Recipes from the Portland Spring Home and Garden Show

Buffalo Chicken Wontons and Lemon Mousse Cake Bites

If you enjoyed reading about my weekend at the Portland Spring Home and Garden Show, I’m excited to share the recipes that wowed the crowd on the demo stage. Whether you’re looking for a savory snack or a sweet treat, these dishes are perfect for your next gathering or an afternoon in the kitchen.

Buffalo Chicken Wontons

• 1 lb chicken breast, boiled and shredded (or use store-bought rotisserie chicken)
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 8 oz. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup buffalo sauce
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• Wonton wrappers (already cut in 2 pieces)
• Blue cheese crumbles (for garnish)
• Green onions, sliced (for garnish)

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, Colby Jack, mozzarella, buffalo sauce, ranch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then, add in the shredded chicken until well mixed.
3. Spray a mini cupcake pan with oil to prevent sticking. Place wonton wrappers into each cup, arranging them to fit—even if they fold, just make sure there’s enough space for filling.
4. Spoon the chicken mixture into each wonton, filling to the top.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Plate the wontons and sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and sliced green onions before serving.

Picture from the show of my wontons on display.

Yellow Cake with Lemon Mousse

For the Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beating just until combined.
5. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let the cake cool completely before topping with mousse.

For the Lemon Mousse

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• Vanilla Greek yogurt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Lemon curd (warmed slightly and cooled)

1. Whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the vanilla Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon curd until smooth.
3. Gently fold the lemon curd mixture into the whipped cream until the mousse is light and cloud-like.
4. Spread the mousse evenly over the cooled cake, slice, and enjoy!

My cake and mousse display at the show. These were a big hit!

These recipes brought smiles to guests at the show, and I hope they bring a little extra joy to your kitchen, too. If you try them out, let me know how they turned out or what creative twists you added!