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.

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

The holidays are the ‘zest’ time for refreshing lemon pie

Sour cream lemon pie is a refreshing dessert that is really easy to make, especially with a pre-made graham cracker crust.

I’m constantly amazed by the things I don’t know, despite having spent a lot of time trying new ingredients and recipes over the years.

One of my favorite discoveries over the past couple of years came from a random post I saw online about store-bought graham cracker crusts.

I’m sure I am the last person to discover this, but I never knew that you could use the plastic cover on a store-bought crust as a lid if you just flip it upside down.

Joey came in the kitchen last week, just as I was washing the plastic from my crust and looked at me like I lost it.

I’m sure he thought it was one of my strange money-saving schemes.

But when I placed it handily on top of the pie I just finished, crimped the edges of the pie tin down and slid it in the fridge, he was mildly impressed.

The pie recipe I tried comes from the blog “Bunny’s Warm Oven,” by Mary Bostow. You can find the original post at https://bunnyswarmoven.net/sour-cream-lemon-pie. I didn’t change anything other than omitting the addition of whipped cream once the pie was done.

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Sour Cream Lemon Pie

Sour cream lemon pie is a refreshing dessert that is really easy to make, especially with a pre-made raham cracker crust.
Course Dessert
Keyword easy dessert, fresh lemon, graham cracker crust, lemon juice, lemon zest, pie, sour cream

Ingredients

  • 1 nine-inch graham cracker crust pre-baked
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup sugar
  • zest of one large lemon
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the cornstarch, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks and milk. Stir well and heat over medium heat, stirring continuously.
  • After about 10 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken. Keep stirring until it begins to boil, and then remove the pan from the heat.
  • Stir in the butter until it’s fully melted and combined.
  • Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes and then stir in the sour cream.
  • Pour the lemon mixture into the prepared crust, and refrigerate it a few hours (or overnight) until it’s completely cooled through. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

This was just a bit sour and a bit sweet, and while you could definitely use a normal pre-baked pie crust for this recipe, I was especially happy with the flavor profile of the graham crackers pairing with the lemon filling.

If you’re looking for a new pie to try out or just need a quick dessert as the holidays come around, keep this one on hand. It was easy to make and was a really tasty, refreshing dessert, too.

And if you’re like me and quickly start to run out of space in your pie-shaped Tupperware containers during this time of year, at least you’ll have one dessert that comes with its own lid.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 3, 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

‘Galette’ yourself enjoy some tasty, fruit-filled pastry

Strawberry rhubarb galettes are a great summer dessert. The combination of tart rhubarb, sweet strawberries, bright lemon and warm cinnamon creates the perfect sweet to share with guests.

I had a great dinner night with my family over the weekend.

After going out for some greasy food, topped off with ice cream and helping my niece extract every last quarter from my purse so she could eventually win a tiny stuffed turtle from a claw machine, I headed back to my parents’ house, where I spied their ever overflowing garden of rhubarb.

This led, of course, to me climbing over the short fence with a paring knife, ready to extract a dozen nearly two-foot-long stalks to take home to my kitchen. It didn’t even look like I made a dent when I was done, and Mom implored me to come back for more later if I decided I needed some.

In the past, I made my grandma’s rhubarb cake with my garden haul. (It’s on my website if you haven’t tried it. It’s delicious.) This time, I figured I should try something new with at least some of my harvest and stumbled on a great recipe for galettes—basically roughly shaped pies.

This comes from the website for the Mill City Farmers Market out of Minneapolis. It was created by Shahreen Ahmed. You can find the original post at https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/recipes/mini-strawberry-rhubarb-galettes/. I added cinnamon in my version.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes

Strawberry rhubarb galettes are a great summer dessert. The combination of tart rhubarb, sweet strawberries, bright lemon and warm cinnamon creates the perfect sweet to share with guests.
Course Dessert
Keyword cinnamon, galette, lemon zest, pie, rhubarb, strawberry, tart

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup very cold butter cubed
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup very cold water

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries quartered
  • 2 cups fresh rhubarb cut into half-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • zest from one lemon
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Other ingredients

