I Am... Tiktok Frozen Gummy Bears
TikTok food trends are back with viral frozen gummy bears. People love gummy bears. People love crunchy things. Why not crunchy gummy bears? All you really need is time and two ingredients: Sprite and gummy bears. After they’re frozen, they're a combination of hard and soft with a frozen candy texture. They’re kinda fun and quirky and I think they’re adorable because the gummy bears double in size.
What are frozen gummy bears?
Just what they sound like! Gummy bears that are frozen. They popped up on my for you page on TikTok so I’m not sure who invented them because I’ve seen literally hundreds of people making and crunching them for AMSR crunching videos. They don’t really sound crunchy thought - they’re more of an icy chew. Anyway, they looked fun and cute and gummy bears are delicious.What do frozen gummy bears taste like?
They taste just like regular gummy bears but with a different texture. Crisp and cold and smooth. Kind of hard and soft at the same time. If you’ve ever had gummy candy that has been left out in the cold, the texture is somewhat similar, but a bit softer because of the Sprite soak. They’re simultaneously chewier and softer. You would think they would be hard, but they don’t come out like ice cubes, more of a cold soft crunch, like nugget ice. Because of the sugar and gelatin content of the bears, they stay kind of soft, which is nice because it’s what gives the bears their soft and icy texture. As you chew, the frozen bears start to melt in your mouth. I like them!How to make frozen gummy bears
- Lay out your gummy bears in a shallow container that has a lid. You can do them in neat little rows or just spread them out, just as long as they’re in one layer, you’re good.
- Pour Sprite (or your choice of soda) on top over the bears, making sure they’re completely submerged. Cover the container and place it in the fridge overnight.
- The next day your bears will double in size. Strain them and arrange in a single layer on a parchment paper lined tray. Freeze for 3 hours or until firm and frozen.
- Enjoy the frozen gummy crunch!
Frozen gummy bear ingredients:
- gummy bears - everyone knows the superior gummy bears are Haribo. I dream of going to Germany to visit a Hairbo factory one day. My favorite are the twin cherries. Anyway, any bears will do, buy your favorite gummies.
- Sprite - you don’t need to use Sprite obviously, any clear soda will work, so choose your favorite. I think maybe the frozen gummy bear trend came from Japan and originally they used Mitsuya Cider, which is a kind of cream soda-y citrus-y soda.
What other gummies can I freeze?
Any really! I’ve seen frozen peach rings, cola bottles, sour patch kids. This will work on any sort of chewy, soft, gummy candy.What other sodas can I use?
Again, any soda will work for this. The soda is for carbonation and liquid soaked up into the gummy bears, so choose a soda that you like. I’m pretty sure the main choice is Sprite/7Up because they’re clear so the gummy bears stay the same color.Best gummy bear brands
Personally, I love Haribo Gold Bears, which is what we used in this post. Haribo invented gummy bears in 1922 and they’re the original and best! They’re a little firmer than most gummy bears and I think they have the tastiest flavor and chew. I also like how pretty and pastel they turn out after freezing them. Mike’s partial to Albanese Fruit Bears https://amzn.to/3C9gy4h which are pretty darn good too. They’re a bit softer than gold bears which isn’t for me, but I admit that they are very soft and chewy and they have elite flavors like Fuji Apple, Asian Pear, and Alphonso Mango. Another bear I’m interested in trying, but can’t vouch for are Black Forest gummy bears https://amzn.to/3YB9uVA. They have a different gummy bear shape which would be fun to see frozen. I’ve heard they taste really good and are a good amount of chew. That’s it! This is a fun little quick treat - if you ignore the overnight soak and freezing - and I think it’s worth it to try. The holiday season is coming up and a bowl of seasonal colored frozen gummy bears is a cute, conversation starter. Happy freezing! xoxo stephFrozen Gummy Bears
How to make the adorable viral gummy bear treat
- 1 package gummy bears (about 6oz)
- 1 can Sprite ( (or other clear carbonated drink))
Place your gummy bears in an air tight container. If you want your bears to be pristine and nicely shaped, spread them out in a single layer.
Carefully pour the Sprite over the gummy bears, covering them completely. Place the cover on the container and place in the fridge overnight.
The next day, the bears will double in size and be quite soft.
Scoop the bears out of the Sprite and place them in a single layer on a parchment paper lined plate or tray. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
Enjoy frozen!
Estimated Nutrition based on Haribo brand gummy bears
I Am... Hot Pot at Home
One of my all time favorite meals is hot pot. We eat it at least once a month, if not more. It can be a cold and cozy night or a warm summer evening – it doesn’t matter because hot pot is always the answer. It’s a fun and filling way to spend the night eating and chatting because you’re literally hanging around a hot pot at the table where you cook and eat together. Essentially, all you do to prepare hot pot is make a soup that is simmered at the table. You load up the table with a bunch of raw sliced meats, veggies, tofu, seafood, and noodles. Everyone cooks what they like, right at the table. Then it's scooped out of the pot, dipped into your own customized sauce, and devoured. Hot pot is all about choosing your ingredients/what you’re going to put into your pot. There’s a huge variety of hot pot, even within China – there’s mind numbing spicy hot pots, herbal hot pots, curry hot pots, soothing plain hot pots, really there’s no wrong way. Here’s an in-depth guide to get you started!
What is hot pot?
If you’re new to hot pot, it’s a low stress way to have a fun and interactive meal with the people you love. Hot pot is a social way of eating: a variety of food is cooked in a communal simmering pot of flavored broth. The meal starts with the pot coming to a boil. The meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and noodles are added and cook quickly (and sometimes slowly) in the bubbling broth. Everyone scoops out whatever their heart desires and adds more to replace it. Fun times, yummy food, and much laughter is shared. At its core, Hot pot is a Chinese way of way of cooking food in a simmering pot of soup at the table. It’s similar to fondue, except instead of cheese or hot oil, you have a flavorful soup stock. Raw ingredients are cooked in the soup, then eaten with dipping sauces. It’s a fun and communal way of eating and super popular both at home and in restaurants. Hot pot is near and dear to Chinese people across the world and is starting to become more mainstream and popular. Hot pot creates a cozy, warm atmosphere and really brings people together as you sit around a pot, cooking, eating, talking, and relaxing. The food is important but also important are the feels and the feels of hot pot can’t be beat.Is it really this complicated?
NO! This is an all encompassing how-to guide but the tl;dr of it all is that you can just go to your local Asian supermarketand buy from their hot pot selection. If you live somewhere far away from one, you can buy the hot pot soup mix online, thinly slice some proteins, wash some veg, and have at it. It doesn't need to be hard.Where does hot pot come from?
Hot pot originated in China but it’s now all over Asia in different incarnations. There are bubbly Korean stews, Japanese shabu shabus, Vietnamese hot pots, and more!How to have hot pot at home
- Decide on the broth. Go homemade or store bought, either work great.
- Shop for the ingredients. Go to the (ideally Asian) grocery store and buy ALL THE THINGS.
- Prep: wash the vegetables, lay out the meats, seafood, dumplings, balls, vegetables, and noodles out on plates or trays. Keep the meats together, the seafoods together, the vegetables together, the dumplings together, and on and on so that everything is contained and separate.
- Set the table. Set the table with everything you need, more on that below!
- Hot pot! Bring the soup up to a boil, cook your ingredients at the table, dip in sauce, eat, drink, laugh, enjoy.
What equipment do I need for hot pot?
Essentially you need two pieces of equipment for hot pot: a burner and a pot. The burner needs to be portable enough to sit at the center of your table. It can be anything you like, but make sure it's not charcoal because it'll fill your home with carbon monoxide. For the burner, there are several ways to go: induction, gas, or a two-in-one pot connected to electric source. I say you go with whichever one you might already have, or if you are going to be buying something, I’d choose induction. Induction is easy to clean – just wipe it down. Plus you don’t need to buy extra gas canisters. We’ve used the two-in-one before too, but it’s easier to use a pot you already have. As for pots, you want one that’s shallow so your food isn’t drowning. You want to be able to see it floating in there so a deep stockpot isn’t going to cut it. Growing up, we always had a split pot so the adults could have spicy soup while the kids had a mild soup. Split pots are great for people who want two kinds of soup or if you want to keep one side for meat and the other side for vegetables.Our personal hot pot set up
Mike and I use a portable induction cooker with our favorite cast iron shallow brasier, it retains heat amazingly and after we’re done, we just wipe down the induction cooker and pop the brasier in the dishwasher. There are three main components of Chinese hot pot: broth, ingredients, and sauce.Hot Pot Broth
There are a bunch of different variations of hot pot in China, depending on the region, it goes from fiery red and spicy (Sichuan and Chongqing) to milky and herbal. Soup is the backbone of your hot pot, but really, you don’t need to worry about it too much. If you want to go all out and make a homemade stock, go for it. Sometimes if I’m feeling particularly extra, I’ll do just that, but more often than not, I’ll just use a store bought stock or seasoning packet. Our favorite base happens to be Japanese dashi with soy, sake, mirin, and a touch of sugar. It isn’t Chinese at all, but, you know, since hot pot is all about customization, we are here for it, especially since it reminds us of oden. The light yet deep umami richness is the perfect flavor for all the ingredients to soak up.Store bought broth
Lee Kum Kee makes a large variety of seasoning packets – you can find those and all of the ingredients for Chinese hot pot at your local Asian grocery store. If you’re looking for spicy, Hai Di Lao is a famous Chinese hot pot restaurant that sells their hot pot seasoning packets. There’s also an extremely popular hot pot restaurant (Little Sheep Hot Pot) that sells its soup base as well. Be careful of store bought packages, because some of them can be extra extra spicy. If the ingredients list mentions mala or sichuan pepper, you might be in for a spice-fest. When in doubt, use a half- or a quarter-package and taste test beforehand.Homemade hot pot broth
Most days, we just use a simple no sodium chicken stock dressed up with some soy sauce, shaoxing wine, toasted sesame oil, ginger, and scallions. For a Japanese dashi flavor, use instant dashi seasoned with soy, sake, mirin, and a touch of sugar.How much broth do I need?
