Sweet Lady Sass

Magazine Monday: Corn Griddle Cakes W/ Sausage And Orange Honey Butter

2012-02-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but whenever I receive one of my food magazines in the mail I flip through it, dog ear some pages and toss it in a drawer never to be utilized. What a waste! Huh?

Well not this month dear readers. I have already made two recipes from February's issue of Bon Appetit and both have been amazing. The first, The Fried Chicken recipe featured on the cover, I will not expound on much here because it is a savory recipe (and I actually didn't make it, my husband did), but I will say it was the best fried chicken I have ever had and you are dumb if you don't try it. Recipe here.

The other is a Southern dish I made for breakfast on Monday: Corn Griddle Cakes W/ Sausage And Orange Honey Butter.

If you are a savory-sweet fan this recipe is for you. Though the unique mix of sausage and chives with the sweet taste of corn and honey might alarm you, the flavor is as comforting and smooth as a southern drawl. Definitely worth your time and calories.

So shuffle through you drawer of old magazines or click this link and try it out for yourself.

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

2012-02-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

They say a picture says a thousand words. In this case it only needs to say nine. Melt chocolate, dip chips, cool, consume salty sweet goodness.

Planning For A Dessert Party: Bonus Blueberries and Cream Cookies Recipe

2012-02-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Throwing a dessert party is a lot fun, but it can also be a huge headache depending on the menu you plan and the way you execute it. I have thrown a few dessert parties in my day, some great and some not-so-great, and it is my desire here to expound on my experience. Hopefully, after reading this you will take away a few pointers on what to do, what not to do and what to expect. Keep in mind I by no means speak as an expert, just a Sassy Lady with a little experience.

1. The first thing you have to do when planning a dessert party, after picking the time day and location of course, is to plan the menu. I usually like to have somewhat of a common thread or theme running through my party, like when I did an Ice Cream Parlour here or this time around when I did a Momofuku Milk Bar theme. That way you have a frame of mind in which to think through what recipes you will use, decor, invites, etc.

After deciding on a theme, if you do at all, you will need to pick the appropriate amount of desserts to have at your party considering the guest size. When estimating the amount of dessert, I would say you always need less than you think for an adult party because most adults are more concerned with their caloric intake than how fast they shove 17 cookies into their face. I had about 3 desserts for 15-18 people and I had plenty leftover.

You will also want to pick desserts that compliment each other in taste and structure. What I mean by complimentary tastes, for example, is that you will not want three super rich desserts and no lighter fare. Or you will not want two caramel desserts. And if you want to get really technical, you can pair the flavors like you would wine and cheese, so that they enhance one another. What I mean by complimentary structures is choosing desserts with varying forms. Like a cookie and pie, as opposed to two pies. Or having one cream based dessert instead of four. And of course those rules fly out the window if your theme is 'Pie,' 'Ice Cream' or something of the like. But you are smart boys and girls, employ your discretion.

This time around I choose Blueberries and Cream Cookies, Cereal Milk Panna Cotta and Candy Bar Pie from my Milk Bar cookbook that I am currently obsessed with.

The Candy Bar Pie was so freaking good!

2. The next thing you will need to do after selecting your desserts is to create a plan of action. First, create a grocery list with everything you will need and then go to the store and get all those things. (Make sure you pay attention to the amounts in the recipe so you aren't standing pissed off in the kitchen when you realize you don't have enough heavy cream to get the job done.)

You will also need to create a schedule of when you will make what. With most desserts there are things you can make ahead of time. In my case, I could make a lot of things ahead of time, so I spaced out the tasks for the days leading up to the event. See.

Made these 'Crumbs' ahead of time for the Candy Bar Pie and Blueberries and Cream Cookies.

Also, you may need to create space in your fridge to store some things you make ahead of time, because it could end up looking like this.

3. Make labels for you desserts. It is a fun way to add atmosphere to your party while avoiding a lot of questions and unnecessary avoidance. You can find some cute ones at Eat Drink Chic.

Also, don't forget to think through what paper and plasticware you might need in addition to what you need to serve things in. Things easily forgotten when you're zoned in on preparing the dessert.

4. Display the desserts in a manner worthy of the time you put into them. Even a labor intensive stupendous tasting dessert can lack luster if displayed half-hazardly. Put thought into it, do some research on pinterest or what-have-you.

5. Lastly, be prepared to be OK if things don't turn out perfectly. You really can't put to much pressure on yourself to have things be just so. You risk meltdown and spoiling the party. And chances are most guest won't know the difference. I expect this 1/2 of the time because I like to try desserts I have never tried before for parties, which maybe should have been rule #1 to never do, but where is the fun in that? This time around the carmel was runny (next time I know to use another carmel recipe) and the Panna Cotta didn't set up quite right (I doubled the recipe, probably not smart when working with gelatin.)

(Whoops)

Hope those are some helpful tips. For sticking through a long post I reward you with the Blueberries and Cream Cookie recipe!

Blueberries & Cream Cookies

Milk Crumbs Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon nonfat milk powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup white chocolate, melted

Milk Crumb Directions
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove milk crumble from oven and let cool completely.
3. Transfer milk crumble to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder and white chocolate. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Blueberries and Cream Cookies Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1/4 cup glucose (I used corn syrup and it worked great!)
1 large egg
3/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup Milk Crumbs

Blueberries and Cream Cookies Directions
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Preheat oven to 375˚F.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Cream butter, sugars, and glucose until well combined. Add egg and mix.

3. Add flour mixture and mix then add blueberries and milk crumbs. Scoop dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

4. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until cookies are golden brown and tops begin to crackle, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

A Workout, Science Lesson and Decadent Dessert All-In-One: Chocolate Chantilly Cream

2012-01-26T14:59:00.000-08:00

Chantilly Cream is sort of like chocolate mousse. Smooth, light and sinfully rich. The crazy thing is, there is only two ingredients necessary to make this dessert: chocolate and water.

Now, you may have heard that chocolate and water are mortal enemies, the water causing the chocolate to sieze up and become grainy when in contact with it...

but that is not always true. Watch this super informative video and find out why.

Pretty cool huh? Now you can pass chemistry, I think.

Another great thing about this dessert is the room it leaves for the quality of the chocolate to speak for itself. The deliciousness of this dessert will depend greatly on the quality of chocolate you are using. It will taste really good with average chocolate, but out-of-this-world with top notch chocolate.

This Chocolate Chantilly also leaves room for creativity! You could add a number of things to accent the chocolate flavor. Just make sure if you're adding any sort of liquid flavoring, you are subtracting an equal amount of water from the recipe. I added some Cointreau and orange zest, but you could add chili powder, cinnamon, Chartreuse.... the possibilities are endless! Also, you can eat it by itself or use it as a filling for a cake; it is super versatile.

So I have hit on the dessert and science aspect of this post, but what's this about a workout? Well, if you whisk by hand you are bound to end up with some pretty toned triceps because it takes A LOT of whisking! However, it is kinda rewarding to watch it progress in thickness until it reaches the perfect consistency. Which, by the way, should look something like this.

Here is the recipe! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chantilly

Recipe adapted from Herve This & Heston Blumenthal, viacafefernando

Serves 4

Ingredients

9.35 ounces (265 grams) bittersweet (%70 cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped
1 cup (240 ml) water

Directions

Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
Put chocolate and water (also liquor or spice if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. If the mousse becomes grainy (which is possible at your first try), transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.
Divide into four serving cups and serve immediately or refrigerate overnight to serve the next day.

Galette Des Rois (Kings Cake)

2012-01-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Galette des Rois is typically a French tradition to celebrate l'Epiphanie: the day when the three kings came to pay their tribute to baby Jesus. In French those wise men go by Les Rois Mages (the Magi).

On the day of the Epiphany, families share a Galette des Rois, a flaked pastry pie filled with frangipane, a smooth buttery mixture of almond cream and pastry cream.

Some families celebrate with the Galette des Rois on the 6th and some on the first Sunday in January. But it's mostly considered fine to celebrate it all through the month of January, which is why I am celebrating now.

Another fun thing about the Galette des Rois, apart from how delicious a warm buttery almond pastry tastes on a rainy morning, is the traditional game that goes with it. Because hidden inside the Galette is a small little trinket or dried bean, I actually used a dried banana chip because it is what I had on hand, that when found bestows upon its owner the rights to the throne, aka they get to be king for a day! Paper crown and all.

Galette des Rois

*adapted from Chocolate Zucchini

Ingredients

Pastry:

(17 2/3 ounces) all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen

Crème d'amande:

(9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
125 grams (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar
130 grams (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) almond meal
1 tablespoon corn starch
good pinch sea salt
2 large eggs
1 drop almond extract
1 tablespoon liquor of your choice, such as Grand Marnier or rum

For the eggwash and glaze:

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

Accessories:

- 1 porcelain trinket or dried bean

- Paper crown

Directions

1. Prepare the crème d'amande.
Beat the butter until creamy, but avoid incorporating air into it. In a bowl, combine the sugar, almonds, hazelnuts, corn starch, and salt. Stir with a whisk to remove any lump. Add to the creamed butter and mix until smooth. Add the almond extract and orange flower water, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

2. Roll out the puff pastry.
Divide the puff pastry in 2 equal pieces, and roll each one out to form a rough circle a little larger than 12 inches in diameter. Use a sharp knife and an upturned plate of the right dimension to cut a neat 12-inch circle out of one, and a slightly larger one with the other, adding, say, 1/4 inch all around the edge of the plate.

3. Assemble the galette.
Place the smaller of the two circles on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with a tablespoon water (or milk, if you have it handy) until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush the outer rim of the dough lightly with the eggwash by a width of about 1 inch. Make sure not to wet the actual edge of the dough, or it will impede its rise.

Pour the crème d'amande in the center and spread it out inside the eggwash ring with a spatula.

Place a dried bean, or the trinket of your choice, in the crème d'amande -- not in the center but closer to an edge, or your knife will keep running into it when you divide the galette. And if it is an elongated shape, make sure to orient it straight toward the center of the galette, again, to minimize the possibility of you hitting it with your knife. Press it down gently to bury it.

