Tag: heavy cream

Categories
Main Dish

Chop, chop! It’s time for a fabulous pork dinner

Pork chops in creamy wine sauce looks, tastes and sounds fancy, but it’s actually very simple to make and is a decently quick dinner, too. It’s really good along side mashed potatoes.
Pork chops in creamy wine sauce looks, tastes and sounds fancy, but it’s actually very simple to make and is a decently quick dinner, too. It’s really good along side mashed potatoes.

I was listening to a podcast this week about a scammer who managed to get millions of dollars out of his marks by pretending to be a Saudi Arabian prince.

In one case, he was found out because he ordered a dish with pancetta in it at a restaurant, and since his dining companion knew a devout Muslim would never eat pork, he started becoming suspicious.

I get it. There are certain dishes I think I would mindlessly order, too, even if I were trying to trick someone with a secret identity—especially if it had to do with chocolate. The temptation is real.

I was thinking about that story while I made this week’s recipe, and I can tell you this should be on your “must try” list, as long as you are able to eat pork products, because it was amazing and super easy to make.

This comes from the blog, “What’s In The Pan?” You can find the original post at https://whatsinthepan.com/pork-chops-in-creamy-white-wine-sauce/. I added a bunch of seasonings and extra garlic to my version.

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Pork Chops in Creamy Wine Sauce

Pork chops in creamy wine sauce looks, tastes and sounds fancy, but it’s actually very simple to make and is a decently quick dinner, too. It’s really good along side mashed potatoes.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, basil, boneless pork chops, chicken broth, chicken stock, garlic powder, heavy cream, lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder, oregano, parsley, pork chops, thyme, white wine

Ingredients

Pork Chop Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 boneless pork chops
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Sauce Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • leftover flour mixture from pork chops
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine I used pinot grigio
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1/2 heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • On a plate or in a bowl large enough to fit a pork chop, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper.
  • Dredge each pork chop in the flour mixture, making sure to get a solid coating on both sides and the edges. (Don’t toss the flour. You’re going to use it for the sauce.)
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the pork chops. Cook them on each side for about three or four minutes until they’re nicely browned and the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and cover them to keep them warm while you make the sauce.
  • For the sauce, melt butter over medium heat and add the garlic. Saute until it’s lightly browned and fragrant and stir in about one tablespoon of the flour mixture from the pork chops, or enough to soak up all the butter. Saute for one to two minutes to cook the flour, and then slowly whisk in the wine, 1/2 cup chicken stock and heavy cream, along with the lemon juice and seasonings. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens to your liking. If it gets too thick, loosen it up with a little more stock.
  • When the sauce is how you want it, reduce the heat to low and add the pork chops and any accumulated juices back to the pan, dousing them with the sauce. Once the pork chops are heated back through, serve immediately.

We enjoyed our pork chops along with mashed potatoes, and the wine sauce was amazing poured over the whole dish. I also added fresh basil to my sauce, because I happened to have some on hand, so if you want to kick yours up a notch, I highly recommend that, too.

The sauce was creamy and really flavorful, and I will absolutely make this again—hopefully soon. It’s one of those dinners that feels like it was a lot more effort than it really was. In all, I probably had dinner on the table in 30 to 40 minutes.

If you’re in the mood for something that looks fancy without being a pain to cook, make sure you keep this recipe on hand. Just remember not to make it in the case of certain scams you may be pulling; you don’t want to end up the subject of a podcast.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 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
Main Dish Soup

Take a ‘leek’ at the recipe for some savory potato soup

Leek and potato soup has a velvety mouthfeel from potatoes and heavy cream, along with a deep, delicious onion flavor from freshly sauteed leeks.
Leek and potato soup has a velvety mouthfeel from potatoes and heavy cream, along with a deep, delicious onion flavor from freshly sauteed leeks.

Back when I started this column 10 years ago, I thought people would be coming out of the woodwork to offer up recipes for me to try. I signed off each week with a request for submissions.

In that first year, I think I received about five or six.

I learned quickly that people don’t like to share their favorite recipes—at least not with the general, newspaper-reading public.

I get it. Recipes can certainly be something sacred for a lot of us. They’re often more than food—they’re memories. I try to remember that when someone sends me a family favorite, something that they regularly make in their own kitchen. That person isn’t just sending me a list of ingredients and instructions; they’re sharing a piece of themselves, and that’s something special.

