These balls can be made with rum or bourbon and feature cocoa, vanilla and chopped nuts, along with a hint of alcohol.
These balls can be made with rum or bourbon and feature cocoa, vanilla and chopped nuts, along with a hint of alcohol.
It must have been sometime when I was in middle school that a family acquaintance gifted us with a basket of homemade goodies during the holidays.
Most of the items were run-of-the-mill, well-done treats, but there was one none of us could identify initially. Upon further inspection, we discovered a sweet that none of us liked: the rum ball.
In our fabulous, pre-teen humor, my sister and I deemed these as “baby poop balls.” Of course, as an adult, I realize we (A) probably shouldn’t have been eating mildly alcoholic candies and (B) there has to be a better way to make this classic treat that doesn’t induce gagging.
So, with a gathering coming up, I decided it was time to find a recipe and redeem the “baby poop balls” once and for all.
The recipe I settled on comes from the website “Food.com.” You can find the original post at https://www.food.com/recipe/christmas-rum-balls-or-bourbon-balls-13214. I added vanilla to my version.
Process the wafers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Pulse in the chopped nuts.
In a small bowl, stir the rum or bourbon with the corn syrup until the corn syrup is totally incorporated.
Add the alcohol mixture, along with the vanilla, to the processor and process until the mixture looks like wet sand.
Finally, sift the cocoa and one cup of the powdered sugar into the processor and process until the mixture is well combined.
(All of these steps can, alternatively, be done in a mixing bowl.)
Once the mixture is done, place the rest of the powdered sugar into a small bowl.
Roll the mixture into about one-inch balls, and then roll them in the sugar. Store the finished rum balls in an airtight container.
I liked these. I’m sure part of that is that I don’t mind the taste of a little spiced rum, and the texture in this particular recipe was very nice.
Rolling them into one-inch balls instead of the approximately three-inch behemoths I tried long, long ago also allowed the added vanilla, along with the powdered sugar on the outside, to help mellow the rum flavor a bit, which I appreciated. I’m interested to see what the bourbon version would taste like, too.
And, since these do contain some booze, I will caution that they should probably be for adult-only enjoyment, despite the fact that I think you’d have to eat quite a few of these before the rum had any effect on you.
With this recipe in the books, I feel like I have redeemed rum balls in my culinary memory, which also feels nice. Now I’ll just have to make another batch to convince the rest of the family that we can lay the “baby poop balls” to rest.
This piece first appeared in print Jan. 16, 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.
This sweet potato souffle has all the hallmarks of traditional holiday sweet potatoes—the delicious flavors of brown sugar and pecans—but without the heaviness and drippiness of syrup and marshmallows.
This sweet potato souffle has all the hallmarks of traditional holiday sweet potatoes—the delicious flavors of brown sugar and pecans—but without the heaviness and drippiness of syrup and marshmallows.
When I was a teacher, I often said that I wished I could have a day or so to audit my colleagues’ classes, just to get a feel for their style and methods.
I had a bucket list of people I would have loved to sit in on to learn some tricks of the trade.
One of those people is Mindy Barter, the contributor of this week’s recipe and a former colleague of mine at Haven High School.
It’s no surprise to me that she chose a recipe for sweet potatoes that has just the right amount of sugar and is a little different from the way everyone else makes them. I think that’s kind of her style in life, too.
Mindy, who is from Newton, said, “This is from my mother in law. This has been a favorite of my family’s for a long, long time.”
After making this and sharing it with some friends, I can tell you I totally understand why.
This sweet potato souffle has all the hallmarks of traditional holiday sweet potatoes—the delicious flavors of brown sugar and pecans—but without the heaviness and drippiness of syrup and marshmallows.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray.
For the topping, combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Chill in the fridge until ready to use. This helps the crumble maintain its form and not melt into the sweet potatoes.
For the soufflé, combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer for about three to four minutes to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture. Add a splash of milk, if needed, and mix.
Pour mixture into the baking dish (I use around a two-quart dish). Bake for 25 minutes. At this point, the dish can be covered and refrigerated for a couple of days, if making ahead of time.
(If you refrigerated ahead of time, make sure to reheat the potatoes again before adding the topping—around 10 to 20 minutes.)
Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the topping mixture and return to oven for 10 to 20 minutes or until crumble is browned. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.
