Not sweet... In a good way

Ugh, I couldn't stand the thought of everyone staring that those terrible brownie pictures.  Don't get me wrong, the recipe is a serious winner but the photo couldn't be any worse.  If you think that's bad, imagine all of rejected photos.  So embarrassing.  Anyways... life goes on.  Kinda.  See, I'm still posting recipes from my housewarming party two weekends ago!  That tells me that I really need to increase the frequency of my posts and that I need to take more pictures during the week.      The reason I don't typically take photos during the week is because I rarely get food on the table before 8pm... the sun is setting and any chances of catching natural light are gone.  Bummer.  So usually I end up re-making recipes on the weekends just so I can get a good picture in the early morning light.  I need to start experimenting with light boxes or get a better external flash... something!!  Maybe I'll make a visit to the photo shop this weekend.  :)  Does anyone know how to get great natural looking light indoors?

Anyways one thing at a time, we're here today to talk about smashed potatoes.   Not just any mashed potatoes, but SMASHED potatoes... I think they are named so because they are a smashing success with everyone!  I will warn you, when it comes to prep time... cook extra bacon if you happen to have 3 grown men in the house.  Somehow bacon always goes missing around here...

Smashed Potatoes

5 Large Red Potatoes
1 Stick Butter, Softened and Sliced
5 Slices Cooked Crumbled Bacon (preferably thick cut, fried crispy, and fresh)
2 Green Onion Stalks, Sliced into Small Rounds
1/2 C Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Bake potatoes in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes.  Don't forget to poke them with a fork beforehand.  When still hot, add to a large bowl and smash with a potato masher (I used a meat mallot).  Add butter, bacon, green onions, and sour cream.  Mix until combined but still slightly chunky... smashed potatoes have character.  Serve immediately (preferably with 1" thick filet mignons cooked medium rare and asparagus).

Best. Brownies. Ever

Bad Picture.  Awesome Brownies.  Something had to give... 

Sometimes you get lost in the Internet.  Just keep swimming... just keep swimming... swimming swimming swimming... but endless promises of fudgy brownies always seem to fall short.  Crap.  After 8 blocks of chocolate, 20 cups of sugar, and 15lbs  on your hips you still can't seem to find a satisfying brownie recipe.  I was just kidding about the 8 blocks of chocolate and 15 lbs... that would be seriously unfortunate.  This brownie however makes up for it all.  Every little caloric gain is worth it.   It is thick, fudgy, and insanely chocolaty... because there is nothing worse than a non-chocolaty chocolate desert.  You know what I mean.  How does that even happen??  It's a travesty and I won't allow it in my kitchen. If I want chocolate brownie, it better taste like chocolate.  Otherwise, we should just pack up and go home.  But for now... pack up, go to your kitchen, and make these brownies.

Seriously Fudgy Brownies

1 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 C Butter, cut into slices
6 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped (go for 60% cacao or higher)
2 C Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a nine inch baking pan with foil so that the foil hangs over the side of the pan.  Butter the foil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
3. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring often.  Add in 1 C of sugar and mix for 30 seconds.  Remove chocolate mixture from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Pour into a large bowl.
4.  In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and remaining 1 C of sugar.  Whisk well.   Pour half of the eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture.   With an electric mixer, continue to beat the remaining eggs until thick and pale.  Gently fold into the chocolate mixture.  Now add in the flour.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 35-38 minutes. Cool to room temperature then transfer to the fridge.

Chocolate Ganache Topping (optional, but highly recommended)

8 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp Honey
1 C Heavy Cream

1.  Heat cream in a sauce pot until slightly simmering.  Pour warm cream over chopped chocolate.  Stir until chocolate is melted and combined.  Remove chocolate mixture from the heat and let cool to room temperature.  Spread/pour chocolate mixture over cooled brownies and return to fridge until ganache has hardened.

Use foil overhang to lift the brownies out of the fridge and slice into small squares.  Store brownies in the fridge.

Pop-Tastic!

OREO BALLS

Everyone loves a lollipop.  Whether you're 5 years old or 85 years old, you're a sucker for suckers.  Last week I was going about my business at the bank when the teller handed me back my deposit slip, my cash... and a blue sucker.  I can't tell you how long that smile stayed on my face after that simple little surprise.  That small gesture reminded me of a great party pop that would surely be the talk of my housewarming party, cake pops and oreo pops!  Now, I can't take the credit for the cake pops.  I follow a few food blogs, one of which is Bakerella (http://www.bakerella.com/), she is an awesome baking blogger who has a cake pop cook book in the works!  I'm clearly not that creative if someone else already has a published book, but whatever, cake pops are awesome.  What I did do was apply the cake pop idea to my beloved oreo balls and turn them into oreo POPS!  Everyone loves food on a stick, right?? :)  And then, instead of worrying about the candy coating sticking to the aluminum foil and the bottom of my sweet pops being ugly, I made them flashy!  If I learned anything from my golf lessons, it was that there is a reason golfers wear flashy pants.  'Cause they got great ASSets!!   Sorry... I got a case of the Mondays and all I have is my corny humor to get me through it.