If you haven’t guessed, I don’t have a link from a blog to tell you where to find the original of the recipe I tried this week. Instead, this recipe was shared with me by our dear family friend, Jim Kanady. I added garlic to my version, and I used my blender a bit, too.

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Potato Leek Soup

Leek and potato soup has a velvety mouthfeel from potatoes and heavy cream, along with a deep, delicious onion flavor from freshly sautéed leeks.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword butter, cayenne, fresh garlic, garlic, heavy cream, leek, potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter
  • 2 leeks sliced
  • salt pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 4 cups Yukon gold potatoes diced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • oyster crackers for serving

Instructions

  • Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot with a lid over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the leeks, salt, pepper and cayenne, and saute until the leeks are soft (10 to 15 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for about two minutes until it is lightly browned and fragrant.
  • Stir in the cornstarch until it is completely soaked up in the butter, and then pour in the chicken broth, stirring well.
  • Add the potatoes and turn the burner to high. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the cream. Place the lid on the pot and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Stir it occasionally while it simmers.
  • Taste the soup to see if it is seasoned to your liking. If you want it a bit thicker, use an immersion blender or regular blender to partially blend the soup, making sure to leave some potato chunks.
  • Serve with oyster crackers and some crusty bread on the side.

This was absolutely delicious. It’s a simple recipe, but the leeks give it a deep, onion-y flavor that isn’t harsh at all, and the addition of the potatoes and cream make it thick and hearty.

It heated up really well as leftovers, too, and when we didn’t quite have enough for another two servings after a couple meals of enjoying it, we ate the last bit alongside grilled cheese sandwiches, which was also a winning combination.

And every time I grabbed a delicious bowl, I thought of Jim and his friendship with our family. The only thing that could have been better would have been eating the meal together.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 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

Say ‘oky gnocchi’ to trying this creamy pasta dish

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.
Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.

International cuisine website “Saveur” features an article called “Pasta’s Predecessor: The History of Gnocchi,” that I found really interesting when trying to figure out how the little potato dumplings came to be.

As with all traditional foods, there is controversy about where in Italy the dish originated, as well as when it was first developed, but according to the article, there are references to gnocchi all the way back to the Renaissance, which is pretty neat.

Historical gnocchi was made with a variety of ingredients, and if you start searching, you’ll find modern chefs love to play with it, too.

I really like cooking with gnocchi, because it is incredibly easy to prepare and adds some great, soft texture to a pasta dish.

That’s why I had to give this week’s recipe a try when I spotted it online. It looked like the perfect cool-weather dinner meal to sample.

This comes from the blog “Salt & Lavender.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltandlavender.com/ground-beef-gnocchi/. I added extra seasonings in my version.

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Ground Beef Gnocchi

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword basil, diced tomatoes, easy dinner, garlic, gnocchi, ground beef, heavy cream, minced garlic, one-pan dinner, one-pot dinner, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, potato gnocchi, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 14- ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth or water
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 pound potato gnocchi uncooked
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large skillet with a lid, saute the ground beef and the onions over medium heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks.
  • Once the ground beef is fully cooked and the onions are soft, drain of any excess grease from the pan.
  • Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, and saute for just a couple of minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Pour in the can of diced tomatoes, broth/water and heavy cream, and stir until combined. When the mixture begins bubbling slightly, stir in the gnocchi.
  • Place the lid on the pan, turning the heat to low-medium, and let it simmer for five minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir again, letting the sauce reduce a bit for a few minutes.
  • Once the sauce is as thick as you like it and the gnocchi is soft, stir in the parmesan and serve immediately.

This was creamy and delicious. It was basically impossible to avoid getting seconds. All of the Italian seasonings melded with the richness of the gnocchi and the light saltiness of the parmesan to create a fabulous meal.

I’m guessing the use of store-bought tomatoes and dried herbs wasn’t quite what the originators of gnocchi had in mind when they first created the dumplings, but I’d also wager they would be pretty happy with the outcome if they gave it a taste.

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

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

Categories
Dessert

The best ‘tart’ of a fundraiser is the dessert

This French lemon cream tart is the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a crispy, shortbread-like crust to top off the experience. It takes a bit of effort to make, but the time commitment is worth it.
This French lemon cream tart is the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a crispy, shortbread-like crust to top off the experience. It takes a bit of effort to make, but the time commitment is worth it.

I have been thinking about this week’s recipe for nearly a month.

I was asked back then if I would be willing to make a dessert for Peace Connections’ annual soup supper and dessert auction.

The event is a fundraiser for the Harvey County Circle of Hope, which does amazing work in helping families, and I was honored to be asked to help.

