dessert

Yellow & White Cake Mix Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Yellow & White Cake Mix Cookies! I never want to live in a world where there are no cookies. I’m one of those people who insist on tasting a freshly baked cookie, still warm from the oven. My kitchen, my rules. I also like the idea of choices. By taking a simple cake mix and ramping up the extra ingredients, I was able to offer my family plain, powdered sugar, and turbinado sugar cookies. Does that mean I needed three taste-tests? I’ll never tell. 

YELLOW & WHITE CAKE MIX COOKIES

Ingredients:

15-ounce box yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Powdered sugar, for rolling

Turbinado sugar, for rolling

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the yellow cake mix, eggs, and oil together in a large bowl; stir. The batter will be thick. Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts. Use a cookie scoop to form the cookies. Place them two inches apart on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until the cookies appear slightly brown on the edges. Allow them to cool slightly before rolling in powdered sugar or turbinado sugar. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat baking steps until all the cookie dough has been used. 

Raspberry Nut Granola Bars

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Raspberry Nut Granola Bars! The jury is still out on whether this fruit crumble can be eaten for breakfast, dessert, or late-night snack. I can attest to the deliciousness of it with my morning cuppa joe. The espresso bitterness balances out the sweetness with perfection. And overnight guests definitely gave it a stamp of approval with a scoop of ice cream on top, making it almost cobbler-like in the dessert category. Giving it a quick zap in the microwave warmed it up as well. My third category, the late-night snack,  must also be true. When I arose the next morning, I noticed there was one less serving under the cake dome than when I turned in the night before. Huh. Must’ve been the family dog. After all, we know they watch TV.

RASPBERRY NUT GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients for Bars:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup butter, unsalted

1 cup raspberry preserves

3/4 cup fresh raspberries 

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

3 tablespoons brown sugar 

1/3 cup cinnamon almond granola

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x13” glass baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. Using a mixer, combine flour, sugar, and sea salt for about 10 seconds. Slowly add butter, one tablespoon at a time, on low speed until all the butter has been used. In a couple minutes the dough will pull away from the side of the bowl. Reserve a quarter of the mixture; set aside. Transfer the remaining 3/4 dough mixture to the prepared pan, pressing it create a single layer of crust. For the raspberry filling, combine the raspberry preserves, fresh raspberries, and lemon juice. Lightly mash the larger pieces of fruit, yet allowing a chunky appearance. Pour the raspberry filling over the crust, spreading the filling into an even layer. Crumble the remaining dough mixture over the filling. Cover the top with brown sugar. Finish with a layer of cinnamon almond granola. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. The topping will be golden brown. Allow the bars to cool slightly before cutting into squares. 

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Milkshake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Old-Fashioned Strawberry Milkshake! We’ve all been there. Trying to remove the leaves and stems from a luscious strawberry without wasting half the berry. If you’re impatient, or in a hurry, you may grab a paring knife and start hacking, or at the very least completely cut off the entire crown. Been there, done that. If your kitchen drawer is full of gadgets, you may already own a neat little tool known as a Strawberry Stem Remover. Its pincher-like claws dig in, twist, and pull the stem completely out. One and Done. (My husband prefers that method.) Or you could be a little more refined and use the Plastic Straw Method. It requires cradling the juicy red gems and inserting the plastic straw in the bottom of the strawberry, while pushing upward until the leaves pop off. Maybe you have a method that works for you. If so, leave it in the comments below. Don’t mind me, I’ll be here slurping on the decadent treat while I wait. 

OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE 

Ingredients:

16 ounces fresh strawberries, tops removed

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1-2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Whipped Cream & Strawberry slices, for garnish 

Instructions:

In a blender, add fresh strawberries, reserving a couple for garnish, if desired. Next add vanilla ice cream, sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Pulse to combine. Leave small chunks for appealing texture and thickness. Do not over blend. When milkshake is “pourable”, divide the contents into tall glasses. Top with whipped cream and strawberry slice, for garnish. Serve immediately with a paper straw and parfait spoon. 

Devil’s Food Cake Mix Brownies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Devil’s Food Cake Mix Brownies! Most of us began a love affair with chocolate long before we were ever old enough to date. First there was the anticipation of climbing onto the kitchen counter to grab the coveted candy bar in a chubby little fist, out of sight from mother’s watchful eye. Then came the rich aroma of seduction as it was being unwrapped layer by layer. The lure of delicious expectation became a natural mood enhancer, which required quick-thinking. Never mind that baby sister was starting to fuss and attract attention, wanting her fair share. Long before she began a full-blown wail of rebellion, the entire chocolate bar was stuffed in brother’s mouth, chewed up like a dog treat, and swallowed with greedy satisfaction. Until…….. mother leapt into the room as graceful as a gazelle and gasped! She quickly deducted from the melted goo around his mouth that he had just consumed her entire supply of chocolate-flavored laxative guaranteed to work effectively on a constipated child. What can I say? My brother ate the whole thing and I never did get a single bite. Thankfully so, Chocolate is still my friend today. 