BAM! That's a pretty pop!

Cake Pops!

Anyways, here are the recipes... you've had enough of me today, I'm sure.

Oreo Balls/Pops

1 Package Double Stuff Oreos
1 Package Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Package Lollipop Sticks
1 Package Candy Melts (Pick your favorite color)
Sprinkles, optional

1.  Place all of the oreos in a large gallon size freezer bag.  Take the largest rolling pin in your kitchen to your bag of oreos and go to town (great after work activity).  Crush'em!
2.  In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until softened.  Add in the crushed oreos and stir until well combined.
3.  Roll mixture into bite sized balls.  The definition of bite sized is up to you.
4.  Freeze the balls for about 15 minutes.
5.  Place a stick into each of the frozen balls.
6.  Melt candy melts according to package directions, dip each oreo ball into the candy coating, and finish with sprinkles if desired.  Place onto an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet to dry.
7.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cake Pops

1 Package of your favorite cake mix
1 Tub of your favorite icing
1 Package Lollipop Sticks
1 Package Candy Melts (your favorite color)
Sprinkles, optional

1. Bake cake according to box directions for a 13x9 cake.  Or alternatively make your favorite cake recipe.  Let cake cool completely.
2. Once cooled, break up cake into a large mixing bowl and work in icing.
3. Roll into balls.
4. Dip into melted candy coating.
5. You get the idea...

Housewarming Weekend... Literally

It's that time!  Time to celebrate our successful move in to our mansion.  The six of us are all settled in and we cannot wait to spend some time with our friends this evening in our new house.  Adam's outside painting the corn hole sets, Joe S. and Lisa are picking weeds on our back deck, Joe Z's at work making the moolah to pay for this shindig (jk), and I've been in the kitchen since 6 p.m. last night baking up a storm.  The oven has been on for at least 8 hours in the last 24 so I can literally say that our house is warm.   Nothing says 'welcome home' like the smell of a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven, and that is precisely how I plan on greeting our guests this evening.  I've been busy so you can look forward to recipes for oreo pops, cake pops, brownies, mini blueberry cheesecakes, mini peanut butter cheesecakes, and cheese straw recipes in the coming weeks!   Cheese straws?  Yup.  For some strange reason, I got the idea in my mind that it was only proper for a southern girl such as myself to serve cheese straws at my housewarming party.  It's random, but that's me.  There are a few things I will do differently the next time I make these (more cheese, more spice, and more garlic) but don't tell my guests, the ones I made this morning will be great... we just like things spicy around here. :)


Cheese Straws


2 C All Purpose Flour
2 C Fresh Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3/4 C Slightly Softened Butter
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 C Water


(Note: Next time I will increase the Cayenne Pepper to 1/2 Tsp, replace the salt with garlic salt, and maybe increase the cheese to 3 C)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet or two.  Combine the flour, cheese, butter, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and salt in a large bowl.  Mix until well combined.  Slowly drizzle in the water and knead dough until you have a stiff dough ball.  On a floured surface roll dough to about half a centimeter thick (I like the metric system, I'm Canadian).  Slice into strips about the width of a pencil.  Arrange on baking sheet and bake for about 8-12 minutes.   

Everything's Just Peachy

Oh Dear.  I was a roll there for a hot minute!  When I posted that picture of Joe's beautiful birthday cake the number of hits the blog received went sky high!!  But I left again.  So is life, ya know? Sometimes things are hot... other times, not so much.  The strangest thing about it all is that since I stopped blogging, I really started cooking!  Now that I have so many people around to eat my food every day (including Joe), I cook regular meals like the rest of the world.  Every single day, I've been cooking!  I just didn't blog about it because I didn't think you all would find jarred indian curry sauces and frozen naan interesting.  Tasty! But not interesting.  Oh well, shoulda coulda woulda...  I've got muffins today!!

Wouldn't you know it that it was my home state's fruit which got me inspired again to begin blogging.   Only this Georgia girl's peaches are from Virginia.  I would know,  I picked 'em myself in the 100 degree heat last weekend.   I didn't know that Virginia Peaches existed... which makes me wonder, does that make me a Virginia Peach?  Hmm... something to ponder, I suppose.  Anyways, every single dang peach in these muffins were hand picked by yours truly.  Hand picked, hand cut, hand made.  Doesn't get much better than that.  And judging from the feedback I've received today, it was worth it.