You’ll need enough broth to fill your pot. Most seasoning packages have enough to make 6-8 cups. All you do is mix the packet with water. As you’re cooking your hot pot, the soup base will inevitably go down, just top it up with water, there’s no need to add extra flavoring because the soup intensifies and concentrates as it boils down.Hot Pot Ingredients
This is the MOST fun part of hot pot. If you love variety and eating a bunch of different things in one meal, this is the meal for you! The best kind of hot pot contains a little thinly sliced meat, a little seafood, some veg, tofu, dumplings, and noodles of course! Everything tastes amazing when cooked in a hot pot. And the best part is, all you’re really doing is buying fresh, raw ingredients. If you’re wondering where to buy hot pot ingredients, the answer is an Asian grocery store! All grocery stores will (obviously) carry different things, but my main recommendation is to hit up any Asian grocery store because they will have a huge selection to choose from. I’ll break down the different categories of ingredients; it’s best to try to get a couple of each category.Thinly sliced meats
Meat, it’s what hot pot is for. Essentially you can cook any kind of meat in hot pot, as long as it’s sliced thinly. You pop it into the boiling water, swish it around a bit and let the pot come back up to a boil, pull it out and eat it. Typically thinly sliced beef, pork, and chicken are very popular. There are a variety of cuts that you can get thinly sliced in trays at your Asian grocery store – go wild and buy a bunch. Some of our favorites are: rib eye, pork belly, pork jowl, lamb shoulder, and pork shoulder. Or, if you like, you can DIY it! Pick pieces of meat that are heavily marbled and pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes – it should feel slightly solid, but still yield, and then slice it as thinly as possible.Seafood
Seafood is a very common addition to hot pot but it's something we often skip. When we do it, we actually love those frozen seafood medley packs that contain shrimp, squid, scallops, and sometimes even mussels and clams. Fresh fish is a good bet too when we're splurging (or feeling healthy)Vegetables
Traditionally chinese hot pot is a bit light on the veg but vegetables are Mike’s favorite part of hot pot (sometimes I think he could eat hot pot with just a head of lettuce) and I've come over to the healthy side. I like a bit more variety, so I usually include some sort of Asian vegetable (gai lan, as pictured) and mushrooms. Anything goes, just make sure you’re not over cooking your vegetables! Pop them in, let them cook, then pull them out immediately, unless they’re the starchy variety of vegetable like daikon, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro. Tomatoes are amazing in hot pot, but be careful because they get really hot!Tofu
Tofu hot pots are a thing all by themselves. There is a huge variety of tofu at Asian grocery stores and they are all amazing. Tofu is some of the best stuff to put in hot pot because they soak up all the flavors. Mike’s partial to mini tofu puffs and I like medium firm tofu. I also love egg tofu, the kind that comes in a tube. When you’re popping the tofu into the hot pot, it doesn’t need long because you can essentially eat tofu “raw” but if you let it simmer for a while it’ll be one of the best bites: juicy and full of all the delicious hot pot soup.Fish balls and meatballs
When you get to the Asian grocery store, head to the frozen section. Sometimes there will also be a case beside the fish where fresh fish balls are. Fish balls, if you haven’t had them, are the bomb. They have the best texture and are not very fishy. They’re kind of hard to explain, but trust me, you’ll love them. I call them fish balls, but they come in all kinds of flavors: shrimp, squid, cuttlefish, lobster – if it swims, it comes in fishball form. I particularly like the “golden” ones because they’re deep fried. Oh, and grab some meatballs too, they usually have these in the deli section – in our local store we have a selection of Vietnamese meatballs and I always grab some to throw in.Dumplings
Speaking of dumplings, grab some frozen dumplings to put in your hot pot. I like to get the ones that are already fully cooked since you can’t really see inside them. Those packages will feature a large “fully cooked” text on the front. Getting fully cooked dumplings ensures that you don’t accidentally pull out a dumpling and bite into a raw filling. Get the classic pork and vegetable combo and if you see it, go for pork and corn, it’s my fave.Noodles
Noodles are the carb of choice for hot pot, they go right into the soup and soak up all the flavors. Sometimes people have bowls of rice too, so if that’s what floats your hot pot boat, go for it! I love noodles, so they’re essential. I usually go for udon because they’re thick and chewy and delicious, but mung bean noodles are excellent at soaking up flavor too. Shirataki is also amazing if you’re going low carb or keto.How to prep ingredients for hot pot
If you have a bunch of ready to go items like sliced meats, seafoods, and various balls, just open up the packages and put everything out on plates. I like to put everything on separate plates, but if you don't have enough plates, it's best to keep the meats, vegetables, and frozen stuff separated. Depending on how much you bought, you won’t need to put everything out - but if you have a big table, it never hurts and is always impressive!- Meats: If you have whole cuts of meat, place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until slightly firm (this helps a LOT!) and thinly slice.
- Seafood: Cut into bite sized pieces for quick and even cooking.
- Vegetables: Wash and dry all the vegetables. For large leaf and root vegetables, cut them into small pieces.
- Tofu: Drain and cut into bite size pieces.
- Noodles: Remove from the package. For most noodles, it's best to soak in hot water for 30 seconds and drain first.
- Balls and dumplings: Remove from the packages. If you like you can slice the balls in half. Make sure you don’t put the dumplings out too early because they’ll melt.
Hot pot sauces
Here’s where the fun starts: the dipping. Everything that comes out of the hot pot is dipped in sauce. Well, maybe not the noodles, but you know, you can pour sauce on to those. Every family has their own version of hot pot dipping sauce ingredients and within that everyone has their own personal sauce recipe. Provide a bunch of sauces and let people mix and match. Growing up, I just dipped in a simple sweet soy sauce with green onion and cilantro mix, but now I prefer a mix of Chinese sesame paste, hoisin sauce, sweet soy sauce, and shacha (Chinese barbecue sauce).Shacha sauce
If there’s a sauce that I think is always offered with hot pot, aside from soy sauce, it’s shacha. Shacha is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilis, brill fish, and dried shrimp. It’s an umami bomb and so so delicious. Shacha is from Taiwan and the best brand is Bullhead and it comes in a little silver can (although it actually comes in a big can too and that’s what we have in our fridge) with a resealable top. Confusingly, it’s labeled as Chinese barbecue sauce. Give it a good mix before you scoop some out, the good stuff usually settles at the bottom. People typically mix it up with a bit of soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, and cilantro. Some people also mix in a raw egg yolk for an extra bit of oomph. They sell it at the Asian grocery store and online.Sesame sauce
Sesame paste or sesame sauce is the other big gun at the sauce table. Essentially it’s Chinese sesame paste - which is similar to tahini but made with toasted sesame seeds and it’s nuttier, deeper, and more toasty tasting .You can have sesame sauce on it’s own diluted with a bit of water, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil, sprinkled with cilantro and scallions, or you can mix it up with other sauces. It’s super thick, so give it a good stir (just like natural almond butter!) before using. They sell it at the Asian grocery store and online. Whangzhihe is probably the most common sesame paste sauce you’ll see.How to set the table for hot pot
Now that all the shopping and prep is done, it’s time to set the table.- Place the burner and the pot in the middle of the table.
- Arrange the ingredients around the table.
- Have a sauce station - usually it’s a little nicer to have the station away from the table since it frees up space. We put all the sauces on the counter and head there when we need refills. Have little dipping bowls to mix up sauce in, sometimes you might even want 2 sauce dishes per person!
- Place a bowl, plate, chopsticks, and napkin at each setting.
- Have a couple of plates with tongs and hot pot strainers (the little individual scoop-y thing you see in the photo), and a ladle. It’s nice if you have one hot pot strainer per person but if you’re good at sharing, you can get away with one between two people.
- Don’t forget the drinks! You can go with beer or if you want those authentic feels, try wine! Wine is crazy popular in China. If you’re doing non alcoholic, iced green or jasmine teas or suan mei tang aka cold sour plum tea are good choices.
How to hot pot
Once the table is set, the soup is bubbling in the middle, and you have your own custom sauce made, this is how you do it:- Decide on a couple of pieces of what you want to eat. Most people start with meat, but if you’re feeling dumplings, tofu, or vegetables, you do you!
- Use a pair of tongs to gently place your pieces of choice into the pot – go for 3-5 pieces per person.
- Once everything is in the pot, the bubbling will subside a bit. Let everything come back up to a simmer. If you’re cooking thinly sliced beef, you can just give it a gently swish in the bubbling soup until it is cooked to your liking then pull it out immediately.
- Use a scoop to scoop out the pieces you put in and place them in your bowl.
- Dip the pieces in your sauce, enjoy, and repeat as needed!
Hot pot FAQ
How do you get the food out of the hot pot?
Don’t dip your chopsticks in the pot! Use a hot pot strainer to scoop your food out. It’s easier, cleaner, and you’ll be able to find your food more quickly.When is it cooked?
This is probably what confuses most people about hot pot. Generally, letting everything come to a boil before you start scooping food out is a good rule, but here are some *hot pot cooking times:*- Meats - since they’re thinly sliced or cut, it shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds for beef and up to 1-2 minutes for pork, chicken, and lamb.