The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy. Makes 10 servings.
We really, really liked this. Beating the sweet potato mixture made it nice and light, which was a great contrast to the caramelized, crunchy topping. This one will have to go into my recipe box for future gatherings.
And, after trying out this recipe, I’m not only disappointed I didn’t get to sit in on any of Mindy’s classes, but now I’m pretty sure I need to try to observe her in the kitchen, too. Maybe one day.
This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 19, 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.
These decadent bars feature tons of flavor from brown sugar, maraschino cherries, pecans and coconut, resulting in a fabulous addition to the dessert table.
These decadent bars feature tons of flavor from brown sugar, maraschino cherries, pecans and coconut, resulting in a fabulous addition to the dessert table.
One of the benefits of being married for as long as Joey and I have is that there are times when I can perfectly judge what his reaction to a recipe will be before I even make it.
When I spotted this week’s recipe—featuring cherries, coconut and pecans—online, I knew I had a hit on my hands, and I couldn’t wait to try it out.
But then, after the bars were cooled and I took my first bite, I realized I majorly underestimated this particular dessert.
It was better than I ever could have imagined, and Joey was going to love them. He was also going to lobby for me to get the entire pan out of our home as quickly as possible so he wouldn’t be tempted to finish them off.
I was correct on both counts.
So, the recipe you must try—especially if you like cherries, coconut and pecans—comes from the blog “Red Cottage Chronicles.” You can find the original at https://www.redcottagechronicles.com/baking/cherry-chews/. I replaced the almond extract with vanilla in my version, and I added toasted coconut.
These decadent bars feature tons of flavor from brown sugar, maraschino cherries, pecans and coconut, resulting in a fabulous addition to the dessert table.
Course Dessert
Keyword bar cookies, brown sugar, coconut, cookie exchange, maraschino cherries, pecans, powdered sugar, quick oats, vanilla
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
1cupflour
1cupoatsI used quick oats
1cupbrown sugar
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/2cupbutter
Filling Ingredients
2eggs
1cupbrown sugar
1teaspoonvanilla
2tablespoonsflour
1teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonsalt
1cupshredded coconut
1cupdrained maraschino cherriesquartered (save the juice)
1/2cuppecanschopped
Topping Ingredients
1 1/2tablespoonsbuttersoftened
1cuppowdered sugar
4 to 5tablespoonsreserved cherry juice
1/4teaspoonvanilla
1/2cupshredded coconut
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, prepare the crust by combining the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter until it is mixed well and the mixture is coarse crumbs.
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
For the filling, beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat in the brown sugar and vanilla until it is smooth.
Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the coconut and cherries, and then spread the batter evenly over top of the crust. Sprinkle the pecans over the top of the batter, and then bake for 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
Let the bars cool completely before adding the topping.
For the frosting layer, add the butter, powdered sugar, cherry juice and vanilla to a bowl and whisk thoroughly. You want the mixture to easily coat the back of a spoon, but create the texture you like best. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more cherry juice.
Spread the frosting over the top of the bars. (This will be a thin layer. If you want it thicker, double the ingredients.)
Finally, add the shredded coconut to a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Stir regularly until most of the coconut is lightly browned. Remove it from heat and sprinkle on top of the chews. Cut and serve, and store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Like I said, these were amazing. They’re definitely sweet, but since they feature the pecans and brown sugar, it’s not a sickeningly sweet dish. It’s actually decently balanced. I was also really glad I used vanilla instead of almond extract in these. I think the almond would have been good, but I also think it would have overshadowed some of the other flavors.
Also, I highly recommend the toasted coconut on top. That was fabulous.
And, as I predicted, these ended up on our office counter the day after I baked them, tempting our co-workers instead of just us, which is just as well.
I can deal with all of them grumping at me about their diets. I have to live with Joey.
This piece first appeared in print Oct. 31, 2024.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas.If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
Making this chocolate caramel pecan souffle takes some time and energy, but the deep bitter chocolate flavor, along with the sweetness of homemade caramel and the nuttiness of pecans makes all the effort worth it.
Making this chocolate caramel pecan souffle takes some time and energy, but the deep bitter chocolate flavor, along with the sweetness of homemade caramel and the nuttiness of pecans makes all the effort worth it.
If you have been reading my column for very long, you might remember a fancy lemon tart I made last year about this time.
