Tag Archives: Chocolate

Garnets & Ganache: Lemon Ginger Cake w/ Lemon Syrup & Chocolate Ganache

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February 2014

On January 21st, I hit the big 3-0, and on February 1st, I shared 30 cakes with friends. This is my tradition- one mini cake for each year of life. I hope to some day make 100 mini cakes and share them with equally crazy, vibrant people as this year, but I am perfectly content to enjoy 30 while it lasts.

Quelcy 30th-0005

Photo by Joey Kennedy.

This year, there were a few varieties counted amongst the total, one of which was a musical lemon-ginger. Since the party theme was Garnets & Ganache, the finishing touch was chocolate ganache of course.

Cakes and Tunes

Photos by Joey Kennedy.

Lemon Ginger Cake with Lemon Syrup & Chocolate Ganache

This recipe calls for a bundt pan. I used a large sheet pan in order to cut mini layers from the whole. If you use a sheet pan, adjust the baking time accordingly. Mine took about 25 minutes.

Ingredients

3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) organic unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups turbinado pure cane sugar

6 large organic eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

1 cup organic Greek yogurt

Lemon syrup (recipe below)
Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)
Powdered Sugar & Candied Ginger for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a standard 12-cup bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, lemon zest, ginger, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in lemon juice.

With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in three parts and Greek yogurt in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until incorporated (do not overmix). Spoon batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Firmly tap pan on a work surface to level batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes (if cake browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil).

Brush the cake with lemon syrup, to taste.

Let cake cool in pan 30 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Single-Grain

Candied Lemon Slices & Syrup

*I made candied lemons for a different cake and used the reserve of syrup for this lemon-ginger cake. Since you’ll be starting from scratch, go ahead and add the candied lemons to this cake. I’m sure it will be delicious!

Ingredients

3/4 cups pure cane sugar
1/3 cup water
2 lemons, thinly sliced

Directions

Place the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Add the lemon slices and bring to the boil.

Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the syrup has thickened and lemon slices are translucent.

Pour some of the syrup* over the cake and top with the lemon slices. Allow to cool and serve.

*You can use any leftover syrup as a simple syrup in cocktails or add to homemade whipped cream and then dollop into your morning coffee.

Single-Grain

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

8 ounces organic, semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup organic heavy cream

Directions

Bring the cream to a boil, in a saucepan over medium heat.

Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking to combine.

Allow to cool slightly, and then pour over cake and use an offset spatula to spread evenly.

Single-Grain

Bon Appétit!
-Quelcy

Happy Valentine’s Day (Homemade Peanut Butter Cups)

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February 2014

Happy-Vday

After hearing the scratchy record rotations and the sounds of compressed steam, I left the coffee shop humming “Stand By Me.” Inspired to change my listenings for the morning, I typed the title into my music program. A few repeats of the John Lennon version later, a bachata intro started to play, and damn if I didn’t tear up a little.

Cupcake Wrappers and Cookie Cutter

The Spanglish conjured memories of a calming garden, of a perfect lace dress that accented a neckline with utter elegance, of tall men in white suits, of palms and sunshine and grapefruit accents. The Spanglish version commemorated a German-American and an Ecuadorian joining hands to dip and twirl on a beautiful Florida day. All the warm memories of my best friend’s wedding hit me as I listened to the Prince Royce version.

PB Cups

I’ve had my fair share of heart flutters and heart breaks, but I’m still a sucker for seeing life through rose-colored glasses. I’m a sucker for true, sincere romance, big gestures and big loves.

Stacked PB Cups

I’m sure social media will bombard me with a fair share of cynicism, but a sucker for this day I shall be. I hope you take time on this Valentine’s Day to ignore commercial cards and cliche bouquets, to appreciate those who are junto a ti. Whether they are friends, family, four-legged, or big, big loves, this day is really just a day to say something sweet…and eat something sweet too (just like every other day should be)!

Hearts

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Makes 24-36 peanut butter cups (depending on the thickness of layers)

Ingredients

32 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted (or to taste)
2 Tablespoons honey (or to taste)

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Directions

Line a standard muffin tin(s) with paper cupcake liners.

Melt half the chocolate using a double boiler

Distribute enough chocolate into each muffin cup to form a thin layer. If the chocolate is not level, drop the pan repeatedly on the counter, and it will flatten. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden the chocolate.

In the meantime, whip the peanut butter, butter, confectioner’s sugar and honey together with a hand mixer or in a food processor until mixed and light. Adjust the sugar and honey to your liking.

Place a spoonful of the peanut butter mixture into each cup. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining chocolate, and portion small spoonfuls of chocolate into the cups, one cup at a time, immediately dropping the pan repeatedly on the counter to flatten each cup.

Allow the chocolate to cool slightly and then sprinkle with sea salt.

Chill the peanut butter cups for more bite, or leave them at room temperature for a softer, creamier texture.

Single-Grain

Love,
Quelcy

Chocolate Sables with Pistachios & Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

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January 2014

Trudging. Shuffling. Slipping. Trekking.

