Tag: cream cheese

Categories
Appetizer Dessert Snack

With the holidays in view, it’s time to dip into the season

For those in need of a quick and easy dish for the snack table this holiday season, this cranberry cream cheese dip is a fabulous addition for your guests.
For those in need of a quick and easy dish for the snack table this holiday season, this cranberry cream cheese dip is a fabulous addition for your guests.

As we head into the home stretch of 2024, we’re officially entering snacking season.

It’s that time of year when we all concede to our stretchy pants, eat with friends and family, and hope that our New Year’s resolutions will save us from having to size up when shorts season comes around again.

That being said, I want to let you know that I fully recognize that I’m complicit in the annual sweets and snacking, as I share interesting holiday dishes with you. The next month or so won’t be any different, though, so you’ll either need to shield your eyes when you see my name on the page for the next several weeks or just give in to the joy of the season.

This week’s holiday delicacy comes from Michelle Goth, who writes the blog “Blackberry Babe.” You can find the original post at https://blackberrybabe.com/2016/11/20/easy-cranberry-cream-cheese-dip/. I doubled the cranberry sauce and left out the sugar entirely in my version below.

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Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

For those in need of a quick and easy dish for the snack table this holiday season, this cranberry cream cheese dip is a fabulous addition for your guests.
Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Keyword cranberry, cranberry sauce, cream cheese, easy dessert, easy dip, easy snack, graham crackers, holiday snack, vanilla wafers, whipped cream, whipped topping, whole berry cranberry sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 8- ounce packages cream cheese softened
  • 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1/2 cup whipped cream or whipped topping I used extra creamy

Instructions

  • Add all three ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat for several minutes until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with graham crackers, cookies or fruit for dipping.

This was super, super easy to put together, and despite what I said in the beginning about my sweets advocacy, I didn’t feel the need to add sugar like the original recipe listed. I felt like it was plenty sweet enough with the extra cranberry and the whipped cream.

It wasn’t overly cranberry heavy on the flavor, even with the addition, so those who aren’t into that tartness won’t have to worry about this one.

You could also substitute fat-free cream cheese and whipped topping to really cut down on the calories, if you wanted to.

So, yeah, actually, I take back what I said about being a terrible influence. If you make a few modifications, it might not be so bad for your diet. (Of course, for next week, all bets are off.)

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 21, 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

Beautiful pastries are just within your ‘rasp’

Raspberry danishes include decadent sweetened cream cheese, along with tart fresh berries and crunchy puff pastry. They can also be made with pretty much any fresh berry, if raspberries aren’t your thing.
Raspberry danishes include decadent sweetened cream cheese, along with tart fresh berries and crunchy puff pastry. They can also be made with pretty much any fresh berry, if raspberries aren’t your thing.

Throughout our marriage, one of my side projects with Joey has been figuring out how to make foods he didn’t think he liked into something he likes.

This has been really easy for tons of vegetables and mushrooms, but I recently decided to tackle one that I thought might be impossible: raspberries.

I knew it was a difficult assignment for two reasons: 1. He’s not much of a dessert guy to start with, and 2. He’s tried raspberries several times over the course of our marriage and not really liked them.

Challenge accepted.

I decided to try three different applications for raspberries to see what he might go for, so if you’re like Joey and not much of a fan, I’ll apologize now for the bombardment of raspberries over the next few weeks.

The good news, though, is this week’s recipe can easily be made with any berries, so you still have options.

This comes from the blog “Vanilla Bean Cuisine” by Molly Pisula. You can find the original post at https://www.vanillabeancuisine.com/raspberry-danish/. I added extra ingredients, including bonus vanilla, in my version.

