulting in a fabulous addition to the dessert table.

One of the benefits of being married for as long as Joey and I have is that there are times when I can perfectly judge what his reaction to a recipe will be before I even make it.

When I spotted this week’s recipe—featuring cherries, coconut and pecans—online, I knew I had a hit on my hands, and I couldn’t wait to try it out.

But then, after the bars were cooled and I took my first bite, I realized I majorly underestimated this particular dessert.

It was better than I ever could have imagined, and Joey was going to love them. He was also going to lobby for me to get the entire pan out of our home as quickly as possible so he wouldn’t be tempted to finish them off.

I was correct on both counts.

So, the recipe you must try—especially if you like cherries, coconut and pecans—comes from the blog “Red Cottage Chronicles.” You can find the original at https://www.redcottagechronicles.com/baking/cherry-chews/. I replaced the almond extract with vanilla in my version, and I added toasted coconut.

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Cherry Chews

These decadent bars feature tons of flavor from brown sugar, maraschino cherries, pecans and coconut, resulting in a fabulous addition to the dessert table.
Course Dessert
Keyword bar cookies, brown sugar, coconut, cookie exchange, maraschino cherries, pecans, powdered sugar, quick oats, vanilla

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup oats I used quick oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup drained maraschino cherries quartered (save the juice)
  • 1/2 cup pecans chopped

Topping Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons reserved cherry juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
  • In a mixing bowl, prepare the crust by combining the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter until it is mixed well and the mixture is coarse crumbs.
  • Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
  • For the filling, beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat in the brown sugar and vanilla until it is smooth.
  • Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the coconut and cherries, and then spread the batter evenly over top of the crust. Sprinkle the pecans over the top of the batter, and then bake for 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
  • Let the bars cool completely before adding the topping.
  • For the frosting layer, add the butter, powdered sugar, cherry juice and vanilla to a bowl and whisk thoroughly. You want the mixture to easily coat the back of a spoon, but create the texture you like best. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more cherry juice.
  • Spread the frosting over the top of the bars. (This will be a thin layer. If you want it thicker, double the ingredients.)
  • Finally, add the shredded coconut to a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Stir regularly until most of the coconut is lightly browned. Remove it from heat and sprinkle on top of the chews. Cut and serve, and store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Like I said, these were amazing. They’re definitely sweet, but since they feature the pecans and brown sugar, it’s not a sickeningly sweet dish. It’s actually decently balanced. I was also really glad I used vanilla instead of almond extract in these. I think the almond would have been good, but I also think it would have overshadowed some of the other flavors.

Also, I highly recommend the toasted coconut on top. That was fabulous.

And, as I predicted, these ended up on our office counter the day after I baked them, tempting our co-workers instead of just us, which is just as well.

I can deal with all of them grumping at me about their diets. I have to live with Joey.

This piece first appeared in print Oct. 31, 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
Cookies Dessert

Let a youngster chip in on making these yummy bars

Potato chip krispies treats trades out the traditional rice cereal to create a sweet and salty no-bake treat that is absolutely delicious.
Potato chip krispies treats trades out the traditional rice cereal to create a sweet and salty no-bake treat that is absolutely delicious.

A few weeks ago, when the county fair carnival was in town, Joey and I decided to host our 6-year-old niece for a sleepover.

Well, I should say I decided to host her, and Joey was allowed to participate as the fun uncle who was then relegated to sleeping in the guest room with the dog.

We spent the whole of Friday night on all of the rides at the carnival. We might have gone on the big slide over a dozen times. I lost count.

Our niece came away with a stuffed animal, thanks to Uncle Joey, and a stunning face full of bright paints. We also fulfilled her one food request: a funnel cake. It was a long evening but a lot of fun.

On Saturday, after a lunch of macaroni and cheese, my little helper and I decided to make a treat recipe to share with all of you. These bars are a perfect recipe to make with a young, budding chef or just on your own. Regardless, the end result is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and these were absolutely delicious.

This comes from the blog “Life of a Foodie.” You can find the original link at https://lifestyleofafoodie.com/ruffles-krispy-treats/. I added a little chocolate to my version.