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • additional flour as needed

Instructions

  • For the dough, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse a few times to start combining the ingredients and then pour in the water and vinegar. Turn the processor on high and process until the dough pulls away from the sides into a ball. (If it stays wet and sticky, keep adding flour, a little at a time, until the dough comes together.)
  • Split the dough into four even pieces, form them into small discs, and wrap each with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator over night or for at least an hour until the dough is completely cold.
  • When you’re ready to make the galettes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper.
  • Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until the dry ingredients are well distributed through all the fruit.
  • On a well-floured surface, roll out the first dough disc into a rough circle shape to about 1/8-inch thickness. (Keep picking it up and adding more flour underneath as you roll. It will make picking up the filled galette way easier.)
  • Once it’s rolled out, spoon one-fourth of the fruit mixture into the middle of the circle. Roughly fold the sides in about about an inch all the way around.
  • Carefully transfer the galette to the baking sheet. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
  • In a small bowl, beat the egg with one tablespoon of water, and brush all of the pastry on the galettes.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  • Let cool before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

I waited until the galettes were just cool enough to extract from my baking sheet, and we ate them warm. They would have been fabulous with vanilla ice cream.

There was just enough sweetness from the rest of the ingredients in the filling to cut the tartness of the rhubarb, but its flavor still shone through. It was a great dessert.

I still have a glut of rhubarb in my fridge and a lack of quarters in my purse, but it made for the perfect weekend.

This piece first appeared in print on July 28, 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

‘Oui’ are in love with this French apple tart

A French apple tart is a very simple dessert with a lot of wow factor from its pretty appearance.

I said when I bought my tart pans that everyone was just going to have to deal with my experimentation, and here it is again. Don’t worry, though, because this recipe is also tailor made to become a pie.

Some fantastic friends of ours held a fun “Friendsgiving” get together last weekend. We were able to hang out with them along with both old and new friends and share a potluck meal.

I signed up to bring dessert, because I had my eye on a new tart recipe, and of course, as always, my friends needed to be my guinea pigs.

And this tart was definitely a show-stopper. It’s gorgeous and easy at the same time, which makes for the perfect combination.

The recipe I tried comes from https://mandyjackson.com/2018/12/07/french-apple-tart/. I used apple jelly instead of apricot jam in my version, substituted bourbon for rum and added just a sprinkle of cinnamon in my version.

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French Apple Tart

A French apple tart is a very simple dessert with a lot of wow factor from its pretty appearance.
Course Dessert
Keyword apple, apple butter, apple jelly, apple pie, bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, Granny Smith apples

Ingredients

  • 1 nine-inch pie crust
  • 1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter cubed
  • 1/4 cup apple jelly
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon or use water
  • a liberal sprinkling of cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Roll out the pie dough to about a quarter-inch thick and place into a eight- to 10-inch tart pan, pressing it along the sides so that it fills the crevices. Trim any excess crust, and place the whole pan in the freezer while slicing apples. (If you don’t have a tart pan, use a pie pan or springform pan instead.)
  • Peel the apples, cut them in half, and core them. Slice the apples thinly—about one-quarter inch—and arrange in the prepared crust in a spiral, overlapping the slices a bit as you go. Once you’re finished, use any remaining slices to fill in gaps and make it look nice.
  • Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top of the pie. (It will seem like too much, but it will cook down into the apples; don’t worry.) Dot the top of the tart with the cubed butter.
  • Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the tart is lightly browned and the apples are fork tender.
  • Let the tart cool for about 15 minutes or so.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the apple jelly and bourbon, along with a healthy sprinkling of cinnamon. Microwave it for just a few seconds—about 20—to get it just a bit warm, and whisk it well to combine the jelly and liquid.
  • Using a pastry brush, brush the mixture over the top of the tart.
  • When it’s cool enough to handle, remove the tart from the pan and serve right away or refrigerate in an airtight container.

We really enjoyed this tart. It was very simple but delicious. Plus, it looked awesome on the dessert table.

The other nice thing about making a tart is if you normally don’t like trying to flute your pie crust to make it pretty, you don’t have to with a tart pan. It takes care of the prettifying for you.

