milk

Pumpkin Spice Pie

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Sweet Celebrations: Pumpkin Spice Pie! It wouldn’t be a feast without family traditions, whether it’s a circle of loved ones, heirloom tableware, aromatic side dishes, or pumpkin spice pie. No matter how stuffed we are from the bountiful spread, there’s always room for dessert. Am I right? Indeed! Besides, who can resist a touch of creamy custard sweetness surrounded by a golden, buttery crust, even if it is prepared by someone else.

PUMPKIN SPICE PIE

Ingredients:

1 prepared 9” pie crust

15-ounce can puréed pumpkin

2 eggs

15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Whipped Cream for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place prepared pie dough in an ungreased pie plate. Crimp edges as desired. Set aside. Combine puréed pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt. Beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue baking 40-50 minutes until center is firm. If necessary, cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to avoid over browning. A knife inserted will come out clean. Remove from oven. Cool. Garnish with whipped cream, as desired.

Double Lemon Poppyseed Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Here Come the Holidays: Double Lemon Poppyseed Bread! Everyone has their favorite flavors and foods that remind them of happier times. A good friend of mine recently lost her husband, after challenging years with a slow-progressing disease. When I stopped by to visit her with a gift of food, it created an unexpected see-saw of emotion. At first, she was happy and delighted because it brought back memories of early morning get-togethers for Bible study at a local coffee shop. We’d laugh, chat, share, or reflect on scripture over coffee and pastries before heading off to work. It was a wonderful way to begin the day, often shifting gears from a trying mindset to a positive outlook. The emotional see-saw tipped from high to low that day when she realized how uncertain her future has become in consequence of widowhood magnified by isolation during a pandemic. Let us strive to remember the Golden Rule: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”

DOUBLE LEMON POPPYSEED BREAD

Ingredients for Bread:

16.25-ounce box white cake mix

3.5-ounce vanilla flavored instant pudding, powdered

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup hot water

1 tablespoon lemon citrus peel

2 tablespoons poppyseeds

Ingredients for Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons light cream, slightly warmed

Lemon zest, for garnish

White nonpareil sprinkles, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two loaf pans with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine white cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, eggs, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and hot water. Beat on Low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl. Increase speed to Medium setting; beat 2 minutes longer. Fold in lemon citrus peel and poppyseeds. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. To glaze, combine powdered sugar, softened butter, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir to blend. Slowly add the warmed cream, stirring constantly for a smooth consistency. Drizzle over Lemon Poppyseed Loaves. Garnish with lemon zest and nonpareil sprinkles.

Vanilla Bee Pollen Ice Cream

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Vanilla Bee Pollen Ice Cream! What’s all the “buzz” about? The jury is still out on the benefits of bee pollen. Some claim amazing health results while others blame it for side effects. Bee pollen is actually intensified plant pollen picked up by honeybees and brought back to the hive as a source of food for the colony. So obviously, its characteristics depend solely on the geographic location of where it is collected. Just like honey, some say if you struggle with seasonal allergies, the best way to combat that is to take a teaspoon of raw honey every day from the area where you live. Bee pollen is made up of carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You can certainly see why naturalists call it a superfood. As with any herbal supplement, contact your health care provider before beginning something new. Many foodies like to add a teaspoon of bee pollen to their morning smoothie. Here it is sprinkled over no-churn ice cream.

VANILLA BEE POLLEN ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 vanilla bean pod, sliced horizontally, seeds extracted

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon bee pollen

Agave nectar, for drizzling

Lemon thyme, for garnish

Instructions:

Be sure the mixing bowl, whisk, and loaf pan are chilled before using. (I placed mine in the freezer overnight. If the ingredients are warm, the mixture won’t thicken to desired texture. I also put the can of sweetened condensed milk in the refrigerator the night before.) In the chilled bowl of the stand mixer, combine heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla bean seeds, and raw honey. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to the chilled loaf pan. Freeze 6 hours or overnight. To serve, place three rounded ice cream scoops in a dish. Sprinkle bee pollen over top. Drizzle with agave nectar ribbons. Garnish with a sprig of lemon thyme.

Kiwi Dessert Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Kiwi Dessert Pizza! What do you get when you cross a bakery crust with a sweet and creamy fruit topping? At first glance, it appears as though frosting is smeared over the mini flatbread crust. It kinda is. The secret is cream cheese with a hint of sweetened coconut. The rest is simply fresh fruit…until you detect the toasted coconut flakes. Now it’s tough to decide if this dessert is a cookie or a fruit tart. Either way, it’s a delightful change from traditional pies or standard cakes. Not too sweet, not too bland. It’s just right.