These are synonyms for walking in Pittsburgh in the winter. Though I am still managing to appreciate the pristine effects of the snowfalls this year, I do lament the many pairs of boots and shoes that sit idly while my Sorels steal the show [best investment ever!]. If it weren’t for my playful pup, who powders her nose like a model in an L.A. party scene, I might be singing a different tune (in the tone of a snow-stained, teary, emotional breakdown).

Chocolate Sables

If your hibernation needs a little inspiration, there’s nothing quite like piling on the blankets, firing up the projector, binging on guilty pleasures and dipping a little salty, chocolaty cookie into a mug of rich hot cocoa.

Chocolate Sables Pair

Sablés, as these biscuit cookies are called, come from the French word for sandy, perhaps as a nod to their crumbly consistency. Whatever their etymological origin, may these cookies help you to endure the longest stretch of winter, and if need be, may they mentally transport you far, far away to warmer places, brighter skies and sand between your toes.

Chocolate & Pistachio Sables
adapted from Bon Appétit
makes ~8 dozen cookies

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) organic, unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (lightly packed) organic, dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large, organic egg white

5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup unsalted, shelled raw pistachios, coarsely chopped

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Directions

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients; mix just to combine, then mix in egg white.

Fold in chocolate and pistachios.

Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8”-long log about 1½” in diameter, pushing dough together if it feels crumbly. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. (The colder the dough, the easier it will be to slice.)

Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 350°.

Working with 1 log of dough at a time and using a serrated knife, cut logs into ¼”-thick rounds and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing ½” apart.

Sprinkle cookies with sea salt and bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until set around edges and centers look dry, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.

Do Ahead: Cookie dough can be made 1 month ahead; freeze instead of chilling. Slice frozen logs into rounds just before baking.

Single-Grain

Bon Appétit!
-Quelcy

Coconut, Pistachio & Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

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January 2014

I have a guilty pleasure, and it starts with, “And who am I? That’s one secret I’ll never tell … You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.” I fought it at first. One episode into the dramatic lives of New York’s Upper Eastsiders, and I swore I had had enough. I fought it hard, but my inner gossip won. Multiple episode binges later, I’m sitting at the hairstylist’s divulging my love of Chuck Bass’s bravado, Dorota’s devotion, the brevity of “S” and “B,” and for the love of all that is sacred- those dresses and parties!!! Gossip Girl had clearly cemented itself as a guilty pleasure.

Oatmeal-Cookies

However, in that same hairstylist’s chair, I rattled off the laundry list of justifications for watching a show which quickly escalates into a teen soap opera with better lighting and locations.

1. Living vicariously stretches the imagination.
2. The show references a lot of high culture from art, to fashion, to music.
3. I dig the music featured in the show.
4. I now know what Louboutins are. Though clearly behind the curve, that acquired knowledge seems like a rite of passage. Now if only I owned a pair.
5. The actors’ names alone are quite elegant- Penn Badgley, Leighton Meester. I find different names interesting and inspiring in their own right.

If you’re going to have a guilty pleasure, might as well find a way [or five] to justify it, right?

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk

Tucked nicely in my collection of guilty pleasures is my belief that each day should hold a sweet indulgence. To be fair, I was reared on daily dessert offerings, and my bones were fortified with ice cream in addition to garden fresh veggies. Instilled though it was, this belief in sweets leads to its own set of justifications.

Chocolate Chunks

If I’m going to eat sweets, I might as well make them more than sweet nothings. Whole grains and oats blur the line between dessert cookie and wholesome granola bar, but chunks of chocolate satisfy the desire for a sweet indulgence.

Oatmeal Cookies Stacked

The slightly misguided moral of this blog post? Go ahead and justify your guilty pleasures.

Coconut, Pistachio & Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) + 6 Tablespoons organic, unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup organic evaporated cane sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed organic brown sugar

2 organic eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, optional

3 cups organic rolled oats
1 cup organic semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
1 cup unsweetened, coconut flakes

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets and set aside.

Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, then add to the butter mixture and beat until combined.

Stir in oats, chocolate chips, pistachios and coconut.

Scoop dough into rounded tablespoons and place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until done (crisper edges and gooey centers)

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Single-Grain

Bon Appétit!
-Quelcy

Chocolate Cake with… Mayonnaise!

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January 2013

In the attention-craving, shock-value style, characteristic of young kids’ humor delivery, I used to boast my favorite kind of pizza was blueberry. In the highly exaggerated, dramatic, facially expressive style, characteristic of young kids’ reactions, my friends would squeal, “Blueberry? Eeeewwwwwwwww.” The detail I was purposefully withholding for heightened childhood drama was the fact my favorite pizza was a dessert pizza.

Chocolate and Gold

If you want to revert momentarily to your inner child, you’ll present these cupcakes with a minimal yet alarming description, “Have a chocolate mayonnaise cupcake!” Faces will drain of the zeal that filled their faces just seconds ago. Just like little Quelcy, you’ll let their minds reel momentarily, and then you’ll quickly remind your sweet-toothed friends, mayonnaise, when made simply and purely, is mostly oil and eggs. Mayonnaise in cake merely means a richer, moister cake. Order will be restored, and chocolate cupcakes will be savored!