Transfer the second round of dough precisely on top of the first, smooth it out gently over the crème d'amande to remove any air pocket, and press it down all around the sides to seal.

4. Score the galette.
Using the back of the tip of your knife, draw a decorative pattern on top of the galette. I chose to make a sun pattern: you start from the center and draw an arc to reach the edge of the galette in a single, smooth gesture, exercising just enough pressure to score the dough without piercing it. You then turn the galette ever so slightly, draw a similar arc nested in the first one, and repeat until the entire galette is scored.

Holding your knife upright, blade down, and using the dull side of the blade, push the dough inward where each sun ray ends, to create a festooned pattern.

Brush the top of the galette lightly with the eggwash: again, make sure it doesn't drip over the edges, or the eggwash will seal the layers of the puff pastry in this spot and it won't develop as well. Let it rest a minute then brush it lightly again with the eggwash. (As you can see on the picture below, my eggwash pooled a bit around the bulge of the crème d'amande, which resulted in a darker coloring around the sides; I didn't mind, but I'll be more careful next time.)

Using the tip of your knife, pierce 5 holes in the top dough -- one in the center, and four around the sides, piercing through the pattern you've drawn -- to ensure an even rise.

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet or a tart pan with a removable bottom, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

5. Bake the galette.
Preheat the oven to 360°F. Insert the galette in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-35 min, until puffy and golden brown.

In the final minutes of baking, combine the tablespoon of confectioner's sugar with a tablespoon very hot water. When the galette is done, remove it from the oven, brush it across the top with the syrup, and return it to the oven for a minute; this will give it a shiny finish.

Place on a rack to cool completely (it will settle as it cools) and serve at room temperature or still warm out of the oven.

LOVE,

I Can't Wait For Ice Cream Bar

2012-01-20T23:33:00.000-08:00

Three words: Ice Cream Bar. Two More Words: Can't Wait.

Check out more on the new Cole Valley throwback to the soda jerk here.

Oh Snap (Crackle & Pop) It's Cocoa Krispie Mousse

2012-01-09T23:33:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Momofoku's Milk Bar cereal milk dessert phenomenon, I bring you Cocoa Krispie Mousse. It tastes just like the milk you get after you polish off a bowl of this chocolate crispy crack, which if you've had it you know is delicious.

It's a pretty simple recipe too, though there are multiple steps. Give it a shot!

Cocoa Krispie Mousse

(adapted from Rasberri Cupcakes, serves 6)

Cereal Milk Mousse Ingredients

3 cups Cocoa Krispies

2 cups whole milk

1 1/4 tsp powdered gelatine

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Topping Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
100g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Extra Cocoa Krispies to top off

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275°. On a lined baking tray, toast the cereal for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a sealable container, combine the toasted cereal and milk. Let steep for 20 minutes, then strain into a measuring cup; the mixture should yield about 1 cup of 'cereal milk'.

Place 1/2 cup cereal milk in a medium bowl. Sprinkle powdered gelatin on top. In a small saucepan, scald 1/2 cup cereal milk with the salt and sugar. Whisk hot milk into the cool milk until the gelatine is dissolved. Chill until almost set (about 20 min or so, if it gets lumpy just whisk it).

Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold it into the almost-set gelatine mixture. Pour mixture into 6 small serving glasses. Chill in the fridge while preparing the topping.

Put chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Place 100ml cream in a small saucepan on medium-low heat and just bring to the boil. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and leave to sit for a minute to allow chocolate to melt. Use a whisk to mix, ensuring that it is smooth and all the chocolate has melted.

Leave to cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully pour a thin layer of the chocolate mixture over the top of each mousse glass. Sprinkle a layer of cocoa pops over the top. Chill until set, at least 2 hours. Best served on the same day to ensure cereal layer is still crunchy.

More Like 'Open Your Pie Hole'

2012-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, so pie is super trendy. I think we can all agree to that. And so is brown paper, letterpress, craftsman chairs and tables and all that jazz. And I am fine with it and all, but not if the product is severely lacking but people continue to eat at that institution because it is cool.

I am happy to report that that is not the case at The Pie Hole in Downtown LA. At least that is my assessment after one slice of Maple Custard Pie.

The pie was a little pricey for one small slice, but the flavor was great and I am guessing the quality of the ingredients used was the main perpetrator of the higher price tag.

It was so sweet, smooth and comforting. The type of pie you want a hot black cup of coffee with. That is, if it wasn't 80 degrees outside like it is in LA and if coffee didn't do a total number on your body like it does on mine.

Not to mention, the pie and whole experience was even sweeter because I got to share it with my good friend Allyse who I hadn't seen in far too long.

If you are downtown, I suggest you go grab a slice, 'open up your pie hole' and let me know how there other varieties match up.

Happy Eating!

Christmas Cookies 2011. It's The Best Day Of The Year!

2011-12-22T22:42:00.000-08:00

Picture this: an explosion of cookies, flour, icing and sprinkles everywhere. And I mean everywhere! On the table, on the floor, in my hair, on the dog and a ton in my tum tum. This is what the Kinney household kitchen looks like every year about the week before Christmas when we bust out all our Christmas cookies. It is a time honored mother daughter tradition and I'm sure Tom and Donna would agree that, "It's the best day of the year!"

My mom does most of the baking and I do most of the decorating, aside from my "Christmas In One Bite Cookies" which I invented last year and renamed this year to "Christmas Explosion Cookies." Recipe here.

In all honesty, my mom does most of the work, and I am pretty thankful for that because I definitely could not do it. I am talking 8-12 different types of cookies in two days! My main responsibility is beautifying our sugar cookies, which is by no means a walk in the park either. I spent 5 1/2 hours last sunday decorating them all! with a little help from my friend Anna and a smidgen of help from our husbands.

But I love it, and in no way am I complaining. It is a great outlet for my creative Spidy Senses which are usually tingling out of control this time of year.

And so we arrive at the point of my post: The 2011 Kinney/Waidley Christmas Cookie Expose.

I always include a couple of pop culture references from the year. With that said, how could I not include these two..

Know who they are? Maybe the close up of the Mrs.' dress deigned by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen will clue you in.

Kate and William of course.

This next reference won't be so easy though. It is not the subject of the cookie who is famous, but what she is wearing. Pay special attention to the pattern on the dress, the iconic pattern that landed this designer a collab with Target that crashed their website this year b/c of the traffic created by crazed online shoppers.

I give you Missoni Gingerbread Woman, complete with cat eye sunglasses.

He just plain old pissed me off, so yeah... that happened.

My mod take on the snowman.

A psychotically happy teddy bear and his friend flakey.

Ooooo, creepy.

And lastly, an ode to San Francisco. As the song goes, "If you're going to San Fran-cisco, make sure frosty has a flower in his hat."

Merry Christmas everybody! And to all a good night.

A Sticky Christmas: Sticky Toffee Cheesecake & Sticky Toffee Sour Cream Pancakes

2011-12-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

There's something about Sticky Toffee Pudding that makes me want to watch this scene over and over again...

shout Cheerio and watch 7 straight hours of EPL soccer with a Santa hat on.

But since I made Sticky Toffee Pudding last year around the Holidays, I wanted to try a twist on the British classic. Make that two twists: Sticky Toffee Cheesecake and Sticky Toffee Sour Cream Pancakes.

The great thing about these two recipes is that a lot of ingredients you use for the first (including the Bourbon Caramel sauce), you can use in the second. Less waste and more deliciousness= a win, win.

Both are pretty sweet, but tis the season eh? The cheesecake is rich, full and warm with a little bit of bite from the gingersnap crust. The Sour Cream Pancakes are super moist and delightfully satisfying on a cold winter morning. Not to mention, the Bourbon Caramel Sauce that goes on top of both is through-the-roof.

Please enjoy one if not both this Holiday Season.

Sticky Toffee Cheesecake
Makes one 9-inch cheesecake
adapted from spicy ice cream

Ingredients

Cheesecake

• 1 x 250g packets gingersnap biscuits
• 125g butter, melted
• 2 x 250g packets cream cheese at room temp
• 200ml sour cream
• 100g brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs at room temp

Sticky Date Mixture

• Melted butter, to grease
• 1 cup chopped de-seeded medjool dates
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup pouring cream
• 60g butter, chopped
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• Big pinch sea salt

Directions
1. Brush a 9 inch spring-form pan with melted butter to lightly grease.

2. Place the biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely crushed. Add the butter and process until combined. Transfer to the prepared pan and press firmly over the base. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

3. Place the dates and bourbon in a saucepan over low heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Place into a food processor with 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and pulse until it becomes a smooth mixture. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 320°F.

5. Place the cream cheese, sour cream and brown sugar in the bowl of stand mixer and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

5. Pour half the cream cheese mixture onto the prepared biscuit base, then spoon in the sticky date filling. Swirl with a skewer and then pour the remaining cream cheese mixture on top.

6. Bake for about 40min - 1 hour or until just set. Turn oven off and cool inside with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to chill.

7. To make bourbon caramel sauce, place the cream, butter, sugar, bourbon and sea salt in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil and cook for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Set aside and allow to cool.

8. Serve with caramel sauce on top. Save the rest of the caramel in the fridge for the pancakes. Reheat the sauce before serving.

Sticky Toffee Sour Cream Pancakes
Makes 8-10 pancakes
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chopped Medjool dates to taste, about 1 cup
Butter
Caramel Bourbon Sauce from recipe above

Directions
1. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.

2. Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture until just combined. Add in the chopped dates to your liking and fold to incorporate, once again, being careful not to over-mix.

3. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a scant 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface, flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

4. Serve in a stack, topped with the Caramel Borubon sauce. No need for syrup, really.

It's A Marshmallow (Minty) World

2011-12-11T15:10:00.001-08:00

Isn't this a great song? Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are just so fabulous and fun. Definitely, one of my Christmas time favorites. And this year, it inspired DIY gifts for my friends...

Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum.... I give you: It's A Marshmallow (Minty) World Ice Cream! Complete with magic glitter spoons that transform every bite into Holiday Cheer.

Basically, I just bought some little spoons, covered the ends in glue, glittered them with Martha's super fine glitter in a marshmallowy minty green and sealed them with two coats of clear glue/decoupage. Not sure if the glitter magic will last, but that wasn't really the point anyways. In fact, does glitter need to have a point?