With pie season fully upon us, I’m sure this won’t be close to my last pastry until the end of the year. And I know it won’t be the final time I’ll be around the table with some great folks, having good conversation and sharing delicious foods. That’s what makes this the best time of the year.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 25, 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.

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.

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.

Categories
Dessert

Family pie recipe is ‘choc’ full of flavor

This chocolate pie is a family recipe, passed to Adam Strunk by his mom, Ruth. It features lots of dark chocolate flavor, along with a light, fluffy meringue topping.

Several years ago, Danielle Oteri wrote a column for the website “Good Food Stories,” where she explored the differences in personality between her friends and family who preferred to cook, versus those who preferred to bake.

It’s a fun read, if you get the chance (goodfoodstories.com/the-psychology-of-baking), but one quote from her friend Melissa resonated with me from a baking experience I had this past week: “Baking [also] has seemed to me to be chemistry, while cooking is like art,” she said. “Art you can taste as you go—and for me, that’s a big part of it. I like to stick my fingers, er, spoon, into whatever I am cooking and taste at every step.”

Adam Strunk, who is the managing editor of Harvey County Now, was asked to be a celebrity baker for a charity pie auction last week, but Adam is most definitely a cook.

He’s an improviser and follows his instincts in the kitchen. If you ask Adam for a recipe, he’ll give you vague lists of ingredients, not amounts. And he makes darn good food.

So he found himself a bit intimidated by pie, which is why he asked me, the baker, to come make sure the recipe he chose turned out.

That was not only because he’s super competitive and wanted to create a great pie for the auction but also because he chose a family recipe, one his grandmother and mother made only for special occasions. I was only too happy to give the fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants cook a lesson in pie dough and patience.

So, the only source I can give you for this week’s recipe is Ruth Strunk, Adam’s mom. I can’t tell you if she would have considered herself a cook or a baker, but I can tell you after this experience that she could make one mean pie.

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Ruthie’s Chocolate Pie

This chocolate pie is a family recipe, passed to Adam Strunk by his mom, Ruth. It features lots of dark chocolate flavor, along with a light, fluffy meringue topping.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, meringue, pie

Ingredients

Pie Ingredients

  • 9- inch pie shell baked
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 2/3 cups milk we used whole
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 egg yolks beaten
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate we used Ghirardelli

Meringue Ingredients

  • 3 egg whites
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Pre-bake your pie shell and place it to the side for when the filling is complete.
  • In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, milk, salt, butter and vanilla. It doesn’t have to be perfectly combined, just mostly mixed together and set aside.
  • In another bowl, beat your egg yolks and set aside.
  • Heat a double boiler and melt the chocolate in the top, being careful to stir it constantly so it doesn’t burn.
  • Once the chocolate is melted, add the sugar mixture and continue stirring with a whisk for 10 minutes in the double boiler.
  • After 10 minutes, add about one cup of the chocolate to the egg yolks, beating them together, then add the egg mixture to the double boiler, continuing to whisk constantly for another five minutes.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for about five to 10 minutes, then pour it into your prepared pie shell, smoothing it out evenly, and set it aside.
  • For the meringue, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and beat until they are very stiff. Add in the sugar, baking powder and salt and beat again. Spread the meringue over the top of the filling. Using a knife, create some peaks in the meringue to create a nice pattern when it browns.
  • Bake until the meringue is light brown. (I think ours took about 10 minutes. Just keep watching it.)
  • Refrigerate the pie until you’re ready to serve it.

According to Adam, we managed an excellent recreation of his mom’s classic, and it was delicious—perfectly chocolatey without being too sweet.

We didn’t earn the highest bid at the auction, but Adam’s pie still managed a very nice sum and got great reviews.

I don’t think Adam is quite ready to turn in his reporter’s notebook for a rolling pin, but I do think he’s less nervous about pie crust. Now, if I can just get him to pay attention to what he throws in the pan while cooking, I might have a few more great Stunk recipes to share.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 19, 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.

Categories
Cookies Dessert

Cookies are in the ‘pie’ of the beholder

Blueberry pie cookies are really just mini hand pies, but they are a delicious dessert, regardless.

