these cupcakes are simple and quaint i think. very much not-fussy in any way…unless you overfill your cups like i did the first time. that really has nothing to do with flavor and everything to do with aesthetics, but it irks me either way. despite my love for cinnamon and cream cheese and honey…i didn’t really love these cupcakes. the flavors were flat somehow. i think i’ll use the basic recipe for the batter again. i like the crumb and they were tender, but just lacking.

“breathe in, breathe out, carry on, carry out…”

listening : don’t wanna know why, whiskeytown

cinnamon cupcakes

adapted from simply recipes

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 egg, plus 2 egg whites at room temperature

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

preheat oven to 350 F and line a muffin tin (12) with liners or spray well.

combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl, whisk together.

beat butter in mixer until creamy, add sugar and beat until light and fluffly. scrpe and add egg and whites one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition and being sure to scrape the bowl. add vanilla and beat to combine.

add flour and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, until just combined. fill lined or sprayed cupcake tin with batter (about 3/4 up the sides) and bake for 18-20 minutes.

cool on a rack completely before frosting.

honey cream cheese icing

this is a pretty loose frosting, i just kind of threw it together. it sets nicely in the refrigerator.

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon honey (more or less depending on how strong your honey is)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

combine all ingredients into a bowl and using a hand mixer, blend well until creamy and fluffy.

over the weekend angela, from my year without spending, presented me with a kreativ blogger award…very exciting! so, basically you get to learn 7 things about me you didn’t know, here goes!

1. i always have been and still am afraid of the dark. when i turn the lights off in the house at night (if i don’t make sean do it for me) i run/skip from room to room very quickly and then end it all with a little squeal of relief when i land in my bed.

2. when i was 18 and working as a lifeguard i broke the tip of my tail bone off at work.

3. i wear jeans and a cardigan or hoodie every day usually with my old, white cons. i own quite a few dresses, but i never seem to be brave enough to get out the door in one. this is only one of my many habits that seem to rule my days.

4. i love a sad song. i can’t really explain it, but there’s this singular feeling i get and it’s comforting.

5. i’m in love with love…and lousy poetry. that’s from a weakerthans song, but, it’s true.

6. i’m shy and can be very awkward. this often leads people to believe that i am bitchy and unfriendly. i’m not, i’m just terrified of them. then, if you get to know me, you realize i’m kind of a wacky goof.

7. i am very protective of my friends and family. once one of my friends went through an abrupt and awful break-up after many years of being together. when we moved her out of their house,  i threw one of his favorite shoes off the deck and into oblivion…that’s what happens when you hurt my friend, i will inconvenience you. she doesn’t know i did it…shhhh, it’s a secret ;)

so…i’m passing this on to a few lovely gals:

hannah : honey and jam

elise : belle of the bakery

natalie : the southern hostess

hilary : let her bake cake

nadia : la port rouge

deb : your destiny is stone golden

johanna : birds on a wire

so, nothing today. sorry pals.

i do have this little craft project i was working on pre-holidays. i’m a pretty capable rubber-stamper and i have a gang load of craft supplies,  so i decided i would make our save-the-dates.

ha! little did i know that it would take me many, many days to complete…but, i did and they are pretty darn cute if i say so myself.

i happened to find pre-cut craft paper cards with envelopes, though i did have to further cut down the cards to work with the punch set i was using.

i also used:
martha stewart punch set (like this, but different)
a variety of rubber stamps from my collection
a clear ink pad for embossing (i like versamark brand)
white embossing powder

i like to think of macarons as the little darlings of the pastry world. maybe a little fussy, but so cute that the effort and (many) failed attempts are worth it. i don’t really know how to describe the satisfaction of pulling a tray of lovely ruffled macaron shells from the oven. it’s pretty much pure joy.

maybe that sounds like an exaggeration, but after failing at every attempt of macaron making in the last 6 months or more, these beauties brought on the joy. i made a second batch a few days later…and lovely still! imagine me clapping vigorously and then running around the house squealing with delight. yup. that’s me getting excited about successful baking endeavors.

i have plans to make another batch this weekend since sean turns 25 on monday. i like to shower him with sugary delights and really, birthdays are just an excuse to make things extra special.

i’ve been thinking that this is a new year and that in a new year we should do new things. like…adding an “i’m listening to…” to each post. i was inspired by cindy, of the blog quaint handmade (check out those fantastic calling cards…i want!). she posts a link to a song that she’s fond of in each of her posts. i love this since i love to discover new tunes and baking in my kitchen is usually a one-woman-sing-a-long performed by yours truly. plus, you can share with me what your listening to! oooh, interactive ;) i’ll be adding this feature beneath the bottom of the last photo on each post.

listening to… you and i misbehaving – tilly and the wall

PS. i’m thinking that with all the devastation in haiti, sean and i live a pretty cushy life. a small donation is the least we can do and i know a lot of others are expressing the same sentiments. we gave to the american red cross via text. which is, to me, an ingenious way of getting people involved in this tech driven time.  very simply text 9099 for a $10 donation, charges are applied to your phone bill.

lemon-lime filled macarons

macaron shells

this recipe is adapted from the book “i love macarons” . i recommend it. it has great tips for macaron making success! i also age my whites since that’s what aran recommends and the lady can make a macaron.