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE MIX BROWNIES 

Ingredients:

15-ounce box Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup olive oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

2 teaspoons espresso powder

1 cup semi-sweet miniature chocolate chips, divided

Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray an 8”x8” baking pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, olive oil, lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. Stir until smooth. Fold in 3/4 cup of miniature chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips on top. Bake 25 minutes, or until  a cake tester comes out clean. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting. Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Bananas Foster Ice Cream

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Bananas Foster Ice Cream! What do you do when there are too many bananas in the house and everyone turns up their noses at the mere mention of (yet) another loaf of boring banana bread? Spin on your heel and sashay back to the kitchen as they scatter like a flock of birds. Now that it’s quiet, tune into your favorite music station, dance in bare feet, and get cooking. I like to scoop the ice cream into serving bowls and then place them back in the freezer to chill. As the stovetop cooking progresses, a very subtle buttery sweet aroma of cinnamon and bananas will fill the air. And just when you think you’re all alone, you’ll turn around to discover 3 pairs of puppy-like eyes begging for a treat. Now tell me, please, how can I say “No” to faces like that?

BANANAS FOSTER ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

4 bananas, peeled and sliced

1/4 dark rum

Vanilla Ice Cream

Sugared Pecans, for garnish

Instructions:

In a skillet over low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir constantly until butter melts and the sugar is dissolved. Gently add the sliced bananas to the pan. Slowly stir to coat the bananas in the sugary syrup. When the bananas begin to soften, add the dark rum. Continue cooking until the sauce is heated through. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into serving bowls. Spoon the banana mixture over the ice cream. Top with sugared pecans and serve immediately. 

White Chocolate Cranberry Spice Bars

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: White Chocolate Cranberry Spice Bars! Like snowdrops over a country field, the white chocolate bits add a sweet creaminess to the crumb bars offsetting the tart tangy taste of cranberry sauce. You may notice a warm sweet-heat every once in awhile. It’s the candied baby ginger infused throughout. I use all-natural crystallized ginger slices and chop them up for added zing. For the merriest of holidays, make a batch of these bite-sized guilty pleasures. Perfect for a cookie exchange. 

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY SPICE BARS

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups chunky cranberry sauce

1/4 cup crystallized ginger

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together sugar and butter. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together. Add dry ingredients together. Spread 3/4 of batter into a 9″x13″ greased dish.  Gently press down with a spoon to level. Divide cranberry sauce over top.  Sprinkle white chocolate chips over cranberry mixture.  Fill in with chopped crystallized ginger.  Crumble remaining batter on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool slightly and cut into squares or triangles. To make glaze, mix powdered sugar with milk, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over bars. 

Pumpkin Roll

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Pumpkin Roll! Announcing a festive cake that looks as though you stopped by the bakery. Anyone can feel like a professional pastry chef with this holiday specialty. In a few simple steps, the rich pumpkin flavor is enhanced by the velvety cream filling. Afterwards all you have to do is sit back and bask in the accolades. 

PUMPKIN ROLL 

Ingredients for Pumpkin Roll:

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin purée 

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

3/4 cup flour 

1/3 cup chopped pecans 

Ingredients for Velvet Filling:

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

3/4 teaspoon vanilla 

2 tablespoons butter, softened 

1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and line a 10″x15″ jelly roll pan with waxed paper. For pumpkin roll combine eggs, pumpkin purée, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour. Mix until well blended. Pour into jelly roll pan and spread evenly to edges. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake 12-15 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove from oven. Sprinkle powdered sugar on a tea towel, turn cake onto towel, and remove the waxed paper. Starting at one end, roll the cake up, and refrigerate for one hour. Meanwhile, combine Neufchâtel cheese, vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar. Mix together until smooth and velvety. After one hour, unroll cake and spread the filling all the way to the edges. Reroll cake and refrigerate two hours longer. Dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve. 

Yogurt Berry Freeze

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Yogurt Berry Freeze! Be innovative with this do-it-yourself homemade frozen yogurt dessert. It’s so unbelievably easy, you may find yourself experimenting with different depths of flavor throughout the year. Substitute your fruit of choice or go chocolaty with brownie pieces and mini morsels. Maybe you prefer a vanilla base with sprinkles. I bet you can come up with some ideas of your own. You can thank me later. 

YOGURT BERRY FREEZE

Ingredients:

3 cups Greek yogurt

1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Fresh peppermint leaves, for garnish

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt, thawed strawberries, powdered sugar, and corn syrup. Transfer mixture into a one-gallon ziplock freezer bag, squeezing out the air. Place flat in freezer. Every hour, remove the bag from the freezer and press down to break up icy bits. Repeat until mixture is frozen. Use a rolling pin, if necessary. When the contents are completely frozen, use an ice cream scoop to form balls of frozen yogurt. Serve in dessert dishes. Garnish with peppermint leaves. 

Unsweetened Cocoa Pudding

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Unsweetened Cocoa Pudding! For those who like to know exactly what’s in their food, check out this DIY recipe for homemade chocolate pudding. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. You’ll notice better flavor, a smoother creamier texture, a sweet dessert, and a bonus. You get to lick the spoon afterwards. Need I say more?

UNSWEETENED COCOA PUDDING

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

5 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream

Mini Chocolate Chips

Dash of Cinnamon 

Instructions:

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, cornstarch, and sea salt. Gradually add in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil for one minute, while stirring. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla extract. Pour pudding into four dessert cups. Lightly press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for two hours. Garnish with whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, and a sprinkling of cinnamon powder.