It was a French recipe and included making everything from scratch. I decided to try it as a donation to one of our local non-profits, Peace Connections, for their annual soup supper and dessert auction.
When the group contacted me this year to see if I wanted to come up with another dessert for the auction, I turned to my “complicated” list to see what I should make.
With most of the recipes I choose, I try to pick things that are fairly easy for anyone to make and don’t take hours in the kitchen to create, but my feeling on dessert auctions is that I want to make a recipe that most people have no desire to try to do themselves but would gladly pay for the opportunity to try.
So I decided this was my week to try something I have never made before: a souffle.
I was intimidated by the project, but I figured that the auction isn’t until next week, and this was just my test run, so if I failed miserably, I had time to come up with a new idea.
But it turned out really, really well, and in case you can’t make it to the auction, I’m sharing the recipe so you can try it, too.
This comes from the blog “Bake or Break” by Jennifer McHenry. You can find the original post at https://bakeorbreak.com/2012/09/chocolate-caramel-pecan-souffle-cake/. I actually followed this recipe to the letter, because making a souffle for the first time scared me.
Making this chocolate caramel pecan souffle takes some time and energy, but the deep bitter chocolate flavor, along with the sweetness of homemade caramel and the nuttiness of pecans makes all the effort worth it.
1cupsuperfine sugardivided, plus extra for coating pan
16ouncesbittersweet or semisweet chocolatechopped (I used bittersweet)
8eggsseparated, room temperature
1/4teaspoonsalt
2tablespoonsbourbon
1teaspoonvanilla
1/2teaspooncream of tartar
Caramel Ingredients
1cupsugar
3tablespoonswater
pinchcream of tartar
1cuppecan halves
3/4cupheavy cream
1/4teaspoonsalt
2tablespoonsbourbon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brush the melted butter generously over the entire inside of a 10-inch springform pan.
Pour about a tablespoon of superfine sugar into the coated pan and rotate it until the entire inside is coated with a thin layer of sugar (add a little more to the pan, as needed). Tap out any excess sugar and set the pan aside.
Add the cup of butter and chocolate to a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, and microwave for 90 seconds at half power. Stir the mixture, and if it’s not yet melted, microwave at half power again, 30 seconds at a time and stirring after each time, until the mixture is smooth and everything is melted together. Set the chocolate aside.
In another mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and salt on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. While continuing to beat the mixture, slowly add 1/2 cup of the superfine sugar, and continue to beat until the mixture turns a pale yellow color. This will take several minutes.
Beat in the bourbon and vanilla, and then hand stir the egg mixture into the melted chocolate.
In another mixing bowl, add the egg whites and the cream of tartar (it’s recommended to use a stainless steel bowl for this). Start with your mixer on low and beat until the egg whites are a bit foamy, then turn the speed up to high and beat until peaks begin to form. Add in the other 1/2 cup of superfine sugar, a little at a time, continuing to beat the mixture on high, and once it forms stiff peaks, you’re ready for the next step.
Stir about one-third of the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture until all of the white disappears, and then gently fold the rest of the eggs into it, just mixing until all of the white is incorporated but being careful to keep the mixture as airy as you can.
Pour the batter to the springform pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake puffs up, the top is firm, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Let the souffle cool for at least 15 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. (Don’t worry if it falls a bit while it cools; that’s supposed to happen, and we’ll cover it all up with caramel soon.)
While the cake cools, make the caramel. In a heavy saucepan, add the sugar, water and cream of tartar and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Turn the heat up to high and let the mixture boil for several minutes, continuing to stir intermittently, until it turns a deep amber. Remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches that color so that it doesn’t burn.
Off the heat, stir in the pecans, cream and salt. (Mine fizzed up a bit when I did this. Just keep stirring.)
Put the pan back on low heat and stir continuously for about five minutes or until the caramel thickens. Stir in the bourbon, and continue to stir for a couple more minutes until the sauce thickens again. You’re looking for a gooey consistency like an ice cream topping.
Pour the caramel mixture evenly over the cake, and let the cake cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.
This was definitely a several-hour project, but not only did my souffle turn out beautifully, it was absolutely delicious, too. It was extremely decadent with the bitter chocolate and the sweet caramel. It was amazing with a cup of coffee, and I bet it would be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, too. This is one of those desserts where a small piece is the perfect amount because of how rich it is.