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Raspberry Danish

Raspberry danishes include decadent sweetened cream cheese, along with tart fresh berries and crunchy puff pastry. They can also be made with pretty much any fresh berry, if raspberries aren’t your thing.
Course Dessert
Keyword cream cheese, danish, easy dessert, fresh raspberries, powdered sugar, puff pastry, raspberry, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 1 or 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed in the refrigerator (I had about 13 ounces of pastry.)
  • Flour for rolling pastry
  • 1 egg
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar plus some for decorating
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 6 ounces fresh raspberries

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet or a couple plates that can fit in your freezer with parchment paper, and set it aside.
  • Lightly flour a cutting board or your countertop, and roll out the puff pastry to a square about 1/8-inch thick. Cut the pastry into about three-inch squares using a knife or pizza cutter.
  • Prepare an egg wash by beating the egg in a small bowl with a fork. Whisk in a tablespoon of cold water, and set it aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
  • To assemble, put a scant tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the middle of each square, and top it with three or four raspberries.
  • Fold one corner to the middle of the pastry, and then brush the opposite corner with a little egg wash and fold it on top of the other, pressing it a little to make sure it sticks.
  • Place the finished danish on the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the puff pastry is used. (There’s no need to put the danishes very far apart on the baking sheet at this point, so go ahead and squeeze them on there.)
  • Place the egg wash in the refrigerator to use later, and place the danishes in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
  • When the 30 minutes is nearly up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and place the danishes about two inches apart on the sheet. Using the egg wash from before, brush a solid coating all over each danish.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Let them cool fully, and then sprinkle them with powdered sugar just before serving.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

I really liked these, and when I took them to the office, Adam declared them one of my better triumphs as of late. Plus, they were pretty to look at while being fairly low effort.

The sweetened cream cheese is a great compliment to the slightly tart berries, and the crisp of the puff pastry sends it over the top.

The real question, though, is how did Joey feel about them? I asked. He gave them an eight out of 10. Not too bad for someone who started out disliking the fruit entirely.

And with that newfound confidence, I was ready to give a few more options a try.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 8, 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
Air Fryer Appetizer Snack

Cap off your snack table with simple, air-fried mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are a fabulous appetizer that are quick and easy to create, with the help of an air fryer. They are creamy, flavorful and a real crowd pleaser.
Stuffed mushrooms are a fabulous appetizer that are quick and easy to create, with the help of an air fryer. They are creamy, flavorful and a real crowd pleaser.

An article by UCLA Health explains that mushrooms are considered a healthy addition to one’s diet.

In addition to being lower in fat and calories, there are studies that have linked them to decreased cancer risk, better brain health and even healthier immune systems, among other benefits.

That’s pretty neat for a fungus that many people would much rather avoid.

I am definitely not in the mushroom-hater club. I love them raw, cooked, stuffed, etc. And, luckily, I’m married to someone who shares my inclination toward them. We have a package of mushrooms in our refrigerator pretty much all the time these days.

Normally, we try to incorporate them into healthy lunches and dinners, but this week, I have to admit that I took them in a decidedly less healthy—but delicious—direction by making stuffed mushrooms in my air fryer.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Easy Low Carb.” You can find the original post at https://easylowcarb.com/air-fryer-stuffed-mushrooms. I added garlic, switched out the cheese, and played with the ingredient amounts a bit in my version.

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Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are a fabulous appetizer that are quick and easy to create, with the help of an air fryer. They are creamy, flavorful and a real crowd pleaser.
Course Appetizer
Keyword baby bellas, butter, cream cheese, fresh mushrooms, garlic, Monterrey jack cheese, onion, parsley, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces baby bella or white mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion minced (I used yellow)
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • about 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and remove the stems. Set the mushroom caps aside, letting them dry completely before filling them, and mince the stems.
  • In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the minced stems and minced onion, sauteing until the onions are soft. Add in the garlic and saute for another two minutes or until it is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the mixture from the skillet with the cream cheese, parsley, 1/2 rounded cup of shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the mushroom caps. Start by just filling them to their tops. If you have extra filling, add more to the caps to create little mounds.
  • Finish the mushrooms off by pressing about a tablespoon of shredded cheese onto the top of each.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees. Place the mushroom caps so they’re not touching in the fryer basket and cook for seven to nine minutes or until the top is golden brown. You may need to cook these in batches.
  • Serve these immediately while still hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

These were decadent and really yummy. The combination of the cheeses with the sauteed onions and garlic was fabulous. They also looked great on an appetizer table to share with guests.

