spice

Caramel-Bacon Spice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Caramel-Bacon Spice Cake! For the sweet and savory child inside all of us, this recipe takes the cake. It is a combination of salty, sugary, and spicy…in every bite. Your mouth will think you’re at the circus being stimulated by all the contrasting flavors! Amazingly, they come together with moist results. Hop on board and take a ride with this incredible treat. 

CARAMEL-BACON SPICE CAKE

Ingredients for Cake:

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/3 cup butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl beat eggs, milk, and vanilla until blended. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly alternate the egg mixture and the dry mixture until well blended. Pour batter into a greased 9″x13″ pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. 

Bacon-Caramel Frosting:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

2 ounces bacon bits 

In a medium saucepan, mix brown sugar, milk, and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and beat until creamy. It should be thick enough to spread on the cake. Top with crisp, crumbled bacon. 

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. 

Donut Muffins

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Donut Muffins! I was tickled to pieces when my friend, Judy, gifted me with a spice jar of Vietnamese Cinnamon. I had never used it before, but being a fan of cinnamon, I thought I could do no wrong. I was right on the money. The intense flavor, baked into a luscious donut muffin and then rolled in a buttery cinnamon sugar coating, practically made my eyes roll back in sublime pleasure. Now that I have experienced the taste of imagination and exhilaration, how can I ever go back to ordinary cinnamon?

DONUT MUFFINS 

Ingredients for the Muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

Ingredients for the Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon 

5 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-count muffin tin with nonstick oil. Set aside. For the donut muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, Vietnamese cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add milk, pure vanilla extract, and melted butter. Mix well to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. For the topping, in a shallow bowl, combine the sugar and Vietnamese cinnamon. In another bowl, warm the butter for 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir when melted. Carefully dip one donut muffin into the warm butter; roll the donut muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

Autumn Spice Banana Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Autumn Spice Banana Bread! Whenever people want to give me a gift of a scented candle, I always choose bakery aromas over floral ones. Buttery Caramel Corn, Pumpkin Pecan Waffles, Vanilla Frosted Cupcake, to name a few. I confess, I could have a love affair with cinnamon, maple, ginger, or cardamom. My knees grow weak just thinking about it. Perhaps that is one reason Autumn spices make me crazy while throwing caution to the wind and willpower out the door. I scrape the bowl leaving just enough batter to taste in a teaspoon. It’s how you know the results will be amazing; at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

AUTUMN SPICE BANANA BREAD

Ingredients:

3 bananas, peeled and mashed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup coconut, flaked

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a bowl, combine mashed bananas, mayonnaise, and egg. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt. Stir in the banana mixture, just until moistened. Fold in flaked coconut and shredded carrots. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Rest for 10 minutes. Remove banana bread from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Ingredients for Frosting:

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 tablespoons light cream

Roasted pumpkin seeds and crushed pecans, for garnish

Instructions for Frosting:

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and unsalted butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and sea salt. Whisk in 2-3 tablespoons light cream. Frosting will be thick, but spreadable. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled banana bread. Sprinkle generously with roasted pumpkin seeds and crushed pecans.

Vegetarian Egg Bake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Vegetarian Egg Bake! As a child I remember not a day went by when my mother did not serve potatoes. Granted they were always part of the dinner menu, but nonetheless they were served. Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, boiled potatoes, or roasted potatoes. If there were leftover mashed potatoes, the next day they were transformed into crispy pan-fried potato pancakes. Leftover boiled potatoes became old-fashioned riced potatoes. Baked potatoes magically became twice-baked potatoes topped with crunchy bacon and melted cheese. You see, without the microwave as a kitchen staple, women had to be more creative as well as resourceful.