85 grams almond meal

150 grams confectioner’s sugar

3 large egg whites at room temp, that have been aged in the refrigerator over-night or longer

65 grams granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean seeded

green food color (if desired)

cut parchment to size of your sheet-pan or use a silicone baking mat. draw 1-inch circles onto parchment (if using) spacing at least 1/2 inch apart as the batter will spread some.

in a food processor, grind almond meal and confectioners sugar together. if using a seeded vanilla bean, add that to the mix as well. sift the misture through a fine mesh sieve (the book says twice, i did it once with good results).

beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachments or with a hand blender in a stainless steel bowl, until foamy. gradually add granulated sugar to the whites while beating, being sure to scrape down sides after each addition. when the meringue is stiff, firm (not dry) and has a glossy sheen it is done (add food color before this stage is reached).

add half of the sifted almond mixture to the whites. stir w/ a spatula while scooping up from the bottom of the bowl. add the rest of the meal and mix lightly. when the almond mixture is incorporated, spread and press the batter along the sides of the bowl. scoop the batter from the bottom and turn upside down, repeating about 15 times. when the batter becomes firm and drips in a slow ribbon as you scoop it up with your spatula, the mixture is done.

fill a pastry bag fitted with a 0.4 inch tip.  pipe small circles of batter onto your parchment or silicone mat…be sure to make them small as they will spread. rap the sheet firmly against the counter. dry the macarons at room temp for about 30 minutes or until the batter is no longer sticky when touched. the tops should be smooth and any tips on top should have settled into the batter.

place a second sheet pan under the one with the piped macarons. this encourages the pied/foot to develop. place the baking sheets on the center rack of a preheated 350F oven. bake for 12-13 minutes until crisp on top. you may need to rotate your tray halfway through for even baking. the shells should not brown or take on any color from baking. cool on a rack and remove. i like to match up similar shell sizes before filling.

shells keep for 1 week in the refrigerator and can be frozen as well.

lemon-lime cream

adapted from “baking: from my home to yours”.

1 cup sugar
grated zest of 2 lemons and 2 limes
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon-lime juice (from 2 lemons and 3 limes)
2 sticks plus 5 tbsp butter, cut into pieces at room temp.

makes about 2 1/2 cups

have an instant read thermometer, a strainer, a blender (preferred, but a food processor will work fine). bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

put sugar and zest in a medium-large heatproof bowl that can be set on top of saucepan of water. off the heat, rub zest into the sugar until the sugar is fragrant. whisk in eggs followed by juice.

set the bowl over the pan of water and whisk constantly. cook until the temperature reaches 180 F being sure to whisk constantly. at first the mixture will be light and foamy, but as it heats more large bubble will appear and as it reaches 180 F, the whisk will leave tracks and the mixture will thicken. do not stop whisking or checking the temperature, be patient it could take as long as 10 minutes depending on how much heat is being given.

as soon as it reaches 180 F, remove from heat and strain into the blender. discard zest. let it cool at room temperature, stirring occaisionally, for about 10 minutes, or 140 F.

once it has cooled down, turn the blender on high and begin adding butter, 5 tbsp at a time, scraping sides as needed. once all of the butter is incorporated keep the machine running for another 3 minutes. this will ensure a light and luscious cream.

pour the cream into a container and press plastic wrap onto the top. chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. stir before piping to loosen.

pipe cream onto macaron shells and sandwich. the filled cookies store wonderfully in the freezer.

it seems that the whirlwind of work, family, feasting, and the holiday excitement has finally passed. i can tell because i’m actually sitting at my computer and typing on the keyboard getting ready to post a recipe and photos! not just quickly checking my email and running out the door.

can i tell you something? this, right now…feels amazing. it’s been like a month since i last posted and at first i felt guilty not blogging…but then i realized that was silly, who cares if i blog or not?

what i really felt was sad. sad because i like to bake and blog and take pictures. i like to browse all the other lovely blogs out there, being in awe of all the great talent and snatching up inspiration at every click. it’s fun, i like it, and it makes me happy.