I remember once reading the story of one fast food worker’s infuriating interaction with a customer.

The customer ordered “a cheeseburger, but hold the cheese.”

The worker paused and asked, “So, a hamburger?”

Instead of sheepishly admitting her mistake, the customer was incredulous.

“No. I said I want a cheeseburger with no cheese. If I wanted a hamburger, I would have asked for a hamburger.”

Despite some back and forth, the worker begrudgingly took the “customer is always right” mantra to heart and charged her for the higher-priced cheeseburger—minus the cheese.

I had a similar moment with Joey recently when I made blueberry pie cookies.

“What makes them cookies and not pie,” he asked after taking the first bite.

I was dumbfounded. It hadn’t really occurred to me until that moment that, really, I’d just made mini hand pies, but just like the woman ordering a hamburger, I’m choosing to pretend I actually made cookies.

This recipe, no matter what you want to call it, comes from the blog “The Kitchen is my Playground.” You can find the original post at https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2018/08/blueberry-pie-cookies.html. I added extra cinnamon in my version.

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Blueberry Pie Cookies

Blueberry pie cookies are really just mini hand pies, but they are a delicious dessert, regardless.
Course Dessert
Keyword blueberry, cookies, pie

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 pie crusts
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a couple baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
  • Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt, stirring gently to combine.
  • Keep the pot on medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture reaches a very low boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook for one to two minutes or until the mixture is thickened into a pie-filling consistency and remove it from the heat.
  • On a floured work surface, roll out the pie dough to about one-quarter-inch thick, and using a three-inch cookie or biscuit cutter (or the mouth of a large glass or mug), cut out as many circles as you can, placing half of them on the prepared baking sheets and reserving the rest. Keep rolling the dough out and cutting until you have used all of it.
  • Pour a few tablespoons of water in a small dish. Dip your finger in the water and run it around the edge of the dough rounds on the baking sheets to allow you to more easily seal your cookies.
  • In another small dish, beat the egg along with 1/4 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash.
  • Place about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of the blueberry filling in the middle of each dough round, and top them with another, crimping the edges all the way around with a fork for a tight seal.
  • Cut a small X into the top of each cookie with a sharp knife, and brush each with some egg wash.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
  • Let the cookies cool, and then transfer to them to a sealed container, or serve them warm with ice cream.

This pie filling was delicious. Even if you don’t make these cookies with it, it would make a fabulous sauce to go over ice cream or pancakes. 

I also think you could get away with using frozen blueberries. Just thaw them and let them drain well before using them.

And, yeah, sure, if you bake these, you’re really just making mini pies, and maybe somebody will argue with you that they shouldn’t be classified as cookies, but honestly, once they get a taste, they probably won’t care what they’re called, either.

This piece first appeared in print on Thursday, Feb. 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.

Categories
Dessert

A salted caramel pie is quite ‘apple’ing

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.

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Salted Caramel Honeycrisp Apple Pie

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 apples peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons butter cold
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup pecans chopped
  • 1/2 cup or 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.

Categories
Dessert

Time commitment not a deal-‘baker’ for no-bake pie

This no-bake chocolate peanut butter pie has quite a few steps that require refrigeration in between, so have plenty of time to prepare—and plenty of people to enjoy—this decadent dessert.

As a general rule, when I see the words “no-bake” in the title of a recipe, I assume I’m about to have a really easy time in the kitchen. 

Those are the types of recipes I save for when I need a quick dessert to bring at the last second.

Well, this week’s recipe completely defies its no-bake moniker, my friends. I’m a little embarrassed to tell you that I started this recipe on a weekend and didn’t finish it until the end of the next week.

Despite that—and I mean this seriously—you absolutely have to try this. It’s delicious and created a pie that was completely demolished during a backyard get-together.

This no-bake monstrosity comes from the blog “Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons.” You can find the original at https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/no-bake-chocolate-peanut-butter-pie. I added extra vanilla in my version, and while calories are the least of your problem with this pie, you can substitute fat-free cream cheese and whipped topping with ease for this.