Peach Muffins

2 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 C All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
3/4 C Unsweetened Applesauce
1/2 C Vegetable oil
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 C White Sugar
1 C Light Brown Sugar
2 1/2 C Peeled, Pitted, and Chopped Peaches

Crumb Topping
1 Tbsp Cold Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1/3 C Light Brown Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare baking pans with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce, oil, and sugars.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.  Lightly fold in the peaches and spoon into baking pans.
5. Combine crumb topping ingredients if desired using a fork until butter is roughly mixed into the sugar and flour (similar to corn meal).  Sprinkle over muffins.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool completely before serving.

Bahumbug

Hope you all had a great Father's Day weekend! Sadly I wasn't able to spend the day with my Pops since he lives down in Atlanta, but soon we will be reunited at one of our favorite places in the world, Hawaii!! The first time our family ventured to the islands was in 2006, the trip was to mark two things, first was my college graduation, and the second was to mark our last 'family vacation' being that both us girls were fully grown with real jobs.  The first was true; however, I'm not sure that the staff of the Hilton would agree about the second.  The weeklong vacation for my sister can be summed up in the following sentence: Sister tickles, I giggle uncontrollably, she lunges, I run like a little girl through the property screaming my head off as she sits in the corner laughing until her pants are wet.  At one point my parents asked the front desk staff to guess our ages, they said 18 and 16... hmmmm.  Not so much.  Anyways, I'm sad sister isn't coming to Honolulu this year but I can't be anything but thankful that our family reunions continue to be in such a beautiful location.   This is where I marked my graduation, this is where sister got engaged, this is where I studied for my CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) designation, and this year we will be meeting my Uncle Harold and his family from Canada for a wonderful time I am certain.   Even better is that each year, I get the opportunity to take more pictures of this place that I love.  Here are some of my favorites from last year... I can't wait to add to my collection in October.  This post could have probably waited a few months until we were closer to the trip; however, everyone except for me seems to be planning, going, coming on/from vacation so I looked through some of my old pictures for a pick me up. Enjoy!!

Mid Twenties & Lovin' It

Happy Birthday Joe!! Ummm... not really.   Joe's birthday is in October and my birthday isn't until December, so why did I post a picture of a birthday cake?

1. Because this cake was the last 'real cake' that I made
2. Realization of the point above made me really sad today so I wanted to share it's beauty with you (like a proud mama), and
3.  My half birthday is coming up in 5 days.

That means that in 5 short days, I will be teetering on the edge of the second half of my 20's.  I don't feel so bad about it because no matter how old I am, Joe will always be older!   It's fun to pick on someone who is already sensitive about approaching the big 3-0 when he's only 28.  I'm not only younger, I'm also Asian... the odds will always be in my favor :)

So let's get back to the cake.  Most of the boys that I know are your typical boys' boys.  They love beer and no matter what it is that you are making, they will love it even more if you tell them there is beer baked/grilled/broiled/braised/boiled/poured into their food.   As someone who aims to please, someone who also enjoys the occasional brew, and someone who loves cake.. I was all too happy to oblige.   Guinness chocolate cake.  Try it.  You will love it.  I will say though, this cake is not for the faint of heart.   The Guinness chocolate cake layers have tons of flavor and the chocolate ganache packs more chocolate punch than you might anticipate.  I chose to include some vanilla frosting inside the cake to 'lighten' it up a bit.  Think about that for a second...  I added BUTTERcream icing in an attempt to LIGHTEN a cake... now stop thinking about calories and re-focus on delicious chocolate cake.  Cut small slices and consider yourself warned.  Rich, velvety, chocolaty, yum!

Also, it goes without saying in my kitchen but you never know... always use good chocolate.  It will change your life.  Oh, and if you need a cake and live in the northern Virginia area, let me know.  I need to bake more cakes, but that doesn't mean I need to eat them all.

Guinness Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Ganache
Cake
2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.


For icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.
Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake

Who Knew?

Before we start talking about those gorgeous pieces of chicken above, I would like to address an issue that I have with this blog... my last few recipe posts have included rice krispies, quiche, and leftover pizza.  I know you are less than impressed.  I have let myself down in the recipe department and I realize that rice krispies and baked chicken are nothing to get too excited about BUT I promise I will do better in the months to come.  I will make more sweets for which this blog was named after, I will make recipes that require more than using up the last of your leftovers, and I will make recipes that require more than 2 ingredients; however, today isn't that day ... at least not yet.