And if you don’t want to try to make this one yourself, I’ll be making another that could be yours.
The Peace Connections soup supper begins at 5:30 p.m. and is by donation. The dessert auction will go from 6:15 to 7 p.m. Everything will take place Thursday, Feb. 29, at Newton Nazarene Church, 1000 N Main St., Newton, and the proceeds will benefit Harvey County Circle of Hope, which helps community members reach financial stability. You can learn more at peaceconnections.org.
Plus, I can cross a souffle off my list, along with a French cream tart. Now I just have to figure out what I’ll make next year.
This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 22, 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.
Pecan brownies are flavored with butter, unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, along with lots of pecans to create a great dessert for a small gathering or cookie exchange.
Pecan brownies are flavored with butter, unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, along with lots of pecans to create a great dessert for a small gathering or cookie exchange.
We had a bit of a scaled-down celebration for Christmas this year, with several of our family members traveling outside of Kansas, so I very carefully considered what treats I would be making.
Normally, I overdo it with several types of candies and baked goods to share, but knowing that our group would be a bit smaller, I promised myself I would stick to only three things.
Well, I had to, of course, make my yearly batch of peppernuts. It just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without them.
Then I decided that I would go easy on myself and make just a few peanut clusters. You know, a couple dozen or so—a small batch.
And finally, I had to throw in a new recipe to try, and sticking to my simple theme for the year, I landed on what looked to be a yummy pan of pecan brownies. The recipe made a nice, eight-by-eight-inch batch of brownies that were perfect for our small celebration, and it’s a great one to keep in the recipe box for future gatherings.
This comes from Taste of Home. You can find the original at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pecan-brownies/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.
Pecan brownies are flavored with butter, unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, along with lots of pecans to create a great dessert for a small gathering or cookie exchange.
Prepare an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan by lightly greasing it with butter, shortening or cooking spray. Set it aside.
In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Once they are completely melted, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sugar.
Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, and add the eggs, vanilla and flour to the pot, stirring to combine everything well.
Finally, fold in the pecans (save a few to sprinkle on the top of the batter).
Spread the mixture into your prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with a few pecan pieces.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool before slicing them and storing them in an air-tight container.
I liked these, because they were chocolatey and nutty and not sickeningly sweet. I also sliced them into small squares, which made them perfect for the Christmas snack table.
In addition to sharing these with our family, they were a nice addition to some Christmas gifts we dropped off with friends on Christmas Eve, and I was very happy with how they turned out.
Even better, they’re already gone and not hanging around on my kitchen counter, tempting me to have just one more.
I can’t quite say the same for the peanut clusters, but hey, at least I tried.
This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 28, 2023.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas.If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
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.
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.
1chocolate cake mix and ingredients listed on the box
8ouncescream cheese
2cupspowdered sugar
1/2cupbuttermelted
1/2cupchocolate chipsI 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.
Bread pudding for two features chocolate and pecans surrounded by warm bread and a hint of vanilla.
Bread pudding for two features chocolate and pecans surrounded by warm bread and a hint of vanilla.
When I first moved out on my own, I discovered that I had no idea how to cook for only one person. I was great at making portions for four, but cooking for one was a challenge.
So I generally still made my four-person meals and brought lots of leftovers to work for lunch throughout the week. It actually worked out great.
The problem, I found, was when I wanted to satisfy my sweet tooth. Making a nine-by-13-inch cake for one is a bit more over the top than a nine-by-13-inch casserole, I discovered.
Even today, since I mostly cook only for Joey and I, I find myself giving away tons of the desserts I make so that they don’t stay around the house, tempting us to keep nibbling on them. But every once in awhile, I also just seek out recipes that will make just enough for that one serving each and then be gone.
Needing a chocolate fix, I decided to try one of those recipes this week.
I found this one on the aptly named blog “Dessert for Two.” You can find the original post at https://www.dessertfortwo.com/bread-pudding-mugs/. I doubled the vanilla in my version and added pecans.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two coffee mugs or other oven-safe vessels by spraying them with cooking spray, and set them aside.
In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla and whip with a fork until everything is well combined. Mix in the bread, making sure it is all evenly coated. Stir in the chocolate and pecans, and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully serve while still warm—using a potholder or towel, since the handle and vessel will be hot.