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No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

This no-bake chocolate peanut butter pie has quite a few steps that require refrigeration in between, so have plenty of time to prepare—and plenty of people to enjoy—this decadent dessert.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, M&Ms, no bake, Oreos, peanut butter, pie

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

  • 15 to 20- ounce package double-stuffed Oreos
  • 1/4 cup mini M&Ms
  • 1/2 cup butter melted

Filling Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 8 ounces whipped topping
  • 1/4 cup mini M&Ms

Ganache Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips plus a handful for sprinkling
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup mini M&Ms

Frosting Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • For the crust, pulverize the entire package of Oreo’s with a blender or food processor. In a bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and M&Ms until everything is well mixed, and press the mixture into a 9- to 10-inch springform pan (or a pie pan, but the springform is so much easier!), going up the sides.
  • Place the crust in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • For the filling, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the whipped topping, and then fold in the M&Ms. Spread the filling evenly over the crust, and refrigerate for one hour.
  • For the ganache, combine the chocolate chips and cream into a glass bowl and microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between each, until the mixture is smooth. Pour the ganache over top of the filling and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips and M&Ms, and refrigerate for another hour.
  • For the final step, beat all the frosting ingredients until it’s fluffy, and then transfer to a piping bag or a plastic bag with the tip cut off to pipe the frosting around the edges of the pie. Or, if you’re exhausted at this point, just spread it on there and decorate with a couple more M&Ms and call it good.
  • Serve immediately and keep any leftovers in the refrigerator.

I highly encourage you to cut this pie into small slices, as it is sinfully rich. Joey called it comical after it was finally done. It would be absolutely a show stopper for a birthday celebration.

And even though it took me a few evenings to finally get through all the steps, it was worth it, especially since I might have “accidentally” purchased too many M&Ms and had to clean those up myself. Waste not, want not, right?

This piece first appeared in print on Sept. 17, 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.

Categories
Dessert

Baking pumpkin cake easier than pie

A pumpkin pie cake has all the flavors of a traditional pie with very little effort.

For the week before Thanksgiving, some friends of ours invited us to their house for a “Friendsgiving,” where we’ll all enjoy a big potluck meal together with a large group. This is the second year for the tradition, and we’re really looking forward to spending time with everyone while eating a great meal.

I will be taking pie this year, and it led to a discussion on the best Thanksgiving pies between Joey and myself.

Joey is a big advocate of pecan pie above all others. I tend to be one of those folks who will try a sliver of everything on the dessert table.

But one thing is certain, and that is that baking pies can get labor intensive pretty quickly. Although I’m a big fan of the process, I would guess I’m in the minority, so I decided to try a new recipe this week that might help those of you who want to bake something at home but don’t want to have to fiddle with pie crust this Thanksgiving.

This recipe came from the blog “The Country Cook.” You can find the original at https://www.thecountrycook.net/pumpkin-pie-cake/. I used just pureed pumpkin instead of pumpkin pie filling in my version and added extra spices.

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Pumpkin Pie Cake

A pumpkin pie cake has all the flavors of a traditional pie with very little effort.
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, cake mix, pie, pumpkin

Ingredients

  • 30 ounces pumpkin puree
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 box spice cake mix
  • 1 cup butter melted
  • 1 container vanilla frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by spraying the bottom with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat together the pumpkin, eggs, salt and spices until the mixture is smooth.
  • Beat in the cake mix and butter for two minutes until well combined, and then spread the mixture into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until the center doesn’t jiggle. (Don’t use the toothpick method. Since it’s a little pie-like, it won’t be a good indicator.)
  • Once the cake is cooled, spread the frosting on top and serve.

My entire house smelled just like I baked a fresh pie in my oven, which was a nice way to get in the mood for Thanksgiving, and it was an extremely easy recipe to complete. 

I’m still planning on making a pie for Friendsgiving this week, but this cake would fit in perfectly on any Thanksgiving dessert table without making anyone too disappointed.

Well, anyone but Joey, who would wonder why you bothered with making a pumpkin pie version of cake instead of figuring out how to do the same thing with pecans.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 21, 2019.

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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