VEGETARIAN EGG BAKE

Ingredients:

1 pound red potatoes

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

3 tablespoons light cream

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3-4 large eggs

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Chives, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a deep dish pie plate with nonstick oil. Set aside. Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise. Then cut in half lengthwise again. Cut onions into chunks. Place potatoes and onions in prepared pie plate. In a small bowl, mix light cream, garlic powder, smoked paprika, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Pour over potatoes. Gently toss to coat everything evenly. Bake for 10 minutes; stir and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven. Using a spoon, create a well in the center. Crack eggs in the middle; sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Return to oven. Continue baking until eggs have set, 7-12 minutes depending on desired firmness of yolk. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve warm.

OMG Pumpkin Spice Squares

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: OMG Pumpkin Spice Squares! It hardly seems fair to have to wait all year before enjoying a pumpkin spice dessert. But here we are…..ready to break the rules. I feel a rainy day qualifies as a justification for making exceptions. Decadent cinnamon, buttery pumpkin, crumbly topping. So I ask you, are you the exception or are you the rule?

OMG PUMPKIN SPICE SQUARES

Ingredients for Cake:

15-ounce box yellow cake mix, divided

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 15-ounce cans real pumpkin

4 beaten eggs

2/3 cup light cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

Ingredients for Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup reserve cake mix

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of a 9”x13” pan with butter. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, reserve one cup of cake mix for the topping. Set aside. In another bowl, combine remaining cake mix and softened butter. Mix until blended. Press the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Smooth into an even layer. In a food processor or stand mixer, combine real pumpkin, beaten eggs, light cream, sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt, and pumpkin spice. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture over the dough. To make the topping, add sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter to the reserve cake mix. Stir until crumbly. Sprinkle over the pumpkin layer. Top with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when tested near the center. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Quarantined Mac ‘n Cheese

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Quarantined Mac ‘n Cheese! We all know the effects of social distancing and being quarantined at home. It can reek havoc on mental health and increase anxiety, that’s for sure. Rising costs of groceries can contribute to feelings of fear, worry, and frustration as well. That’s when comfort foods come to the rescue. I actually made this dish when my kitchen was being renovated during the pandemic and all I had was a counter microwave for cooking meals. This one-bowl meal eased the pain of feeling like things were out of control. Perhaps it may help you, too.

QUARANTINED MAC ‘N CHEESE

Ingredients For One:

1/2 cup dried macaroni pasta

1/2 cup water

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Everything But Bagel Seasoning, for garnish

Instructions:

In a deep microwave-safe dish, combine macaroni pasta, water, and sea salt. Stir to combine. Microwave uncovered on high power for 2 minutes. Stir. Repeat for 4-8 minutes longer, stirring every 2 minutes until pasta is cooked. Using oven mitts, remove dish from microwave. Stir in milk, butter, and cheddar cheese. Microwave on high power in 30-second intervals until cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. This will take about 90 seconds total. Garnish with a sprinkling of Everything But Bagel Seasoning. Serve immediately.

Mashed Potato Fritters

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Mashed Potato Fritters! Time to stretch the budget a little bit. Whether you have leftover mashed potatoes from another meal or purchase your favorite prepared brand at the grocery store, this recipe offers a flavorful experience that is unforgettable. Is it the gooey combination of cheeses? The crisp potato cake with the fluffy center? Or perhaps it’s the zing of spice that piques the taste buds. For me it’s all about nostalgia. My mother made them for supper when I was a child.

MASHED POTATO FRITTERS

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 tablespoon yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, whisked

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Green onion snips, for garnish

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes, yellow onion, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, beaten egg, flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, and cracked black pepper. Mixture should be stiff. By heaping spoonful, form a small disc with your hands, about 1/2”-inch thick. Set aside. Repeat with remaining mixture. In an iron skillet, warm vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels. Place potato cakes in the skillet without touching sides. Cook 2-3 minutes until deep brown. Flip and cook 2-3 minutes longer. Transfer potato cakes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb excess oil. Place on a platter and garnish with green onion snips. Serve with dipping sauce.

SRIRACHA MAYO

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Red pepper flakes and green onion snips m, for garnish

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sriracha hot sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, and kosher salt. Stir until smooth. Garnish with red pepper flakes and green onion snips.

White Chocolate Spice Cranberry Bars

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Sweet Celebrations: 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.