For the ice cream I followed the recipe in David Lebovitz The Perfect Scoop for Fresh Mint Ice Cream. Though it called for fresh mint and I did use it...

I added some mint extract for more flavor and a pinch of green food coloring to match the light minty glitter on the spoons.

But here's the kicker: I layered in some marshmallow fluff, also made from a recipe found in The Perfect scoop, to lighten and liven it up! Plus, I included a little surprise once you lift the lid.

The final product was just what I was hoping for. Not only did the the ice cream's ingredients literally incorporate the words of Frank and Dean, the texture and the lightness of mint flavor was also divinely marshmallowy.

All that's left to do is wrap it up with some ribbon and deliver it to friends.

"It's a yum yummy world baby sweethearts." So eat up!

Spice Up Yo' Holidays!

2011-12-05T16:34:00.001-08:00

With these two recipes!

Spice Power!

Rosemary, Honey & Black Pepper Pecans

Recipe: Sweet Paul

Make sure to add more pepper than it calls for. Much tastier!

Gingerbread Meringues

Recipe: Enteral Health

For the gluten-free/dairy-free family member or guest you are bound to have.

Christmas Time Is Here: Steamed Gingerbread Pudding W/ Bourbon Cointreau Hard Sauce

2011-12-01T09:58:00.001-08:00

It's December first, but maybe your not so excited for Christmas. Maybe you are feeling the Charlie Browniest of them all. Well, maybe this Gingerbread Steamed Pudding will lift your spirits and get you excited to celebrate the season.

This recipe is not a traditional recipe for steamed pudding. But it yields something in between a cake and a pudding since the batter is so liquidly it basically steams itself.

It is super moist and delightfully gingery and spicy. The kinda cake you savor a small slice of because the flavor is so intricate. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the Bourbon Cointreau Hard Sauce just upped the ante.

Steamed Gingerbread Pudding

Makes two 9x5 inch loaf pan

via Tartine

Ingredients

215 gr. (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
100 gr. (2/3 cup) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
7oz (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) hot water
150 gr. (3/4 cup) sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temp

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and butter 2 9x5 loaf pans.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves together into a medium sized mixing bowl.

3. Place the ginger in a blender (I used a food processor because it was all that I had) with enough of the hot water to cover it; process till smooth. Pour the ginger into a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Pour the excess hot water back into the blender to dislodge any ginger that might have been left behind and pour that into the bowl.

4. Add the sugar, oil, molasses, salt and pepper to the ginger and mix on medium speed, or by hand with a whisk, until well mixed. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until moistened. Then switch to high speed and mix in the eggs until incorporated. The batter will be very thin.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, divide evenly. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. They suggest an hour and 10 minutes, mine only took 40-45 so check it at that point before baking longer.

6. Cool for 20 min in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack, flip right side up and serve warm or at room temp.

Bourbon Cointreau Hard Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
2 oz (1/2 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp Bourbon
2 tbsp Cointreau
pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, over the lowest heat possible combine all the ingredients until smooth. Serve over the gingerbread or store in a small container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Salted Black Licorice and Almond Cupcakes

2011-10-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

The recipe for these cupcakes immediately caught my eye as I browsed through Google Reader. Anise and Almond are two of my favorite flavors. I jumped for joy at the thought of them together. I had to make them, they had to be divine.

And I was right. Such a beautiful combo. And I must say, my addition of extra anise (1.75-2 tsp total)and fleur de sel and Good and Plentys on top was spot on.

Not a black licorice fan, you might still like these. A couple people who had one of my cupcakes didn't like black licorice either, but they liked these alot. Love black licorice? You will just adore these.

Recipe here. Enjoy!

The Best Croissants In Town: Fillmore Bakeshop

2011-10-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Fillmore Bakeshop. Have you heard of it? Maybe, maybe not. Chances are probably not though, huh? Well now that you have heard the name, never forget it, because they have the best croissants in town. Yes, even better than Tartine's.

It's an unassuming little bakery on Fillmore St. in Pac Heights filled with very assuming delicious treats inside.

It's the kind of bakery that feels neighborhoody and quirky when you walk in. One where you feel like you might be remembered by name if you stopped by weekly for a pain au chocolat or slice of princess cake. One that hangs kitschy Halloween decorations like this without worrying about damaging its uber-hip image because frankly, it doesn't need one with the pastries it turns out.

It's run by a father daughter duo, read more about their story here, who serve up everything from french macarons...

to danishes, morning buns, beautiful cakes and of course, the subject of my post, croissants.

The flakiest and tastiest croissants the city has to offer.They are light yet rich, and buttery without being greasy. Simply put, the perfect croissant.

While every type or croissant they offer is divine, my favorites are the almond and the ham and cheese. Today, Josh and I were feeling savory, so we went with the ham and cheese.

It was the perfect start to a great Sunday. Which you can read more about here.

So get your butt down to Fillmore Bakeshop so it can grow a little bigger:) It's worth it.

Pumpkin Bread Season

2011-10-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's been rather rainy in San Francisco lately. But not a harsh cold Winter rain, rather a spotty cool Fall rain. It spoke to me this past Monday afternoon, it whispered, "make Pumpkin Bread." So I listened. After all, it is Pumpkin Bread season.

This is my third post on SLS (My Grandpa made up this abbreviation. I quite like it)of the same Pumpkin Bread. Why? Because it is simply the best: moist and light, not too sweet, with a melody of warm spices that bring out the best a pumpkin has to offer. To soil it with some sort of mix-in would be outlandish.

However, there is one change I made this year. The addition of Hard Sauce to spread on top, which I renamed Hardcore Sauce quickly after tasting it. You see Hard Sauce is a combo of butter, powdered sugar and some sort of alcohol.

In this case the recipe called for bourbon, and a lot of it. Which if fine because you only spread a little bit on the bread, but it sure does add a kick! In a good way of course.

If you don't like the taste of hard alcohol, just stick to the Pumpkin Bread. But if you do or kind of do, it is an amazing addition and kinda classes it up.

Here is the link to my (Tartine's) Pumpkin Bread recipe. The Hardcore Sauce recipe follows.

Hardcore Sauce

adapted from Tartine

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup (4oz) powdered sugar
1/2 cup bourbon
pinch of salt

Directions

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan over very low heat until smooth. No need to get it hot, the heat if just to help the smoothing process along.
Serve at room temp on top of the bread. Store in the fridge for up to a week or two after. You can use leftovers on top of pie, cake or ice cream!

Game Changer Indeed

2011-10-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

Picture this, an Ice Cream Parlor by the masterminds who created Humphry Slocombe that serves not only the best ice cream in the city, but coffee, beer, wine and baked goods, plus a delicatessen from the people who brought us Flour + Water AND a bar called Trick Dog with the guys who created the cocktail menu at Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern, all inclosed in an all-season, all-weather courtyard. This is what I (and Eater SF) like to call a Foodie Game Changer. It's called the Central Kitchen Project and it's due to make its debut early 2012. Read more here.

Anything But Common

2011-09-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

via thesunbreak

This Tuesday Josh and I went to Commonwealth for our anniversary dinner. Needless to say, I saw it as our anniversary dessert with a coincidental dinner. You'll understand why after I explain the dessert.

But first I will say the dinner was an absolute delight, especially since our usual date night consists of tripe tacos and a quesadilla (hey, I'm not complaining). It's just that I'd take sea urchin with ginger, kimchee mousse, tapioca and cauliflower on top of wild greens and seaweed brioche over El Farolito any day.

Ok, but you guys.... the dessert. I'll give you the name, but then I'll break down each wonderful component separately. We ordered the peanut butter semifreddo with chocolate ganache, frozen popcorn and caramel. Yum!!! Right??

Ok so the main semifreddo bar tasted like a million dollar kit-kat. The base was like the crunch part of a kit-kat, but chocolate flavored and way better than what you get for 99 cents. On top of it was this semi-frozen fluffy yet rich peanut-butter mousse. Fantabulous! But wait, it was all covered in a high quality chocolate shell.

I'm not even done yet! It was all sitting on top of a toasty flavored carmel sauce and scattered around the plate was frozen popcorn. Yeah, I said frozen popcorn. I am still not quite sure what it is exactly, but I can tell you it is not popcorn. It was like these nitrous frozen clouds with the subtle flavor of buttered popcorn that added such a wonderful dimension to the semifreddo and caramel. With all three elements in my mouth I wanted to cry.

Another thing that marks it as a great dessert is that after Josh and I finished it, we felt like we had indulged in something so decadent but didn't feel sick, like after you eat a mile-high cake at Outback. And what a good feeling that is. Happy Anniversary to me!

Stay Classy: Trend Report and Chocolate Flourless Cake With Orange Cointreau Anglaise

2011-09-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Frozen Yogurt, cupcakes, bacon, designer doughnuts, lavender, cake pops... dessert trends have taken a fun yet frivolous tour through the mountains and valleys of our taste buds. I can not deny that I have enjoyed every one of these trends at one point in my life, and in fact still enjoy most, but I feel as if I have had a coming of age moment in my dessert journey: I want the classics back!

And not just any old classic desserts, classic desserts done extremely well! Like a phenomenal and full creme brulee, a perfectly risen souffle, and a flakey, well balanced Napoleon. No frills, just taking what has always worked and making it the best!

Luck for me, I believe with the huge swing dessert trends have taken to the left with unconventional ingredients (ie. bacon)and throw-away fashion food ideology, the pendulum is bound to swing far back to the right any day now. In fact, I can almost feel it in my bones. Classic desserts will be back in restaurants and bakeries alike with the new creative twists restricted tastefully and respectfully to sophisticated accompaniments.

I thought I would kick off this revived passion for perfected classics myself with my own birthday cake. (Yes, I made my own birthday cake, does that make me a loser?) So I decided to make one of my favorite classic desserts, Chocolate Flourless Cake with the addition of an Orange Cointreau Anglaise.

The trick to making this dessert, and any classic dessert, really delicious is quality ingredients and care. Therefore, I choose high quality bittersweet chocolate for my cake and took much heart and attention in its preparation.