- Seafood - seafood cooks quickly in general, 1-2 minutes should do it.
- Vegetables - leafy greens can take a quick dip, things like potatoes will take until they’re tender, up to 15 minutes.
- Dumplings - cook these according to package directions.
- Balls - these usually come fully cooked, but give them up to 5 minutes at a boil to make sure they’re heated through.
- Noodles - cook these according to package directions.
- Tofu - this can go in as long as little as you like.
Do you add everything at once to hot pot?
It’s easier if you don’t add everything at once, just add in a few pieces at a time, the ones you want to eat. This keeps the soup bubbling and the food fresh so you don’t find a random piece of leathery beef that’s been in the pot for hours.Help! I don’t live near an Asian supermarket and still want to hot pot
You can make do with a regular grocery store! Use chicken broth with some ginger, garlic, soy, and toasted sesame oil. Pick out some meats, freeze them slightly, and thinly slice. Get some leafy greens and check out what they have in the frozen section. There will usually be some frozen dumplings at the very least. Grab a package of tofu and some noodles you can have a scaled-down version of hot pot. Order some dipping sauces online for maximum enjoyment.Go forth and Hot Pot
Alright my friends! You’re ready to go forth and hot pot. Cook, dip, and eat away. I hope you give this a chance. It’s so cozy and comforting and warm. Happy hot-potting! xoxo stephHot Pot at Home
For maximum authenticity, get as much variety as you can. Use the scale button to change for number of guests. See post for more ingredient suggestions.
- induction burner
- wide shallow pot
- 1 package hot pot soup mix (see notes for substitution)
- 1 lb meat (at least 2 kinds, thinly sliced ribeye and pork jowl preferred)
- 1 lb seafood (at least 2 kinds, shrimp and salmon preferred)
- 1.5 lb vegetables (oyster mushrooms, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes preferred)
- 1 lb tofu (1/2 firm and 1/2 tofu puffs preferred)
- 8 dumplings (such as gyoza or potstickers)
- 8 fish balls
- 8 meatballs (vietnamese preferred, ikea if needed)
- 1 lb noodles (frozen sanuki udon preferred)
Hot Pot Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (sweet soy sauce preferred)
- 2 tbsp green onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Thai bird’s eye chili (sliced, optional)
Mike's Hot Pot Sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp shacha (optional)
Arrange all ingredients on separate platters, keeping the meats together, seafood together, and dumplings and meatballs together, so as not to cross contaminate. Or just arrange each ingredient on its own plate.
Combine your soup mix with enough water to fill the pot 1” from the top. Bring your soup to a boil at the table. See notes for soup mix alternatives.
Make the sauces: combine sauce ingredients and let sit for 1 minute in two separate bowls. Taste and adjust as needed. See post for sauce alternatives.
Set place settings, divvy up sauces, and pour drinks. Prepare and set aside a carafe or pitcher of water to refill the soup when it gets low. Enjoy!
If you can’t get your hands on a hot pot soup packet, combine 1 quart chicken stock, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp sliced ginger, and 1 tbsp chopped green onions, and enough water to fill up your pot.
You can also use instant dashi powder.
Estimated nutrition doesn’t include sauce or soup.
I Am... Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
Pumpkin Basque cheesecake forever! I’ve been making this on repeat all season long. Creamy basque cheesecake is my all time favorite dessert. I love the soft ooze of a runny Basque cheesecake. If you haven’t had one before, you must! I implore you, it is the ultimate manifestation of cheesecake: creamy, sweet, and pure cheesecake flavor with none of the distracting graham cracker crust. Come fall, all my cheesecakes take on an autumnal feel thanks to pumpkin. Love it or hate it, pumpkin and pumpkin spice is here to stay and to me, nothing is more fall then the warm and cozy smells of pumpkin mixed together with cinnamon and sugar. If you love pumpkin pie and you love cheesecake, this is the pinnacle of fall desserts. It has the earthy sweetness of pumpkin without being too overwhelming and the tangy decadence of cheesecake.
What is Basque cheesecake?
Basque cheesecake was in San Sebastian in the 70s by a restaurant called La Vina. They did a bunch of experiments and the one cheesecake they kept coming back to was a crustless, burnished cake that was light yet dense and full of cream cheese flavor and a signature brown-black top. The classic San Sebastián basque cheesecake is delicious, but I prefer the Japanese take: slightly oozy and loose in the middle, lightly sweet, with a good amount of cheesiness and just the right amount of dense. Basque cheesecake is the best combination of taste and texture. The edges of the cheesecake are slightly firmer with a lingering tongue coating smoothness that gives way to a supple molten cream center that barely holds together. The contrast is what gets me every time – a soft and cake tender shell surrounding a velvety smoothness that barely holds its shape, like the most decadent slice of triple cream brie. This particular recipe is a riff off my favorite basque cheesecake recipe with roasted, puréed kabocha folded in.How to make pumpkin Basque cheesecake
- Cream. Cream together the cream cheese and sugar. It’s best if your cream cheese is ultra soft. I like to leave it out at room temp for as long as possible before creaming so it blends up completely lump free. If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and remember to scrape down the sides.
- Mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in completely without adding too much air. If you’re using a stand mixer, add the eggs and beat with the paddle on low.
- Stir. Stir in the pumpkin/kabocha and spices, then slowly pour in the cream and mix until just combined.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined pan and bake in a super hot oven so the top gets nice and burnt while the inside stays creamy.
Pumpkin Basque cheesecake ingredients
- Cream cheese. My favorite cream cheese is Philly cream cheese, of course. Make sure you temper it at room temp so it it silky smooth and creamy without any lumps
- Sugar. Not too much sugar, just enough so it’s lightly sweet and delicious. I’ve only ever used granulated sugar, but I think brown sugar would add a hint of depth and caramel flavor.
- Eggs. You’ll need 4 large eggs to stabilize and hold the cake together. Make sure you get some nice, high quality eggs.
- Heavy Cream. Heavy cream is what makes this cake SO smooth and rich. You might also know heavy cream as whipping cream. Either will work as long as it has over 36% milk fat.
- Pumpkin. You can use canned puréed pumpkin (I love Libby’s!) but since this is a super simple recipe, I decided to cube and roast kabocha (aka Japanese pumpkin) for an extra bit of a special touch.
- Spices. A simple mix of cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg adds just the right amount of warm spice.
What is kabocha?
Kabocha is a winter squash that is often referred to as a Japanese pumpkin. They have a deep green, thick skin, and bright orange flesh. Just like pumpkins, they are found in both sweet and savory dishes. They have a distinctively sweeter flavor profile compared to pumpkin and cook up more dry and fluffy making them more intensely flavored. Roasted kabocha is smooth and fluffy, sweet and nutty. They taste like a mix of pumpkin and butternut/honeynut squash and sweet potatoes. They’re amazing!How to cook kabocha for pie
- Prep the kabocha: wash and dry the outside then place on a heavy cutting board and use a large knife to cut in half. Kabocha are notoriously hard, so be careful. Scoop out the seeds then cut into wedges/chunks.
- Wrap the wedges/chunks in foil and place on a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven until tender and cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce the flesh with a fork.
- Remove, let cool, and scoop the flesh from the skin.
- Blend or purée until smooth. If desired, push through a metal sieve then use as directed in your recipe.
Do I need a springform pan for cheesecake?
The best pan is one that has tall sides so your cheesecake can burnish and brown on the top with just the slightest bit of jiggle in the middle. I like to use 6 inch rounds that are at least 3 inches in height. I’ve also baked Basque cheesecake in loaf pans and they come out really nice when you slice it up. The best part about Basque cheesecake is that you don’t need to use a springform pan and you don’t need a finicky water bath. Take advantage of that and use any pan you have. The deeper and smaller the pan, the more likely you will have a jiggly ooze-y cheesecake. The larger and more shallow your pan, the more likely you’ll have a firm cheesecake.How to line a pan for cheesecake
Measure out a piece of parchment paper larger than the cake pan, scrunch it up into a ball, then flatten it out. That will make it easier to line and push the parchment into the edges of the pan. Place the scrunched up and unfolded parchment paper into the pan, shaping, pushing, and pressing the paper into the edges and up the sides. If you’re worried, you can double line the pan.How long to bake Basque cheesecake
This depends on how creamy and jiggly you want the middle of your cheesecake to be. For a runny, creamy, just set center bake for 20 minutes. For just a bit creamy, go for 25 minutes, and for set, 30 minutes. Burnt top: To the the burnished top while still have a runny center, turn on the broiler and keep a close eye on it while it browns. It only takes a couple of seconds.Do I need to chill cheesecake?
You don’t have to chill it until it’s fridge-cold, but it’s best to let it cool completely. The cheesecake will continue to set and bake after you take it out of the oven, so leave it in the pan and let it cool completely before removing and serving. If you like a cold cheesecake you can pop it into the fridge and serve it once it’s completely cold. For a still runny center, after it’s completely cool, remove from the pan and slice without placing in the fridge. Happy pumpkin cheesecake making! xoxo steph PS - if you’re a pumpkin lover, please check out these other pumpkin recipes:Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
Creamy, sweet, and pure cheesecake with a touch of seasonal pumpkin.
- 16 oz cream cheese (room temp (two 8oz bricks))
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (or puréed kabocha)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Heat the oven to 430°F. (If you have convection mode, set the oven to convection.)
Line a 6 inch round 3 inch tall cake pan with parchment paper with an overhang of 2 inches. I like to double line it just to make sure it pops out of the pan easily.
In a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth, making sure the sugar is completely incorporated, and the mixture is light, fluffy, and lump free. Be sure to scrape the bowl down.
Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure the batter is smooth and incorporated before adding another egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
Gently mix in the pumpkin and spices.
Slowly pour in the cream, mixing until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. The top should be a dark amber and the middle should still wobble and jiggle. If you want the top to be more caramelized, leave it a bit longer, but know that the center will not be as gooey.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack at room temp until completely cool.
Remove the cake from the tin and slice at room temperature for a gooey, lava-like cheesecake. If desired, place in the fridge to cool which will result in a soft and creamy cheesecake without the ooze. Enjoy!
I Am... Garlic Lobster Pasta
I made this garlicky lobster pasta for Mike and it was amazing, if I do say so myself. The other day, Mike randomly came home with two cooked lobsters. “Surprise!” he said. We love lobster but hardly ever buy it or eat it at home. I have made lobster before (lobster risotto, creamy lobster pasta, and a steak and lobster sandwich) but it’s just not one of the things that comes to mind when we’re thinking of dinner. I don’t know why because it’s actually easy to cook and is super impressive and delicious. This lobster pasta is essentially an aglio e olio with a secret ingredient. It's loaded with pieces of lobster and finished with crunchy bread crumbs. The lobster is tossed in at the last minute, just to heat it through and get all those garlicky umami flavors on it without overwhelming the sweet flavor of the lobster meat. It comes together super quickly, like most pasta dishes. Grab some cooked lobster tails, and you have a quick, easy, impressive date night dish.
How to make garlic lobster pasta
- Prep the ingredients: toast the breadcrumbs, chop the parsley, shell and chop the lobster into bite size pieces.
- Cook your pasta in salted boiling water, timing it so it cooks one minute less than what the box considers al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, warm extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add sliced garlic and let it infuse the oil, softening but not browning.
- After the garlic is super aromatic and soft, stir in the crushed red pepper, parsley and oyster sauce, making sure everything is mixed together.
- Use a 1/3 measuring cup and scoop some of the starchy pasta water and add it to the pan with the garlic. Bring it up to a simmer, stirring and emulsifying the sauce.
- When the pasta is ready, use a pair of tongs to transfer it over to the pan with the sauce.
- Add in the lobster and toss everything until it is glossy with sauce, adding extra pasta water if needed.
- Finish with the breadcrumbs and extra parsley and enjoy immediately!
How to plate lobster pasta
Everyone always says you eat with your eyes first and it is true, especially with this pasta. You put in the effort to make it, so make it extra pretty on the plate! Grab two shallow, large-ish bowls (these are commonly called pasta bowls). For extra bonus points, warm them in the oven. When the pasta is ready, use a pair of tongs to divide the pasta, along with chunks for lobster, evenly into the two bowls. Make sure to scoop up any extra bits of sauce or slices of garlic and add them to the tops of the noodles. Reserve some of the pieces of lobster for the top. Finish with fresh parsley and breadcrumbs then enjoy immediately!Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil - use the good stuff because you deserve it. First cold press is best and as a rule of thumb, go for a dark or opaque bottle because olive oil doesn’t like being in the light.
- Breadcrumbs - toasted breadcrumbs add crunch and texture. I like grabbing the ends of sourdough and blitzing them in a food processor and cooking the coarse crumbs in olive oil until they’re almost deep fried and completely caramelized and golden.
- Flat leaf parsley - an underrated ingredient! I feel like a lot of people think flat leaf parsley is there just for garnish. But it adds a huge hit of freshness and when you cook it in oil it deepens the flavor. I love this sauce because it has parsley cooked in olive oil and it finishes the pasta for a hit of freshness.
- Spaghetti or other long pasta - I like the simplicity of spaghetti with this dish but of course there is a huge variety of long pastas out there. If you’re going to make your own, this is the perfect recipe to pair with fresh pasta https://peak-again.today/how-to-make-fresh-pasta-the-easy-way-our-almost-no-knead-pasta-recipe/. If you’re buying it, go for a bronze extruded pasta with a rough surface that will help the sauce catch and cling.
- Crushed red pepper flakes - a little (or big, depending on your spice tolerance) of crushed red peppers that will bloom in the oil and impart a bit of warmth and spice.
- Oyster sauce - this is the secret ingredient that adds a huge amount of umami and seafood flavor to the sauce. It’s sweet and thick and full of complexity. More on oyster sauce below.
- Lobster - you can go with whole cooked lobster or cooked lobster tails or even cook your own whole lobster or tails if you’re comfortable with that!
Oyster Sauce
Oyster sauce can be found in the Asian aisle of any grocery store or online. If you see the Lee Kum Kee bottle with the two people in boats, go for that one. It’s the premium oyster sauce which lists oysters as its first ingredient. It doesn’t taste super seafood-y but it definitely adds an extra oomph to this sauce that you won’t be able to put your finger on.Where can you buy lobster?
Mike got these PEI lobsters from a local vendor who cooked them after he picked them out of the case. Most places that sell live seafood can and will cook your lobster for you - if you’re ever on the East coast, all the grocery stores do it for a small fee. If you’re somewhere like Whole Foods they often sell already cooked lobster tails just waiting in the case for you to purchase. If they have fresh lobster tails, it’s just a quick poach in simmering water for 6-8 minutes. The tails will turn bright red and curl up when they’re cooked.How to easily remove lobster meat
The easiest way to remove lobster tail meat is to think of it like a large shrimp or prawn. Use a pair of scissors to cut through the the bottom then pull the shell off and release the tail meat. If you happened to get a whole lobster, you can remove the meat from the claws and the knuckles as well. Youtube is your friend - there are so many videos on how to break down a whole lobster. Pro tip: don’t throw away the shells. Keep them and make a lobster stock and use it as the base stock for any soup you want to add a deep seafood flavor too. Just cover the shells with water and simmer, covered, on low for 2 hours or place in a crock pot, cover with water and a lid and turn the pot onto high.What to serve with lobster pasta
- start with a charcuterie board for 2
- serve kale salad alongside
- and finish with a creamy, gooey Basque cheesecake for the ultimate date night!
Garlic Lobster Pasta
The best aglio e olio base lobster pasta loaded with pieces of lobster and finished with crunchy bread crumbs and a secret ingredient.
- 4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs (coarse, see note)
- 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)
- 6 ounces spaghetti
- 1 head garlic (sliced)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 lobster (cooked, shelled and roughly chopped, about 1-1.5lbs)
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a pan and toast the breadcrumbs until golden and crunchy. Remove from the heat and stir in a pinch of parsley. Set aside.
In a pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti one minute shy of al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat up the remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and slightly soft, but not brown, 20 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the red pepper flakes, flat leaf parsley, and oyster sauce. Add 1/3 cup pasta water to the pan and bring to a simmer to emulsify into a sauce, stirring occasionally.
When the pasta is ready, use a pair of tongs to move the cooked pasta over to the pan with the sauce. Leave the heat on medium, add the lobster and toss to combine, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles. Add extra pasta water if the pasta gets too dry.
Finish with toasted bread crumbs and enjoy!
Note: I like to blitz up old sourdough bread in the food processor for fresh, coarse crumbs.
I Am... Miso Tuna Salad
Tuna salad is a vibe. Those who love it love it and those who hate it just haven’t tasted the right tuna salad. I love it and I pretty much always have. Give me a tuna melt and I’m in HEAVEN. This miso tuna salad has been my go to forever because: miso! Miso makes everything better, it adds depth, umami and healthy probiotics.
The best tuna salad
This tuna salad is a simple mix because it’s one of my go-tos when I’m hungry but don’t have any groceries. It’s a little umami bomb and absolutely the perfect moreish no-carb snack. To a can of drained tuna, I stirred in a little bit of kewpie mayo, white miso instead of salt, celery for crunch, and green onions for bite. Crisp seaweed snacks are the best for scooping it up! It’s also amazing on super soft Japanese fluffy bread, toasted sourdough, or sourdough crackers.How to make miso tuna salad
- Super simple: mix together the miso and Kewpie until smooth and then add tuna, diced celery, and sliced green onions. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and enjoy!
Miso tuna salad ingredients
- miso - a traditional Japanese seasoning that is pretty much found everywhere now, miso adds depth and salty umami to this tuna salad. It adds a rich savoriness and as a bonus you don’t need to season with salt.
- kewpie mayo - this is a no brainer, kewpie mayo is so delicious, more on that below!
- tuna - you can use any tuna you like, we’re going to drain it so it doesn’t matter too much. I usually go with a chunk tuna as opposed to flaked. I like tuna packed in water, usually light tuna because it’s supposed to have less mercury. If you want your tuna a bit more rich, you can always add more kewpie but you can’t control the flavor of oil packed tuna.
- celery - tuna salad isn’t tuna salad without celery to add crunch.
- green onions - sliced them up and add them for freshness and a bit of oniony bite
- pepper - freshly cracked of course!
White or red miso
For tuna salad I like to reach for a white miso, which is mellow and sweet. It’s called shiro miso or sweet miso and you can find it near the tofu at places like Whole Foods or at Asian grocery stores.Which mayo to use
Kewpie mayo, forever and always! If you’re not a mayo fan, you have to try Kewpie mayo: the ubiquitous clear, red-topped squeeze bottle of mayo found in practically every Japanese household. It’s tangy from rice vinegar, slightly sweet, and extra creamy. It is absolutely delicious and will take this salad to the next level! Read more about kewpie here.What else can I make with kewpie mayo?
You can use kewpie mayo anywhere you would use regular, but here are some recipes to get you started:- Mayo ramen – for an extra rich luxe restaurant style ramen
- Ebi chili mayo – Deep fried tempura prawns with sweet and spicy Kewpie
- Japanese Egg Sando (or this one) – Japanese egg salads aren’t Japanese unless you use Kewpie. This is gonna be the best egg salad you’ll ever taste
- Japanese potato salad – It just hits different. It’s the Kewpie!