This turned into almost a pantry clean up recipe for me. I just had a few pieces of wheat bread in the fridge that I used in this (including the heels), I had a partial bag of chocolate chips in the freezer, and I still had a few pecans leftover from holiday pies that I hadn’t managed to use up.
This might be a great recipe to keep on hand for after Easter if you have some chocolate eggs or bunnies floating around that you want to try to get rid of, too.
It turned out really yummy, and each serving was about the size of a large piece of cake. You could easily make both servings for yourself, too, and have one now and one for later.
As I learned way back when I made a gigantic cake that only I would end up eating, sometimes you have to get a little creative with dessert leftovers, but I always told myself: if you can eat a donut for breakfast, then why not a slice of cake instead?
This piece first appeared in print on April 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.
Pecan tassies are a bit quicker to accomplish than a full pecan pie, and they're a great crowd pleaser for a dessert table.
Pecan tassies are a bit quicker to accomplish than a full pecan pie, and they’re a great crowd pleaser for a dessert table.
I have said before that I actually really enjoy making pie.
I think now that I feel confident with pie crust, the idea of creating a shell and a filling that (at least in theory) comes out in whole, beautiful slices is one of my favorite things.
Joey has been a wonderful and willing participant in my pie experiments over the years, with pecan being his absolute favorite, so when I announced I was making pecan tassies, he was on board to be my taste tester.
If you’re not familiar, a “tassie” is a mini pie. An old article by Betty Rosbottom in the Los Angeles Times points out that the word really just means “cup,” but in the U.S., at least, we tend to use the term for the dessert.
The recipe I used comes from the blog “Baking a Moment.” You can find the original at https://bakingamoment.com/brown-sugar-pecan-tassies/. I doubled the vanilla in my version. Also, feel free to skip the whiskey in these. You can’t taste it in the final version outside of it amplifying other flavors, but if you’re not feeling it, it won’t hurt anything to leave it out.
Pecan tassies are a bit quicker to accomplish than a full pecan pie, and they're a great crowd pleaser for a dessert table.
Course Dessert
Keyword brown sugar, cream cheese, mini pie, pecans, tassies, vanilla, whiskey
Ingredients
Pastry Ingredients
4ouncescream cheesesoftened
1/4cupbuttersoftened
1cupflour
1/4cupsalt
Filling Ingredients
1egg
1cupbrown sugar
1tablespoonbuttermelted
2teaspoonswhiskey
2teaspoonsvanilla
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/2cupchopped pecansplus more for tops
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the pastry, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, and then beat in the flour and salt. If you’re using a mini-cupcake pan, divide the pastry into 24 equal balls; if using a regular cupcake pan, divide it into 12.
Press the pastry into the bottoms and up the sides of each well.
For the filling, beat the egg, brown sugar, melted butter, whiskey, vanilla and salt until it’s smooth. Fold in the pecans and evenly distribute the filling into the prepared pan.
Top each well with some more pecans, and bake 25 minutes for the mini-cupcake pan or 30 minutes for the regular cupcake pan.
Let the tassies cool, and then remove them from the pan. Store them in an airtight container.
These were awesome. I opted for the mini-cupcake pan version, and it produced cute little pies that were easy to just pop into your mouth. Especially if you wanted to create a dessert buffet table or had a gathering where people will be snacking, this is the recipe for you.
If you’re not with me on enjoying pie baking, this is a good one to try in order to dip your toe in the pool or to just avoid trying to roll out pie dough altogether. Plus, if you need him, I know a guy who makes an excellent taste tester.
This piece first appeared in print on April 15, 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.
Snowball cookies, with their coating of powdered sugar, live up to their name (at least in looks) and are filled with lots of yummy pecans.
Snowball cookies, with their coating of powdered sugar, live up to their name (at least in looks) and are filled with lots of yummy pecans.
It’s probably not surprising that I have cornered the market on bringing desserts to family get togethers.
I absolutely love to bake, and my family has been gracious enough to endure my recipe experiments on a regular basis.
For Christmas this year, we’re keeping our group small with immediate family, so I sent a text to my folks and sister, asking if they had requests for the pile of goodies I’m planning on bringing for dessert.
My sister texted back that my brother-in-law wanted baklava—but then clarified that he was only requesting it because he knew finding phyllo dough in this area is pretty much impossible. (He’s truly become my annoying, lovable little brother over the years.)