It was so delicious. The rich, full body of the cake balanced nicely with the refreshing citrusy light anglaise. Perfect for a classy 26 year old birthday girl like me ;) And frankly, it felt good to eat something not overly complicated for once. It didn't matter that Chocolate Flourless Cake had been around the block 3 or 400 times, because when it's done top tier it delights your palate like no double bacon cardamom mini donut ever could.

So give it a try and stay classy.

Chocolate Orbit Cake

via Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz

makes one 9" cake

Ingredients

1/2 pound butter, in small chunks

12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup sugar

6 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line the bottom of a 9" round pan with parchment paper and butter the bottom and sides.

3. Combine the butter and chocolate in a double boiler. Cook until melted.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs.

5. Whisk in the melted chocolate to the sugar and eggs.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and place this cake pan into a water bath, with warm water reaching about half-way up the sides.

7. Cover tightly with foil.

8. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cake appears set and your finger comes away clean when you touch the center. Check it at 45 min, it could bake quicker like mine.

9. Remove from oven and water bath and let cool completely.

Orange Crème Anglaise

via David Lebovitz

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk

7 tablespoons (85 gr) sugar

pinch of salt

3 medium oranges, organic or unsprayed

6 large egg yolks

Additional orange zest

Directions

1. Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the sugar and salt.

2. Grate the zest of the oranges directly into the milk. Warm gently, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for one hour.

3. When ready to cook the custard, make an ice bath by putting ice cubes and a small amount of cold water into a large bowl and resting a smaller metal or glass bowl in the ice. Set a fine mesh strainer over the top.

4. Whisk the yolks in a separate small bowl.

5. Gently rewarm the milk, then slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard begins to thicken and coats the spatula.

6. Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set over ice, pressing the zest in the strainer to extract as much flavor as possible, then discard.

7. Stir the custard until cool. When the crème anglaise is cooling, grate a few swipes of fresh orange zest into the custard, which looks nice and adds a touch more orange flavor. If you’d like, add a spoonful of orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier, or a few drops of orange extract, to augment the flavor. Serve cold pooled under the cake.

The Sweatshirt And Jeans Recipe: Blueberry Biscuit Monkey Bread

2011-09-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

David Lebovitz compared my last dessert to a "tailored Armani suit," as opposed to a "sweatshirt and jeans" type of dish. Well friends, this week it's time to pull out the ol' sweatshirt and jeans cause this recipe comes straight from Paula Deen straight to your thighs and mine.

Some things you need to know about Paula Deen recipes if, for some reason, you are still alien to the empire she has created on the Food Network. 1. Her recipes are very southern (thus the use of buttermilk biscuits in this one) 2. There is bound to be an overabundance of butter in them 3. They are usually very easy, because who has time to slave over a meal when all 100 hundred of your extended family members are in the backyard waitin' for sum grub! 4. Because of the prior 3 points, they are always pretty dang delicious.

This recipe is no exception to the rules; Blueberry Biscuit Monkey Bread is a rich, sweet, sticky hot mess of a breakfast dish that is sure to please you and your own until the last bite. Check out the recipe here. And if anything I wrote here has guilted you into not trying this recipe, just remember: you have to throw on the ol' sweatshirt and jeans every now and again :)

Marriage (& Dessert) Italian Style: Ricotta Cheesecake with Aniseed and Orange

2011-09-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Marriage Italian Style is a 1964 film starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastoianni which tells the story of a successful business man who has kept a mistress for many years but now plans on marrying another woman until his mistress pretends to be on her deathbed in order to trick him into marrying her before she dies. To say the least it is a complicated bittersweet relationship. Kinda like the flavors in this Ricotta Cheesecake and my relationship with it as well.

It started off as love at first site. Every minute of the prep I enjoyed. I enjoyed all the ingredients going into it: aniseed, orange zest, marsala soaked raisins; MMmmmm! I loved that I didn't need a stand mixer, which made the composition on the desserts so organic. And when the cake finally came out of the oven, it looked so sexy.

Then I plated it and adorned it with some beautiful Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce and Candied Orange. It couldn't have been more lovely.

Finally, I lifted a fork of light and luscious cheesecake into my mouth and was conflicted. Did I like this? It sure did look good, but I did not want to commit my affection to it with all this uncertainty. It didn't taste like cheesecake, it was very very different. Light with subtle flavors of anise and orange instead of heavy with a strong flavor of sweet cream cheese. At one point I even apologized for making it because I was so caught off-guard. However, if I was completely honest I did like it, but it was a new sort of "like" that just took time for me to pinpoint, and I think will take more time to curate. It was precious, special but not indulgent. A subtle and sophisticated dessert that didn't kick you in the teeth.

Then I read the caveat before the recipe in David Lebovitz's book Ready for Dessert and finally understood the process I was going through, "American cheesecake is to Italian cheesecake what slouching around the house in a sweatshirt and jeans is to stepping out on the town in a tailored Armani suit. When I stopped comparing Italian cheesecake to its comfy American cousin, I was finally won over."

So at the end of it all I committed. I loved this dessert and I felt elegant eating it, kind of like I was wearing my own little black number by Armani.

Here are some shots of the prep and final product below and some links to all the recipes.

Ricotta Cheesecake with Orange and Aniseed

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Candied Orange (I tenthed this recipe and just used one orange)

Look at the beautiful crushed aniseed.

The chocolate sauce has such a great flavor and consistency.

The final marriage of it all. Molto Bene!

Brandy Poached Pear and Ginger Macarons

2011-09-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Man they were a lot of work, and I am kind of over macarons but this was a great flavor combo.

Singing Again

2011-09-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

Hey faithful followers. I started up my other blog again: Sing To Me, Muse. The following is the description given on the blog. Check it out!

In Greek mythology the Muses were spirits who inspired the creation of art, literature and spoken word. Like the Greeks, I believe someone divine does inspire everything beautiful and creative in this world; He is my God, my Savior. This blog is filled with things that inspire my creative spirit as well as celebrate the Creator of all. I hope my posts sing to you as the sing to me.

This Is Monumental News! Laduree in NY!

2011-08-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

Laduree, the Parisian patisserie and tea salon where I first fell in love with French macarons and where I spent one of the few nights I would deem magical has opened their first US store in New York! Now, if I could just take Muni cross country.

Oh, also check out their website. It is newly redone and I would describe it as "every grown woman's little girl dream."

Jelly Filled Donut Muffins

2011-08-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

It's a muffin that tastes like a jelly filled donut. Need I say more?

Just follow this recipe and add your favorite jam or jelly in the middle of the muffin batter and roll in sifted powder sugar instead of cinnamon sugar. The butter coating is optional.

Enjoy!

Pinkie's: Peanut Butter Sando

2011-08-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

Next time you are in SOMA, do me a favor and stop by Pinkie's. Today I had the most amazing peanut butter sandwich cookie there, endearingly referred to as the "Peanut Butter Sando." The cookie is so soft and delectable and the cream cheese peanut butter filling is divine. Together they are cosmically good.

Oh, and if you are looking for breakfast/lunch/ dinner and dessert, start at Citizen's Band right next door. They share the same owner and, I would venture to say, the same excellences in culinary execution.

No-Store Granola

2011-08-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just want to make something without having to stop at Safeway, Trader Joe's and some random hippie market all the way across the city to pick up nettles for a recipe you found on some food blog. And that is just how I felt the day after we arrived in San Francisco after a 3 month long hiatus. I just wanted to make granola; simple, hassle free but delicious granola.

So I opened up the cupboards and went with this warm and tasty recipe which you can adapt to the ingredients you have in your kitchen so you don't have to leave... your kitchen. Unless of course you feel like living on the wild and adventurous nettle side of life at the moment. Then by all means :)

No-Store Granola

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup slivered almonds (may substitute other nuts)
1 cup whole raw almonds (may substitute other nuts)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional, I just happened to have it on hand)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (also optional, you can make it 1 full tsp of cinnamon if you don't have cardamom)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (plus) golden raisins (or any dried fruit you like)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325. Move the rack to the upper third of the oven.
In a large bowl, whisk together your oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan melt together your butter, oil, honey and brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just starts to boil, whisking as you go to incorporate the sugar well.
Take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla extract. Pour the warm liquid mixture all over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly coated.
Spread the mixture onto two lined baking sheets (I used silpats, you can use parchment if you want) and season the top with a little bit of salt as you would a piece of meat or vegetables you are roasting. Bake 25-35 minutes, stirring the granola at each 10 min interval to ensure even browning. Remove from the oven when your granola is dark enough for your liking, cool and mix in a cup plus of your preferred dried fruit.
Once cooled, store your granola in a tupperware. Enjoy with yogurt, milk or just by itself and revel in the fact that you didn't even have to leave your house to make something this delicious.

Ok, Ok I'll Make Them: NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

The words "Chocolate Chip Cookie" have a Pavlov effect on me. I can't help but salivate at even the thought of one, or seven. And though I have messed around with different recipes and landed on one that I really do love, I have been haunted by a single 'untried' recipe for years. The illustrious NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie.

If you read any dessert blogs you know this recipe is the 'ish'. But I have always had a sort of aversion to it because they have been done so many times before and when do I do what everyone else does?

Well, the answer was a couple days ago when I could take it no longer. If these cookies were that delectable, I had to have them in my mouth. And let me tell you, my mouth was very happy that my stubborn streak had ended because they were soooo good!

First off they are huge, 3.5 ounces to be exact. Second, They are soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside, the perfect cookie consistency Third, they are densely populated with huge chunks of chocolate. Fourth, they have fleur de sel on top, salt/sweet nuff said. And fourth, I ate them all ooey-gooey-warm-out of-the-oven, only the best way to eat a cookie ever!

So the rumors are true. Make these, and they will change your cookie life. Just make sure you follow the directions exactly.

Yes the chocolate chunks should be this big.

I just bought 2 bars of the Trader Joe's Pound Plus Chocolate and chopped 1.5 lbs of chunks out of them and it worked great. But really the better the chocolate, the better the cookies, so go wild.

And yes, the must rest at least 24 hours in the fridge. Don't get anxious and jump the gun, as tempting as it might be, it will result in a less than ideal consistency.