- Takoyaki – the classic takoyaki topped with Kewpie
- Deviled eggs – eggs get an upgrade with Kewpie mayonnaise
- Sushi bake – because it’s the creamiest, warmest, most satisfying casserole
Miso Tuna Salad
Miso makes everything better, it adds depth, umami and healthy probiotics.
- 1 tbsp white miso
- 2 tbsp kewpie mayo
- 1 can tuna (drained)
- 2 tbsp celery (diced)
- 2 tbsp green onions (sliced)
- freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Mix together the miso and kewpie until smooth. Add the drained tuna, celery and green onions.
Mix throughly and season to taste. Enjoy on its own or on top of crackers, toast, or seaweed.
Adjust the miso content to taste, miso pastes vary greatly in terms of saltiness. Also, feel free to add more kewpie mayo if needed.
I Am... Roasted Honeynut Squash Creamy Pasta
It’s honeynut squash season! Mike and I went to the farmer’s market the other day and there was a perfect little basket of the tiniest honeynut squash. I absolutely love honeynuts so of course I squealed and went about picking out the cutest most tiniest ones. If you’re not familiar with honeynut squash, they’re like tiny butternut squashes, with the same shape. They were created to be a tiny, tasty squash and they are. They’re sweeter and when cooked, take on a caramel almost malty flavor. They’re super tender and cook very quickly because they’re so small.
A fall inspired pasta
After roasting a couple and eating them as is, I thought it would be nice to make a fall inspired pasta. I cut the squash up in a thick matchstick then pan-roasted them in a generous amount of olive oil. They got blistered and caramelized and so good. From there, I made a simple cream sauce then tossed in some greens and pasta. So cozy and perfect scooped up into a bowl!Why you should make a squash pasta:
- You love fall and you want to get cozy with a big bowl of pasta and squash
- You want to feed someone vegetarian food and you want it to taste good
- Honeynut squash gets you excited
- You want a hearty pasta that’s also just a little bit heathy
- You love garlic cream sauce
Frequently asked questions
Q: I can’t find honeynut squash at the store, what can I use instead? A: Any squash will work for this – try butternut or kabocha. Just make sure you cut it smaller so that it cooks just as quickly in the pan. Q: Why does the pasta look pink? A: I had no idea that swiss chard would make the cream sauce so pink! Next time I would definitely stick to kale or something. Q: What is the pasta shape called? A: It’s one of my all time favorite pasta shapes called calamarata! They’re supposed to look like calamari rings and I love them so much. Q: Why are you pretending that people ask you these questions? A: I like to amuse myself and for some reason I find this format hilarious >_< Happy honeynutting! (that sounds wrong LOL) xoxo steph PS - If you love honeynut squash as much as I do, try this honeynut squash with honeyed walnuts I made last year!Pan-Roasted Honeynut Squash with Creamy Garlicky Pasta
A warm and comforting pasta dish with all the flavors of fall, including honeynut squash
- 1-2 small honeynut squash (cut into thick matchsticks)
- 2 tbsp olive or neutral oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 ounces dried pasta of choice
- 1 1/2 cups leafy greens (chopped)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan
Heat up the oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the honeynut cubes in a single layer and sear, stirring once or twice, for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook until fork-tender, about 5-6 minutes, stirring as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of al dente in a large pot of salted water. Reserve 3/4 cups water and drain.
When the squash is done cooking, scoop the squash out of the pan and set aside. Add the cream and garlic to the same pan over medium heat and simmer until slightly reduced, 2-3 minutes.
Add the pasta and 1/2 cup pasta water to the sauce and bring to a boil, cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. Add more pasta water if the sauce starts to get too thick.
Stir in the greens until wilted, then turn the heat down and stir in the cheese until melted.
Add the honeynut squash, season with salt and pepper and enjoy immediately!
I Am... Butter Candle
Move over butter boards, the butter candle is here! They add light, ambiance, and, of course, butter to any table, making serving bread, steak, or anything you love to dip in butter a fun and interactive experience. If you love warm butter and fresh bread, or you love butter boards, you’ll love the butter candle.
What is a butter candle?
It’s exactly what it sounds like: a candle made of butter. A food safe wick is lit at the table and the butter slowly softens, making the butter melty, dippable, or pourable. Butter candles are typically served with bread, but you can also serve them with anything that you love with butter. For dipping you can go with: seafood, vegetables, or meats. And for pouring, think: mashed potatoes, rice, popcorn - the list goes on and on. Is there anything that doesn’t taste better with butter?Who invented butter candles?
To be honest, butter candles are a modern take on delightfully retro tallow candles, which are candles made out of beef fat. Tallow candles have existed for ages, since Ancient Rome, in fact. Lately, adventurous restaurants have started serving steak with highly flavorful edible tallow candles. The resulting melty, warm beef fat is poured over steak or served alongside potatoes. Really, it’s not that big of a jump to homemade butter candles for bread. The first version I saw on Tiktok was by Soozie the Foodie who serves hers with bread. The other one I see on repeat is the steak butter candle by SAMO. These two Tiktoks are perfect examples of the two different ways you can make butter candles.How to make a butter candle
There are two ways to make a butter candle: hand shaping and pouring. Both work well, but hand shaping is a bit more rustic looking and if you don’t have food safe gloves, I recommend going the pouring route.To hand pour a butter candle
This is definitely the easiest way to make a butter candle. Melt the butter, make a wick out of food safe twine, pour the butter in a container, and wait for it to set. That’s it!- Melt the butter. You can do this in a small pot over low heat on the stove, or in 20 second increments in the microwave, stirring every time you reset the microwave.
- Make the wick. Cut a piece of food safe string and dip it into the melted butter to create a food safe wick.
- Set the wick in the mold. Tie the buttered string around a stick or chopstick and place the stick over the top of your butter candle mold, making sure the string touches the bottom of the mold.
- Pour in the butter. Pour the melted butter into the mold, making sure the wick is in the centre of the candle.
- Let the candle set. Place the butter candle in the fridge until it’s nice and firm, at least 1 hour minimum.
- Light your butter candle on fire and enjoy. When it’s time to enjoy, remove the stick and trim the wick so it’s about 1/4 - 1/2 inch above the candle. Use a match or lighter to light the wick and let the butter melt. Enjoy the melted butter by dipping or pouring!
To hand shape a butter candle
Start with slightly soft spreadable butter. Ideally, take your butter out of the fridge and let it sit a room temp, for 20 minutes. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and place your stick of butter in the middle. Use your hands or a rolling pin to lightly flatten the butter and place a piece of kitchen string in the middle for a wick. Use the plastic wrap to roll and shape the butter into a candle. Place in the fridge to set.Butter candle wicks
It doesn’t matter if you hand shape or pour, either way, you’ll need a food safe wick. My suggestion is 100% cotton food safe twine, the kind that you tie up roasts and chicken with. You can find it near the meat section in the grocery store or you can order it online. Because it’s food safe, it will be safe when you light your candle. All you need to do to make your food twine into a wick is dip it in melted butter so it holds a flame better.Butter candle molds
You can go store bought or homemade here. Your mold really depends on if you want to have a free standing (de-molded) candle or a candle in a container. Generally, you want a free standing or shallow candle for dipping and a container candle for pouring.Dippable butter candle mold
Depending on if you want to un-mold your candle or not, you’ll want either a disposable or reusable mold. If you’re going to un-mold your candle, you can use a paper cup that you can cut and then peel away from the butter. You can even make a cardboard tube, line it with parchment paper and tape on a bottom. If you’re going for a dippable candle that you’re going to leave in the mold, go for a shallow container that you already have at home like a ramekin or small dish. This butter crock would work amazingly for a dipping butter candle.Pourable butter candle mold
These can be anything small with a spout. We use a tiny cream pitcher, which worked really well and is incredibly cute. Anything small and pourable is useable. Small cream pitchers or espresso pourers are great and there are so many out there. These mini glass espresso pouring cups with wooden handles are super cute.Salted or unsalted butter
Most people will tell you to go with salted butter because that’s what you serve with bread, but unsalted works too, just serve your candle along with some flaky sea salt. Really, use whatever butter you love.What to serve with butter candles
Really you can serve anything. If you’re going for a starter, a nice selection of crusty breads works well. On the other hand, if you want to serve up a butter candle at breakfast or brunch, pancakes, waffles, or freshly baked muffins come to mind. If you’re serving it with dinner, melted butter tastes amazing on rice, noodles, vegetables, seafoods, and meats. Classic is a herbed butter with steak frites, you can’t go wrong with that!Butter candle flavors
Any compound butter (flavored butter), can be a butter candle. To make, simply stir the ingredients into the melted butter.- garlic butter: 1/2 cup butter plus 4 cloves finitely minced garlic or 4 cloves roasted garlic
- herbed butter: 1/2 cup butter plus 2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs of choice such as mint, cilantro, green onions, rosemary, thyme, flat leaf parsley, sage, basil, dill, tarragon, chives
- jalapeño butter: 1/2 cup butter plus 2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño
- paprika butter: 1/2 cup butter plus 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- shallot butter: 1/2 cup butter plus 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots, 2 cloves finely minced garlic, 2 tsp finely minced parsley
- red wine butter: 1/2 cup butter, 2 tbsp red wine, 1 tbsp finely chopped shallots, 2 tsp finely chopped parsley, 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- lemon butter: 1/2 cup butter, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp fresh lemon zest, 2 tsp finely chopped parsley
Pro tips
- Make sure your butter candle is solid before lighting it up, otherwise you’ll just have a butter pool as opposed to a candle.