I found a package of frozen drumsticks in the wee-back of my freezer a few weeks ago and since I'm moving in a few weeks (yes, that excuse is still valid) I wanted to find a way to use them up.  A lot of my friends don't like 'dark meat', but in the Woo household, we fight for the dark meat on Thanksgiving.     So when I read a recipe that only included 2 ingredients, no marinating time, and promised juicy flavorful chicken, I knew I had to try it.  Because seriously, how can chicken (the blandest of bland meat) taste good with only two ingredients?  I can happily report that it is not only is it possible for something to taste good with suuuper minimal ingredients, it even exceeded Joe's expectations!  My boyfriend who loves highly spiced, extra hot, in-your-face flavors and has a strange dislike for chicken, ate an entire plate of plain baked chicken and really really liked it!  This baked chicken recipe is perfect for topping a salad, stirring into pasta, or anything else that calls for a really good basic chicken.  And did I mention that there are only 2 ingredients aside from the chicken?!?!

Baked Chicken Drums
1 package chicken drumsticks or thighs
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp soy sauce

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and dry chicken drumsticks or thighs and place on a cookie sheet (I recommend covering your baking sheet with aluminum foil to help with clean up).  Sprinkle each piece of chicken lightly with garlic powder and top with approximately half of a teaspoon of soy sauce.  Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour.  Done!!

Movin' On Up

Have I mentioned that I am getting ready to move soon?  I may not have come out and said it, but my roommates and I are getting ready to pack up and move it on out.  Our landlord (who lives in an Italian Villa an hour north of Venice... jealous much?) is selling our townhouse so we don't have much of a choice in the matter.   Anyways, it's times like this when you start finding things in your house you didn't even know you had... including wayyyy too many pairs of shoes (I am too embarrassed to actually state how many I have, yet I can never quite seem to find the ones that match my outfit), that swirly twirly cake stand that I just had to have for my baking adventures still in its wrapping, and my sister's bridal shower scrapbook which is still a work in progress a year and a half after the wedding date (sorry sister!).   The list could go on and on but I'll spare you, instead I'll get to the point, after a weekend of cookouts and a week of random leftovers do you ever feel like your fridge is full of absolutely nothing?  Half a chicken breast, two slices of salami from lunch, a few slices of leftover bacon from breakfast, a handful of grilled onions and peppers from taco night, leftover basil from that tomato and mozzarella salad... there isn't enough of any one thing to make a meal but you feel bad throwing out all of this perfectly good food.  

Some people feel hopeless and turn to delivered Chinese food or pizza, but Joe and I have discovered something we both enjoy... make your own pizza night!  Layout all of your leftover food, dig in your fridge for condiments (i.e., BBQ sauce, franks hot sauce, leftover tomato sauce), and go to the store or your local pizza parlor for a $2 ball of dough and have a pizza making contest!!  Sometimes I have made my own crust if I really don't want to leave the house but store bought is still good and easy too.   Joe and I get to spend some time together doing something we both enjoy (I like cooking, and Joe likes competition... and meat) and we clean out the fridge at the same time!  Add a side salad and you have a completely new meal.   I realize this isn't anything new and may be completely obvious to you... but it's our new thing so I thought I would share :)  I haven't found a great crust recipe that I want to share yet... but it's coming, I promise I'm working on it.

Rise and Shine!

Good Morning!  Joe and I were talking yesterday and as we become older we are noticing that we are noticing that we are more and more becoming morning people rather than the night owls we were in college.   Our lives have changed quite a bit.   Since most of my days begin at 5:30AM, 'sleeping' in on the weekends has quite a different meaning than a few years ago.  So if I'm not being indulgent in sleep, I might as well indulge in this...

You know what they say, right?  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!  If that is the case, we definitely started our day off on the right foot this morning.   We had challah french toast (holla!!), peppered bacon, scrambled eggs, and sauteed spinach with garlic (gotta get your greens!).  Now that my belly is full, I am ready to face the day.  Hell, I may even be ready to face the week.

Challah French Toast 
4 1" slices of challah (approximately half a loaf)
4 eggs
2/3 C milk (I used 2%)
1/3 C flour
1/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
Maple syrup

1. Mix together eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in a shallow dish.
2. Heat a large skillet or griddle on medium to medium high.  When the skillet is hot add 1 tbsp butter.
3. Dip each slice of bread into the egg batter for 30 seconds on each side.  Place in skillet and cook for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown.
4. Add a little more butter to the skillet for each new batch.
5. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Chocolate Chip Update!