But then the problem of what to make started to race through my mind. I finally landed on something that looks a little fancy, would be delicious but also would be just enough of a pain in the keester to make that it would be way easier to let someone else do the hard work and bid on it instead.

So I landed on this week’s recipe, which comes from the blog “Confessions of a Baking Queen” by Elizabeth Waterson. You can find the original post at https://confessionsofabakingqueen.com/french-lemon-cream-tart/. I added extra zest in my version.

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French Lemon Cream Tart

This French lemon cream tart is the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a crispy, shortbread-like crust to top off the experience.It takes a bit of effort to make, but the time commitment is worth it.
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword butter, fancy dessert, fresh berries, fresh lemon, heavy cream, lemon cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, shortbread, tart, vanilla

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter cold

Filling Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 to 6 medium-sized lemons
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup plus 5 tablespoons butter room temperature

For Decoration

  • fresh berries I used blackberries and raspberries
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  • To prepare the crust, add the cream, yolk and vanilla to a small bowl. Whisk them together and set it aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt a few times to combine them. Cut the cold butter into chunks and pulse it in with the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Turn the processor on low and stream in the egg mixture. As soon as the dough starts to come together in the food processor, turn it off and dump the contents onto a clean countertop. Gently press the dough together, trying not to handle it too much so you don’t melt the butter.
  • Form the dough into a six-inch disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Once the dough is chilled, roll it out into a large circle on a well-floured surface until it is about one-eighth-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch tart pan and press the dough into all the nooks and crannies of the pan. Fold about one inch of the overhanging dough over to create thicker sides and press those in, too. Trim off any excess dough.
  • Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and place the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
  • To bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and place it, spray side down, in the cold crust, lining it with the foil. Fill the area with dry beans or pie weights. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and weights and bake for another five to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  • Let the crust cool completely before filling it.
  • For the filling, combine the sugar and zest from about five lemons (you’ll want to get at least four tablespoons worth of zest) in a bowl. Stir until they are well combined.
  • Juice the lemons into a measuring cup until you have 3/4 cup of juice, and add it to the sugar mixture, along with the eggs. Whisk the mixture until it’s well combined, and add it to a medium-sized saucepan.
  • Turn the heat to low-medium and monitor the temperature with a candy thermometer, whisking constantly, until it reaches 180 degrees. (If the temperature stalls out, carefully turn the burner temperature up a bit at a time. Be careful not to heat it too quickly, or your eggs will clump up.)
  • Once the mixture is up to temp, remove it from the heat and pour it into a sieve over a bowl. This will remove all the zest and any lumps formed in the cooking process.
  • Let the mixture cool for at least 10 minutes.
  • Pour the filling into a food processor and turn it on low speed. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, letting the mixture process for at least one minute between each addition. Once all the butter is added, process for another three to five minutes.
  • Pour the filling into a clean bowl and gently press a piece of plastic wrap on the top of the cream so it doesn’t form a skin. Place it in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
  • To assemble the tart, stir the cream (it should be thick), and add it to the crust, smoothing it out evenly with a spoon or offset spatula.
  • Place a piece of plastic wrap pressed on top of the cream and refrigerate for at least 30 more minutes.
  • Before serving, top with fresh berries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar, if so desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

The tart I made this week was a test run for next week’s showstopper, and Joey and I enjoyed getting to taste test it. It’s in the perfect middle ground between sweet and tart, and the fresh fruit takes the flavors up to a whole new level.

Baking this tart ended up taking a few hours in the kitchen, but not only was the taste worth it, but I hope the one I bring to Peace Connections will help them raise some funds for a worthy cause, too. If you want to try this without having to make it yourself, plan on attending the event at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1000 N Main Street, Newton, on Thursday, Feb. 16. The soup supper starts at 5:30 p.m., and the dessert auction will begin at 6:15 p.m.

I hope the event turns out as well as my tart did. If so, it’s going to be great.

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

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

Categories
Main Dish

Creamy chicken and tortellini is ‘pasta’tively perfect for dinner this winter

Creamy chicken and tortellini is actually a pretty easy dish to make but it has lots of wow factor with an out-of-this-world sauce, perfectly cooked chicken and cheesy pasta.
Creamy chicken and tortellini is actually a pretty easy dish to make but it has lots of wow factor with an out-of-this-world sauce, perfectly cooked chicken and cheesy pasta.

I have officially reached the hibernation stage of winter.