- If you’re un-molding your candle, place the candle in a shallow dish with a lip so that as it melts, it doesn’t overflow and cause a butter spill.
- Start small! Yes, you can make a butter candle with 1 pound of butter, but that’s excessive, even in this day and age. All you really need is one stick of butter (which is a 1/2 cup).
- Super smooth butter candles. If you’re a purist and want a very clean burning, pretty candle, be sure to clarify and strain your butter. Because butter has water content and milk solids, a non-clarified butter candle will sputter a little due to the milk solids. This is definitely an optional step thought and I don’t think it’s necessary.
How to Make a Butter Candle
Move over butter boards, the butter candle is here!
- Food Safe Kitchen Twine
- Small Ramekin
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 baguette (sliced, to serve, optional)
Make your wick: tie a knot in your kitchen twine and trim off the excess, then measure out about double the height of your candle. Tie the newly cut end in a knot around your chopstick, leaving a length the same height as your candle with the original knot on the other end. Trim the excess and set aside.
Gently melt the butter in a pan on the stove over low heat. You can also melt it in the microwave in 30 second increments.
Drag the wick through the melted butter, making sure it’s saturated as close to the chopsticks as possible.
Set the chopstick over your ramekin, moving the string if needed so that it’s centered in the mold.
Pour in the butter and let set until solid in the fridge, minimum 1 hour.
To enjoy, remove the stick and trim the wick down to about 1/2 inch. You can light the butter candle as is, in the mold, or take it out of the mold by dipping the dish in warm water and running an offset spatula around the edges.
Light the candle and watch it burn as the butter melts. Enjoy with fresh crusty bread.
I Am... Pumpkin Butter
There’s nothing quite like a fresh cup of coffee and a thick slice of toast slathered with pumpkin butter on a crispy, sunny, fall day. It’s pumpkin season! The coziest, most snuggly -dare I say- tastiest time of the year? It makes me smile just thinking about sinking my teeth into a plush piece of crisp and soft toast with pumpkin-spiced butter melting into all the little nooks and crannies.
What is pumpkin butter?
Pumpkin butter is a spread made with pumpkin, pumpkin spices, sugar, and of course, butter. It’s sweet, rich, and absolutely delicious. Think how life would be if you could take pumpkin pie and just spread it on toast. It’s kind of like that but a bit lighter, less dense, and more spreadable.Is there butter in pumpkin butter?
Yes! There is butter in this version of pumpkin butter because without butter is it even technically pumpkin butter? That being said, there are versions out there that don’t have butter in them (I’m looking at you Trader Joe’s, more on that below). I suspect that they didn’t put butter in theirs so they could have a shelf-stable, more jam-like product. Without butter, it’s more of a fruit spread. Both are delicious, but pumpkin butter with actual butter in it is amazing on warm baked goods or toast. The butter melts down into all the nooks and crannies and infuses spiced pumpkin flavor into whatever you spread it on.Pumpkin butter ingredients
All you need is pumpkin, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and butter:- puréed pumpkin - get the small 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin. I love Libby’s, which is straight-up pure pumpkin - Dickinson squash pumpkin to be exact.
- pumpkin spice - if you have pumpkin spice in your pantry, perfect! If you don’t, it’s super easy to whip some up. Pumpkin spice is going to add warmth and spiciness to our butter.
- vanilla - just a touch of vanilla is going to bring out the warmth of all the spices and add that baked goods feel.
- butter - it just isn’t pumpkin butter without butter! Use a high-quality butter that you love the taste of. It’s up to you if you use salted or unsalted, but I feel like salted helps emphasize the other flavors. Make sure your butter is at room temp so it’s easy to mix and incorporate with the brown sugar.
- brown sugar - brown sugar is going to give us a caramel sweetness that you don’t get with granulated sugar. But, if you only have granulated sugar at home, that will work too!
How to make pumpkin butter
- Reduce - add pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and a bit of vanilla to a pot or pan. Turn the heat up to medium and stir and cook the pumpkin until it reduces into a thick, and smooth paste. The key is to cook all of the water content out of the pumpkin so you’re left with pure pumpkin flavor. I like to use non-stick and I prefer using a pan because the increased surface area makes it easier to reduce the pumpkin. But using a larger pan means more splattering as the pumpkin is cooking down. The pumpkin will bubble and splatter, so keep that in mind!
- Cool - once the pumpkin is smooth and thick, spread the spiced pumpkin on a plate to help it cool down.
- Whip - Once the pumpkin is completely cool, whip together the brown sugar and butter. You don’t need to make sure it’s creamed, if you see granules of brown sugar in the butter, that’s perfect! Once the butter and sugar are one, mix in the cooled, spiced pumpkin and mix thoroughly.
- Enjoy - Once it’s ready, you can spread it on anything and everything! If you don’t use all of it right away, just spoon it into an airtight jar or container and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks. Before you use it, you can whip it up to make it super smooth, or you can use it cold from the fridge. For me, there’s something about cold butter on hot toast or hot pancakes. I live for that contrast!
How to use
Spread a thick layer on fresh bread, toast, bagels, french toast, waffles, pancakes, slices of loaf cakes, buns, basically anything you would use butter on. For extra deliciousness, finish with a shower of cinnamon spice.Homemade pumpkin spice mix
It’s super simple to make homemade pumpkin spice mix and if you do it yourself, you won’t have a whole bottle sitting in your pantry just waiting for fall. For 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice, mix up: 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 1/4 tsp allspice.Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter
Trader Joe’s is dairy-free and doesn’t have butter in it at all. Instead, it’s kind of a pumpkin spread that’s a tiny bit thick, seasoned with pumpkin spice and sweetened with sugar and honey. Think of it like pumpkin jam. If you’re dairy-free, you can make the butter recipe below by adding the sugar to the pumpkin when you’re cooking it and skipping out on mixing in the butter. Personally, I prefer it when it actually has butter in it because it adds that decadence and luxuriousness that is absolutely necessary for a spread.If you love pumpkin and pumpkin spice, please check out these other recipes
- homemade pumpkin cream cold foam
- the plushiest, softest, pumpkin loaf
- irresistible pumpkin cheesecake bars
- mini, fluffy pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes
- super moist and delicious pumpkin cupcakes with brown butter frosting
Pumpkin Butter
Sink into a plush piece of toast with pumpkin-spiced butter melting into all the little nooks and crannies.
- 15 oz puréed pumpkin (~1 can)
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup butter (room temperature (2 sticks))
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (light preferred)
Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and vanilla to a non-stick pan and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until smooth, thick, and reduced. The pumpkin will spatter and bubble as the water cooks out, so be sure to stir and keep an eye on it.
When reduced, remove from the heat, and spread the pumpkin out onto a plate to cool.
When the pumpkin is completely cool, cream together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Add the cooled pumpkin puree and mix until completely incorporated.
Enjoy immediately or spoon into a jar or air-tight container and keep in the fridge to use on anything and everything. The pumpkin butter will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
I Am... Mummy Dogs
Mummy dogs are not only cute and spoopy, they’re also super delicious. I’m obsessed with Halloween food. Give me all the themed parties with foods dressed up as other things. Halloween is one of the best – if not the BEST – holidays for dressing up food. Think: chewy chocolate cookies with googly eyeballs, sushi that looks like Totoro, and of course, mummy dogs! Imagine juicy hot dogs wrapped up with strips of buttery pastry and baked to golden brown perfection. Serve them up with mustard or sweet-n-spicy ketchup for the perfect handheld snack on your Halloween table.
What are mummy dogs?
A classic favorite for Halloween parties, mummy dogs are a take on pigs-in-a-blanket, but with a fun twist. Instead of making a blanket of pastry dough it’s cut it into strips. The strips wrap around hot dogs and bake up to look like a bandaged wrapped mummy. When you add on eyes, they’re unbearably cute.How to make mummy dogs
- Cut pastry into strips. You want about 1/4 inch strips of either puff pastry or crescent dough. If you’re feeling especially industrious, you can even make your own pie crust or rough puff pastry.
- Wrap the strips of pastry around the hot dogs, leaving a space for eyeballs about 1 inch down from the top of your mummy.
- Place the wrapped hot dogs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a 375°F oven until golden brown.
- Remove, put on some eyeballs, and enjoy!
Mummy dog ingredients
This is the best part: you only need 2 ingredients: pastry and hot dogs. If you’re going to use candy eyes, you’ll need those as well.What kind of hot dogs?
Your favorite hot dog brand will work best. Classic all beef, pork, chicken, or turkey dogs work. You can even go with mini smokies for mini mummies.What kind of pastry for mummy dogs?
- Crescent dough - the classic mummy dog. You can either buy crescent rolls or crescent roll sheets. If you can find crescent dough sheets, they work well because you don’t have to roll out the dough or pinch together the triangle seams.
- Puff pastry - puff pastry is delicious and will give you a slightly puffier mummy with a flaky shattering bite.
- Pizza dough - pizza dough tends to bake up thick and is more filling. You can use your favorite pizza dough recipe or buy store bought dough.
- Pie crust - strips of pie crust are perfect for mummy dog pies.