I’m sure UCLA Health would not endorse my mushrooms as being a healthy superfood, but I mean, there still had to be a few benefits around the edges, right? Maybe it was all still there, just tucked away under all that cheese.

This piece first appeared in print on July 25, 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
Main Dish

Cheese, spinach are the stuff dinner dreams are made of

Spinach stuffed chicken features tons of flavor from feta and cream cheese, along with garlic and loads of herbs and spices.
Spinach stuffed chicken features tons of flavor from feta and cream cheese, along with garlic and loads of herbs and spices.

On most days, Joey and I work in the same newspaper office or together from home. Every once in awhile, though, we go our separate ways.

Recently, when we had such a day, Joey shot me a text, “Hey, it’s been a really long day. Do you mind figuring out dinner for tonight?”

Challenge accepted.

We often cook together or take turns making meals, so I was happy to oblige. After a quick trip to the grocery store (and my Pinterest board), I landed on a recipe for spinach stuffed chicken breasts that I had my eye on for awhile.

This comes from the blog “Basil and Butter.” You can find the original post at https://basilandbubbly.com/spinach-stuffed-chicken-breasts/. I added extra garlic and extra seasonings to my version, along with adding filling ingredients.

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Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Spinach stuffed chicken features tons of flavor from feta and cream cheese, along with garlic and loads of herbs and spices.
Course Main Course
Keyword basil, chicken breasts, cream cheese, feta cheese, frozen spinach, minced garlic, onion powder, oregano, parsley, spinach, stuffed chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 12 ounces chopped frozen spinach
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  • Prepare the spinach according to the package directions and squeeze out as much moisture as you can from it.
  • Add it to a mixing bowl, along with the feta, cream cheese, garlic, onion powder, parsley, oregano, basil, salt and pepper, and mix well to combine. Set it aside.
  • Carefully cut a pocket into each chicken breast. To do so, place each breast flat side down on a cutting board, and press it down with a large spoon or spatula while you cut a slit lengthwise into the side, making sure not to cut all the way through to the other side. (Think pita pocket.)
  • Stuff each breast with as much of the filling as you can (if you have some left over, add it to a small, oven-safe bowl to make some fabulous cheese dip). Season each breast with salt and pepper.
  • In a large, oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Once it’s hot, add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook for five minutes on one side. Flip them over, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, checking the internal temperature of the breasts after the first 10 minutes. Once the chicken reaches 165 degrees, remove it from the oven and serve. (If you made a side of the extra filling, just bake it until it’s hot all the way through and slightly browned on top.)

This was decadent and delicious. I will suggest that if you have a smaller chicken breast in the pan that comes up to temp before the others that you remove it from the oven so it doesn’t overcook and get dry.

Also, honestly, if you want an appetizer or something vegetarian, skip the chicken altogether, throw the entirety of that filling into a glass dish to bake, and serve it with some chips or crusty bread. It was absolutely delicious, and it reheated well as leftovers, too.

I sometimes forget how lucky I am to have a partner who is an excellent cook and has no problem shouldering the kitchen load with me. Hopefully, some tasty meals like this one let him know just how thankful for him I am.

This piece first appeared in print on May 2, 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

Creating a decadent cheesecake isn’t ‘cherry’ difficult

Making chocolate cherry cheesecake is a whole lot of hurry up and wait, as the components need to come up to room temperature between steps, but the final dessert is a deliciously decadent dessert that is worth all the time it takes to create.
Making chocolate cherry cheesecake is a whole lot of hurry up and wait, as the components need to come up to room temperature between steps, but the final dessert is a deliciously decadent dessert that is worth all the time it takes to create.

