Kay's Cooking Corner

August 29 - September 4, 2016

Whoopie-pie Cake and Butternut Squash Risotto – comfort foods at their best!

By Kay Bona

So not long ago, my youngest son came up to me and said he wanted to make a Whoopie Cake. I don’t know how many of you remember Whoopie Pies, but a Whoopie Cake is very similar. I just didn’t know he could make one.

Anyway, we went into the kitchen to take inventory of all the ingredients he would need. I had everything but two items so he went to the store to get those.

About an hour later, boom! We had the best looking cake I think I have ever seen. Especially since it was made by a young man who, I would say is not a desert chef. He has made salads, grilled out meats and veggies, and can make a great dinner, but I have never seen him make a beautiful chocolate cake before.

It was so good though. I have supplied you with a picture of the finished product and the recipe. Let me tell you, it is good!

Another thing that I wanted to share with you is that the Taste of Home Cooking Show is coming to Stuttgart! For all of you readers in other states, Stuttgart is in Arkansas, but check their website if you are interested because they might be having one close to your town/city too.

The show date is Oct. 6, 2016 at 7 p.m. There will be vendor booths and concessions along with gift bags filled with goodies. Taste of Home Culinary Specialist, Jamie Dunn will be demonstrating step-by-step recipes and cooking tips. You can get tickets online. Sounds like it should be fun.

Well, I also have another recipe for you that I made the other day. You know it is getting close to “comfort foods season” so I just had to try out one of my favorite fall recipes, Butternut Squash Risotto. It was a rainy day (of course), so I just wanted to see if I could still make it. And you know what? I could and it was delicious. So I have that recipe for you too.

Granted, Butternut Squash Risotto and Whoopie Cake don’t go good together, but if you throw some Pork Chops on the grill to go with the risotto, you’ll have a great dinner with a fabulous desert! Give them both a try!

Whoopie Cake

1/2 box Devil’s Food Cake mix
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 (7.5-oz) jar Marshmallow Creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8” round baking pans and line each with parchment paper. Butter the bottom and sides of the pans and dust with flour.

Combine cake mix, water, 1 stick melted butter and eggs in a medium bowl. Mix well with electric mixer. Divide batter between pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then invert cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, make filling and ganache. To make filling, combine softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, marshmallow creme, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

To make ganache, place chocolate chips in a medium, heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. When bubbles begin to break the surface around the edges of the pan, turn off the heat. Pour the hot cream over chocolate chips, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth.

Place one layer of cooled cake on plate. Top with marshmallow filling, and then place the second cake on top of it. Pour ganache over the cake. Store in refrigerator.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1/2 whole Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, and diced.
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
1/2 cup Onion, diced
1-1/2 cup Arborio Rice
6 cups (approximately) Chicken Broth (low Sodium)
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Heavy Cream (If Desired)
1/2 cup Parmesan shavings

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper,. Cook for several minutes until squash is deep golden brown and tender. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Heat broth in a saucepan over low heat. Keep warm.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add Arborio rice and stir, cooking for 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low. In 1-cup increments, begin adding chicken broth to the skillet, stirring gently as the broth is absorbed. As soon as the liquid disappears, add another cup of broth. Continue this process, stirring gently as the broth incorporates and the rice starts to become tender.

Taste the rice after about 5 cups of broth have been absorbed to test the texture. Add another 1 to 2 cups of broth and continue to cook on low if needed: it should be tender with just a little bit of “bite” left to it.

When the rice is tender, add in the cooked squash, the cream, and Parmesan cheese and stir until it’s just combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve and enjoy.

Kay Bona is a staff writer for the Daily Record and an award-winning columnist and photographer. Contact her at kay@dailydata.com.