How to make the eyes
I like using candy eyeballs because they’re so cute. Plus they’re so small that they don’t really effect the taste. You can also pick them off if you’re adverse to eating them. If you don’t want to buy candy eyes, you can also just dot on mustard. Or, use a small cookie cutter to cut out eyeball whites out of a slice of mozzarella cheese and use seaweed for irises.How to serve
These little guys taste great warm out of the oven or at room temp. Place them on a platter with small dipping bowls of ketchup and mustard. Mummy dogs are also perfect on Halloween platters.Variations
Cheesy mummy dogs Cut slices of cheese the same size as your hot dogs. Place the cheese under the hotdog and wrap with the crescent dough. Bake as per the recipe. Everything bagel spice mummy dogs Make the recipe as per below adding a sprinkle of everything bagel spice.Make ahead
You can bake these ahead of time and serve them at room temp. You can also wrap them, freeze them, then bake from frozen.How to reheat mummy dogs
If you’re going to reheat the mummy dogs, make sure you don’t attach the eyes until after reheating. To reheat, bake for 3-8 minutes in a 375°F oven or until heated through. Happy mummying! xoxo stephMummy Dogs
Mummy dogs are not only cute and spooky, they’re also super delicious.
- 8 oz crescent rolls (1 can)
- 8 hot dogs
- 16 candy eyes
Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Open the crescent roll dough and use a rolling pin to lightly roll it together so it forms one sheet. Pinch together the perforated parts, if needed.
Cut the dough into 1/4 inch strips.
Wrap the strips around the hot dogs irregularly, leaving gaps so they look more like bandages. Leave some space an inch from the top of the hot dog for the eyeballs.
Place the wrapped mummy dogs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and use a dot of mustard or ketchup to adhere the eyeballs. Enjoy dipped in mustard or ketchup.
If you can find crescent dough sheets, you can use those too, they’re easy to cut into strips.
PS - If you love Totoro and cute food, please check out all our Totoro themed foods! Throw an October Totoro movie night complete with snacks :)
I Am... Best Kitchen Buys for Prime Day
Prime Day is coming! It’s time to finally buy all the things you’ve been saving in your cart. Prime day is the best time to stock up on basic kitchen deals and treat yourself to kitchen steals. Why not do a little early holiday shopping and treat yourself! Here are some of the best things to get for your kitchen on Prime Day. If you, like me, thought there was only one Amazon Prime Day, you’ll be happy to know that there’s an October even called Prime Big Deal Days! Everyone just calls it Prime day though. It’s a two-day event and this year it’s October 8th and 9th. There will be both early kitchen deals and lightning sales, so get your keyboards and fingers ready. Prime Day deals sometimes sell out, so if you have your heart set on something, don’t hesitate. Pro tip, do a little (or a lot) of shopping before Prime Day comes along. If you really want something, put it in your cart and when the 8th hits, buy it right away without waiting. There are a couple of Prime Day deals happening right now, that you can buy, here are some deeply discounted, highly rated items.
Best Prime Day deals for home and kitchen stuff
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
The classic, classy 4.5 quart KitchenAid stand mixer is on a massive sale right now. It’s the #1 best selling in stand mixers on Amazon for a reason: it’s incredibly strong, versatile, and long lasting. It’s 18% off for its early Prime Day deal and who knows, maybe it’ll be even more on sale in October? One can hope. If you’ve had your eye on a stand mixer, definitely take advantage!Vitamix Blenders
The gold standard in blenders is Vitamix. We love and use ours every 2 days or so and we’re not even smoothie drinkers. There are so many things blenders can do in the kitchen to make your life easier, from blending sauces to making soups. Vitamix currently has some featured early Prime Day deals, and if I were to choose a new Vitamix, the 64 oz low-profile A2500 would be on my wishlist. It’s 30% right now and like all Vitamix blenders, is highly rated and built to last. Check here for other Vitamix featured deals.Instant Read Thermometer
Every home cook and kitchen NEEDS and instant read thermometer and this ThermaPro is 40% off. We’ve used this exact model recently while at a friend’s house and were impressed buy the speed and accuracy. We did a side by side with a Thermapen because we’re nerdy like that. At under $15 we’re definitely grabbing one to add to our camp/travel kitchen.Staub Cast Iron Braiser
I LOVE braisers. If you’re going to have only one cast-iron pan/pot/casserole in your kitchen, it should be this one. The high sides are perfect for searing, it’s deep enough to deep-fry in, you can use it on the stove top and in the oven, and it’s beautiful enough to bring right to the table. The glass lid is just the chef’s kiss on top, allowing you to peek at what you’re cooking without opening the lid. We have this exact braiser and I reach for it all the time. I prefer the insides of Staubs compared to Le Creuset because the insides are a smooth black enamel that doesn’t stain and is easy to clean. It’s 33% off right now, run, don’t walk. Bonus: grab this multifunctional spatula spoon that’s on sale too. It’s a high heat BPA-free matte silicone, has a large scoop and flat scraping side, and an acacia wood handle.COSORI Air Fryer
We love our air fryer so much that sometimes we joke about getting a fleet of air fryers that we’d keep out the countertop so we could air fry all the things at the same time. We updated to a COSORI air fryer recently and are seriously impressed with how air fryer technology has improved. Our current guy is this one which we are in love with, but it’s not on a Prime Deal right now. So, if you’re looking for a deal and want to try COSORI, this one is 33% off and looks like the perfect size for a couple. If you need bigger air fryer, this COSORI is bigger and is an early Prime Day sale.Nespresso
Addicted to iced coffee? Hot coffee? Any coffee!? Yup, me too. The Nespresso Vertuo POP is 23% off right now and it makes iced coffees and espressos so you can unleash your inner barista. The POP is cute and compact and will add a splash of color to your kitchen and caffeine to your life.CAROTE Non-Stick Pots and Pans Set
Full disclosure, I haven’t tried these pans, but I’m always looking at the covetously because I love how sleek and aesthetic they are. This set is 50% as an early Prime Day deal so maybe now is the time I convince Mike to get a set? They’re highly rated, non-stick, stackable, and have removable handles for ease of storage. They look like a great starter set for the kitchen or amazing for anyone who’s looking to update their non-stick cookware.KitchenAid Oven Mitts
I find one of the many things people overlook in their kitchen are oven mitts. We’re guilty of it too - our oven mitts are old. These soft silicone mitts are 47% off, wipe clean, and are rated up to 500 degrees F. Plus they come with both mittens. Did you know that sometimes you only get one?! Treat yourself to some new oven mitts. You and your hands deserve it.Knives and Knife Blocks
Knives are very personal so I hesitate to suggest Prime Day deals for them, but the beautiful thing about Amazon is that they do offer returns. I feel like knifes are the kind of purchase that needs to be done in person to feel the heft and handling, but if based on looks and reviews alone, these two knives look interesting to me: this 8 inch Damascus Kitori chef’s knife: 40% off and this 7 inch Damascus nakiri: 50% off. As for knife stands, we have a double-sided magnetic wooden block, much like this one that is 27% and we love it.The best prime day buy: Cutting Boards
Most people don’t change their cutting boards nearly enough, especially if they’re using plastic ones. Take advantage of Prime Day and grab one (or more). Truly, it’s one of the kitchen’s small luxuries to have multiple cutting boards without having to constantly be washing them. BPA free, highly rated, dishwasher safe and cute to boost, this set of three is 17% off for Prime Members. The best buy though if you’re looking for a commercial grade style cutting board, are these awesome guys. They’re up to 59% off, textured, BPA free, come in multiple large sizes, and are color coded, just like in professional kitchens (and ours too).Peelers
Have you ever used a vegetable peeler that just isn’t sharp anymore? Is it the vegetable peeler that’s in your kitchen drawer right now? The joy of peeling through vegetable skins with ease is 37% off for Prime Day. They come with carbon steel blades and are the superior Y-shape of peelers.Kitchen Towels
If there’s one thing I absolutely loathe, it’s a lack of fresh, clean kitchen towels. They’re the workhorse of the kitchen and having a huge, clean stack is a life saver. Really, any 100% cotton dish towels will do, but this set of 6 is 36% off and is highly rated, so they will do nicely. Truly the best savings are on items that you would regularly purchase anyway, but now as a bonus, they’re on sale! That’s it for now! I’ll be updating this page as I discover more deals, so hop on back before prime day! xoxo steph we may earn a smol commission from these links Read More →
I Am... Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Tasty, quick, juicy air fryer chicken thighs are here to save you from hunger. These air fryer chicken thighs are juicy, quick, and best of all, delicious. When you want food and you want it fast, air fryer chicken thighs are just the thing. These guys are seasoned with one of the best chicken flavors out there - lemon pepper chicken. It makes a great base chicken for any sauces or side pairings you might like, and it's so good all on its own too.
Why is the air fryer better for chicken thighs?
- If you like super juicy baked or roasted chicken, air fryer chicken tastes just as juicy and tender, maybe even more so
- Air frying chicken thighs is faster than roasting/baking
- It’s also more energy efficient because you don’t need to preheat or turn on your oven
How long to cook chicken thighs in the air fryer?
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Air fry at 360°F for 12-15 mins, flipping halfway.
- Bone in skin on chicken thighs: Air fry at 360°F for 18 mins, flipping halfway, then add an extra 5 minutes at 400°F to crisp up the skin.
- Frozen chicken thighs: Air fry from frozen at 360°F for 25 mins, flipping halfway, then add an extra 5 minutes at 400°F to crisp up the skin.
Bone in skin on vs. boneless skinless
You can go with either: extra juicy or extra easy, the choice is yours! This recipe defaults to boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are my go-to: they cook quickly and are never dry because the cooking time is so short. Plus, when I’m eating, I can just shove them in my mouth without thinking or use them shredded in tacos or on salads. Bone in skin on chicken thighs are delicious as well though – I use them in a huge amount of recipes and you can easily use them here too. The skin crisps up beautifully and also self-bastes the meat underneath, which makes it tastier. They're not a second class citizen at all. [caption id="attachment_34498" align="alignnone" width="1450"] left: boneless, right: skin on[/caption]How to air fry chicken thighs
I switch between making bone-in skin on chicken thighs and boneless skinless thighs in the air fryer. I like both, so which chicken thigh you choose is up to you.- Pat dry. Use a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to dry the skin of your chicken. You want a dry surface so that it can crisp up - this is especially important if you’re making bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness.