Once I’m home from work, I am constantly clad in my fleece pants, thick socks and carrying a fuzzy blanket for our schnauzer and me to curl up under on the couch.

On top of that, I’m mostly attracted to meals that are warm and carb heavy.

This week, I finally gave into my temptation for a cheesy, high-calorie meal, and it was absolutely fabulous. It was the perfect thing to fill us up on a cold night, and it was easy, too.

This comes from an online video by Luke Brown. You can find him on reels on Facebook. I added extra seasoning to my version of his recipe below.

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Creamy Chicken and Tortellini

Creamy chicken and tortellini is actually a pretty easy dish to make but it has lots of wow factor with an out-of-this-world sauce, perfectly cooked chicken and cheesy pasta.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, chicken, chicken breasts, chicken broth, easy dinner, garlic, garlic powder, heavy cream, oregano, paprika, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, tortellini

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes mostly drained and chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 19 ounces frozen tortellini

Instructions

  • In a large plastic bag, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss in the chicken, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken is well coated in the flour mixture.
  • Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium heat and add in the olive oil and butter. Add the chicken and saute until it is golden brown and the internal temperature of the largest piece is 165 degrees.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for now.
  • Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and saute for about one minute. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan a bit as you stir to get all the good bits off the bottom.
  • Add in the parmesan, red pepper flakes, oregano and thyme, and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is well combined.
  • Add in the frozen tortellini (Don’t bother stirring at this point. The frozen pasta will just make your parmesan clump back up.), and place the lid on the pan. Turn the heat down to low, and let the pasta cook for about five minutes.
  • Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce, and then add in the chicken. Give the whole dish a good stir to coat everything in the sauce, and serve immediately.

This was amazing. It was cheesy, creamy and definitely filling. It could have benefited from a big piece of garlic bread to go along with it, too.

The only problem with it was that it immediately made me want to go take a nap—I’m pretty sure it counted as carbo-loading.

As much as I wish I could eat these big heavy meals all winter, I know I’ll need to stick to healthier options most of the time. But that doesn’t mean this fantastic pasta dish won’t make another appearance at some point while I still have my cold-weather blanket in tow.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 26, 2023.

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

Categories
Dessert

Get ready for the ‘mousse’t complicated pumpkin dessert

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

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

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

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

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Pumpkin Chocolate Mousse Cake

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

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

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

Pumpkin Cinnamon Mousse Ingredients

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

Pumpkin Butterscotch Mousse Ingredients

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

Salted Caramel Mousse Ingredients

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

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

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

Instructions

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

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

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

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

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

Categories
Dessert

Stone fruit and brown sugar are truly made for ‘peach’ other

Brown sugar peach cake levels up a boxed cake mix with lots of fresh peaches and a yummy, from-scratch brown sugar frosting. This one is a real crowd pleaser.
Brown sugar peach cake levels up a boxed cake mix with lots of fresh peaches and a yummy, from-scratch brown sugar frosting. This one is a real crowd pleaser.

Last summer, we ended up with a large box of peaches, and when they started to get soft before we could finish them, I sliced them up, tossed them in a bag, and stored them away in the freezer.

Well, rather than using them up sometime last fall…or winter…or spring…they’ve just been hanging out in my freezer drawer.

I mostly forgot about them, except for Joey asking me once or twice a month, “So, what are you going to do with those peaches?”

After he asked me that again in May, I purchased some ingredients to make a fresh peach cake. And then those sat in the pantry, too.

I mentioned this week that I needed to decide what to make for my column, and he instantly said, “You know, you have those peaches.”

So, if there’s any mystery still left at all, I did go ahead and use up my freezer peaches this week, and the cake I made was a huge hit at the office.

The recipe I used comes from the blog “The View from Great Island.” You can find the original post at https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/brown-sugar-peach-cake-recipe/. I doubled the peaches and vanilla in my version.

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Brown Sugar Peach Cake

Brown sugar peach cake levels up a boxed cake mix with lots of fresh peaches and a yummy, from-scratch brown sugar frosting. This one is a real crowd pleaser.
Course Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, butter, cake, cake mix, fresh peaches, heavy cream, peach juice, peach nectar, powdered sugar, vanilla

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 15 ounce yellow cake mix
  • Number of eggs on the cake mix box
  • Amount of oil on the cake mix box
  • 1/2 cup peach nectar or peach juice
  • 2 pounds peeled peaches cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Frosting Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

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 cake mix, eggs, oil and nectar until smooth. Fold in the peaches, and spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine took about 45 minutes.)
  • Let the cake cool completely.
  • For the frosting, cut the butter into chunks and add it, the heavy cream and brown sugar to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and powdered sugar until it’s well combined and there are no lumps. (If it starts to harden up on you before you’re ready, slide it back over on your still-hot burner to loosen it up a bit.)
  • Pour the frosting evenly over the top of the cake, spreading it out where necessary, and place the cake in the refrigerator until the frosting sets up (about 30 minutes).
  • Cut and serve, and store any leftovers in an airtight container.