And yes, make the balls of dough 3.5 ounces! I know they look huge.

I was tempted to stop at 2.75 thinking they would be big enough, but I heard a voice say, "Follow the recipe exactly." So I did, and I was so happy.

Also, I had a ton of leftover dough after making just five for a dinner party, so I got resourceful with it. I rolled the leftover dough into balls and froze them on a cookie sheet until hard. After they were frozen, I Ziploced them up and put them back in the freezer for later use. The only thing you have to remember when baking this frozen dough is: don't forget the fleur de sel on top before baking and you may need to add a little extra baking time since you are baking from frozen and not refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Daddy!: Campfire Delight Layer Cake

2011-08-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

Birthday's come but once a year, and for my Dad it came last week on July 26th. Now I wasn't here for his actual birthday, but luckily my Mom held back the celebration till Saturday so Josh and I could be there. I am glad she did because it was a great day with great endings. Two great endings to be exact...

Ending 1: After an amazing dinner of beef tenderloin made by my mama, we dug into this...

A multi-layer Campfire Delight Cake. One of the best cakes I have ever made. Picture this and salivate: 3 moist and light, yet substantial layers of delicious chocolate cake with two thick layers of toasted marshmallow creme in between covered with thick delicious malted chocolate buttercream.

It's the kinda cake that you eat the night of the birthday party and then the next night and the night after that until it's all gone. Oh, and it is extra delicious with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream on top!

Ending 2: After dinner and dessert we got a show. My brother Bryan bought my Dad a roman candle for his birthday. A roman candle? Yes, a roman candle. In and of itself, weird, I know. But when used for the purposes my brother intended for it to be used, an awesome gift.

So the deal was my dad would stand on one side of the yard and my younger brother PJ would stand on the other and my dad would get to shoot the roman candle at him. Initially I was ecstatic to watch this family spectacle until I became apart of it. After two near misses directed at my brother, Pj bolted and my Dad turned his fire onto the crowd of which I was apart of. We all scattered as sparks flew in between us. It was seriously like the last battle in Harry Potter. My dad might as well of been yelling Avada Kedavra.

Work by John Hendrix

It was epic and I caught it on tape, but there may be some inappropriate language so I won't post it here :) Believe me, it was epic.

But even "Ending 2" is not the end. This one comes with a recipe!

Campfire Delight Cake
adapted from Sweetpolita

Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee (can be hot)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare 3 x 8″ round cake pans with butter and flour or parchment paper.

2. In a bowl of electric mixer, sift all the dry ingredients. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on the mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. (You may need the plastic splashguard that comes with mixer.) Batter will be liquidy.

3. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 20-30 minutes rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Cakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean or almost clean. Do not over-bake.

4. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert the cakes onto the racks until completely cool, then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before building the cake. It is easiest to bake the cake part the day before and refrigerate over night. Working with cold cake is just a lot easier with layer cakes.

Malted Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
1 lb butter (4 sticks or 2 cups) at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup Ovaltine Classic (brown in color)
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions
1. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute.

2. Add vanilla and malt powder, and beat on low until well combined.

3. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).

4. Add whipping cream and beat on med-high speed for another minute.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator while you make the toasted marshmallow creme.

Toasted-Marshmallow Creme
Ingredients
16 large white marshmallows
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks, or 1 cup) at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
7 oz of Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Cream (or Marshmallow Fluff)

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler. Place marshmallows on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. While the oven is pre-heating, combine the butter and powdered sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low until blended (about 1 minute). Add vanilla and mix on high for about 3 minutes.

3. Place the marshmallow sheet on the lower rack of the oven, and broil the marshmallows until nice and brown. Be sure to keep an eye on them–they burn very, very quickly.

4. Add marshmallow cream and toasted marshmallows to the butter mixture and mix on lowest setting for about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Building The Cake
1. Take your three cakes, marshmallow cream and chocolate frosting out of the fridge and cut off the doming tops off of two of your cakes.

2. Place the sturdiest flat layer on top of a cake board that's set on a spinning cake decorating stand if you have one.

3. Smooth half of the marshmallow cream on top with a spatula.

4. Place the second flat cake layer on top of that and smooth on the other half of the marshmallow creme. Top with the domed cake layer, dome on top.

5. Cover the entire cake with a THIN layer of chocolate frosting (the crumb layer) and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can return the frosting to the fridge as well.

6. Take your frosting out of the fridge 10 min before the cake comes out. Finally, frost the cake with a thick layer of chocolate frosting. (You will have a lot of extra frosting you can freeze for cupcakes later on :)

7. To create the frosted effect, with a medium palette knife (straight, not offset)using your dominant hand, hold the palette knife with a medium-firm pressure at about a 45 degree angle starting at the bottom of the cake, and with your other hand slowly spin the turntable while keeping your palette knife against the cake at at all times, then gradually directing the palette knife upwards until you get to the top. Finish with the same technique on top. If you aren’t happy with your attempt, this frosting is so satiny, that you can smooth it over and try again.

8. Top with a single Lindt chocolate and some chocolate sprinkles. (You can serve immediately or refrigerate until service, just make sure to take it out 30 minutes before serving.)

Then make a wish, blow out the candles and grab your roman candle for a good time!

A Guy Walks Into A Bar...

2011-07-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

So a guy walks into a bar, and it is dense and it is delicious and it has a full bodied chocolate espresso flavor. Then he says to the bar, "Even though you are drop dead as it is, you would be even better sandwiching some ice cream." So he did just that, then he ate the ice cream sandwich and he was satisfied.

A guy walks into a bar, it is ooey-gooey over the top good. Filled with his favorite trio of ingredients from his childhood: graham, hershey's chocolate and mallow. He stops to devour one, then he devours another, and pretty soon he has devoured seven bars and he was satisfied.

A guy walks into a bar, and this time he is disappointed that they only serve alcohol and not delicious desserts.

Vern's

2011-07-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Howdy gang! (I stole that one from my Grandpa) I am out in Fort Collins Colorado for a little r&r and a work conference and boy has been it refreshing. The skies are huge, the living is simple, the fish are plentiful and thunder storms roll in faster than you can say cinnamon rolls... did I say cinnamon rolls? What the heck is that? Well... since I did, I might as well roll with it (pun intended).

Ok, so cinnamon rolls. Well, I guess there are a lot of them out this way and they are not limited to a traditional bakery setting. They sell them anywhere from diners, to bait shops to dingy little gas stations; most of them claiming to make the best, but by the rules of logic we know that's not true. That's what makes the best the best; there is just one and it truly is better than the rest. The best is what makes a tied baseball game sit so uneasy in our souls and the the loss of the US Women's Soccer Team hurt so bad. But as far as cinnamon rolls go, I will not claim to have found the best in Colorado simply because I have not tried them all, but I will say that Vern's C.roll is pretty damn good.

So what is Vern's? It is a diner/bait & tackle shop/taxidermy emporium that holds a special place in the heart of my husband and his family and now mine.

You see, every 2 years the organization we work for holds a 10 day conference in the Fort Collins area, so every other year a Vern's cinnamon roll becomes a delicious nostalgic must have.

So here she is. Isn't she a beaut? Fresh out of the oven too! Properly served up with a side of butter and extra frosting (key elements of a great cinnamon roll). The roll itself is big, the inside is gooey, not dry, and the cinnamon-sugar is pervasive. You drooling yet?

Oh, and just for fun I will include some pics of our horseback riding trip we were headed to when we detoured to Vern's(or since it was preconceived is it a pretour? No, I think it's a Star Tour). Anyways, the cinnamon roll was great, the horseback riding was great and my family is great.

A Couple of Cutie Pies

2011-07-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

I recently threw a bridal shower for my very near and dear friend Crystal in my mom's back yard. The theme was "backyard bash" complete with plenty of lemonade and pie. It was so much fun to plan (I love creating cohesive environments) and even more fun to be a part of as we got to celebrate Crystal and her future union with her fiance Sean. So without further ado, or too many words, here is the shower, here is Crystal and here are the recipes I used for the pies and lemonades.

We begin our journey the day before the shower, during my mom and I's pie baking marathon...

Love the look my mom is giving the camera.

My mom makes the best pie crusts, have I ever mentioned that?

Isn't it puurty?

On to the shower...

So I made this glitter banner just by printing out some huge letters, cutting them out, gluing and glittering them and then stringing them on some fishing wire to hang in front of the fabric.

Time for pie!

For the pie toppers I just copied this clipart banner and typed in the words I wanted. Then I printed it onto some bone cardstock, cut and glued it to some coffee stir sticks.

Plus, all the pies had these flavor labels.

My mom and I made a Bluebarb (blueberry + rhubarb), Cherry Almond Crumble, Ginger Peach and and Apple. The recipes are linked to the names, of course we used my mom's bomb pie crust, not the ones in the recipes, as well as her apple pie filling so you can ask her for both if you are lucky enough to know her. The cherry is a compilation of this pie filling and this topping.

Mmmmm.... even more delicious with vanilla ice cream and Fleur De Sel Caramel on top. Of course, I had to try a piece of each!

What about the Lemonade? You got it!

Watermelon Rosemary Lemonade

Vermontuckey Lemonade (Maple Bourbon)

And my favorite, Lavender Honey Lemonade

I made the lemonade labels using this clipart image.

Ok, on to the rest of the party and the beautiful bride to be.

Hair tie party favors. Get it, "tying the knot???" So cheap to make to, you can make 20 ties for $1.50 worth of fold over elastic as opposed to $1.50 for 1 at some LA boutique.

Usually, I hate doilies (I'm not 80 after all nor am I a huge fan of the whole country chic thing) but they kinda worked with whole theme, so I taped the paper kind together to make a runner.

Crystal enjoying some 'ade.

Silly bow head.

And off she goes to get married!

Love you Crystal! And love all you readers for making it to the end of a very long post!

Back At Sweet Rose W/ Some Sweet Girls

2011-07-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

Here I am, in Fort Collins Colorado, sitting under my favorite snow leopard blanket listening to my Bridget Bardot (consequently a Bossa Nova) Pandora station with the sound of the thunder and rain roaring through my open window in the background. I finished The Sun Always Rises by Hemingway earlier today, and shared a good strong beer and a clove with my husband an hour ago; I can honestly say I am feeling pretty great right about now.

