Tag: easy dessert

Categories
Dessert

Don’t have the right fruit? Your ingredients may ‘berry’

Berry pie bars mimic a great, fruit pie taste without having to roll out any dough. While the original recipe called for blackberries, it’s delicious to use raspberries or mulberries, too.
Berry pie bars mimic a great, fruit pie taste without having to roll out any dough. While the original recipe called for blackberries, it’s delicious to use raspberries or mulberries, too.

In one of our first shopping trips together over 20 years ago, I remember Joey grabbing a bottle of ketchup off the end cap at the grocery store.

“Whoa,” I said. “Why are you buying the expensive ketchup?”

He looked perplexed.

And that was the day I probably made my then-boyfriend reconsider his relationship choices by explaining unit pricing to him.

Nowadays, he’s an expert at it. (I’d like to think I helped him grow as a person.)

I thought about that when I went to pick up blackberries for this week’s recipe and figured out that the raspberries were much, much cheaper that week.

I decided to pivot from the original ingredients list and see what happened. And, thank goodness, they were awesome.

This comes from the blog “The Novice Chef.” You can find the original recipe at https://thenovicechefblog.com/blackberry-pie-bars/. I switched out the kind of fruit and added just a little extra vanilla in my version.

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Berry Pie Bars

Berry pie bars mimic a great, fruit pie taste without having to roll out any dough. While the original recipe called for blackberries, it’s delicious to use raspberries or mulberries, too.
Course Dessert
Keyword bars, blackberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, easy dessert, fresh lemon, fresh raspberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, mulberries, summer dessert, vanilla

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • zest from one lemon
  • 1 cup cold butter cut into pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
  • juice from one lemon
  • 4 cups fresh raspberries/blackberries/mulberries

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking pan by coating the inside with butter or cooking spray. Set it aside.
  • To make the crust and topping, add the dry ingredients to a food processor, along with the zest, and pulse to combine.
  • Add the butter, egg and vanilla, and pulse until everything it well-distributed and forms large crumbs.
  • Press half of the mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking pan.
  • For the filling, add the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice to a bowl, and stir to combine. Gently fold in the berries, being sure to coat them all in the mixture, and then carefully distribute them into the baking pan.
  • Finish by evenly crumbling the rest of the dough mixture over the top of the berries. (You won’t have full coverage. It’s OK for some of the fruit to be peeking out.)
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbly.
  • Let the bars cool completely before slicing and serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

We enjoyed these at a cook-out, and I came home with just crumbs in my pan afterwards. They were a huge hit. The raspberries were perfect in this, and I think blackberries or even mulberries would be good in there, too. They were buttery and sweet and great for a summer dessert.

And I was able to save a few dollars at my local grocery store, while making something really delicious.

For me, that was a definite win-win.

This piece first appeared in print June 11, 2026.

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

There’s no doubt you should cobble together dessert this week

Carrot cake cobbler is like taking a carrot cake and marrying it with a pecan pie, and its warm spices and gooey filling demand a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for serving.
Carrot cake cobbler is like taking a carrot cake and marrying it with a pecan pie, and its warm spices and gooey filling demand a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for serving.

If you didn’t know, we recently celebrated the first-ever “Local News Day” on April 9.

The effort to observe local journalists around the country came from a push in Montana. In Newton, we had a small, but mighty, group of community members who stood outside our office with signs, touting the importance of having a local newspaper. It was really neat.

What the newsroom also really appreciated was the group very kindly dropped a bunch of delicious goodies at the office, as well.

My favorite? Some carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

I absolutely adore carrot cake.

Ironically, that particular cake is the inspiration for the recipe I’m sharing with you this week for a really easy cobbler. It takes all the flavors of carrot cake and combines them with a pecan pie for an excellent dessert that must absolutely be enjoyed with a big scoop of ice cream.

This comes from the blog “The Salty Cooker.” You can find the original post at https://thesaltycooker.com/carrot-cake-cobbler-with-caramel-pecan-filling/. I added extra spices in my version.