“We’re in! What can I bring?” I texted my mom about Easter lunch.

“A dessert of some kind,” she wrote back. “Make something easy!!!!”

“Since when do I make complicated desserts?” I responded, punctuating it with a laughing emoji.

So, in other words, here’s a slightly complicated (but amazingly decadent) dessert I made for Easter lunch with my family.

This comes from “The First Year” blog. You can find the original post at https://thefirstyearblog.com/chocolate-cherry-cheesecake/. I added extra vanilla in my version and changed up the topping, as I’ll explain later.

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Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Making chocolate cherry cheesecake is a whole lot of hurry up and wait, as the components need to come up to room temperature between steps, but the final dessert is a deliciously decadent dessert that is worth all the time it takes to create.
Course Dessert
Keyword cherry, chocolate, chocolate ganache, chocolate graham crackers, cream cheese, fresh cherries, graham cracker crust, Italian creamer, semisweet chocolate chips, vanilla

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
  • 5 tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake Ingredients

  • 3 8- ounce packages cream cheese use the full fat
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Italian cream flavored coffee creamer use the full fat
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup cherries chopped (use fresh or thawed and drained frozen fruit)

Ganache Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips I used semi-sweet

Topping Ingredients

  • about 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
  • about 1 cup fresh cherries

Instructions

Crust Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare an eight-inch springform pan by wrapping the bottom piece in aluminum foil and then assembling the pan. Wrap the outside in three more layers of foil, making sure it goes up along the outsides of the pan. Set it aside.
  • Find a nine-by-13-inch pan or something similar that your springform will fit into so you can use it to make a water bath. (I ended up using a large bowl.) You’ll need this later.
  • Make sure the graham crackers are crushed finely, and pour them into a bowl along with the melted butter, mixing well to coat all the crackers with the butter.
  • Press the crumbs into the bottom of your prepared pan, using a glass or measuring cup to compact them firmly.
  • Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly toasted.
  • Set the pan aside and let it come up to room temperature.
  • Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Cheesecake Directions

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on high speed for two to three minutes, making sure it is smooth and creamy.
  • Beat in the sugar and vanilla until smooth. Next, beat in the creamer, and finally, beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the mixture is completely smooth in between additions.
  • Finally, beat on high for one more minute, and then fold in the cherries.
  • Once the springform pan is cooled to room temperature, pour the cheesecake mixture into it.
  • Place the springform pan into your nine-by-13 pan and fill the nine-by-13 with water until it’s about one inch below the top of the tin foil on the springform pan.
  • Carefully transfer the whole contraption to your 325-degree oven and bake for one hour or until just the middle of the cheesecake wobbles when you gently shake the pan, but the edges are firm.
  • When the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and crack the oven door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool for about an hour to an hour and one-half. Once it is at room temperature, remove it from the oven and water bath (you can toss the foil layers at this point) and put in the refrigerator for six hours or overnight to completely chill.

Ganache Directions

  • Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator, run a knife around the outside to loosen the edges from the springform, and remove the cheesecake from the pan.
  • Move it to your serving plate.
  • Add the chocolate chips to a heat safe bowl.
  • In a small pot, bring the heavy cream to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly to keep it from scalding. As soon as it boils, pour it over the chocolate chips. Stir to incorporate the chocolate and cream, and then let it sit for about five minutes to cool.
  • Using a spatula, spread the ganache over the top and sides of your cheesecake, trying to form an even layer. (It will harden as you go, so work quickly.)
  • Add chocolate chips and fresh cherries to the top for decoration. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

This got rave reviews from everyone. It was creamy and fruity and chocolatey and fabulous. I ended up creating a homemade cherry pie filling that I put on top instead of fresh cherries, since I was using up fruit from my freezer, and that was fabulous, too.