If you’re not sure where to find peach nectar, the brand I found was Jumex, and it was located in the cold drinks area of my local grocery store rather than in the juice aisle.

This cake was amazing. I used up every last peach from the freezer, and the cake was just bursting with them, which made it delicious. Also, the frosting makes for a great compliment to the peach flavor, even if it is on the sweeter side. The cake is moist enough on its own that you could get away with skipping the frosting altogether, if that’s not your thing.

And Joey is happy that our freezer is now absent one, big bag of peaches after nearly a year. He was right, it did free up a lot of space. Unfortunately, I’m now worried he’s going to notice my collection of baking chips that were hidden underneath it.

This piece first appeared in print on June 16, 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

‘Choc’ this recipe up to a new pan purchase

A bittersweet chocolate pumpkin tart is a great holiday recipe, along with having deep, rich flavor that makes small pieces the default serving size.
A bittersweet chocolate pumpkin tart is a great holiday recipe, along with having deep, rich flavor that makes small pieces the default serving size.

After years of saying I was going to do it, I finally took the plunge last week: I bought a tart pan.

If you remember, I made miniature tarts earlier this year, aided by a cookie cutter and a cupcake tin, and that really pushed me towards making my ultimate purchase.

I’ve been staring at the tart pans in our local kitchen store for months, trying to decide if I really needed one as much as I thought I did.

In the end, I bought two different sizes. Go big or go home, I guess.

So, with my new purchase, it will be no surprise that I made a tart for this week, and not only was it the perfect flavor combination for Thanksgiving, but it was delicious, too.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Love & Olive Oil” by Lindsay Landis. You can find the original post at https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2015/11/bittersweet-chocolate-pumpkin-tart.html. I just changed the spices a little bit for my version.

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Bittersweet Chocolate Pumpkin Tart

A bittersweet chocolate pumpkin tart is a great holiday recipe, along with having deep, rich flavor that makes small pieces the default serving size.
Course Dessert
Keyword bittersweet chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, fall, ginger, nutmeg, pecans, pumpkin, tart, Thanksgiving, vanilla wafers

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 8 ounces vanilla wafer cookies
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter melted

Filling Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup milk I used skim
  • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup pureed pumpkin
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 heaping teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 heaping teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon or vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • For the crust, add the cookies and pecans into a food processor and process until the mixture is in small crumbs. Add the sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter, and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed.
  • Pour the crust mixture into a nine-inch tart pan and press with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to evenly coat the bottom and up the sides. Make sure the crust mixture is firmly pressed together.
  • Put the pan onto a baking sheet and bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until it’s set. Remove the pan the oven and set it aside to cool.
  • Turn the oven down to 250 degrees.
  • Heat a saucepan over low heat, and add the milk and cream. Stir regularly to keep it from scorching on the bottom, and once the milk just starts to bubble a little around the edges of the pan, remove it from the heat and stir in the chocolate, continuing to stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, and stir until it’s well combined.
  • Add about one-fourth cup of the chocolate mixture into the pumpkin mixture to temper the eggs. Add the rest of the chocolate mixture, stirring well. Finish it out by adding the bourbon or vanilla extract and stirring again.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake on the baking sheet for 30 to 35 minutes or until the tart is just barely jiggly in the middle. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool completely before serving.
  • Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

This was intensely rich and not overly sweet. I used a 62 percent cacao chocolate for my version, and I really liked the darker chocolate flavor. The pumpkin is definitely there but not the dominant flavor. I would recommend cutting this in smaller slices. You don’t need a lot of it to feel satisfied.

If you don’t have a tart pan, you could easily substitute in a springform pan or just use a pie pan, too.

I must say, though, I really liked my pretty scalloped edges on my tart. It made me feel like a real baker, despite this being a fairly easy recipe overall.

I’m not sure what kitchen store product will be the next I’ll be pining after, but for now, my friends, family and coworkers better be excited for some new tart experiments.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 11, 2021.

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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