this weekend was full of love for us. love-tastic if you will…

instead of our usual valentine’s plans of dinner and dessert, we had an extra special event to attend. last monday my mom rang us to ask us to come and witness her and her boyfriend mel get married. they said they decided they didn’t know what they were waiting for and when the town judge (a friend of mel’s) offered to officiate any time…the wedding was on for February 14th!

whoa!

exciting!

i don’t know what their “song” is, so i’ll use ours.

listening: naked as we came : iron and wine

my mom has been single since we lost my dad 23 years ago. it is so wonderful to know that love can come at any time and through many paths. this wedding could not be more special. my mom and mel are wonderful together…so fun and too cute! they actually met like 12 years ago and mel has had a crush on her for the duration…so cute! they began dating a few years ago and have been inseparable since! i threw together a cake and we got to witness the exchange of vows, all on my favorite day of love!

up until recently i worked in child care. if you’ve ever worked with children and their families you might know the stress and struggle that can come with such an occupation. especially with younger age groups, they need more care and attention, as do their parents at times. my biggest saving grace was my co-teacher L. we ran the 2-year old room together (20 2-year-olds up against two childless teachers) and anyone with a 2 -year old knows the daily drama that can arise. we learned, swiftly, how important sticking to a daily schedule was and how persuasive a single tic-tac can be.

very soon miss L will welcome her own little one into the world! i could not resist making something sweet for her baby shower. since all things baby and all things valentine’s day make me want to explode into a million pieces of heart-shaped confetti…i knew i had to make something that included heart sprinkles. i also knew that i had to do something chocolatey. L’s mom, R, is one of my very favorite people, so genuine and sweet, and she is notorious for her love of chocolate. i went with a mini brownie…a perfect, little bite of decadence. i needed something to adhere the sprinkles with, so i went with cream cheese frosting, yet again. originally i was going to do peanut butter, but the color combo and the nut-allergy issue dissuaded me. i think the brownies were well-received, i’m not sure since i was too busy catching up, gushing over baby leg warmers (yes! pink argyle ones at that!), and glaring with envy at L and her stretch-markless baby bump.

listening: maria taylor : speak easy

best cocoa brownies

i’m lazy and i’m just going to link you on over to smitten kitchen. i made mine in a mini cupcake tin and baked them for less time…like between 15 and 20 minutes. be sure to cool competely before piping on any frosting…though these fudgy babies could definitely do without the frosting.

cream cheese frosting

this recipe was me adding powdered sugar to cream cheese until i got a consistency i liked. if i had softened butter around i would have probably added that too.

8 oz. cream cheese softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

with a mixer or hand blender mix cheese and vanilla until creamy. add powdered sugar and beat well, until fluffy. pipe or spread onto brownies.

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.

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.

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.

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no recipe today. i did make buttered pecan ice cream last week. i gave most of it to a friend and kept a bit aside to blog, but…

i ate it. all.

it didn’ stand a chance. no way. salty, buttered pecans, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and makers mark…all together. in ice cream.

yeah, not a chance.

instead, some pictures of a few of my favorite items: a chair i rescued from the roadside, some of my favorite jewels…including my bonbons, and a pair of long-coveted boots found on sale :)

last night we threw a birthday party…for me. whoo! big 2-5! haha. usually we partake in these sorts of festivities at my best pal brooke’s house. however, as she is currently dog sitting her parents 4 dogs in addition to her 2, we decided that a party + 6 pups might be a bit overwhelming for all involved.

i made my own cakes :) a very small chocolate cake with oreo fluff frosting and this beauty. it is chocolate meringue layered with Vietnamese coffee ice cream, topped with freshly whipped cream and grated chocolate. i think the photo below speaks for itself…

i’ve been watching and reading the news as much as i can the last few days, having a party seemed a little innapropriate. but, in the end, having my friends around was perfect…it reminded me of why my priorities are what they are.