And, in my defense, it was really only complicated because of all the waiting time between steps for this recipe. Overall, it actually wasn’t too bad.

See, Mom? I can totally do simple.

This piece first appeared in print on April 4, 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

You’ll have strong ‘peelings’ for lemon blueberry bars

Lemon blueberry crumb bars are made with fresh fruit and use a cake mix as a base, making them flavorful and sweet while coming together quickly and easily.
Lemon blueberry crumb bars are made with fresh fruit and use a cake mix as a base, making them flavorful and sweet while coming together quickly and easily.

Upon being invited to a barbecue recently, I announced that it would be a good time to try out a recipe for some cheesecake-y blueberry lemon bars.

“No. No lemon,” one of our friends declared. “Lemon is gross.”

(I think he was at least halfway joking.)

The rest of the group immediately objected.

“Yes! Make lemon bars. Don’t listen to him!”

So lemon bars, it was, and while our one friend didn’t dig into the Tupperware, the entire batch disappeared quickly, and I had absolutely zero leftovers.

And that’s with a recipe that features a cake mix as a base, which made it super easy to put together.

This comes from the blog “Lemon Blossoms,” by Kathy McDaniel. You can find the original post at https://www.lemonblossoms.com/blog/lemon-blueberry-crumb-bars/. I added vanilla in my version.

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Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars

Lemon blueberry crumb bars are made with fresh fruit and use a cake mix as a base, making them flavorful and sweet while coming together quickly and easily.
Course Dessert
Keyword bake sale, cake mix, cream cheese, easy bars, fresh blueberries, fresh lemon, lemon glaze, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, vanilla, yellow cake mix

Ingredients

Bars Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 yellow cake mix
  • 2 eggs divided
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice divided
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 pints fresh blueberries

Glaze Ingredients

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the edges so it’s easier to remove the bars from the pan later. Set it aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, cake mix, one egg and two tablespoons lemon juice. Beat the ingredients together until they’re smooth
  • Dump about two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it down evenly on the bottom of the pan with your hands.
  • In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until it is well combine. Beat in one egg, lemon zest, vanilla and two tablespoons lemon juice until the mixture is smooth.
  • Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter layer in the baking dish. Evenly distribute the blueberries on the top of the cream cheese.
  • Crumbling it with your fingers, evenly sprinkle the rest of the batter over the top of the blueberries. You will have gaps, and that’s OK.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center is set.
  • While the bars bake, whisk the ingredients for the glaze together. It should be just thin enough to be pourable. If your mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more lemon juice.
  • When the bars are finished, drizzle the glaze over the hot bars, and then let the bars cool completely before placing them in the refrigerator for about one-half hour.
  • Carefully lift the bars out of the dish with the parchment paper and slice.
  • Serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

These were lightly sweet with a nice combination of fruit flavors and just a bit of tartness from the lemon juice and zest. They were a huge hit at the barbecue.

And, being the peacemaker I am, I may have made a second, lemon-free dessert to go on the table, too. You have to give the people what they want, I suppose—even if they’re wrong about lemons.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 17, 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 lost in a piece of amazing cake

Amazing cake has too many ingredients to put in its title. It features an easy base of a boxed cake mix, elevated by pecans, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and a swirled cream cheese mixture that is not to be missed.
Amazing cake has too many ingredients to put in its title. It features an easy base of a boxed cake mix, elevated by pecans, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and a swirled cream cheese mixture that is not to be missed.

The names people choose for recipes often crack me up.

There’s the embarrassing-to-talk-about “better than sex” or “sex in a pan” variety of dishes, followed by “blue-ribbon” and “award-winning” options, and of course, there are a million recipes purporting to be “Mom’s” or “Grandma’s,” although few identify which matriarch those actually belong to.

So you’ll excuse my skepticism as to how “amazing” the recipe I tried this week was when the author simply called it “amazing cake.”

