by Kathy Douglas | Nov 27, 2018 | Desserts, Holiday
These cookie bars are as delicious as they are festive! A quick and easy recipe, these make a great addition to your holiday cookie plate. Our simple, sweet base is topped with strawberry jam then a crunchy streusel topping that browns lightly in the oven. The recipe makes 16-servings but you can cut them small for 2-bite servings.
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
8-ounce container mascarpone cheese, room temperature
zest of one lemon
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup flour
1 cup strawberry jam, homemade or high quality
For the streusel topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup butter, room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly butter and flour an 8 x8” pan. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, and mix thoroughly until smooth batter forms. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add the flour mixture in three amounts to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into the pan and spread evenly. Then top with the strawberry jam, spreading evenly over the batter.
Make the streusel:
In the bowl, use your hands to combine the butter, flour, sugar, and vanilla until your crumbs have a coarse and clumpy texture – about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using your hands sprinkle the streusel evenly on top of the jam.
Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the center is set and the streusel is lightly brown. Allow cooling on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 22, 2018 | Sandwiches
Need some easy and tasty sliders for College Football Rivalry Saturday or after a long day of shopping? It’s a perfect Thanksgiving Leftover Makeover using thinly sliced turkey layered with ham, apples, and Havarti cheese. Then just baked them to melty slider goodness.
12 pack slider buns, connected
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ pound leftover turkey sliced thin or roasted turkey deli meat
2 tablespoons honey mustard
½ pound thinly sliced smoked ham
1 apple, sliced very thin
8 large slices thinly slice Havarti cheese
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Slice the entire package of buns, still connected, in half while keeping all of the buns attached to one another. Remove the top of the buns and set aside.
Place the bottom half of the buns on a parchment lined sheet tray. Spread the mayonnaise over the buns. Layer the turkey over the mayonnaise and top with honey mustard, Layer the ham over the honey mustard then top with apple slices. Add the cheese in a thin layer over the apples and place the bun tops on top of the cheese.
Brush the melted butter over the top of the buns and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove and serve immediately.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 21, 2018 | Appetizers
These sweet potato tarts can be a perfect Thanksgiving Leftover Makeover using cooked sweet potatoes. Great as an appetizer or snack, they are simple to make using frozen fillo dough cups filled with a quick and easy sweet potato mixture. Then finished with pecan topping and marshmallows, they are baked up to crunchy perfection in under 15 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
30 fillo dough cups
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
Topping
¼ cup flour
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
¼ cup mini marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Put fillo dough cups on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and egg. Fill each cup ¾ full of the sweet potato filling.
To make the topping: Combine the flour, sugar, pecans, salt, and butter, Top each with one teaspoon topping and a couple of marshmallows. Bake until marshmallows are lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 19, 2018 | Desserts
Save some extra cranberry relish for this Thanksgiving Leftover Makeover moist tender cake. Full of warm winter spices, this delicious cider cake recipe converts leftover cranberry relish to an easy, tasty dessert.
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
⅔ cup granulated sugar
⅔ packed cup dark brown sugar
½ cup grapeseed or canola oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground clove
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup boiled cider or apple cider
1 cup homemade or high-quality cranberry sauce or relish (we used Williams Sonoma New England Style Cranberry Relish)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1-2 tablespoons whole milk, more if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the cake:
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350˚F. Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper on the bottom and up two sides with some overhang. Butter and flour the pan and parchment paper, tapping out any extra flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars and oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely combined. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir one-third of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, and add one-half of the cider. Repeat with the remaining flour and cider, ending with the flour, and stir until the batter is smooth.
Whisk the cranberry relish with the maple syrup. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan, then evenly drop in teaspoons the cranberry mixture into the batter. Place the cake in the oven bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean in the center. Let the cake cool on a rack for about 15 minutes. Using the parchment overhang, remove from the pan. Remove the parchment then cool completely.
Make the glaze:
Stir together sugar and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together butter, 1 tablespoon milk, and vanilla. Add the sugar and stir until a mixture forms into smooth paste adding more milk if needed. Drizzle over the cake.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 12, 2018 | Frozen Desserts
Sure, it’s cold outside. But we’re still eating frozen dessert because nothing beats the combination of freshly-made smooth and creamy pumpkin gelato and crunchy crushed gingersnap cookies. So get out that homemade ice cream freezer and join us. You won’t be sorry.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Crushed gingersnaps
INSTRUCTIONS
Freeze the work bowl of an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set a small metal bowl into a large bowl filled with ice.
Combine the pumpkin purée, milk, cream, spices, salt, vanilla, and pumpkin flavor in a saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat, and bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove it from the heat.
Beat together the egg yolks and sugars until light and airy.
Slowly add half the warm pumpkin mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking to temper the warm mixture into the eggs. Pour the yolk/pumpkin mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. It should register between 170°F and 180°F on a digital thermometer.
Pour the mixture into the small bowl set into the large bowl filled with ice; occasionally stir to cool the mixture, then refrigerate overnight.
The next day, transfer the custard to an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When frozen, transfer to a container in thirds while layering in the maple syrup and crushed ginger snaps. Freeze for 3-4 hours before serving. Makes about 1 quart.
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