Bon Appetit Chocolate Cupcake

I adapted these cupcakes from a Bon Appétit cake recipe, in an effort to share chocolate cake more conveniently with more people. I used a salty, roasted pecan for some of the garnishes and pink Himalayan sea salt for others. The choice is yours, but I highly recommend popping the frosted cupcakes into the toaster oven to melt the icing ever so slightly before serving.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Chocolate Caramel Icing
adapted from Bon Appétit

Cake Ingredients

Olive oil for greasing pan

2 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large organic eggs
1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar

1 cups organic, olive oil based mayonnaise (not low-fat)
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients 

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup organic light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 cup water

1 cup organic heavy cream

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt for garnishing
pecans for garnishing

For the Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly brush cupcake pans with olive oil.

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs and sugar until pale and doubled in volume, about 4 minutes.

Add mayonnaise and vanilla and beat until just combined.

With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with 1⅓ cups lukewarm water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Scrape batter into pans, dividing evenly.

Bake cupcakes, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20–30 minutes.

Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool 20 minutes before turning out onto racks. Let cool completely.

For the Frosting

Put chocolate in a medium bowl.

Bring sugar, maple syrup, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Boil, swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until mixture turns a deep amber color, 10–12 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Return to medium heat and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pour caramel over chocolate and stir until mixture is smooth; let cool, stirring occasionally.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat chocolate mixture, gradually adding butter, until frosting is thickened and smooth, about 1 minute. Chill, stirring occasionally, until stiff enough to spread easily, 20–25 minutes.

Single-Grain

Bon Appétit!
-Quelcy

Double Chocolate Cookies with Orange, Cranberry & Hazelnuts

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December 2013

Brown bags became a covering for the wooden kitchen table. Once the cookies had cooled sufficiently on a rack, my mom would transfer them to the paper. I can still see the circular imprints from the buttery bottoms. She’d cover that impressively long wooden table with cookies and fill the house with their fresh-baked scent. I would do my part to eat them while they were still warm, soft and gooey. From my little step-stool, my mom’s massive cookie endeavors always seemed effortless.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

This year, I holed away and made cookies for hours upon hours for a Harvest & Gather winter market. Though I covered my long dining room table with cookies, the word to describe my endeavor was “frenzy.” One element from my cookie memories remained the same though. I still took time to eat these double chocolate cookies while they were warm, soft and gooey.

Double Chocolate, Orange, Cranberry & Hazelnut Cookies
makes ~4 dozen

Ingredients

2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup organic, unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup organic pure cane sugar
2/3 cup organic brown sugar

2 large organic eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon orange zest

3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chocolate chunks (pref. dark chocolate chips)
1/2 cup hazelnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted butter and sugars.

Mix in the eggs, stirring them in one at a time, then add the vanilla and orange zest.

With the mixer on low or working by hand, stir in the flour mixture, mixing until no streaks of flour remain.

Stir in dried cranberries, chocolate chunks and hazelnuts.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet (dough balls were a bit larger than 1 inch in diameter). Leave about 2 to 3-inches between cookies to allow for spread.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, until cookies are set at the edges and tops are slightly cracked looking. Cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Single-Grain

Bon appétit!
-Quelcy

Thanksgiving Recap: Chocolate Pecan Pie

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November 2013

The first time I heard “chocolate” uttered as an adjective preceding “pecan pie,” I had an aha moment! What decadent brilliance! The dessert course for our Harvest & Gather Thanksgiving had to provide the type of finale that would leave each guest with fond memories and full, content stomachs. A chocolate pecan pie was just the right choice.

Desserts

The love this pie received made my heart swell. The two main tricks to its success were maple syrup instead of corn syrup, and a minimal accent of rich, dark chocolate chunks. The creamy, bourbon whipped cream and deep-dish, whole-wheat pie crust balanced the indulgent sweetness of each bite. Additionally, a slice of this pie and a large mug of coffee make the perfect post-Thanksgiving, recovery breakfast because after cooking for ten, there surely will need to be some recovery time.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Flaky, Whole-Wheat Pie Crust
*This might make slightly more pie dough than necessary. When baking for the holidays, anything extra is difficult to discern, since the excess will quickly be claimed by another dessert’s preparation.

Ingredients 

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup organic, unsalted butter, chilled
5-8 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, chilled

Directions

Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Cut butter into 12 pieces and rub into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some pea-size pieces.

Sprinkle apple cider vinegar over mixture, one Tablespoon at a time and knead lightly just until dough forms.

Form dough into a ball. Cut in half and press each into a disc shape. Wrap each disc in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling.

Makes two 9-inch pie crusts (16 slices).

Single-Grain

Deep Dish Chocolate Pecan Tart

Ingredients

6 large organic eggs
1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup
1 1/4 cups packed, organic dark-brown sugar

5 Tablespoons organic, unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped roasted & salted pecans (about 10 ounces), for filling

2 cups pecan halves (about 8 ounces), roasted & salted, for topping
1/2-1 cup dark chocolate chunks, to taste/design

Directions

Set a 9-inch cake ring (with 1 1/2-inch sides) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch round. Fit dough into ring; trim edges. Freeze 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together eggs, syrup, and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.

Whisk in butter, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt.

Stir in chopped pecans.

Pour filling into shell. Arrange pecan halves and chocolate chunks on top, in concentric circles or in the design/pattern of your choice.