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Potato Chip Krispies Treats

Potato chip krispies treats trades out the traditional rice cereal to create a sweet and salty no-bake treat that is absolutely delicious.
Course Dessert
Keyword butter, cookie exchange, mini marshmallows, no bake, potato chips, semisweet chocolate chips, sweet and salty

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter plus more to grease pan
  • 4 cups miniature marshmallows
  • about 8 ounces wavy potato chips
  • about 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
  • Coarse or flaked salt to taste

Instructions

  • Liberally grease the bottoms and sides of an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan with butter, and set it aside.
  • Add the three tablespoons of butter to a large saucepan over low heat. Once the butter is melted, add in the marshmallows, and stir constantly until they are melted and smooth. (This may take awhile, so it’s a good spot for a helper to step in to help stir.)
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the potato chips. Don’t worry about whether they break and crumble as you go. Once the chips are well combined, dump the mixture into your prepared baking dish, smoothing it out evenly.
  • In a small, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, 30 seconds at a time, until you can stir them and they are completely melted.
  • Drizzle the melted chocolate over top of the bars, and then top with a big pinch of coarse or flaked salt.
  • Let the mixture cool completely before slicing into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

I loved the flavor combination in these, and so did the 6-year-old, although our bars turned out a lot chewier than I expected. If I were to bet why, I’m guessing it was a combination of having a bag of older marshmallows in my pantry and having a cooking assistant who insisted on taste testing quite a few of them before they went into the pot.

It’s always a great time to have our niece for a visit, and I love being able to share my interest in cooking with her, too.

I can’t wait for our next adventure together, but for now, I just need a nap.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 29, 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
Cookies Dessert

No one will razz you about these yummy cookies

Raspberry sugar cookies are not overly sweet and have a nice, light fruity flavor that is complimented by vanilla and butter. Plus, they’re just a pretty cookie to feature on your dessert table.
Raspberry sugar cookies are not overly sweet and have a nice, light fruity flavor that is complimented by vanilla and butter. Plus, they’re just a pretty cookie to feature on your dessert table.

As I promised, I’m back in this week’s column with the second recipe in my raspberry series.

After my triumph over Joey and his usual dislike of raspberries with last week’s recipe, I was feeling pretty confident about the others I picked out to try on him.

People often tell Joey just how lucky he is that he gets to try all these new recipes I make each week, but what they don’t realize is how often I push culinary boundaries with him.

He really is a good sport.

So the good news is that this week’s offering isn’t something super strange. I decided to see how he’d feel about a very simple cookie recipe.

I loved these, because they weren’t overly sweet (despite having sugar in the name), and they were really pretty, thanks to the natural color from the berries.

This comes from the blog “Chasety” by Chase Curtis. You can find the original recipe at https://chasety.com/raspberry-sugar-cookies/. I put extra vanilla and raspberries in my version. I also left out some extra sugar and food coloring.

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Raspberry Sugar Cookies

Raspberry sugar cookies are not overly sweet and have a nice, light fruity flavor that is complimented by vanilla and butter. Plus, they’re just a pretty cookie to feature on your dessert table.
Course Dessert
Keyword butter, cookie exchange, fresh raspberries, raspberry, sugar cookies, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup fresh raspberries chopped finely

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare one or two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper, and set them aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is light yellow and fluffy (about three minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
  • Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt until everything is well combined.
  • Dump in the raspberries and mix them in until they’re well incorporated. (Mine were especially ripe, so I just beat them in and didn’t worry about trying to preserve larger chunks of fruit. If you’d rather have visible raspberries, I’d recommend folding them in.)
  • Using a one-inch cookie scoop, place the cookies about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the centers are set and the edges are just starting to brown.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before transferring them into an airtight container.

I really liked these. They just had a subtle, sweet flavor that I could definitely get behind.

On Joey’s end, he said he’d give these a five out of 10, but he was also quick to note that he’s not much of a sugar cookie fan as a general rule.

Regardless, after having the container out for a get together we had, I didn’t have any leftovers, so the rest of our friends apparently voted them a little higher than he did.

This particular raspberry experiment wasn’t quite the hit I was hoping for with my raspberry-averse husband, but the good news is that I saved the big guns for last. Just wait until you see what I have in store for you—and for him—next week.

This first appeared in print Aug. 15, 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
Cookies Dessert

‘Guava’ your friends a tropical dessert to try

Guava bars combine the sweetness of guava with the nuttiness of oats and the buttery goodness of a shortbread crust to create a delicious combination of flavors for your dessert table.
Guava bars combine the sweetness of guava with the nuttiness of oats and the buttery goodness of a shortbread crust to create a delicious combination of flavors for your dessert table.

Several months ago, I decided, for some reason, I needed to get ahold of a can of guava paste to bake with.

I didn’t have a recipe picked out yet, but I’m sure I found some video about guava that convinced me I needed it in my life. I found a can while traveling and promptly stored it in my pantry, where I completely forgot about it.