I almost forgot!  I re-visited the chocolate chip recipe posted on May 4th and tinkered with the baking times and I think I finally hit the chewy sweet spot.  I updated the original posting with cooking times.  Have a great night!

http://pleasepassthecupcake.blogspot.com/2010/05/thick-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

Back to Business

Ok, we're back! Back to blogging and back to the good stuff.  I'm only thirteen posts in and I am already beginning to run out of things to talk about (darn that introversion).  Let's face it, not everything that I eat or make has some sort of childhood connection or special sentimental value in my life.  A lot of it does ... but not everything.  Sometimes something just looks good or you want to try something new.  Strangely enough, I most often try new recipes during large gatherings or holidays like Thanksgiving or Easter.  It's somewhat strategic so that I don't have to eat an entire platter of mac & cheese on my own, but it's also surprising because it means I take on more risk in ruining my lovely holiday meal.  So far it's worked in my favor... just don't bother me during the planning, preparing, or cooking process because my control freak tendencies will bite your head off.  Consider yourselves warned.

Back in April, I posted a lovely photo of spinach quiches that we enjoyed during our Easter brunch.  Let me refresh your memory

Those were the raw spinach cups but they still look pretty good if I do say so myself.   Please notice the Georgia Tech yellow ramekins :) And no, that is no coincidence... when stacked they look like the leaning Georgia Tech tower of Pisa and that makes me smile.

Crustless (Gluten-Free) Spinach and Bacon Quiche Cups
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 (10oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
5 large eggs, beaten
3-4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
2 C muenster cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease your cups with non-stick spray or oil and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook until soft (3-4 minutes).  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add in spinach and cook until all moisture has evaporated.  Remove from heat.
3. Combine eggs, bacon, cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Stir in spinach mixture.  Pour combined mixture into cups until full. Top with more cheese, if desired.
4. Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until set.  Cool slightly and serve.

Happy Brunching!

New York, New York

Dearest Friends (If you can still call us that after so many days of silence),

I know I've been quiet.  I know I have left you recipe-less, photo-less, and most importantly cupcake-less.  I sincerely apologize.  Life has taken over and my blog as a result, has suffered.   For that,  I am sorry and I can only hope that I get better at managing my time and this blog; however, in my defense, it is somewhat difficult to think about recipes and pictures when work is blowing up and you will soon be homeless.   I'll stop with the excuses... but I'm just sayin', anxiety's been running a little high around here.  I've been eating alot of these.  I suspect it's because they remind me of childhood.

There was nothing that could beat a warm rice krispie treat after school.  They were my mom's "special treat" for us since she wasn't much of a baker.  So when things get crazy in life I find that I crave the same foods that brought me comfort as a child.   For some people comfort foods are mashed potatoes or mac & cheese... lately for me, it's rice krispies.  Thanks Mom!

Anyways, there is another reason why I was quiet for a while, I was on vacation in New York City!!!  Every few years my best childhood girlfriends and I organize a reunion.   This year the location of choice was New York and I couldn't have been happier to spend five days frolicking around the big apple shopping, seeing shows, shopping, getting dressed up for galas, shopping, and making some great memories to add to our already overflowing index of great times together.   And best of all?  I finally made it to Magnolia Bakery in NYC!  Best Friends + Best Cupcakes = Total Bliss.

We made a few other friends in the city, including some awesome shopkeep girls in SoHo who recently styled Olivia from The City, a random guy on a rooftop bar who Jess convinced that girls from Alberta always married farmers, and this lovely couple, Mr. & Mrs. Rock.

Mr. Rock

Mrs. Rock

In all honesty they were pretty boring, but few words have to be said when you see this... sigh. I love New York!!

Thanks ladies for another memorable trip.  My favorite memories include Rachel's amazing hotdog consumption (3 in one day! PLUS regular meals), Ming out-eating all of the boys (including one who was a college football player), and spending quality time with my best friend since birth (Love you Jess!).  Here's to June being the month of more blogging and more cupcakes! 

Like Whoa...

Two posts in ONE night? Madness.  I haven't been feeling too inspired lately so I took a look through my photo collections and picked out some of my favorite pictures that remind me of spring.  Enjoy!!

I like flowers. Alot.

Crickets

Oops.  I've been quiet lately.  I wish I could say the same for life. Thankfully the weather is finally beginning to look promising and I think I spot the first signs of summer.  How do I know this?  The strawberries are on sale at Safeway and the lemons are sun kissed.   So here's to hoping for 'sunkist' summers very very soon.