Bake, tenting with foil after 15 minutes, until filling is set, about 1 hour.

Let cool at least 2 hours on a wire rack. Serve with whipped cream.

Single-Grain

Bourbon Whipped Cream
makes 1 1/2 – 2 cups whipped cream

Ingredients

1 cup organic heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons bourbon, to taste

Directions

Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the freezer. Add the whipping cream and vanilla. Use a mixer to beat until light peaks form. Add the bourbon, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over mix.

Chill until ready to serve.

Single-Grain

Bon Appétit!
-Quelcy

All photos in this post were taken by my talented friend Chris Goodman. 

Orange, Cranberry & Pistachio Spelt Brownies

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December 2013

“That will be different next time,” a man relayed nonchalantly, multi-tasking a phone call into his evening commute like so many of us do. My little one’s leash pulled me within earshot, over the darkness enshrouded golf course. Had we been earlier, had we caught the last glimpse of sun, she surely would not have been allowed on the green, but under the purple and navy sky, her presence marked time and change. Beyond the silhouetted trees, a city glimmered, and two universities flickered with the frenzy of minds at work, bodies on the go, teams in competition, feeding, sleeping and all the ups and downs of success and stress.

La Belle Chocolatiere

I used to seek the manicured course for a brief escape. I’d walk the hills and the private drives with enviable condos, hoping to ease the mounting stresses in my mind. Over the course of my own university frenzies, I walked to the neighboring park with the both the weight of a broken heart and the lifted shoulders of accomplishment.

Open Cocoa Container

The past few months have had their fair share of unexpected life changes, and their stresses crept up to me in the night and stole my slumber. My subsequent escape to the park was subconscious. How fitting to find myself in the park, where darkness forced me to focus on simple steps, literally one foot in front of the other, avoiding tree roots and the unexpected. How fitting to share this peaceful place with a puppy and to see the sensory overload exhilarate her.

Breakfast Cocoa

As I tread carefully in the darkness, my past and present tiptoed around each other, just as the man said, “that will be different next time.”

Tin Top with Brownie

In my recent frenzies, my kitchen has been more of a collector of dirty dishes than the typical haven for culinary creativity. However, a craving drove me to make my way through the kitchen sink’s collection to whip up something sweet and satisfying. I originally made a very simple spelt brownie, but the second time around, I added more variety. The beauty of this 8×8 chocolate canvas is it can be different every time!

Orange, Cranberry & Pistachio Spelt Brownies
Makes an 8×8 pan of brownies

Ingredients

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped (Ghirardelli)
1 stick organic unsalted butter, plus extra for pan

1 1/3 cups turbinado raw sugar
2 large organic eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup organic dried cranberries

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Oil an 8×8-inch square baking pan and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt chocolate and butter together until only a couple unmelted bits remain.

Off the heat, stir until smooth and fully melted.

Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and salt.

Stir in flour with a spoon or flexible spatula and scrape batter into prepared pan, spread until even.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out batter-free.

Let cool and cut into desired size.

If desired, dust the brownies with powdered sugar before serving.

Single-Grain

Bon Appétit!

-With The Grains

A Craving Conqueror: Coconut Rum Blondies

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October 2013

At one point in time, I conquered my cravings with box mixes. It’s true. Granted, they were organic box mixes comprised of magical ingredients like protein-rich hemp (not THC), but still, they were a lazy girl’s box mixes nonetheless. As I ventured into some elaborate cake decorating, most pre-made ingredient lists made it so I didn’t want to eat my creations, let alone feed them to anyone else. Fast forward a bit, and I was hovering over mixing bowls of wet ingredients, dry ingredients, and a warm oven. Fast forward even further in this film, and we are here…

Coconut Rum Blondie

An easy way to satisfy your mid-week sweet tooth, blondies are staples, which also means blondies are blank canvases. Once you’ve made one batch of the standard sort, you can start to tweak and embellish, ie: booze it up and make them taste like summer. Then serve with a scoop of organic vanilla bean ice cream (because I was reared on ice cream as some sort of fourth meal if not its own food group) and a drizzle of smoky Scotch Butterscotch.

Coconut Rum Blondies

Ingredients

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted, organic butter, browned
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1 cup tightly packed, organic brown sugar

2 large, organic eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup spiced rum

3/4 cup chocolate chips, plus more for the top
3/4 cup pecans, toasted
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a square baking dish with parchment paper and butter generously.

Toast your coconut flakes over medium heat in a pan or in your toaster oven, watching to make sure they don’t burn. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the brown butter, pure cane sugar and brown sugar.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing completely.

Add the vanilla extract and rum.

Slowly add in the flour mixture until completely combined.

Fold in the toasted coconut, chocolate chips and pecans.

Pour into your pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Double Chocolate Cookies with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

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August 2013

I consider myself a pretty empathetic person. I “occasionally” cry during movies (shhh…don’t tell). I understand why my sister is losing it as she prepares to send her baby to college. I listen understandingly to looming life questions from friends.

Salted Chocolate Cookies

However, when someone stares at an almond croissant, from an authentic French bakery and tells me, “Meh, I’m just not that into sweets. I’d rather have a bagel,” I am at an utter loss. A COMPLETE & UTTER LOSS.