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Carrot Cake Cobbler

Carrot cake cobbler is like taking a carrot cake and marrying it with a pecan pie, and its warm spices and gooey filling demand a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for serving.
Course Dessert
Keyword allspice, brown sugar, buttermilk, carrots, cinnamon, cloves, cobbler, dark corn syrup, Easter, easy dessert, ginger, nutmeg, pecans, shredded carrots, vanilla

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups dark corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups pecans chopped

Cobbler Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter cold
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk I used milk with a touch of vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots shredded

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a seven-by-10-inch baking dish, and set it aside.
  • For the filling, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and salt until it’s well-combined. Stir in the pecans, and pour the mixture into the baking dish.
  • In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt and stir to combine.
  • Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until it’s well incorporated. Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla and carrots, just until it’s combined.
  • Drop scoops of the cobbler mixture evenly over the top of the filling (there will be some gaps).
  • Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling bubbles around the edges.
  • Rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve warm or room temperature, along with some vanilla ice cream.

We had this for our family Easter celebration. It was really, really good. The warm spices, along with the texture of the filling and the cobbler topping, just took it over the top.

And it was a lot less work than creating a whole cake or a batch of carrot cake muffins, which were—by the way—a great addition to the newsroom, not only because the reporters all love snacks but also because I didn’t share a single bit of this cobbler with any of them.

This piece first appeared in print April 16, 2026.

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

Raise the bar with a dangerously easy pecan dessert

Butter pecan bars are made with a secret ingredient—a cake mix—making them super easy to put together while being a delicious addition to any dessert table.
Butter pecan bars are made with a secret ingredient—a cake mix—making them super easy to put together while being a delicious addition to any dessert table.

The National Pecan Shellers Association has a wealth of knowledge about pecans on its website.

One of the items that interested me the most is that the pecan tree is the only major nut tree native to North America.

I thought that was strange, because I know quite a few nuts who were born here, but what do I know?

Pecans have a long tradition in the region, with Native tribes cultivating wild trees as far back as the 1500s.

Even today, the association states that the United States produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecans.

When I was trying to decide what to make for a recent gathering, I found myself with a real hankering for something nutty, and that’s when I ran into a super easy dessert online.

It comes from the account @debtfreegranny on Instagram. This was simple enough that I didn’t mess with the recipe, but I did decrease the baking time by quite a bit, and that was a good move.

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Butter Pecan Bars

Butter pecan bars are made with a secret ingredient—a cake mix—making them super easy to put together while being a delicious addition to any dessert table.
Course Dessert
Keyword bar cookies, butter, butter pecan, cake mix recipe, cream cheese, easy dessert, pecans, powdered sugar

Ingredients

  • 13.25 ounce butter pecan cake mix
  • 8 tablespoons butter softened
  • 3 eggs
  • 8 tablespoons butter melted
  • 16 ounces powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup pecans chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  • Grease a nine-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, and set it aside.
  • Add the cake mix, softened butter and one egg to a mixing bowl, and beat until it’s well combined.
  • Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Add two eggs, melted butter, sugar and cream cheese to a mixing bowl (you can use the same one), and beat until it is smooth.
  • Pour the mixture evenly over the bottom layer, and sprinkle the top with all of the pecans, pressing them lightly into the batter.
  • Bake for one hour or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only wet crumbs (think cheesecake consistency).
  • Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
  • Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This was really simple, and the flavor was out of this world. It had a cake-y bottom with a cheesecake-y middle and lots of great pecan crunchiness on top.

It was perfect to throw on a dessert table to share with friends.

And, it appears, eating pecans is a great North American tradition, so I’m pretty sure these bars are an excellent way of honoring our history.

I just wonder if the Native tribes had cake mixes laying around, too.

This first appeared in print Feb. 19, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Get ready to strut your fluff with a light, easy cake

Russian apple pie cake is made with only five ingredients. It results in a light and fluffy sponge cake with a crisp base and warm, spiced apples on top.
Russian apple pie cake is made with only five ingredients. It results in a light and fluffy sponge cake with a crisp base and warm, spiced apples on top.

I believe that it’s a universal truth that everyone who loves to make family recipes has a moment where they just can’t figure out why, despite following the instructions to the letter, the end product just doesn’t taste as good as when the person who gave up the recipe in the first place made it.

In our family, that is famously my mom’s pumpkin bread.

I have struggled with my grandma’s cinnamon rolls.

And I can’t quite conquer the pecan sandies Joey’s mom makes every Christmas.