KIWI DESSERT PIZZA

Ingredients:

2 mini naan prepared flatbreads

4 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon coconut syrup

2 strawberries, tops removed and quartered

1 kiwi, peeled, sliced, and quartered

3 sliced peaches, cubed

10 blueberries, divided

Toasted coconut, for garnish

Lemon thyme, for garnish

Instructions:

Remove naan from packaging. Spritz with water before heating. Place in toaster on medium setting. Transfer to a platter. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut syrup. Stir until smooth. Spread over surface of the naan. Arrange strawberries, kiwi, peaches, and blueberries. Garnish with toasted coconut and lemon thyme.

Eagle Brand Magic Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Eagle Brand Magic Cookies! One definition of the word magic is “wonderful; exciting”. That’s what these quick and easy holiday cookies are all about. The magic ingredient is the sweetened condensed milk. It may not be something you use everyday, but special occasions call for special ingredients. Homemade cookies are chocked full of sweetness in chocolate morsels, flaked coconut, and chopped pecans. How delightful and different. That’s what I call exciting. Create your own magical moment for the next festive gathering, after school snack, or weekend party-for-two.

EAGLE BRAND MAGIC COOKIES

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

7 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes

2 tablespoons pecans, finely chopped

Sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside. Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk. Beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, flaked coconut, and chopped pecans. Cover dough and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough, roll into a ball, and place on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat. Bake 8-10 minutes; cool 2 minutes. Dust cookies with sugar and transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Cereal Milk Smoothie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Cereal Milk Smoothie! After yesterday’s post, it’s only fair to give the kids equal time on a delicious treat. Grown-ups, simply tap your heels together to be transported back to a time where you started your day at the kitchen table with a bowl of your favorite cereal. Remember how the sugary sweet morsels crunched their way to mushy softness leaving the milk at the bottom of the bowl tasting like syrup? At that point my brother would put down his spoon and lift the bowl to his mouth to slurp up the remaining goodness. Of course Mother never saw it, as she was usually standing at the counter buttering toast with her back to us. Well nowadays, the nostalgic flavor of cereal milk smoothies are a thing. Anyone with a sugar addiction is jumping for joy. And why shouldn’t they? It brings out the inner child in all of us.

CEREAL MILK SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1 cup Crispix* cereal

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 banana, sliced and frozen

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons agave nectar, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkles, for garnish

Instructions:

In a blender, combine cereal, skim milk, Greek yogurt, frozen banana slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and one tablespoon agave nectar. Pulse until smooth. On a sheet of waxed paper, crush a few cereal pieces until almost fine. Add sprinkles; mix together. With the remaining agave nectar, apply to the rim of a glass. Dip the glass into the topping to coat the rim. Fill with cereal milk smoothie. Add a paper straw. Serve immediately.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning this product.

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.

Granola Banana Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Granola Banana Bread! Ever wonder why banana bread is so popular? First of all, it conjures up pleasant childhood memories. Remember playing outside all day with the neighborhood kids and returning home as hungry as a wolf? One foot in the door told you mother had baked a wonderful surprise. The pleasant aroma of bananas wafted through the house, intermingled with cinnamon spice sweet bread. You knew it had her stamp of approval because permission was granted to have a slice even before dinner was served. Which brings me to reason number two. Banana bread is one of Life’s comfort foods. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

GRANOLA BANANA BREAD

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 ripe bananas, plus 1 banana sliced horizontally

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup cinnamon almond granola

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, overlapping on the sides. Set aside. In a food processor, cream together butter and sugar. Add 2 bananas; mix until bananas are mashed. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Pulse, alternating with milk, until mixed. Add vanilla extract. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Press both halves of the remaining banana onto the top of the batter. Lightly press the cinnamon almond granola over all. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove loaf from the pan and allow bread to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before slicing.

Bacon and Egg Mac ‘n Cheese

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: Bacon and Egg Mac ’n Cheese! Grab onto your seat because this dish is going to leave you shouting to the rooftops like a kid on a tire swing. Remember how everyone in the neighborhood would congregate around the sturdy oak, count to three, and then pile on the tire like a bunch of monkeys? The biggest guy was always left behind to spin it around like a giant top before grabbing the rope and jumping aboard. The peals of laughter echoed around the block and seemed to go on forever. It’s a wonder the branch didn’t break, or worse.

BACON AND EGG MAC ‘N CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 cup bow tie pasta

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup skim milk

1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3 slices American cheese

1/4 cup feta cheese

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

4 strips precooked bacon, crumbled

2 tablespoons red peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs, fried according to preference

2 green onions, snipped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 individual casserole pans with nonstick oil. Set aside. Cook pasta in salted water, according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a medium saucepan, warm the butter over medium-low heat. Add the drained pasta and skim milk. Stir. Add cheddar cheese, American cheese, feta cheese, and parmesan cheese. Stir occasionally until completely melted. Fold in crumbled bacon and chopped red peppers. Divide between the two casserole pans. In a small dish, combine panko seasoned bread crumbs and olive oil. Stir to moisten. Sprinkle over top. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the eggs, according to preference. Remove the casserole pans from the oven. Place one fried egg on top of each. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve immediately.