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

When said person has a potluck to celebrate his new abode, my response is to put some salt on something sweet. The result is a beautiful, pink accented, middle ground?

Salty Cookie Stack

Double Dark Chocolate Cookies with Sea Salt
makes 24 large cookies

Ingredients

6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
2 large, organic eggs

Pink Himalayan sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking stone (or cookie sheet) with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt chocolate chips and butter, stirring until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Stir sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate, mixing until fully combined.

Use a Tablespoon to scoop dough and place on cookie sheet, leaving room for spreading. Sprinkle lightly with pink Himalayan sea salt.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until center is set. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling tray. Sprinkle with additional salt if need be.

Serve warm or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake (Gluten Free)

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June 2013

There is a simple question I ask myself quite frequently in my baking endeavors- “would this be better with chocolate?” There is a simple answer that follows quite frequently in said baking endeavors- “YES! Absolutely, this would be better with chocolate!”

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

When a friend asked if I could come up with a dessert for a tropical/Caribbean, gluten-free dinner party he was catering, chocolate was absolutely the answer! Tres leches cake tastes like a spongy cake saturated with a milkshake. Though I sent this cake into the world before tasting the result for myself, I was told its eaters agreed with the chocolate upgrade.

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients

6 large, organic eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup raw sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
2 teaspoons spiced rum

1/2 cup organic unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for baking pan

1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups organic heavy cream, divided
1 can (13.75 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup spiced rum
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 organic lime, zested

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F and butter an 9×13 baking pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, baking soda, and salt. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes, depending on the strength of the mixer.

Add the egg yolks to the mixer and continue beating until well combined.

Add sugar in a slow, steady stream and whisk until well blended. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and rum and mix to combine.

Stop the mixer, remove the whisk, and fold in the melted butter with a spatula.

In a separate bowl, combine the almond meal and cocoa powder.

Add 1/4 cup flour mixture and fold to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, folding in 1/4 cup at a time.

Pour batter into the prepared pan; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

**************

While the cake is baking, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, the coconut milk, the condensed milk and the cinnamon. Reserve ½ cup of the mixture. Set aside.

As soon as cake is removed from oven, pour the bulk of the cream mixture over cake. Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cover cake with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 5 hours and up to 8 hours.

*************

Just before serving, whisk the remaining heavy whipping cream (1 1/2 cups) and the milk mixture reserve until soft peaks form and add remaining 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Spread the whipped cream over cake and smooth with a spatula. Pipe remaining whipped cream into rosettes. Top with a mango chunk and sprinkles of lime zest.

Arrested Development Inspired Recipes: Bluth’s Banana Stand Cheesecake

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May 2013

If someone tells me they either don’t like or don’t get the hype around Arrested Development, it makes me seriously question our friendship (or potential friendship). My Special One is so clearly not one of those questionable types. His quoting abilities earned him an Arrested Development themed birthday present and dinner, which would have been incomplete without an hommage to the Bluths’ Banana Stand.

Banana Stand Bananas

From the Arrested Development Wiki

“Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana”, a frozen banana stand was started by George in 1953 as part of the Bluth Company. It is located on the Oceanside Wharf boardwalk, on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. Throughout the series, the banana stand gets destroyed and rebuilt several times.

Banana Stand Bananas 02

The Banana Stand Menu:

The Original Frozen Banana
Frozen banana dipped in hot fudge and covered with fresh nuts

The George Daddy
Frozen dipped bananas sandwiched between chocolate grahams

The G.O.B.
Frozen banana double dipped in chocolate with double the nuts. (“Charity Drive”)

The On the Go-Go Banana
Frozen banana in a cup of sizzling hot fudge

The Giddy-Girly Bananab
Frozen banana dipped in hot fudge and covered with our pink heart candy

The Simple Simon

Double-Dipped Frozen

Banana Garnish

“Bluth Banana Stand” Inspired Chocolate Bananas

Ingredients

1 cup organic semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
2 bananas, sliced

Directions

Use a Maria bath to melt the chocolate. Use prongs to roll a banana slice in the melted chocolate.

Roll the banana in a bowl with the chopped peanuts.

Transfer to wax paper. Repeat with all the slices, and then transfer to the freezer.

Banana Cheesecake

Bourbon Whipped Topping

Half Pint local heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 Tablespoon local honey
3 Tablespoons bourbon (I used Wild Turkey)

Directions

Pour the heavy cream into a chilled bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until soft peaks form.

Add the honey and bourbon. Continue to beat until stiffer peaks form (but not too far, or you’ll end up with bourbon butter!)

Arrested Development Dessert

Do as I say or do as I do?

I adapted this recipe from The Candid Appetite, but some of my portioning seems to have been overzealous. A combination of throwing in one extra banana and perhaps not having the crust crawl up the side of the pan enough, resulted in a lot of excess filling. I chose to freeze the extra filling for another time when I crave this dessert (because it is an addictive type of dessert). At that point, I’ll be halfway finished the process! Take your pick. Either follow the recipe and relish the excess, or use three bananas, maybe some extra nuts and perhaps a smidgen less mascarpone. How’s that for a grandmother style recipe? Either way, definitely use the Newmans Own cookies for the crust!