That is until this past week, when I needed a new dessert to bring to a cookout.

I knew it needed to be something interesting—this particular crew appreciates creativity—but it also had to stand up to being out in the heat of July in Kansas for several hours. Enter the guava paste and a recipe for some bar cookies that looked too good to pass up.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Mission Food Adventure.” You can find the original post at https://mission-food.com/guava-bars/. I added extra guava paste in my version.

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Guava Bars

Guava bars combine the sweetness of guava with the nuttiness of oats and the buttery goodness of a shortbread crust to create a delicious combination of flavors for your dessert table.
Course Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, butter, cookie bars, cookie exchange, guava, guava paste, oatmeal, shortbread, tropical dessert

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups flour

Topping Ingredients

  • 21 ounces guava paste cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 1 cup old-fashioned or quick oats
  • 1/2 cup butter cold and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup flour

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking pan by lining the bottom and up and over all four sides with parchment paper to help remove the bars after they’re done. Set it aside.
  • For the crust, beat the butter and sugar together for several minutes until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the salt and flour until the mixture is smooth, and then press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
  • Cover the entire surface of the crust layer with slices of guava paste. You can cut it into smaller pieces to fill gaps, too. (You may have just a bit left over for you to snack on.)
  • Add the oats, butter, salt, sugar and flour to a food processor and pulse until the mixture kind of looks like wet sand and everything is well combined.
  • Sprinkle the topping evenly over the guava and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
  • Let the bars cool completely before using the parchment paper to remove them from the pan. Slice them and store in an airtight container.

I came home with one guava bar leftover from the cookout, so I guess you could say they were a success. They were absolutely delicious. If you’ve never worked with guava paste before, it’s jelly-like, but it’s also super sticky.

The flavor is fruity but not overly sweet, so it is an especially good filling for people who aren’t into sugary treats. That, combined with the buttery shortcake crust and the nuttiness of the oatmeal topping, makes for a great dessert.

It turns out I was right about my guava obsession. The next time I manage to spot a big tin of it at the grocery store, it will probably land in my pantry again. This time, though, it probably won’t last nearly as long.

This piece first appeared in print on July 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
Dessert

Become ‘nut’orious for simple pecan brownies

Pecan brownies are flavored with butter, unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, along with lots of pecans to create a great dessert for a small gathering or cookie exchange.
Pecan brownies are flavored with butter, unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, along with lots of pecans to create a great dessert for a small gathering or cookie exchange.

We had a bit of a scaled-down celebration for Christmas this year, with several of our family members traveling outside of Kansas, so I very carefully considered what treats I would be making.

Normally, I overdo it with several types of candies and baked goods to share, but knowing that our group would be a bit smaller, I promised myself I would stick to only three things.

Well, I had to, of course, make my yearly batch of peppernuts. It just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without them.

Then I decided that I would go easy on myself and make just a few peanut clusters. You know, a couple dozen or so—a small batch.

And finally, I had to throw in a new recipe to try, and sticking to my simple theme for the year, I landed on what looked to be a yummy pan of pecan brownies. The recipe made a nice, eight-by-eight-inch batch of brownies that were perfect for our small celebration, and it’s a great one to keep in the recipe box for future gatherings.

This comes from Taste of Home. You can find the original at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pecan-brownies/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.

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Pecan Brownies

Pecan brownies are flavored with butter, unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, along with lots of pecans to create a great dessert for a small gathering or cookie exchange.
Course Dessert
Keyword baker’s chocolate, brownies, butter, cookie exchange, easy dessert, pecans, small dessert, unsweetened chocolate, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan by lightly greasing it with butter, shortening or cooking spray. Set it aside.
  • In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Once they are completely melted, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sugar.
  • Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
  • Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, and add the eggs, vanilla and flour to the pot, stirring to combine everything well.
  • Finally, fold in the pecans (save a few to sprinkle on the top of the batter).
  • Spread the mixture into your prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with a few pecan pieces.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let the brownies cool before slicing them and storing them in an air-tight container.

I liked these, because they were chocolatey and nutty and not sickeningly sweet. I also sliced them into small squares, which made them perfect for the Christmas snack table.

In addition to sharing these with our family, they were a nice addition to some Christmas gifts we dropped off with friends on Christmas Eve, and I was very happy with how they turned out.

Even better, they’re already gone and not hanging around on my kitchen counter, tempting me to have just one more.

I can’t quite say the same for the peanut clusters, but hey, at least I tried.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 28, 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.

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