- Season. Place the thighs in a bowl and season with a lemon juice, spices and a touch of oil. The oil helps conduct heat which makes the skin crispy and the lemon juice and seasoning adds flavor.
- Air fry. Place the chicken in the air fryer in a single layer and air fry, flipping halfway through, until the internal temp reaches 165°F. (See below for times)
The secret to juicy air fryer chicken thighs
The secret to juicy air fryer chicken thighs is…there is no secret! It always comes out juicy!Do I need to preheat the air fryer for chicken thighs?
Unlike using a regular oven, you don’t need to preheat the air fryer, which means dinner gets on the table faster. If you wanted to get that last little bit of speed or juiciness, or if your air fryer takes a little longer than you’d like to come to temp, you can preheat the air fryer before starting any of the other steps, and it’ll be hot enough by the time you have the chicken ready to go.Do you need to flip the chicken in the air fryer?
Technically you don’t need to because the air in an air fryer circulates around, but for even crispiness and presentation, especially for bone-in skin-in, I recommend it. Start cooking the chicken skin side down then flip it to finish skin side up so the skin looks pretty and crisp.What can I serve with air fried chicken thighs?
Since you have the air fryer out, why not pair the chicken thighs with:- Air fryer asparagus
- Air fryer brussels sprouts
- Air fryer roasted broccoli
- Air fryer parmesan wedge fries
How do I reheat chicken thighs in the air fryer?
To reheat already cooked chicken thighs in the air fryer, let the thighs heat up at 350°F for 2-3 minutes.What’s the best air fryer?
Our air fryer is discontinued ? but we love it so much. The Philips XL (ok actually the XXL) is what we’d get if ours ever broke though.Can I make these in the oven?
Yes!- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Bake at 425°F for 18-20 minutes.
- Bone in skin on chicken thighs: Bake at 425°F for 25-30 minutes if properly tempered.
- Bone in skin on chicken thighs: Bake at 425°F for 35-40 minutes if they’re coming right out of the fridge.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Tasty, quick, juicy air fryer chicken thighs are here to save you from hunger!
- air fryer
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika (smoked paprika preferred)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper (or 1/2 tsp as desired)
- 1.5 lbs bone in skin on chicken thighs (or 1lb boneless skinless, see notes)
Optional paprika oil for extra shine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika (smoked paprika preferred)
Slice half of the lemon and set aside, then juice the other half. Mix in 1 tbsp olive oil into the lemon juice and stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper.
Lightly pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in the lemon-pepper sauce.
Cook at 360°F for 12-15 mins or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the juices run clear. Halfway through, flip the chicken and add lemon slices. Remove from the air fryer immediately when done.
See notes for bone-in skin-on or frozen cooking times.
Optional: make some paprika oil to drizzle/brush on after the thighs are done: heat up 1 tsp paprika with 2 tbsp oil in a small pan over low heat, until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and brush onto the cooked thighs.
For bone-in skin-on: Cook at 360°F for 18 mins, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the juices run clear. Halfway through, flip the chicken and add lemon slices. Remove from the air fryer immediately when done. Optionally, add an extra 5 minutes at 400°F for crisp skin (for a total cooking time of 23 mins).
For frozen chicken thighs, cook at 360°F for 25 mins, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the juices run clear. Halfway through, flip the chicken and add lemon slices. Remove from the air fryer immediately when done. Optionally, add an extra 5 minutes at 400°F for crisp skin (for a total cooking time of 30 mins).
I Am... Turkey Wontons in Turkey Mapo Sauce
I love a good classic roast turkey, especially spatchcocked or sheet-panned, but I also love turkey as turkey. Seriously, these turkey wontons are one of the best things you can do with ground turkey. Turkey is one one of those proteins people don’t use much of but when I see it at the store, it calls to me. Our grocery store sells ground turkey thighs on the regular and the other day we picked up a package with the express intention to make these turkey wontons in turkey mapo sauce.
These turkey wontons are the best thing for ground turkey ever.
Wonton are awesome because they are incredibly versatile little dumplings. You can put almost anything you want in those delicious slippery skins (I always go with store bought wonton skins for ease) and this time around I just used my usual wonton recipe, swapping out the pork for turkey. Green onions, ginger, soy, Shaoxing wine, and sesame oil give the filling some extra flavor. And to boost the flavor even more I made mapo sauce: simply the meaty, spicy saucy part of mapo minus the tofu, minus the pork too, and with even more ground turkey. The result was tender little wontons in a ultra red turkey sauce that hugged the wontons in deliciousness.What are turkey wontons?
Turkey wontons are the same wonton you know and love - a little meat filled dumpling wrapped in wonton skin - but made with turkey. I love playing around with different fillings in wonton and turkey (especially ground thighs) is perfect because it’s juicy and just a bit different from your regular pork and shrimp filling. Plus, I love making turkey things around Thanksgiving because, turkey!Turkey wonton ingredients
We’re going with some pretty standard wonton ingredients, but with turkey: ground turkey (I prefer thighs), scallions, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, and white pepper.- Shaoxing wine: This is what will add extra oomph and flavor to your wontons. It adds a lightly sweet, nutty, earthy, and complex flavor. It’s worth it to get a bottle if you make a lot of Chinese food, read more about Shaoxing wine here.
- Toasted sesame oil: Use this on EVERYTHING to add instant flavor. It’s toasty, nutty, and so good. Don’t sleep on this. We love Kadoya, which comes in that iconic yellow topped bottle.
- White pepper: One of those things that if you don’t have it, don’t sweat it, but it’s used a lot in Chinese cooking to add a brighter and sharper peppery flavor with earthy, floral heat.
How to make turkey wontons
- Mix up the filling. The key to a good wonton filling is a little bit of cornstarch to bind everything together so you get a tender juicy wonton. Mix all the filling ingredients together until they form a paste. It might look a little on the loose/wet side, this is what you want!
- Shape the wonton. You can do this any way you want: fancy or easy. The easiest way is to just put some filling in the middle of the wrapper and pull all the edges up and gently squish into a pouch shape. Otherwise, you can put some filling in the middle, fold the wrapper in half, then bring the opposite bottom edges together, wet, and pinch to seal.
- Cook. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and when it’s rapidly bubbling, gently add the wonton, stirring to stop them from sticking to the bottom. The wonton will sink down at first and then start to float as when they’re cooked through. Take one and cut it open to make sure, then scoop them all out.
How to freeze wonton
To freeze, just lay out the wonton in a single layer on a plate or tray, not touching, and freeze until firm. Then gather them up and put them in a freezer safe bag or container. Cook from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes on the cooking time.What is mapo sauce?
Mapo sauce is the spicy red, pork-y, garlicky, super umami forward sauce that’s served with mapo tofu. It’s delicious with tofu but we like it so much that we eat it with EVERYTHING: wonton (duh), pasta, nachos, you name it, we’ve mapo-ed it. Read more about mapo and mapo tofu here!Doubanjiang
Doubanjiang is a spicy fermented mix of soy and broad beans that's the key to authentic mapo sauce. You can find it locally at a Chinese grocery store, or online. Read more about Doubanjiang here.Is this dish spicy?
The mapo sauce has a hint of spice, but I wouldn’t say they are burn your face off spicy. The heat comes from the doubanjiang, which you can adjust as needed. If you need these to be spicier, sprinkle on some extra ground Sichuan peppercorns. The wontons themselves aren't spicy at all.What if I can’t handle spice?
Try these turkey wontons in wonton soup or tossed in jia jiang sauce which you could also make with turkey!Why you should make mapo turkey wontons
- you love turkey all the time, any time
- you want to feel the spice!
- wontons are life
- you wanna celebrate thanksgiving every day because you are thankful for good food
Turkey Wontons in Turkey Mapo Sauce
When you want turkey but don’t want to roast a whole bird, make these ground turkey wonton!
Turkey Wonton
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1/4 cup green onions (sliced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- fresh wonton wrappers (as needed)
Mapo Sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1.5 tbsp doubanjiang (chopped, see notes)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (whisked into 2 tbsp water)
- green onions (sliced, to serve)
- fresh cilantro (chopped, to serve)
In a bowl, mix together the turkey, ginger, green onions, soy, Shaoxing, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper.
Take a wonton wrapper and place 2 teaspoons of the meat filling in the middle. Dip your finger into water and lightly wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold in half and pinch to seal. Bring the opposite bottom edges together, wet, and pinch to seal. Alternatively, just wet the edges of the wrapper and bring together and pinch into a small pouch. Keep the wrappers and finished wonton covered with saran wrap as you work, to keep them from drying out.
Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium high heat and start on the mapo sauce. In a pot, heat up the oil over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up, until the turkey is cooked through. Turn down the heat and add the doubanjiang and cook, stirring, until the oils release from the doubanjiang and everything looks bright red.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and soy sauce and bring the heat up so everything comes up to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and bring up to a gentle simmer, until the sauce is thick and glossy, about 1 minute. Set aside.
When the water for the wontons is at a rapid boil, add in your wonton. Stir gently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on size) or until cooked through – cut one open to check.
Drain well and toss in the mapo sauce. Enjoy with extra cilantro, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Doubanjiang is a spicy fermented mix of soy and broad beans that’s the key to authentic mapo sauce. You can find it locally at a Chinese grocery store, or online. Read more about Doubanjiang here
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