Bluths’ Banana Stand Cheesecake

Ingredients

2 cups Newman’s Own Ginger-O’s cookies (one 8-oz package), finely crushed
1/2 cup mixed salted nuts, finely crushed

1/2 cup (1 stick) organic, unsalted butter, melted

4 large ripe bananas
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup organic, light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons bourbon whiskey (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
16 ounces mascarpone cheese

1 cup pure cane sugar

4 large, organic eggs

1 Tablespoon bourbon whiskey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the outside with aluminum foil. Set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, crushed nuts and melted butter until well combined and forming clumps.

Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan and pat down with your hands, making sure to flatten out the bottom and pat the crumbs into the sides of the pan as well.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.

In a small sauce pot, mash the bananas until they are completely mashed and smooth. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the sugar has melted and the bananas cook slightly.

Remove from heat and add the bourbon or vanilla if using. Mix and allow to cool down completely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Slowly stream in the granulated sugar and continue to cream together for another 2 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add in the bourbon.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, mix again. Stir in the banana mixture until just incorporated.

Spread the filling over the crust and place in a roasting pan.

Pour hot water into the roasting pan until the water level reaches half way up the springform pan. Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the center is firm and doesn’t jiggle when shaken.

Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Place in the fridge and chill for at least 8 hours.

Assembly

Pipe whipped cream onto the cake. Top each rosette with a frozen banana slice.

Chill in the freezer. Allow to thaw slightly before serving.

AND LASTLY…

Remember! There is ALWAYS money in the banana stand!

Table Magazine Gatherings Issue: Part Two (Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake with Candied Lemon Mascarpone)

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April/May 2013

The greenery had begun to blanket the patio at Il Pizzaiolo just in time for Table Magazine’s gatherings issue. The concept, as I mentioned in Part One, was an Italian style dinner amongst friends. Though the entire meal felt very natural from its pacing to the conversation, there was a little bit of sunshine trickery beyond the frame…

Behind the Scenes

The food, however, was all real, including my dessert contribution.

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Table styled by Suzanne Friday.

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake with Candied Lemon Mascarpone Topping

Cake and Basket Weave

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons organic unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 large local eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup pure cane sugar

3 Tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, and line with parchment cut to fit.

Melt butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

With a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.

Add espresso and salt, and beat for 1 minute.

Add vanilla and chocolate mixture, and beat for 1 minute.

In a clean bowl and with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until foamy. Slowly add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (this took a really long time, an occurrence which could probably be explained by science)

Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a rack. Remove pan sides. Carefully lift cake with a spatula, and remove parchment.

Candied Lemon Slices & Syrup

Ingredients

3/4 cups pure cane sugar
1/3 cup water
2 lemons, thinly sliced

Directions

Place the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Add the lemon slices and bring to the boil.

Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the syrup has thickened and lemon slices are translucent.

Remove the lemons and set aside.

Set aside 2-3 Tablespoons of the syrup for the mascarpone topping. Pour the remaining syrup over the cake.

Whipped Mascarpone Topping

1/2 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons reserved syrup from candied lemons

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a chilled mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until well combined and fluffy.

Use a spatula to spread the whipped topping over the cake. Arrange the candied lemon in a circular pattern.

Patio Statue

Chocolate Coconut Cake w/ Coconut Buttercream for Stella’s Birthday

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May 2013

Do you remember your fourth birthday? I bet I would if the appropriate party photo jogged my memory (or in the least, some reconstructed version of a memory)… was that the year of the bunny cake, or maybe it was the Cabbage Patch kid cake?

Coconut Buttercream Layer

When you’re that age, birthdays are especially epic (to be fair, I still get pretty excited about my birthday). Even in between birthdays, you’re busy adding quarter and half years to your age to validate how big you are!

Stella Cake Top View

When my bosses asked me to make a birthday cake for their daughter Stella’s fourth birthday, I took the task pretty seriously. I wanted to make her a birthday cake that would leave an impression on her little girl memory.

Stella Flags

Stella’s a May lady, so the theme for her shindig was Cinco de Mayo. My first instinct for a Cinco de Mayo cake would be a drenching of rum (like this tres leches cake), but this wasn’t her twenty-first birthday, so there was more brainstorming to be stormed.

Stella Cake Closeups

Instead of boozing a four-year-old’s party, I channeled the produce of peninsular Mexico- coconut and a touch of mango. There were cinco layers of cake, symbolic of the theme, a little cupcake on top by birthday girl request (and for good luck) and a mango rosette for a pop of color!

Stella Bday Cake

The recipe below is for two 9-inch cake layers. If you want to make your own special, layered birthday cake, double the recipe below and use a 9-inch, 7-inch and 5-inch pan. 

Chocolate Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream
Makes two 9-inch layers

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup organic, unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups pure cane sugar

2 large organic eggs

1 cup organic coconut milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch springform pans with butter.

Combine the chocolate chips and cocoa in a mixing bowl with the hot water. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs, one at a time until thickened slightly and lighter in color (about 3 minutes).

Slowly add the coconut milk to the egg mixture, and then the melted chocolate, beating until well combined.

Add flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Divide batter between the two pans, and bake in middle of oven until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.

Cool cake completely before frosting.