I asked for a mulligan, and he supplied a real answer: snowball cookies. Now there’s a recipe I can get behind.
Snowball cookies are known by quite a few different names, from butterballs to Mexican wedding cookies, but the gist is that they’re pecan-filled, sugary goodness. The recipe I used comes from the blog “The Country Cook.” You can find the original post at https://www.thecountrycook.net/southern-pecan-butterballs/. I substituted margarine for shortening in this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, beat the margarine, powdered sugar and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
Beat in the flour, baking soda and salt until well combined, and then mix in the chopped pecans.
Roll the dough into about one-inch balls and space them one inch apart on your baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are set up and just beginning to brown on the edges.
Add some powdered sugar to a bowl. Let the cookies cool for five minutes and then thoroughly coat them in the powdered sugar. Set them aside, and coat them again once they are cool.
Store the cookies in an airtight container.
I rolled my dough into a bit bigger balls than I should have, so my snowball cookies are fairly large. I don’t think anyone will complain, though.
If you like shortbread and pecans, these will be right up your alley. Just be ready to have a light dusting of powdered sugar covering your countertop by the time you’re done.
They’re also the perfect winter-time cookie, since they truly look like little balls of snow.
Just don’t get yourself in trouble and throw one at your brother-in-law—even if he is trying to egg you on.
This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 24, 2020.
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.
Salted caramel honeycrisp apple pie is a great twist on a classic, with the crunch of pecans and the sweetness of caramel and apples.
Salted caramel honeycrisp apple pie is a great twist on a classic, with the crunch of pecans and the sweetness of caramel and apples.
One of the cooking habits I have developed over the years is to push recipes just a bit.
I love to double spices, add extra ingredients and play with proportions. Normally, that works out really well for me. I love the extra flavor an additional teaspoon of vanilla can provide, and there’s nothing like the taste of a bit of extra cinnamon.
Of course, sometimes that doesn’t work out for me. This week, I pushed the envelope a little too far. For the salted caramel apple pie I tried, I purchased a jar of salted caramel dessert topping, and while the recipe only called for one-half cup of it, I looked at the rest of that jar and thought, “Yeah, but what if I just empty the whole thing on there?”
It was a fantastic idea, until the caramel decided to create a steady, sticky stream inside my pie carrier. I mean, it was still delicious, don’t get me wrong, but cleaning up caramel wasn’t the most fun I’ve had lately.
So, the recipe I tried comes from the blog “Inspired by Charm.” You can find the original at https://inspiredbycharm.com/salted-caramel-honeycrisp-apple-pie/. I did double the cinnamon and nutmeg in my version below, but if you want to push past the listed amount of salted caramel, I’ll leave that up to you.
Salted caramel honeycrisp apple pie is a great twist on a classic, with the crunch of pecans and the sweetness of caramel and apples.
Course Dessert
Keyword apple pie, honeycrisp apples, pecans, salted caramel
Ingredients
Pie Ingredients
single pie crust
about 5 to 6 large Honeycrisp applespeeled, cored and sliced
1tablespoonlemon juice
1/2cupsugar
1/4cupflour
1teaspooncinnamon
1/8teaspoonnutmeg
1/4teaspoonsalt
Topping Ingredients
12tablespoonsbuttercold
1/2cupflour
1cupbrown sugar
1/2cupquick oats
1/2teaspoonsalt
3/4cuppecanschopped
1/2cupor more salted caramel dessert topping
Instructions
Roll out the pie dough and place into a deep pie plate. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 375, and place a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil on the bottom rack for catching overflow from the pie.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
For the topping, combine the butter and flour using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the brown sugar, oats and salt.
Pour the prepared apples into the dough and then crumble the topping evenly over the top of the apples.
Bake for 60 minutes, and then add 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans and bake an additional five minutes.
Let the pie cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Pour the caramel sauce over top of the pie and then top with the remaining pecans.
This pie seems like it would be overly sweet, but it was actually really well balanced, thanks to the pecans and not a lot of added sugar on the apples.
We really enjoyed it, even though I had to nest my pie into a second pie pan to try to contain the mess. Joey just rolled his eyes and enjoyed his piece of apple pie. At this point, he knows better than to try to stop me.
This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 10, 2020.
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.