That’s why I loved the story that Jeremy Matlock of Hillsboro included with a recipe he submitted for our holiday recipe guide.

“While missionaries in Russia, we learned this recipe from a dear babushka,” Jeremy wrote. “However, we used an electric mixer, whereas the Russians mixed it by hand. So the people there were always amazed at how light and fluffy our cake was and wanted to know our secret.”

I have repeated that story to everyone who tried my rendition of his recipe this week, laughing every time. I absolutely love it. Oh, and the cake was great, too.

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Russian Apple Pie Cake

Russian apple pie cake is made with only five ingredients. It results in a light and fluffy sponge cake with a crisp base and warm, spiced apples on top.
Course Dessert
Keyword apples, cinnamon, easy dessert, light lunch, Russian, sharlotka, sponge cake, sugar

Ingredients

  • 3 apples peeled and diced
  • Cinnamon to taste
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease an eight- or nine-inch round baking pan with butter.
  • Cut up apples into small cubes, and layer the pan with the apples so they cover the bottom.
  • Dust the apples with cinnamon, to taste.
  • Separate the egg whites and yolks into two mixing bowls.
  • Beat the eggs (preferably with an electric mixer) thoroughly.
  • Add about half of the cup of sugar to each bowl (doesn’t need to be exact). Beat again until the whites are foamy and each is thoroughly mixed.
  • Combine the egg mixtures into one bowl, add the flour and fold together until everything is just combined.
  • Pour the mixture over the apples.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I debated for quite awhile about whether I should invert the cake or serve it right-side-up. I landed on inverting it, because as it bakes, the cake develops this lovely, crispy top, which is perfect as a kind of crust, with the soft apples and sponge cake on top.

I ended up using Granny Smiths in my version, because I already had some diced in my freezer, but you could use any variety.

This was a fun recipe to watch come together. I was amazed that only five ingredients could pack that much flavor. I also always appreciate someone just giving me carte blanche with cinnamon, and I love a good cinnamon-apple dessert.

And Jeremy was right, my electric mixer got tons of air into the eggs, and it resulted in a very fluffy texture. I can’t imagine having the patience to whip all of that by hand.

But it does prove that sometimes going on your own path away from your grandma’s—or babushka’s—instructions can actually lead to surprising results.

This piece first appeared in print Dec. 18, 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

Can’t tell the varieties apart? You just have to ‘apple’y yourself.

Apple strudels are easy to make with a sheet of puff pastry, some honeycrisp apples and warm spices and brown sugar to go with them. They pair nicely with a cup of tea or coffee.
Apple strudels are easy to make with a sheet of puff pastry, some honeycrisp apples and warm spices and brown sugar to go with them. They pair nicely with a cup of tea or coffee.

“Those apples were kind of pricey, weren’t they?” Joey asked me as we exited the grocery store recently.

“They’re honeycrisps,” I told him.

“So, they’re high-end apples?”

“I mean, kind of.”

It’s amazing that after 15 years of marriage, I can still discover new things about my husband. Case in point: he has no knowledge of apple varieties. At all.

I’m not saying I’m an expert, but I don’t think he could tell a Granny Smith from a red delicious.

OK, so it’s probably not that bad, but you get my point.

Regardless of his lack of apple knowledge, after I had my honeycrisps sliced up and baked with plenty of warm spices, Joey agreed that they were absolutely delicious, despite being a more expensive variety.

The recipe I tried comes from the Instagram account @tisrarewegetout. I switched up the seasoning a bit for my version.

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Apple Strudels

Apple strudels are easy to make with a sheet of puff pastry, some honeycrisp apples and warm spices and brown sugar to go with them. They pair nicely with a cup of tea or coffee.
Course Dessert
Keyword apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, easy dessert, fall dessert, ginger, honeycrisp apples, nutmeg, puff pastry, tea time

Ingredients

  • 13.2 ounce sheet puff pastry thawed
  • 2 large honeycrisp apples
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Prepare a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
  • Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into about four-inch squares. Place the squares about one inch apart on the prepared sheet(s).
  • Slice the apples into about 1/4-inch slices, and cut a hole out of the middle to remove the core. (There’s no need to peel them.)
  • Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and dip the apples in the mixture, coating them on all sides.
  • Place one coated apple slice in the middle of each puff pastry square, and fold the corners of the pastry up to the middle of the apple slice (you can cut some slits in the pastry to make it fancier, if you so desire).
  • Beat the egg in a small bowl, and brush each pastry with a liberal coating of egg. If you still have any liquid in the bowl from the sugar mixture, pour it evenly over the top of the prepared pastries.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are softened.
  • Serve warm with some ice cream or a good cup of tea or coffee.