Coconut Buttercream

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
2-3 cups organic powdered sugar
3/4 cup organic coconut milk

unsweetened coconut flakes, to taste

Directions

Use a mixer to combine butter and powdered sugar.

Add coconut milk a little at a time. Add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.

Top with unsweetened coconut flakes to your liking.

Chocolate, Almond, Lemon Cake with Candied Lemon (Gluten Free)

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April 2013

Sometimes a story is so good, you start telling it on behalf of someone else, adopting it as if it’s your own.

Candied Lemons and Sugar

Sometimes that story takes place in a dreamlike setting, making the vicariousness all the more appealing.

Close Up Lemons

When my Special One was not quite yet my “Special One,” he went on a family trip to Italy. After concluding an amazing Mediterranean meal overlooking the bright blue waters and cliffside homes of the Amalfi coast, the server asked if the family might want to conclude with some “lemon jello.” “When in the Amalfi coast..,” he thought, and he agreed to have a citrus flavored dessert we associate with the jiggling, cutout creatures of our childhood. The server returned with a bottle of yellow liquid and small glasses, and my very confused Special One took his first sip of limoncello.

Cake and Stand

A friend invited me to a gathering featuring his homemade pizzas (read: amazing pizza after pizza after pizza!!!), so I offered to bring a dessert. Often when I think of Italian cuisine, I think of a fresh, tart, lemony finale, so my contribution was a dark, chocolate, sweet, tart lemony conclusion. Plus, with a name like “Chocolate Almond Lemon Cake,” this rich dessert is far less confusing than limoncello.

Lemon Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Almond Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup good-quality cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 teaspoon organic lemon extract

1 3/4 cups almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pure cane sugar
3 large organic eggs
2/3 cup regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Grease a 9-inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.

Whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water in a glass measuring bowl until smooth. Whisk in the extracts, then set aside to cool a little.

In another smallish bowl, combine the almond meal (or flour) with the baking soda and pinch of salt.

Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.

Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly add the ground almond mixture.

Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.

Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.

Candied Lemon Slices & Syrup

Ingredients

3/4 cups pure cane sugar
1/3 cup water
2 lemons, thinly sliced

Directions

Place the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Add the lemon slices and bring to the boil.

Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the syrup has thickened and lemon slices are translucent.

Pour some of the syrup* over the cake and top with the lemon slices. Allow to cool and serve.

*You can use any leftover syrup as a simple syrup in cocktails or add to homemade whipped cream and then dollop into your morning coffee. 

A Brunch With Bess & Cassie (& The 24 Hour Woman)

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April 2013

Eventually in small cities, you discover everyone is connected. For dating, this can often be a nuisance, but for friendships, these connections exponentially increase the amazing people in your world and at your table. In this case, I met Bess through vintage wares and Cassie through yoga poses, and then I discovered they both knew each other as well. That chain of connections was just cause for a sunny brunch!

Drinks and Garnish

There’s something about the bright, tartness of grapefruit that fits the often cold, yet sunny, transition from winter to spring, so this brunch was all about grapefruit!

Goat Cheese and Table

Berry Beet Stackers

Layer The Following:

Slices of Roasted Beet
Slices of Pink Lady Apple
Slices of Blueberry Goat Cheese
Drizzle with Orange Chocolate Balsamic Sauce

Orange Chocolate Balsamic Sauce

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 pure cane sugar
1 bar (3.5 oz) Lindt Intense Orange Dark Chocolate

Combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until  sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate. Leave to cool at room temperature.

Broiled Grapefruit

Bruléed Grapefruit
Yields 1-2 servings

Ingredients

1 ripe grapefruit, cut in half
2 Tablespoons organic brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of ground cardamom

Directions 

Loosen grapefruit segments slightly with a paring knife or spoon, cutting only an inch down. Place grapefruits cut side up onto a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and spices. Spread evenly over the top of the halved grapefruits.

Place the baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven and broil the grapefruits for 4-6 minutes, or until the sugar has completely melted. Watch very closely to prevent burning!

Serve immediately with a dollop of honey-whipped mascarpone cheese or homemade whipped cream for fancier brunch occasions. Serve with a dollop of plain, Greek yogurt for a tangy, delicious, weekday breakfast!

Cake and Cake Table

Whole-wheat, Grapefruit & Basil Olive Oil Cake (recipe to follow in a subsequent post) & sparkling grapefruit soda.

Bess Cassie Quelcy

New friends can often trigger old memories and fill a table with laughter. One of our discussions was about the very memorable and ridiculous punishments we experienced as adolescents. What are yours?

24 Hour Woman

Cassie is the proud owner of the Twenty-Four Hour Woman day calendar, and she thought these dates best represented me. Note to self: bake more pies naked!

On a fully clothed note to self: hang out with these awesome women even more!

Bourbon Blondies for Battles

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March 2013

The world can be deliciously small if you make it so. This lesson was reiterated to me via the enormous scope of Twitter. My ever talented, tweeting pal, Johnny Battles, graced my mailbox with his Sweeteeth chocolate wonders. Receiving snail mail is a welcomed surprise. Receiving a box full of chocolate makes you feel like this kid.