But as I reflect on greatness, I can't help but be reminded of the great summer the Lord allowed me to spend with some sweet girls in Santa Monica, CA during a month long mission trip. We learned together, laughed together, lived together and grew together under the care and guidance of our Great God.

The time has ended now, but will forever shape us thanks to the orchestrator of it all. And though I sit totally content in my bed at the moment, I can't help but think back and miss.

At the end of the summer, we ended our quality time together appropriately with some quality ice cream at Sweet Rose Creamery in Santa Monica, CA.

Yes, I have blogged about the place before, but I just wanted to highlight the sweet girls who went with me and the Bacon Bourbon Sundae :)

Here they are...

Here was our ice cream...

The Bacon Bourbon Sundae as promised. Pretty delicious and beautiful.

And there it goes.

Cue thunder.

S'more Fun

2011-07-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Summertime in Santa Monica. The gloom is as imminent as the beach. The memories are as thick as the tourists on 3rd St. And my idea of fun is, "Give me s'more, give me s'more."

Summertime, what sums it up better than a bonfire. What accompanies a bonfire better than friends, grahams, mallows and chocolate?

Nothing. But sometimes you have to break up what is inevitable, what is imminent. That's why I replaced the traditional Hershey Chocolate square with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

It was delicious; as sweet as a Summer sunset spent with your dearling. Though I am committed to the original s'more format out of shear tradition and track record, it was delightful to let another candy bar have a shot. I recommend it, along with a bonfire, your dearling and writing short dissonant sentences. Summertime.

I'm Back! And So Is Lemonade!

2011-06-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my long lost readers! It's been so long and I apologize! Life has been a lot busier than normal, thanks to a new work venture that is incredible but takes up more of my time than my job does during the rest of the year. I am on a "Summer Project" with college students from all over the country back in my ol' stompin' grounds, LA. Well, Santa Monica to be more exact.

The sad part about it though is that I don't have a mixer, or any baking ingredients, or cake pans, or even measuring cups! So that means no baking for me until August! But fear-ye-not! There are plenty of sweet things to eat in Santa Monica that other people have baked or made, which is where my story begins...

Lemonade. Sweet, sour, yellow, a favorite from my childhood, but mostly a memory of times past...until now. Lemonade has revamped itself and taken on different shades of color and flavors and is once again claiming the throne of Summer from young children to your grandma. Where might you ask is this come back occurring? Lemonade eatery in Venice!

At Lemonade they are squeezing out all sorts of flavors like cucumber mint, blood orange, watermelon rosemary and peach ginger.

Not to mention, the iconic lemony liquid is not the only thing they have slapped a fresh coat of paint on, they are also reintroducing, in a oh-so-gourmet way, cafeteria style eating! That's right, when you get there you just grab a tray pick your sides and the pot roast of your choice and move on down the line.

My favorites thus far are their lima beans with shaved parmesan, brussels sprouts with shaved parmesan and balsamic and their harissa chicken with bulgur wheat and apricots. Yum!

Once you get to the end of the line make sure to pick up a dessert, the blondies are TA-STY!, and the lemonade of your choice. Really you can't go wrong with any of the flavors, but I particularly enjoy cucumber mint and peach ginger.

There it is! And don't worry, if you don't live near Santa Monica there are other locations in Brentwood, Downtown LA, Beverly Hills, inside the MOCA and coming soon.... Pasadena!

So go to Lemonade and relive the glory years of summer in a new, fresh and very exciting way. I'll join you if you want :)

Sundae Party On A Thursday

2011-05-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Josh and I threw a Make-Your-Own Sundae Party last Thursday night, because let's face it, a Sundae Party on a Sunday is flat out redundant and annoying.

We invited some great friends over and went all out on the ice cream and toppings.

I downloaded some cute ice cream parlor labels from EatDrinkChic and set up three stations.

Step 1: Choose your vessel/vessels

Sugar cone or waffle bowl...

chocolate chip sandwich cookies...

bananas for banana splits...

and/or a bowl (not pictured b/c bowls are pretty boring to look at).

Step 2: Choose your ice cream/ice creams (all homemade)

Fleur De Sel Valrhona (aka fancy salted chocolate)...

Four Barrel Baramundi Coffee...

and/or my personal favorite (in fact maybe my favorite ice cream I have ever made) Cereal Milk.

Which tastes pretty much like it sounds, the ice cream form of the milk you get after you finish your cereal. You know what I am talking about right? If you don't, you need to have a bowl of Golden Grahams right now and, when all the cereal is gone, drink the milk down to the last dregs. It is quite magical.

Step 3: Choose your toppings

Homemade Marshmallow Hot Fudge...

not-homemade caramel...

candied cereal for the Cereal Milk...

and/or rainbow sprinkles of course.

Plus a cherry for on top!

People came up with some pretty creative and delicious combos, see evidence below...

My favorite combos were the Cereal Milk with the candied cereal and caramel on top in a cone and the Fleur De Sel Valrhona with fudge and sprinkles on top mounded on top of a chocolate chip cookie. You really couldn't go wrong though!

I will leave you with some recipes, but before I do, I would like to highly recommend having your own Sundae Party this summer, it was so fun and delicioso! Just make sure you invite some fabulous friends and don't have it on a Sunday, unless of course you want to become the next Sandra Lee.

Fleur De Sel Valrhona:

Use this recipe and omit the mix-ins. Use Valrhona cocoa powder and add fleur de sel to your salty desire right after you mix the costard into the cream.

Four Barrel Baramundi Coffee:

Use this recipe using Four Barrel Baramundi beans. I also added a shot of brewed coffee to the mixture this time around.

Cereal Milk:

Follow this recipe to the T. This ice cream requires a little more work than most, but it is sooo worth it.

Marshmallow Hot Fudge:

See David Lebovitz Perfect Scoop.

Easy Parcheesy Breakfast: Chocolate (Crescent Roll) Croissants

2011-05-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

I stand in front of the crescent rolls at TJ's for literally 5 minutes. Dang, why do there have to be 8 in a package. I love crescent rolls but with just Josh and I eating them I know I am going to waste at least 4.

Ding! Revelation! I can just save the leftovers for the next morning, shove some bittersweet chocolate chips in them, brush them with an egg wash, bake according to the directions and have fantasmal Chocolate Croissants! Well, Chocolate Crescent Rolls I suppose, but no less genius.

Mr. & Mrs. Spontaneous At Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous

2011-05-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

If you know Josh and I at all you know that every Thursday we have our date night, and that every Thursday we go to El Farolito and Humphry Slocombe and get pretty much the exact same thing. You may think that is horribly boring, but I actually kind of like it because I just adore tradition.

But sometimes a girl needs a change, and sometimes she needs some spontaneous change, which is just what I got this past Sunday.

7am: Wake up in the morning, it's not raining like it said it was going to. Josh isn't up yet, and Bay to Breakers is today, which is going to make getting to church pretty difficult.

8:30am: What! Josh wants to go to the flea market?!

9:30am: Arrive at the Alemaney Flea Market to do some treasure hunting for our bathroom decor. Didn't go to church, but just this once ;) Plus, we can catch Dave on podcast.

11:00am: Hunting through junk and gold has encouraged quite an appetite. Wait, didn't I hear about some amazing pizza place near here in the Dog Patch? Yes, it's called Piccino; let's go.

Photo by: Khianni

11:30am: Eat amazing pizza and meatballs in a bright and sun drowned room. Mmmmm! Def. coming back!

12:00pm: Hold on, Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous is in the Dog Patch. I've been meaning to try that place out, let's check gps on my phone. Crap! It's a block away! Let's go Josh! What? He said yes?

12:15pm: Eating some delicioso Bananas Foster Ice Cream with a Peanut Brittle and Brown Sugar Cookie with my Josh. A perfect end to a date that never really had a defined beginning or any intention of happening. You might as well call us Mr. & Mrs. Spontaneous.

Moral of the story: Switch stuff up, tradition is good but not everything, oh... and also go to Piccino and Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous, both are a fabulous change in routine.

I Made A Purrrdy Easter Cake.

2011-05-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

So, even though this was my first Easter away from my family and I missed them dearly, my Easter this year was quite phenomenal.

First, I went to a fabulous church service filled with so much joyful worship for our risen Lord and a really powerfully true message. Here is a cool little video montage if you are interested....

Easter 2011 from Reality San Francisco on Vimeo.

and the full message is here.

Second, we had some beautiful people over from various friend circles and walks of life to our house for lunch on a warm sunny San Francisco Day; it was kind of awesome.

Third, I made a yummy beautiful Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake. Isn't it purrrdy? Recipe here.

All in all a pretty great cake and a pretty great Easter huh? Oh! And I got my camera back from being repaired so after this post no more camera phone pics! Love you guys!

Ooey-Gooey-Disgustingly Good & Easy: Peanut Butter Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

2011-05-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

Beyond the title and picture, need I say more?

Here are the details...

1. Go to Trader Joe's and buy one can of Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls, a container of Peanut Butter Cream Cheese and a package of bacon.

2. Cook the bacon crispy and the cinnamon rolls according to the package directions. (If you want them extra ooey gooey, put a pat of salted butter on top of each cinnamon roll before putting them in the oven)

3. Mix the icing package with 4 tbsp of the peanut butter cream cheese in a small saucepan over low heat until the mixture is a combined and a little warm.

4. Place the finished cinnamon rolls each in its own bowl(this allows for the icing to pool around the roll which is so choice) then pour the icing over the cinnamon rolls and top with little pieces of bacon. Drool.

* Note: In my opinion Trader Joe's does not give you enough icing (does anybody ever?). This recipe, in my opinion, makes enough icing for 3 out of the 5 rolls. However, you could easily mix some powdered sugar with some milk and the peanut butter cream cheese in the same manner as above and make enough to cover, or should I say drown, all 5 rolls.

I Don't Like Corn, But I Love Caramel Corn!

2011-04-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have a confession that makes me slightly less American: I hate corn. I mean yuck! It is just gross. However, when corn is popped into cute little fluffy balls and coated with burnt sugary syrup (aka carmel) it suddenly becomes one of my favorite foods.