Upon reading the long list of ingredients, though, not only did I start to believe that this just might be amazing, but I also realized that she couldn’t have possibly come up with a more descriptive name without having to list at least five items in the title. Amazing cake it was.

This recipe comes from a Facebook reel by @genie_cooks. I adjusted the ingredients just a tiny bit, based on what I had in my pantry. I also used an Oreo chocolate cake mix that had Oreo bits in it for the cake part, and that was phenomenal.

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Amazing Cake

Amazing cake has too many ingredients to put in its title. It features an easy base of a boxed cake mix, elevated by pecans, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and a swirled cream cheese mixture that is not to be missed.
Course Dessert
Keyword cake mix, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate chips, coconut, cream cheese, easy cake, easy dessert, pecans, powdered sugar

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pecans divided
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 chocolate cake mix and ingredients listed on the box
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips I used semi-sweet

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
  • Spread one-half cup of the pecans and all of the shredded coconut evenly along the bottom of the pan. Set it aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the directions on the box. Pour the prepared mix evenly over the top of the pecans and coconut in the prepared pan.
  • In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and melted butter until it is smooth. Fold in the remaining pecans and the chocolate chips.
  • With a large spoon, place dollops of the cream cheese mixture all over the surface of the cake batter, and then gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the batter with a knife.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool completely before cutting into it. Sore any leftovers in an airtight container.

This really did turn out, well, amazing. I brought some to the office to share, and Adam described it as a “German chocolate upside down cake,” which I thought was a fairly apt way of putting it. The incorporation of so many different flavors and textures in this cake makes it decadent and delicious, and the best part was that it was super easy to create. Put this one on your “I need to make a quick dessert” list.

While “amazing cake” doesn’t really tell you everything you need to know about this recipe, it was a decent descriptor after all, and I certainly recommend it. As for some of the other descriptive terms people tend to use in their recipe names, I think I’ll stick to the tamer adjectives. I don’t need my cooking to get a strange reputation.

This piece first appeared in print on April 20, 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
Appetizer Snack

No need to ‘Harp’ about this amazing pub cheese

Irish pub cheese is a fantastic party dip that goes especially well with salty snacks like pretzels but can also pair with vegetables and even apple slices.
Irish pub cheese is a fantastic party dip that goes especially well with salty snacks like pretzels but can also pair with vegetables and even apple slices.

At least 10 years ago, I first tried making homemade soft pretzels for this column.

They were messy, extremely tricky to knot and delicious.

Since that first foray into pretzel-making, I have made the recipe again several times, but I have always opted to make pretzel bites instead of going through the arduous process of knotting dough. It’s hard to have patience when you have freshly baked pretzels in your immediate future.

I made those pretzels again recently, but not just because I had a hankering for pretzels. Instead, I had what promised to be a delicious pub cheese recipe that I wanted to try, and what better way to enjoy a thick, tasty cheese dip than with a warm, homemade pretzel?

And let me tell you, this dip did not disappoint.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “A Spicy Perspective” by Sommer Collier. You can find her original post at https://www.aspicyperspective.com/irish-pub-cheese/. I changed the amounts of several ingredients in my version below.

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Irish Pub Cheese

Irish pub cheese is a fantastic party dip that goes especially well with salty snacks like pretzels but can also pair with vegetables and even apple slices.
Course Snack
Cuisine Irish
Keyword beer cheese, cheese dip, cream cheese, easy snack, garlic, ground mustard, Harp lager, Irish cheese, paprika, pub cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, spicy brown mustard

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces Irish or sharp cheddar shredded or block
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup Harp lager or another pale lager, like Heineken
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground or spicy brown mustard
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  • Place the cheddar into a food processor (break it into chunks first, if you’re using a block), and process until the cheese is in small crumbles.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Give it a taste and add ingredients as desired.
  • Transfer the pub cheese to a bowl for serving and serve alongside pretzels, crackers or whatever else sounds good for dipping.