Dear Sir Battles

In a very poor display of promptness, I took my sweet time in putting together a return package of sweets. It may have taken a New Year’s resolution to send more snail mail and a week in between an old job and a new job, but I finally, finally, finally put the US Postal system to work!

Bourbon Blondies for Battles

Johnny Battles is a gentleman of the south, so a splash or bourbon was in order a la bourbon blondies.

Cut The Mustaches

Taking that southern gent idea one step further, and one or two dips in dark chocolate later…

Mustache Stacks

Bourbon blondie mustaches!

From WTG

I may have snagged one for my own antics…

Mustache Twins

So here’s to you, Johnny! For your creative chocolate titles and chocolate mail mastery, two thumbs up (with at least one of those thumbs holding up a ‘stache)!

This Side Up

To make your own mustaches, follow this recipe with the bourbon of your choice (1792 in this case), cut creatively and then dip in melted chocolate.

29 Cakes for 29 Years: Mocha Cake Recipe

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February 2013

To say I like planning theme parties is an understatement, so when I decided to have an Amélie Themed Anniversaire, I crafted many small, film-inspired details (that perhaps were mostly apparent to me?). One of those details was the birthday cake…or cakes, rather. Combine the espresso and chocolate flavors from Amelie’s waitressing job at Café Des 2 Moulins with the opening credits, in which little Amélie bites raspberries off each of her fingers, and you have the inspiration for my birthday cake tradition!

Cake Side View

Chocolate Espresso Cake with Coffee Glaze & Mocha Buttercream

Note About Size: In order to get 29 little cakes, I doubled the recipe and used a large, sheet pan, but your everyday dessert craving or small get together probably doesn’t call for that much cake. However, your everyday dessert craving or small get together probably does call for a rich chocolate dessert with the bold accent of espresso. The recipe below is for two, 9″-round, cake layers.    

Coffee Glaze

Coffee Glaze

Ingredients

1/4 cup raw cane sugar
2 Tablespoons boiled water
1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules

Directions

Combine the raw sugar, water and instant coffee in small bowl. Stir until sugar and coffee are dissolved.

Raspberry Garnish Cakes

Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 bar (4 oz.) Dark Chocolate Baking Bar, melted

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules
3 Tablespoons organic heavy cream

1 cup (2 sticks) organic, unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups organic powdered sugar

Directions

Dissolve instant coffee in cream.

In a separate bowl, beat butter, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl for 3 minutes.

Beat in melted chocolate until blended, scraping occasionally. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in coffee mixture, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency.

Birthday Cake Assembly 01

Chocolate Espresso Cake

Ingredients

5 oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, melted

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups organic, packed light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) organic, unsalted butter, softened
4 organic large eggs
2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup organic buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and line two 9-inch-round baking pans with wax paper.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat brown sugar, butter, eggs, instant coffee and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl for 3 minutes.

Gradually add melted chocolate and continue beating for an additional minute.

Beat flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for 33 to 38 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of cakes. Invert onto wire racks; remove wax paper. Cool completely.

Brush coffee glaze over cake layers.

Spread Mocha Buttercream Frosting between layers and top of cake.

29 Cakes For 29 Years (A Birthday Cake Tradition)

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February 2013

There is something about a celebration that calls for layers of cake, and there’s something about me that thought my own birthday called for a mini, layer cake for each year of life! I’m not old by any means, but that is a fair bit of cake! However, this layer cake tradition of mine continued (as did my twenties for a little bit longer).

29th-Birthday-Cake-Tradition

That last candle was a bugger! If you’re curious why I called upon a garden gnome for candle-blowing-out assistance, this should explain it. Recipe to follow in a subsequent post.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding & Whipped Cream

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January 2013

I enjoy watching my mom move about the kitchen. She has dog-eared magazines and books full of recipes, but her intuition is really what guides her through most meals. When I’m home, I mostly want to watch and admire my mom, but sometimes I find myself craving the kitchen action as well. This Christmas, I moved from the spectator seat to the center of the action. In the midst of the chocolate melting and the cranberries popping, I lost track of the mixers (and my mom for that matter). Once I was able to track down my mom, she pointed me to the freezer.

Freeze Mixers for Whipped Cream

She had put the mixer blades in the freezer! Brilliant! When making whipped cream, a cold temperature is a baker’s best ally, but depending on the age and efficiency of your mixer, a long round of whipping can create some excess heat. I usually chill my mixing bowl in the freezer, but here was one more easy tip for the magical [shhh to all those super science geeks who may scoff at my childlike wonder for this] process of transforming cream into delicious whipped cream! Since you’ll be making so much whipped cream from scratch, you might as well make some chocolate pudding too!

Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder

4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks (local/free-range)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

Put 2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and the cocoa in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl.

Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil.

Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and continue whisking until thick, about 2 or 3 minutes more.

Pour the pudding into 4 jam jars. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight until set.

Just before serving pour the cream into a chilled bowl. Whip the cream with a whisk or a hand held mixer, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Take care not to over-beat the cream or it will be grainy. Serve each pudding with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Maple Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 cup organic heavy cream
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

In a chilled bowl, use chilled mixers to beat the heavy cream until soft peaks begin to form. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix until just incorporated. Keep chilled until ready to serve.