so, this year, my resolution is to perfect my at home time management. usually, i have no problem managing my time. at work, for example, i get stuff done. i’m not one to be idle and chat away the day when i’m at work, i think this is due to my tendency to be extremely awkward in all social scenarios…and if i’m idle at work, i’m anxious. that’s just the way it goes. at home, it’s a much different story. i’m only accountable to myself, so if i get sucked into watching 3 hours of whatever series i’m currently obsessed with…oh well. i’ll get to my tasks later. at work, heck no, i’m getting to my tasks now and i’m doing it as well and efficiently as i can…then i’m going home.

see the problem here? i don’t want to do my best work only at work…i want to my best work on my time.

so, here’s to a new year and a new, more productive me. let’s celebrate! i brought profiteroles and hot fudge sauce!

hot fudge sauce
adapted from epicurious.
i made this sauce with bittersweet chocolate, it’s amazing if you like your chocolate to be serious. i just spied this on joy the baker today…next time i’m adding coffee. she says all there is to say about hot fudge sauce…so check it out.

2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 oz. finely chopped chocolate (i used 70%)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

place cream, corn syrup, sugar, cocoa, salt and half of the chocolate in a medium saucepan. melt chocolate, bring to a low boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate, butter and vanilla. pour onto whatever and enjoy!

coffee ice cream
adapted from the perfect scoop.
the original recipe calls for whole milk and cup and a half of beans…i just used what i had with wonderful results.

1 1/2 cups whole milk (all i had was 2%, it worked nicely)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole coffee beans
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

warm milk, sugar, whole beans, salt and a 1/2 cup of cream in a medium saucepan. once warm, cover and allow to steep for hour.

rewarm mixture. pour remaining cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. in a sperate medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. slowly pour temper warm coffee mixture into egg yolks. pour back into the saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until custard thickends and coats the spoon. Pour custard through the strainer and mix with cream. press the beans so as to extract all of the coffee goodness. mix in vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath. chill completely before freezing in ice cream machine.

profiteroles
from the perfect scoop.

1 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
c1 up flour
4 large, room temperature eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon milk

preheat oven to 425 and line baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking mat.
heat sugar, water, salt and butter in a small saucepan, stirring until butter melts. remove from heat and pour all flour into pan at once and stir vigorously until the dough pulls away from the pan and is smooth.

allow dough to cool for about 2 minutes before briskly beating in eggs, one at a time, until smooth and shiny.

either pipe or drop small (walnut) sized rounds onto baking sheet, spacing evenly (about 1 inch apart). mix remaining yolk with milk and brush tops of profiteroles. bake for 30 minutes or until puffed and browned. turn off oven and leave for 5 minutes.

either tear or cut profiteroles in half, top with ice cream and hot fudge.

so, it’s pretty much been a month since i last posted…

what the hell?!

i didn’t drop the ball, i chucked it over the fence people.

i haven’t been baking much at home, my time seems to have slipped away from me and now it’s already december and holy crap am i trying to get it together. i have an excuse though, i started a new job at a local bakery and it’s pretty fun, however, it’s kicking my butt. i’ve become a cookie fiend…well, a cookie baking fiend at least.

anyway, i have a list composed of holiday goods that i’ll be whipping up in the very near future and sharing with all of you…my most favorite lovelies. in the meantime take a look at this cake! it’s adorable like hot chocolate with marshmallows can be…unfortunately being the crazy person i am, i baked this last month, took one photo and forgot about it….and the recipes i used to frankenstein this cake together after seeing it on the cover of fine cooking.

since my friends picked all the marshmallows off and devoured them, i’ll be sharing a recipe for that soonly…hooray!

i know it’s only the beginning of november, but i have the fever.

holiday fever, that is…

i can’t lie…i’ve had it for some time now. i can hear the chorus of grumbles already, but i love seeing holiday displays. even when it’s still warm enough for me to forgo a cardigan or jacket. i’ll walk into a store and slowly drift away from sean, eyes like saucers, one hand stretched out longingly…towards the holiday displays.

i can’t help it, i’m a sucker for candy cane stripes and gift wrap, twinkly things and sparkly do-dads.

the other day i walked into such a store and came home with a mean hankering for some gingerbread. back in the day, long, long ago when i worked for the coffee giant we all know (green aprons and venti cups), i loved to set up the pastry case. especially during holiday season. though, at that time, all of their goods were laden with hydrogenated oil (you could tell because we used to squish up an expired pastry from time to time…which would result in a puddle of clear oil…nice). i’ve been told they have changed their ways. anyways…the gingerbread came in a nice little loaf with a heavy slick of cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of candied ginger.

though i don’t remember exactly how it tasted, as i was cracked-out on eggnog lattes for the duration of the season, this gingerbread is better. i just know it.

ginger-spice bread
this is adapted from a martha stewart recipe. i swapped some of the spices and also changed some of the measurements as well. i also used fresh grated ginger since i always keep a good chunk in the freezer.