An Oldie But A Goodie

OK... so while I work on fixing the chocolate chip cookie recipe, I figured I would leave you all with an old reliable favorite.  It's pretty simple, I mean all the ingredients that you need to make this sandwich are listed in it's name for goodness sake.  Say it with me now... Ham, Egg, and Cheese.   What you may not know though is how to bring this old standby to the next level.   And for that, I have four letters for you... B-A-Y-S.   Best.  English.  Muffins.  EVER.  Bays Original English Muffins are like little clouds of happiness in the morning.   You know these english muffins are special because they don't hang out with the rest of the bread products in the regular bread aisle, they live in the refrigerated section near the eggs, butter, and cheese.  That in itself should clue you in to the fact that these things were made to be eaten for breakfast, even the grocery store pairs these english muffins with eggs.  Unfortunately, it took me a few years to come to this realization... I always stared at these lone refrigerated english muffins but usually assumed that similar to refrigerated bagels, the refrigerated english muffins must be sub-par to 'normal' english muffins located in the bread aisle.  Boy, was I wrong.  So let me tell you the story of how one day, I decided to place the classic red and white package in my grocery cart.

One sunny afternoon in July 2009, my lovely sister Jacqui was nice enough to fly all the way up to Virginia to help her little sister move into her new townhouse.  The girls worked tirelessly all weekend, painting two bedrooms in four hours (pretty good, eh?), and moving an exorbitant amount of crap from the smallest apartment ever to this lovely place I now call home.  We were so tired from that weekend's activities, we couldn't even bear the thought of walking all the way across the grocery store to get our normal english muffins when these Bays English Muffins were so conveniently located next to the eggs we were already planning to purchase.  So we took a chance and grabbed the closest package we could get our hands on.  To our delight, upon toasting we found that the Bays english muffins were far softer, far chewier, and far superior in every way possible to what we normally associated with the english muffin product.  Since that day, the two of us have exclusively purchased the Bays english muffins as they are truly the best we've ever tasted.  True story.

Life Lesson #84  - Sometimes laziness is awesome.

Hmmm... I just dedicated two whole paragraphs to english muffins and have said the words 'english muffin' fourteen times...  Anyways, getting back the the point of this post.  Ham, egg, cheese, and a Bays english muffin.  Breakfast of champions.  That's all I have to say about that.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies... AHOY!!!

Update 6/8/2010: The recipe didn't lie! I just over-baked the cookies!! I re-tried the recipe but only baked the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or just until the tops were beginning to crack and the results were delicious!  

Update 5/4/2010:  Unfortunately I lied ... or maybe I was misled... Alls I know is that some of the cookies were crunchy by 2:00 p.m. EST today .  For those that are counting, that is merely 16 hours after they came out of the oven (not that I'm bitter or anything).  I'll re-work the recipe and re-post when I figure out what went wrong...

Have you ever woken up at night and wondered why some cookies are soft and others are as hard has hockey pucks?  I have.  I used to think that under-baking cookies was the only way to get a soft chewy cookie but those results were temporary.  Unless you eat the cookie immediately, or shortly there after the cookie will get hard and crunchy with time.   I am a chewy chocolate chip cookie girl but I am also a self professed cookie snob, the chewy cookies that come from a package repulse me... even though everyone else I know seem to love them dearly.  I decided early in my baking career, that I would perfect one craft at a time.  My first baked choice of craft was the cookie... and cookies did I make.  Chocolate chip, sugar cookies, crackled sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, inverse chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter, cut out sugar cookies... you name it, I've made it.  And I have a pretty darn good cookie recipe collection if I do say so myself; however, while my cookies were delicious the day of or maybe even the day after,  I craved a chewier cookie that had real lasting power.  A cookie that had enough chew to be sent in a care package and still taste as yummy as they day they were baked if UPS accidentally looses the package for a day or so.  So I did some research, and after years of making cookies I can't believe the answer was SO simple.   You'll never guess what the secret is.  Really... you'll never ever guess.  Brown sugar!  I know, you're thinking to yourself, most cookie recipes have brown sugar in them already... but what would happen in you replaced ALL of the sugar with the gorgeous golden granules?  Chewiness would happen.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit I only baked these cookies tonight so I can't attest to the staying power of the chew but trust me... I'll be tracking it in the days to come.  It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it.  Also, please excuse the terrible photo... like I said, it's 10:15 p.m. and natural light isn't really available right now... all the more reason to make more cookies this weekend!! Win. WIN.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated Magazine


2 1/8 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 C chocolate chips (I use at least 60% cacao)


Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.  Add dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined.  Stir in the chips.  Roll dough into balls, approximately the size of golf balls for large cookies, adjust size to your liking.  Bake for 15-17 minutes, but begin checking for done-ness at 13 minutes.  Cookies will be cracked on top with a golden glow when done.   Let sit for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.