Recently I was rewarded with scrumptious homemade caramel corn for memorizing some bible verses I have been meaning to get down. Though the reward system harkens back to my pre-K days when I got a whole dollar and a day in the PVC pipe throne for memorizing Psalm 100, it really worked for me as did the caramel corn.Perfectly crunchy, the right level of burnt sugar taste with the timely addition of chopped pecans at the end. Just magic.

And where did the recipe come from, Orangette. Go make some! and then give it to me! I promise to memorize whatever you want :)

PS: Thanks Christine!

Pancakes, Cheetahs and Eggs, Oh My!

2011-04-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

I knew that title would catch your attention and I bet you didn't know those are a few of my favorite things. In fact, if I could wrap them up in brown paper packaging and tie them up with string, I totally would. But you try and wrap a cheetah and let me know how it goes.

Anyways, there is a method to my madness and it is such.... I have had two amazing pancakes since I've last posted, I have visited the Academy of Sciences and also have made lovely baked eggs for breakfast.

Let's start with the pancakes. So my parents came to visit my husband and I a couple weekends back, besides being a total blast it was also a great opportunity to try out Mission Beach Cafe for brunch, a spot that usually deters me by the size of its wait list, however when you are making a day of it with your parents the wait seems totally worth it.

Good news, this time was there was no line! On a Saturday, at like 10AM! The better news was how amazing the pancakes were. So light, yet substantial with delicious bourbon syrup and vanilla creme on top. Mmmmm, to die for! I highly recommend getting them. There are pancakes and then there are PANCAKES, these were PANCAKES. You know what I mean ;)

On to cheetahs. I love them. They are fast, strategic, vicious and beautiful (kind of like someone I know:)and no animal can beat them in an awesome contest. However, the one I saw at the Academy of Sciences was not fast because it was dead and stuffed. Still beautiful though, as was the rest of the Academy. My family and I had a great time messing around there for an hour or so and even got to eat Space Ice Cream! I had been craving that stuff ever since I had it in Washington D.C. in one of the museums on my fifth grade field trip. It was glorious.

Back to pancakes again. You thought eggs would be next didn't you. Well maybe you should work on being less presumptuous.

Like I said, back to pancakes. So I made some really amazing oatmeal currant orange pancakes the other weekend. You should try them. Basically you just add some orange zest, cinnamon and currants to your favorite oatmeal pancake recipe, and whallah! instant yumminess.

Now for some protein. Like I mentioned earlier, I love eggs.

Especially runny yolk eggs. In fact, to loosely quote Portlandia, this is my motto for eating, "Put-an-*egg-on-it!" This egg in particuar is a good egg, unlike Veruca Salt, and fairly simple to make. In fact, the recipe is right here. The only things I changed were to sprinkle some thyme on top and reduce the cooking time to 18 or so minutes to maintain a runny yolk.

So there you go. A method to my madness but still a random post nonetheless. If you remember anything from it, remember this... do not try to wrap a cheetah.

Trying Tartine

2011-04-03T09:38:00.001-07:00

As some of you may already know, Tartine is the reason I've left my heart in San Francisco. The beauty of their art is so glorious I am not even going to begin describing it because I could not do it justice.

However, this weekend I realized I was doing Tartine an injustice in a different way. Every time I go I tend to get a rotation of the same things I love, not giving any of the other tasty tarts, cakes, cookies and viennnoiserie a chance. How ignorant of me! Especially since one of the things I have never tried is my self-proclaimed favorite food in the whole world, a chocolate chip cookie.

So as of yesterday marks my journey of ordering everything Tartine has to offer, starting with their chocolate chip cookie. Yes it will take a while but I've grown bored of 7x7's Big Eat 2011, and this offers a more alluring challenge for me.

So back to the cookie! Normally, I am a ooey gooey soft chocolate chip cookie fan, which is probably why I have never the cookie at Tartine, because their's is super thin and super crispy. But it was crispy in such a good way... not only way the cookie crunchy and tasty but the big chunks of bittersweet chocolate were also crunch central. But boy, it was magic. The flavor was so full since they bake the cookies longer to get achieve not only crunchiness but also that great taste butter and flour create when they get just deeply toasted before getting burnt. Also, the addition of a little bit of oats rounded it out so nicely.

I highly recommend picking one up for yourself if you are in SF, "it is so choice." But there I go limiting Tartine again, pick up whatever you want! but don't ignore this beautiful cookie.

Leah's (I'm kinda loving it right now) Cookies and Malted Cream Ice Cream and Classic Hot Fudge

2011-03-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Man your stations and baton down the hatches(I can combine those right?) because we have officially entered birthday season. That's right, every year, in March and April, tons of babies are brought into this world in order to attain the prestige that comes with being born during the coveted birthday months of April and March. Which, for thier friends, means strategic planning of parties, purchasing of affordable gifts and a strict limit to how many pieces of cake they can consume in one day.

Yes, these months are a joyous time filled with parties, friends and the celebration of another year of life, but even the best things in life can kill you, like drinking to much water or eating pop-rocks with coke. So friends of March/April babies be wary, we are entering into survival mode here, and if you're lucky (and you will be if you follow my simple instructions) you just might survive and have a fantastic two months filled with birthday celebrations.

Rules of Survival

1. Make homemade cards. They are more thoughtful and they don't cost 3.50 a pop. Which times 7 birthdays equals $24!

2. Take it one birthday party at a time to prevent burn out. Each birthday party can be extremely fun and special if you live the party in the moment.

3. Limit yourself to one piece of cake at each party. If you don't, you could end up eating an entire cake yourself in the course of a couple weeks.

4. Make homemade gifts that reflect some quality or unique-like your friend has.

For example, for my good friend Leah I made her favorite ice cream, with a twist, and named it after one of her signature catch phrases, "I'm kinda loving it right now." It's a flavor I have never made before and will never make again, unless Leah requests it. She owns the rights to the flavor: Cookies and Malted Cream, and the name: Leah's (I'm kinda loving it right now) Cookies and Malted Cream.

See, a special gift for a special friend. Which is why I am not divulging the recipe.

In addition to the ice cream, I made some homemade fudge, not pictured here, to complete the gift. It also bears a name that reflects a unique quality about Leah, but it is a little to inside to share here. I can tell you though that the recipe comes from David Lebovitz' Perfect Scoop, which is THE ice cream book to have, and I will even give you the recipe at the end of my post.

You have your instructions, now go execute them, party and be merry.

Classic Hot Fudge
*adapted from David Lebovitz Perfect Scoop

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 light corn syrup
6 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon slated butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 tbsp sugar (optional, I wanted it a tiny bit sweeter)

Directions

1. Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and boil for 30 sec. while stirring constantly.

2. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter, chocolate and vanilla. Stir to combine, taste and add the sugar if you want it a little sweeter.

3. Store in the fridge in a airtight container. To serve, reheat in the micro.

Homemade Kick: PopTarts

2011-03-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe I'm on a homemade kick, but after you try out these pop-tarts you won't blame me. They are light, buttery and fantastic. Plus I got to use up a lot of my homemade Nutella from last post.

I made three flavors in all: Nutella (of course), brown sugar and rhubarb jam. The brown sugar was my fave, which may have to do with my love of the original brown sugar PopTart, but the the others two were equally as tasty. Not to mention, it was pretty easy if you have the patience to cut out 18 little rectangles out of pie crust dough.

Take a look at the recipe here.

P.S. Excuse the photo, I am trying to get my camera fixed right now so I will be using my crappy camera phone for a while.

I Made My Own Nut-ella, ella, ella. Aye, Aye, Aye.

2011-03-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

I've never been one to fix what ain't broke. For example, why make my own peanut butter when Skippy is deathly delicious, why make my own bread when Tartine's is near perfection, and, for gosh sakes, why make my own french fries when McDonald's does it way better! However, I guess there is an exception to the rule in most instances.

So that is where my catchy pun-of-a-title comes in... I made my own Nut-ella, ella, ella. Aye, aye, aye.

I don't know what possessed me to do it, or what possessed me to tell that awful joke, but I did both. And I must say, even though the original Nutella is finger-licken' great, my version is even better! At least in my opinion it is.

But what is claim to greatness without some rational, let me expand. As my husband, and Charlie Seen, would say, my nutella is "bi-winning." The hazelnut flavor is more organic and whole in my spread, and the chocolate is a much darker and robust than the chocolate used in the store bought stuff. Both come together to create beautiful music on your tongue whether smeared on a crepe or eaten straight out of the jar.

Did I mention it was also ridiculously easy? And that the recipe is from my man David Lebovitz? Check it out, "boom."

Carless=Fraiche Yogurt

2011-03-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

So Josh and I have been stuck without a car in the city for about 5 days. It's funny how much you miss your car when you're without it for a couple days. Don't get me wrong, I love the bus, it just makes everything a little harder and it takes a lot longer, like... getting to work, getting home from work, hanging out with people, grocery shopping, and yes... even going on dates. With a car I could totally do these things on my time with ease and comfortability, with the bus I am forced to abide by someone else's schedule and stand cramped between strangers armpits while carry groceries hand in hand.

But I guess I am kinda glad for it, it forces me to be less self focused, which I believe everyone needs a little more of. However, there was one major buzz kill in my week no amount of selflessness could fix, Josh and I couldn't go on our weekly date to Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream. I had to forfeit my Fudgesicle Sorbet with Marshmallow Fluff on top and I wasn't happy.

Notice how it's empty, b/c I didn't have any this week :(

My wonderful husband, knowing this, decided to adapt or date to ease the pain. So we ended up taking the bus into Pac Heights, a much straighter shot than taking it to the Mission, to check out Fraiche Yogurt.

Fraiche is a "homemade, organic fresh yogurt and frozen yogurt cafe." Both the fresh and frozen yogurts are made from local Clover organic milk and all the topping are super fancy local tucked into bed at night type goodies. So San Francisco right!

Honestly, I wanted to hate this place for 3 reasons...

1. It wasn't Humphry

2. I try to shy away from places that pride themselves on being organic and all that crap. Not that I am against organic, it's just I don't care with dessert; I just want it to taste good.