These were amazing right out of the oven. They were still awesome a day later, but the puff pastry wasn’t nearly as crisp after it sat in a container over night.

The warmth of the spices with the sweetness of the apples and crunch of the pastry was a fabulous combination.

This was easy to make, too, and would be nice for a breakfast or brunch or if you’re hosting an afternoon tea or coffee.

And I would argue this was worth the “high-end” apples—even if Joey is still not sure I actually know the difference.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 28, 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

Make your own coffee ice cream from the ground(s) up

Dalgona coffee ice cream is based on the South Korean whipped coffee drink. It’s no churn, which makes it easy for anyone to make and enjoy.
Dalgona coffee ice cream is based on the South Korean whipped coffee drink. It’s no churn, which makes it easy for anyone to make and enjoy.

Back in college, when I decided I was going to change my major and get my teaching degree, one of my first undertakings was to learn what I deemed to be a very important teacher skill: how to drink coffee.

Growing up, the coffee maker only came out at our house if we were having company—neither of my parents really like it—so the smell of freshly brewed coffee was not part of my morning routine.

I started out with flavored coffees and lots of creamer. I would also make hot chocolate by substituting the water for hot coffee (this is delicious, if you’ve never done it).

Eventually, I tapered those additions off, and now, I enjoy black coffee all the time. It didn’t hurt that I also married into a family of coffee aficionados.

It hit me this week, though, that I missed what could have been the easiest way for me to love coffee right away: trying it in ice cream form.

This week’s recipe is a no-churn ice cream that is based on a whipped coffee that started as a street food in Busan, South Korea, called dalgona.

This comes from the blog “My Diaspora Kitchen” by Chichi Uguru. You can find the original recipe at https://www.mydiasporakitchen.com/coffee-ice-cream-dalgona-coffee-ice-cream/. My only alterations were to specify espresso powder and to use hot water to froth the coffee (you can use cold, but mine took quite awhile).

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Dalgona Coffee Ice Cream

Dalgona coffee ice cream is based on the South Korean whipped coffee drink. It’s no churn, which makes it easy for anyone to make and enjoy.
Course Dessert
Keyword coffee, dalgona, easy dessert, espresso, espresso powder, heavy cream, homemade ice cream, ice cream, instant coffee, no-churn ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee I used espresso
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

  • Combine the instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a mug, and using an electric beater or milk frother, beat until stiff peaks form in the coffee mixture.
  • In another bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt, and stir until everything is mixed well. Fold in the coffee mixture.
  • In a freezer-safe mixing bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form, and fold in the coffee mixture.
  • Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, and freeze until the ice cream is solid.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings. (I used chocolate-covered espresso beans and a light sprinkling of the instant espresso powder.)

Despite dalgona coffee becoming an online trend that lots of people tried during the boredom of the COVID-19 lockdown, I never made it before. I need to make a cup on its own to try it, but I can tell you that the ice cream was absolutely heavenly.

It would be perfect with some chocolate sauce or some hazelnuts on top, too. It was creamy and tasted like a great iced coffee.

If you’re not much of a coffee person, I can’t promise that this ice cream will change your mind, but if you’re one of the many teachers in the community gearing up for back-to-school season, it might not hurt to have an emergency batch in the freezer, just in case.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 14, 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

Turn to easy lemon cake when you’re squeezed for time

There are only three ingredients in this easy lemon cake (and one is optional). The best part is it can be served in slices to be eaten with a fork or as a finger food for your next gathering.
There are only three ingredients in this easy lemon cake (and one is optional). The best part is it can be served in slices to be eaten with a fork or as a finger food for your next gathering.

With plans to have company over recently, I was on the lookout for something easy to share for our snack table.

After perusing several websites, I landed on one of my favorite ways to make a quick sweet without working all that hard for it: a cake mix transformation.

The recipe I tried promised to produce lemon bars with only three ingredients—cake mix, pie filling and powdered sugar—and I decided I was in.