P.S. Can't eat all the cookies in one sitting or you don't have a party to go to anytime soon?  No prob, Bob! After rolling the cookie balls, place the raw dough in an airtight bag/container in the freezer and take them out to bake as you like! Just add one or two minutes to the cooking time.  Your friends will be impressed when you always seem to have fresh chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven when they come over... plus your house will smell great and they won't judge the dishes piled up in your sink.  Two birds, one stone. Done.

Hidden Talent

Those are pretty cool measuring cups, eh? (please excuse my Canadian) You haven't even seen the best part, take a quick peek inside...

Holy crap! Are those polka dots and spatter paint that I see?  Ohh yeaaaahhh... I know.  You're jealous because these are one of a kind.  A J-Dubs original creation.  But excuse me, feel free to stay and stare, but I must go... I have some baking to do. 

Baked Comfort

Sometimes in life things get cloudy.  Things at work just don't seem to be going so well, things at home are 'meh', and you just don't know why you feel so confused.  As I shared in my last post, I am 25 years old... an age synonymous with the Quarter Life Crisis ("QLC" for short... we're tight so I'm allowed to abbreviate).   Thing thing about your QLC is that it is worse (or better, depending on which way the pendulum swings that day) than the mid-life crisis that so many people fear.  Why do I say this, you ask?  Because during your QLC, you are still young enough to actually do something about the things in your life that are bothering you.  There are no kids, no significant others, no strings, nothing is holding you back from making a dramatic change in your life.  So if you've got nothing holding you back, what's the problem?  The problem is that you know that you're still not old/wise enough to know what exactly you want to change.  You're old enough and have enough experience on your own to know what you don't want but you haven't quite racked in enough miles on the odometer to know what you do want.  *sigh*  So what is a girl to do??  I make banana bread.  Good old home baked banana bread.  The kind that fills the house with smells of Home and fills your belly with love.   Because there is nothing worse than contemplating your uncertain future than contemplating your uncertain future on an empty stomach.

Lucky for you, I woke up early this morning to perform a little experiment.  Banana bread is in no way bad for you, especially considering all of it's marvelous healing qualities that I listed above... but I wondered, being that Joe wants me to get in a bathing suit today and go tubing down the river, is there any way that I can make my favorite breakfast treat a little healthier?  Applesauce.  Applesauce? Yes, applesauce.  I have heard over and over again that replacing the oil in a recipe with applesauce yields great results.  Now I wasn't willing to put the quality of my banana bread to chance so I did the only thing that I could... make two loaves, one following the traditional family recipe with oil, and another which replaces the oil with unsweetened applesauce.  Here are the results:

BB#1:

BB#2:

Can you tell the difference?  BB#1 is a little darker in color, and BB#2 rose a little higher.  So which is which?  I should have changed the order to mix things up a bit but they are in the same order in which I introduced them, BB#1 is with oil, BB#2 is with applesauce.  We held a taste test and the results were somewhat expected.  BB#1 is definitely your traditional soft, cake-like, super banana-y traditional banana bread.  BB#2 was super moist, delicious, and had great banana flavor as well; however, the texture of the bread was more of a bread rather than a soft cake.  The verdict?  Both were delicious.  So on those days where you need a little more comfort, go with the traditional BB#1, but for any other day BB#2 is a great, and healthy alternative.

Mom's Banana Bread


1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 C sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C oil (or unsweetened applesauce)
1 C mashed ripe bananas (approximately 2-3 bananas)
1/2 C milk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Stir wet ingredients into dry mixture until blended (do not over mix!).  Place in a greased loaf pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes.

WTF... Another Cupcake Blog?

Does the internet really need another cooking blog? Quite frankly, no.  A baking blog? Nope, those are covered too. Cupcake blog? That's already been done, over and over again.  The market is pretty saturated out there... but that's not the point.  The point of this blog isn't to put the others to shame (which will obviously happen in due time,  haha jk).  The point is for me to continue to learn, track my progress, and share beauties like this...  Hello, Lover.

So since I'm on this learning kick, I figure I'd take the opportunity to introduce myself so that you guys could learn a little bit about me.  You know, the person behind the keyboard who clearly has too much time on her hands? (not necessarily because I blog, moreso because I spend hours icing individual cookies which are eaten in a flash)  So, back to the topic at hand, who am I?  I'll tell you what I know.