3. I paid $6 for a junior yogurt with 3 toppings.

However, I would be lying if I said it wasn't truly refreshing and amazing. You really could taste the difference in the yogurt from a Golden Spoon or Yogurtland type yogurterie (just coined that word, boom). The quality was so silky smooth yet hardy; in fact, it tasted flat out wholesome. I got the chocolate and plain frozen yogurt and both were off the charts flavorful, as far as yogurt goes.

In addition, they house make there Mochi, and it is great!

Of course, I got some on top of my yogurt along with some fresh raspberry preserves and some freshly shaved Callebaut chocolate, which is why mine was so pricey and why Josh didn't get any. But it was a phenomenal combo and dessert all-together.

Not to mention they have fresh yogurt available; yeah, like the stuff you buy at the store except way better. And they have amazing yogurt breakfast items that include steel cut oatmeal, homemade granola, maple syrup, etc. What a fun breakfast date with ,like, a girlfriend. Totally!

So all in all, would I recommend Fraiche Yogurt, yes. However, I would recommend it once every 2 months so you don't break the bank. And who knows, even when we get our car back I may stop by every now and again.

"They were perfect." Black Swan Rose Water Black Sesame Macarons

2011-03-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

A couple posts ago I mentioned how excited I was for the Oscars, not to gawk at the fashion on the red carpet or even to see how awkward James Franco and Anne Hathaway would be at hosting, but to THEME things. Yes, yes I love to theme! So I came up with an award winning dessert for the Best Original Macaron category: (Black Swan) Rose Water and Black Sesame Macarons.

Let me explain the themage... Ok, so the macaron shells were white and delicately flavored with rose water to represent Nina's (Natalie Portman's character) innocence and daintiness.

And, if you have seen the film, you know throughout it Nina is both fighting against and fighting for her inner dark side, which I represented by putting the black sesame buttercream between the 2 white shells. The dark color and slight bitterness of the sesame echo Nina's emotions and edge when the Black Swan shines forth.

I know, I may have thought to deeply about it. I told you, I like to theme!

And the Oscar goes too...?

Oh You Know, I Just Had It... Lying Around: Banana Souffle w/ Fleur de Sel Salted Caramel

2011-02-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you're having someone over for dinner, but you didn't have time to go to the store for supplies? You make it work.

Josh had dinner covered, so it was up to me to whip up a dessert. First step, asses what you have lying around. I have a super ripe banana...ok, eggs...check, some leftover salted caramel from some cupcakes I made and only about 2 tbsp of powdered sugar...dang. On to the in-ter-net!

I found an easy recipe using TasteSpotting for Banana Souffle that I had all the ingredients for and decided it would pair well with my extra salty caramel. Yum and phew!

Then, when they finally made their appearance all puffy and pompous out of the oven, I could say... I just had the ingredients, you know, lying around.

Oscar Gold Granola: Maple Bourbon Granola with a Muscovado Clove Simple Syrup

2011-02-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I kinda skipped Valentines Day and went straight on to the Oscars, but I promise to make up for my lack of holiday enthusiasm and heart shaped treats by posting a recipe this time! That's right, this Maple Bourbon Granola and Muscovado Clove Simple Syrup was so good it would be a crime to withhold the how-to from my lovely readers.

So back to the Oscars...I usually don't get that excited for award shows, but this year I got invited to an Oscar party, so I have little golden men on the brain, in a non-creepy way of course. The idea of dressing up and theming my food to Oscar nominated movies really excites me. Do I smell Black (and White) Swan Cookies, I think I do.

So maybe this granola recipe won't make it to the Oscar party, but it was so golden I couldn't help but give a nod to the Oscars. How gold you might ask? Or you might not ask, but I'll tell you anyways. So picture this... the scene opens on a perfectly golden brown mix of oats, cashews and almonds that have been tossed in pure golden maple syrup and muscovado sugar coming straight out of the oven. A beautiful young starlet tosses in some golden raisins and banana chips and douses the whole lot of it with a couple shots of sweet golden Bullet Bourbon. *The audience gasps!* But wait, the shot fades into a scene taking place over the stovetop where rich golden muscovado sugar is being made into a simple syrup, picking up subtle hints of the cloves that have been a faithful companion to the sugar as it reduces. The film finishes with the young starlet generously pouring the granola onto some plain greek yogurt and then delicately drizzling the simple syrup all over it. She devours it all. The end.

That's pretty golden right? So before you see The King's Speech, Black Swan or even Toy Story 3, give this granola a shot. I promise it will provide you with the strength and energy to withstand the emotional roller-coaster all 3 films will take you on.

Maple Bourbon Granola

Ingredients

3 cups quick oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashews, low or unsalted
1/4 cup (plus some to taste) packed muscovado sugar
1/4 maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup dried banana chips chopped
3 tbsp bourbon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250
Combine the oats, almonds, cashews, sugar and maple syrup in a large bowl.
Spread your mixture between two baking sheets and put them both in the oven for 30 minutes turning the mixture over every 15 minutes with a spatula to ensure even browning.
At the 30 min mark, turn the heat down to 225 and bake the mixture for 30 more minutes, or until a deep golden color is achieved, turning the mixture over every 15 minutes like before.
Transfer the granola to one big bowl. Add the raisins and banana chips and mix to combine. Then pour each shot of bourbon over the mixture, mixing after each shot.
Let the granola cool and dry, then store in a ziploc or tupperware.

Muscovado Clove Simple Syrup

Ingredients

1 cup packed muscovado sugar
3/4 cup water
6-7 cloves

Directions

Heat all the ingredients together over medium low heat until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture thickens.
Take it off the heat, take out the cloves and store it in a airtight jar at room temp.

Eating: Pour the granola over some plain yogurt, like greek yogurt, and drizzle the simple syrup all over it and devour.

Trouble Coffee Company

2011-02-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

I drink 1 latte a week, and that's simply becouse my body can not handle coffee. Don't get me wrong, I do love it! But alas, it doesn't love me :( But I figured, I can set aside one day a week to deal with consequences of drinking a luscious latte. Especially when that latte comes from Trouble Coffee Company.

Located in the Outer Sunset, it has more of a Mission feel then anything. Not in the annoyingly uber-cool way, but in the way that one appreciates their attention to interior detail, theme and most of all good coffee and espresso! Granted, it is small, so don't show up with your laptop or large group of friends, but that is just part of it's charm.

Their lattes are fantastic! Great espresso, great soy milk, and an excellent head on the top. In fact, this may have become one of my favorite lattes in the city. I don't think it surpasses Four Barrel, but it is pretty darn close and also pretty darn close to my apartment. Plus, the rumor of the out-of-this-world cinnamon toast have me dying to go back. So keep posted with the Sass for more on this wonderful coffee shop.

Brown Sugar Fennel

2011-02-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

Josh and I went on our weekly Humphry Slocombe date and were pleasantly surprised by this new flavor...Brown Sugar Fennel. It has the warmth and full sweetness of brown sugar with a slightly bitter off-setting element of fennel that works so well. Be on the look out! Also, since it is Beer Week here in SF, they have 4 flavors on tap that include some very good beers! And no, I don't mean Bud Light.

Chinese Cocktail Buns

2011-02-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

*not my photo b/c they came upon me unexpectedly

Have you ever had a chinese cocktail bun? Well I have! In fact, I had my first one Super Bowl Sunday thanks to my friend Eva who opened up a whole new world to me of coconutty, buttery goodness. That's right, the name may suggest they are to be served alongside beef broccoli as bland regular dinner bun, but the name is deceiving and so is their appearance! Inside these humble little buns is a rich paste of butter and shredded coconut. That might not sound amazing, but it is! and so addicting! Trust me, I don't even like coconut and I find myself dreaming about these. So if you pass a chinese bakery or dim sum restaurant, go see if they sell cocktail buns.... and then buy 5!

Black & Whites

2011-02-02T23:16:00.000-08:00

Who needs NY? I got my Black & Whites right here! More like small cakes than cookies, they taste light yet decadent with yummy chocolate and vanilla glaze split on top. And to loosely quote Jay-Z, "I make a Black & White more famous than a Yankee can." Or would it be a "NY baker can" in this case? Nah.... I bet Derek Jeter whips up a mean black and white, especially in pressure situations.

My New Go To: Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shop

2011-01-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

So Josh and I just moved to San Francisco into a cute little studio in the Outer Richmond. I feel so blessed to live here. It's a short walk to Golden Gate Park and a short walk to beautiful Lands End Trail that leads you along the cliffs bordering the ocean with spectacular views of Golden Gate Bridge. Right? So blessed!

The only down side is the area is severely lacking in cute little coffee shops and cafes to read, get work done, etc. But today I found a little gem called Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shop.

If you don't already know, I am a tea drinker not a coffee addict. So this place is just perfect. It's walking distance from my house in a pretty un-busy part of the Richmond, which makes parking less of a headache. It so quaint, and eclectic without be uber-hip to the point where I feel uncool just walking in, plus they have a peaceful garden seating area out back. They have a great selection of tea, award winning scones, and if you want to go all out, little tea sandwiches and other english goodies.

Have I mentioned the price point and value gets an A+? Well it does! I got a huge pot of loose leaf tea, like large tea kettle size, for 5 dollars! And they come around and freshen up your hot water as often as you like! You could spend hours there. Compare this to Intelligentsia where you get maybe two little glass cups out of your miniature tea pot, and when I say little I mean like a 1/2 cup size. Their scones were a little pricer, probably wouldn't get one every time, but they were great! I had the almond one and it was made and served like a scone should be made and served; not too sweet alongside some devonshire cream and jam.

Not to mention, they have coffee as well and you can get anything you want to go. And if you happen to be a polo player you can get your tea on and pick up a new pair of riding pants!

So, needless to say, this is my new go to. Can't wait to discover some more gems :)

Shanghai Dumpling King Sugar Puffs

2011-01-17T20:49:00.001-08:00

These caught my eye as they made their way out of the kitchen at Shanghai Dumpling King. I called the waitress over to ask what they were and she just plopped them on our table. I didn't argue, would you?

They taste like a mix between a churro and funnel cake but way more airy. Simply put, can you go wrong with sweet fried airy dough?