And these turned out well, although I wouldn’t really call these lemon “bars.” Because you use an angel food cake mix, these are more cake-like than bar-like, but they are still darn delicious, so regardless, you can’t argue with the results.

This comes from the blog “My Crazy Good Life” by Becca Ludlum. You can find the original post at https://mycrazygoodlife.com/3-ingredient-lemon-bars/. I didn’t add anything to this recipe, but I did leave something out when I made these. I didn’t feel like the extra powdered sugar was necessary.

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Easy Lemon Cake

There are only three ingredients in this easy lemon cake (and one is optional). The best part is it can be served in slices to be eaten with a fork or as a finger food for your next gathering.
Course Dessert
Keyword angel food, cake mix recipe, easy dessert, lemon bar, lemon pie filling, light dessert, powdered sugar, tea party

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces angel food cake mix
  • 21 ounces lemon pie filling
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch pan by spraying it with cooking spray or coating the insides and bottom with butter, and then set it aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix the dry cake mix and the pie filling until everything is well combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
  • Let the cake cool completely.
  • Once it’s cool, evenly sprinkle the powdered sugar over the top, if you want to use it (this is plenty sweet and tasty without it), and slice into pieces.
  • This can be served as a finger food or eaten with a fork. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

These had delicious lemon flavor without being overpowering. I think sometimes lemon bars tend to have a bit of a pucker factor that I’m not as big on, but these were light and tasty.

I was also really glad I left out the extra sugar. I think it would have taken away from the rest of the flavors.

I kept thinking these would be such a cute little dessert to serve at a tea party because of the lightness and the pretty pale yellow color. Putting a little strawberry sauce over the top would be absolutely delicious.

And despite the fact that these took almost no time or effort, our guests were happy to help us dig into them. Time in the kitchen can be very satisfying, but time with friends is much more rewarding.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 27, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Combo recipe is piece of cake and easy as pie

A pumpkin pie cake can be made completely with pre-packaged ingredients but tastes homemade, making it a great dessert for anyone who isn’t a big fan of baking.
A pumpkin pie cake can be made completely with pre-packaged ingredients but tastes homemade, making it a great dessert for anyone who isn’t a big fan of baking.

One of my unofficial New Year’s resolutions each year is to try to use up the random ingredients hiding in my pantry.

In this case, one of the culprits was a large can of pumpkin pie filling that I bought by mistake, thinking I found a great deal on plain canned pumpkin.

It’s been staring at me, mocking me, for months, but I’m happy to report that the can is officially off the shelf and into this week’s recipe, which was a tasty and super easy dessert to make. If you don’t consider yourself much of a baker, stow this one away for the future, because this one take absolutely zero skill to create.

This comes from the blog “The Country Cook” by Brandie Skibinski. You can find the original post at https://www.thecountrycook.net/pumpkin-pie-cake/. I added cinnamon and swapped out salted butter in my version.

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Pumpkin Pie Cake

A pumpkin pie cake can be made completely with pre-packaged ingredients but tastes homemade, making it a great dessert for anyone who isn’t a big fan of baking.
Course Dessert
Keyword cake mix recipe, cinnamon, cream cheese icing, dump cake, easy baking, easy dessert, frosting, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie filling, spice cake, spice cake mix

Ingredients

  • 30 ounces pumpkin pie filling
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 box spice cake mix
  • 1 cup butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 container frosting I used cream cheese
  • cinnamon for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Beat the pie filling and eggs until the mixture is smooth. Add in the cake mix, butter and salt, and beat until everything is well combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
  • Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is completely set.
  • Let it cool completely before icing it, and then sprinkling it lightly with cinnamon. Store in an airtight container.

As you can see, this really is a super easy recipe, mostly because it’s made with all pre-made ingredients. But the combination really elevates all of it. The pumpkin pie filling gives the cake just a little bit of a pie texture, which was really nice.

And I received the added benefit of getting that huge can of pumpkin pie filling out of my pantry, along with a long-forgotten cake mix and the container of frosting. Win-win-win.

Hopefully, as I continue to dig through my shelves over the next couple of months, I will be able to find more treasures that work out just as well. And hopefully I’ll read labels a little better in 2025 so I don’t find myself in this same mess next January.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 23, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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.

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