There is a pronounced beer flavor to this cheese dip, but it compliments the taste of the sharp cheese really, really well, so it’s definitely worth adding to the mix. I wouldn’t say a non-drinker would immediately be turned off by the flavors here, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re serving snacks to someone who has a major aversion to the flavor of beer.

You could easily use a non-alcoholic beer in this, too, if you’d rather. Heineken should be a good substitute for Harp’s, and they have a non-alcoholic version.

As I expected, this pub cheese paired great with some salty soft pretzels. It was also fantastic with good, old-fashioned crunchy pretzels, though. Honestly, you might be able to make cardboard taste good if you dip it in this (not that I’m advocating eating cardboard…).

And, if you’re wondering, I didn’t go for knotted pretzels for my snack table this time around, either. No one seemed to mind the lack of effort, though, as we demolished this bowl of dip with pretzel bites. It was still a huge crowd pleaser on the snack table, believe it or…knot.

This piece first appeared in print on April 13, 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
Appetizer Dessert Snack

You ‘cran’ easily whip up these delicious holiday bites

Cranberry orange bites are incredibly easy to make, and not only are they a pretty appetizer or item for your holiday dessert table, but they're delicious, too.
Cranberry orange bites are incredibly easy to make, and not only are they a pretty appetizer or item for your holiday dessert table, but they’re delicious, too.

For all the complicated dishes that come along with the holidays, I tend to be especially attracted to all the fun snacks, candies and sweets that people make throughout November and December.

Our family get togethers always feature a wide array of goodies on the snack table. It would be easy to skip the actual meal altogether and fill up on all the delicious bites on the side. I love digging into a homemade cheeseball or peanut clusters, filling my plate with tons of completely uncomplimentary flavor profiles. It’s the best.

We recently hosted a get together at the office, so I decided to try a recipe for some cranberry orange bites to share on our snack table. They turned out great, and they were really pretty, too, with the color of the cranberry peeking out around buttery crescent dough.

This recipe comes from the blog “Play, Party, Plan” by Britni Vigil. You can find the original post at https://www.playpartyplan.com/mini-cranberry-orange-bites/. The only thing I changed is the amount of sugar, and I decided not to glaze these, too.

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Cranberry Orange Bites

Cranberry orange bites are incredibly easy to make, and not only are they a pretty appetizer or item for your holiday dessert table, but they're delicious, too.
Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snacks
Keyword cranberries, cream cheese, crescent roll dough, dried orange peel, orange, orange zest, powdered sugar

Ingredients

  • 1 can crescent roll dough
  • 2/3 cup cranberries fresh or thawed
  • zest of one large orange
  • 1 teaspoon dried orange peel
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a mini muffin tin by spraying each well with cooking spray.
  • In a food processor, process the cranberries until they’re fully chopped up.
  • Add in the orange zest, orange peel, cream cheese and two tablespoons powdered sugar and process until the mixture is smooth.
  • Taste it and mix in more powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until the mixture reaches your desired sweetness. (It will be just a bit tart, but it shouldn’t make your lips pucker.)
  • Roll out the sheet of crescent rolls and, with a pizza cutter, cut it into 36 to 38 squares.
  • Using your hands, flatten out each square just a bit before placing it into the prepared muffin tin.
  • Scoop about one teaspoon of the cranberry mixture into each piece of dough, and then pinch the opposite corners together to make a little bundle.
  • Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the crescent rolls are lightly browned.
  • Store the bites in an airtight container.

My filling was incredibly tart when I first tried it, which led to me adding quite a bit more sugar to get it to a place where I didn’t think people would screw up their faces when eating it.

These were a very simple treat that went over well with our guests, and it made me excited for all the holiday snack tables to come over the next couple of months.

As those big meals come, I won’t mind skipping a larger scoop of mashed potatoes or foregoing the gravy. I’d much rather spend my holiday calories in a little different way.

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 24, 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.

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