Name: Jenn
Age: 25 (going on 60)
Career:  IT and Business Risk Consultant... aren't you jealous?
Background: American Canadian Asian (specifically of the Southern Chinese and Southeastern American variety... and yes, I am confused and yes, I love it... do the words 'melting pot' ring a bell?)
Current City: Alexandria, VA

I don't have too much else to add right now because the format which I chose to introduce myself just seems so... well... BORING. But I guess it gets the job done for now.  I hope that doesn't reflect poorly on my blogging or baking skills.  Blogging is new to me so I have no skills, but baking?  Baking gets the creative juices flowing.  Just wait and see... I'll show you!

The Return of Simplicity

Oh the beauty of simplicity.  I swear, nothing is simple anymore.  Everyone has at least two cell phones (work and personal), a home phone number, a work phone number, at least three different email addresses, hundreds of channels on the television... Geez! I'm beginning to feel worn out already and all I wanted to do was tell my sister that there is a new Grey's episode on TV tonight (yippee!!).  I think I have met 7 year olds with schedules packed full of more meetings, practices, events, dates, and lessons than the CEO of my company.  Life should be simple.  According to me, everyone should only have two goals each day.  First off, everyone should smile every day of the year.  Not those fake smiles that you plaster on your face when you walk through the halls of your office... but a real genuine smile.  The kind of smile that makes your eyes light up and say, my day would not have been the same had I not seen you.  The kind of smile that makes you human.  The kind of smile that makes you feel.  All I see everyday are smirks, pouts, and thin lipped expressions backed by multitudes of expletives... yikes!  That is no way to live.  The second goal is really in support of goal number one, but in my opinion the second thing everyone should do each and every day is give.  Give a hug, give your neighbor a pen, do your friend a favor, do something each day that helps someone else achieve goal number one.  Once you have achieved these two goals, you will have had a great day.

The recipe below takes all of these ideas and makes it into a dish that everybody loves using only the simplest of ingredients.  Good and simple because simple is good.

Roasted Asparagus and Peppers

1 lb asparagus spears
1 medium sized bell pepper, sliced into strips
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove minced garlic, if desired

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Rinse and clean asparagus and pepper.  Slice off or break off tough ends of the asparagus.  Core the pepper and slice into strips approximately the same width as your asparagus.   Lay the asparagus and pepper strips on a flat baking sheet covered in aluminum foil.  Drizzle olive oil and toss the veggies to coat.  Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and bake for 10-15 minutes.

My Love's Love...

Vampires are to blood as Joe is to garlic.  Joe (who I don't think I have mentioned yet on this blog, HI HONEY!!!) is my boyfriend who is, to put it lightly, a garlic fiend.   The kid can't get enough of the stuff... he puts garlic in everything and anything he can get his hands on.  According to Joe, when it comes to garlic the more the merrier and as such, one of his favorite dishes is chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.  I can't blame him, the dish holds a special place in our relationship as it was the first thing I made for him that was awesomely successful.  And I have a lot to be thankful for since after that day, Joe never questioned my cooking abilities :).  It never fails that after the dishes are put away and we settle in on the couch for a movie, both of us still smiling comfortably from the satisfying meal, Joe will nuzzle his nose in my hair and tell me that I smell wonderful... wonderfully garlicky.  I don't know whether to be flattered or disturbed... but at that moment things feel like everything is as they should be.  

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Yield: 4 servings.

1 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
About 40 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock or canned broth.

1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Place a deep, nonreactive skillet or Dutch oven over high heat, and add oil and butter. When fats are hot but not smoking, add chicken pieces skin side down and cook until skin turns an even, golden brown, about 5 minutes. Work in batches, if necessary, and carefully regulate heat to avoid scorching skin. Turn pieces and brown them on other side for an additional 5 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Bury garlic cloves under chicken to make sure they settle in one layer at bottom of skillet. Saute, shaking or stirring pan frequently, until garlic is lightly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add wine and stock, scraping bottom of pan.

3. Cover and continue cooking until juices run clear when a thigh is pricked, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve chicken with garlic and pan juices and, if desired, rice or sauteed potatoes.

Happy Easter!

First Success of 2010!

Happy Easter!  I hosted my first brunch today!! Another item I can check off my list :) I know that our Easter brunch was technically a day early but everything was perfect.  We decided to eat on the patio since the weather was so beautiful, the food turned out great, and I even had enough time to capture some of our Easter goodies on film! 


Easter 2010 Brunch Menu:

• Honeybaked Ham
• Spinich and Bacon Quiche Cups
• Macaroni and Cheese (sprinkled with Bacon)
• French Toast Casserole
• Sesame Green Beans
• Mango, Strawberry, and Blackberry Fruit Salad

I will be sure to share the recipes later (especially since everything turned out so well) but for now the couch is calling my name!