1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg, lightly beaten

preheat oven to 325 F. grease an 8-inch sqaure pan (i used two small loaf pans). in a bowl rub brown sugar with the ginger to combine. add flour, salt, baking powder, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

place butter and water in a small saucepan to melt. stir into dry ingredients until smooth. stir in molasses and egg to combine. pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (the mini loaves tooak about 25 minutes). cool on a rack before removing from pan.

cream cheese frosting
i just added powdered sugar until i got both a consistency and flavor i liked.

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon grand marnier
2 cups powdered sugar

in the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese and liquer on medium-high until creamy and fluffly. add powdered sugar in increments to combine. frost cake and garnish with chopped candied ginger.

salted butter caramel sauce from the perfect scoop. if you don’t have this book (yet…) and you like (love!) ice cream, you need it. it’s wonderful. nuff said.

delightful on everything. even cereal…actually, especially cereal.

hello, hello. i’m back…

with brownies!

these are a delight. the bitter chocolate shines here…there is just over 1 ounce of flour in there! this recipe comes from alice medrich’s pure dessert. i love the composition of this book into flavor categories, it makes flavors like dairy and chocolate seem so new.

i’ve only been able to have a nibble here and there. i’m trying to exercise some self control…i do have a wedding dress to squeeze into in 8 months after all! in the book, these are described as having a texture somewhere between cake and mousse…and it’s true. these came out pretty soft and tender. they are delightfully rich and definitely a bit elevated from your everyday-brownie (not that i have an everyday brownie…that would make for quite the chunky butt ;) however, they come together just as quickly as the standard brownie…just a little extra whipping for the eggs.

i served these in little fingers…which promptly fell apart out of hand. this is a fancy brownie. one that requires a fork or spoon and a plate. maybe a dollop of whipped cream or some vanilla ice cream. treat her right…she’s a classy gal.

bittersweet brownies
adapted from pure dessert

as you can see, these have some nibbly bits on top. the recipe, as it is in the book, is unadorned (and they are amazing that way too!), i just added some pecans and cacao nibs for some texture. as always, do what you want. i’m going to go out there and say use a good chocolate here. it really is the star in this recipe and i’m going to guess that it will make a difference. i’m a fan of valrhona currently, use what you like best.

8 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon melted butter
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cacao nibs

in a small bowl mix butter, pecans and salt. toss with cacao nibs and set aside.

position rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 F. line your pan (8-inch square) w/ foil and grease.

place chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. stir frequently until melted and smooth. remove from heat and set aside.

in a medium bowl (or stand mixer) beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla with a hand mixer on high until eggs are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. whisk in the warm chocolate to combine. fold in the flour.

scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with topping. bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 25-30 minutes. cool in the pan on a rack. invert onto a cutting board and peel foil. serve as you like.

*i used tart pans that i sprayed with oil. i didn’t foil them and i reduced baking time to about 20 minutes.

i made some cookies with pecans and potato starch and eggs whites. they came out really dense and not crisp like i had hoped. then, all the pictures i took…not good. bum-er.

so, instead i have pictures of apples for you. i took a ton, these are my faves.

sean and i went to apple hill (in camino, california) on saturday. basicaly there are a bunch of apple orchards, pumpkin patches and other delights…pies, honey, apple cider and locally made pantry goods. we stopped at one of the less crowded u-pick orchards. they had the cutest, tiny apples: granny’s, fujis, and golden delicious. sean has never been, but visiting apple hill is one of my favorite fall-time traditions.

fern, she’s a lovely dress.
whimsy, romance, charm, she has it all. i heart her so.

i just had to share…i went dress shopping tuesday with my mom and best pal at swoon…a bridal salon. the owner, michelle was wonderful and her salon is a perfect jewel box. it is lovely and so glam. i loved it! everything was definitely swoon-worthy.

i tried on 9 dresses and was torn between 3 gowns, one was short and adorable! one was very different with a very full skirt w/ pockets (pockets! delightful!)…and then there was fern with her lace details and sunburst pleating. my mom was very against the short dress, i thought she was going to vomit in her mouth when i walked out of the fitting room. no joke. i guess it helped along the decision making process.

it’s been days since i’ve updated here…dang. life got a little busy, but i’m coming back soon. very soon.