What’s your morning routine like?

Are you a snooze button smasher? A rise with the sun yogi? A running-out-the-door last minute mismatched frenzied mess?

I like to keep things consistent with the biggest coffee I can get my hands on and a mental “to-do” list. Although an occasional “to-don’t” list thrown in there when i’m feeling wild – er, needing restriction from getting wild could be a good idea, too.

To do: billsbillsbills – pay em, forward mail, smile at people, go to the… gym (i’m mentally screaming about this part already).

To don’t: eat like a 5 year-old, yell like a 2 year-old, drink like a 21 year-old.

To don’t lists are no fun.

Alas, I set myself a little list of to-don’ts before I set my trouble tappin’ toes out the door today:

Don’t raid the candy drawer the minute you get to work.

Don’t buy ice cream and cookies for lunch and convince yourself you just got a whopping amount of dairy.

Don’t convince Eddie to bring you cheesecake on his way home.

I set myself up for failure with that list: the sugar totally won!

Remember swedish fish?! I dove back into a deep cave of love with those chewy red wonders today.

Whatevs. I’m not sweating it!

Creamy eggplant swooped in and saved the day – er night – with it’s vibrant flavors and brilliant ingredients.

I found this light on the hips, heavy in flavor recipe over at Deb’s blog, and like everything she ever posts – I’ll be making it over and over again.

A glass of white wine and al fresco dining makes this magnificent meal a dinner dreamland!

Here’s the link to her post and the recipe!

Hello…

echo echo echo.

I know… it’s been way too long.

It would seem almost two months have slipped by without my fingers typing a single word here. Crazy town!

Ahh… ya know, I could sit here and type excuse after excuse after excuse… but who wants that?

I’m just thrilled to be back! I’ve missed this blog (and you – duh) like crazy! And now that I’m finally settled in my **new apartment, job, and all that snazzy stuff – I’m stoked to start sharing recipes and love and pretty pictures with you.

This here is chocolate cake decked out to the max with soft sweet pears and a seductive caramel lid: let’s do this!

Do you see that caramel?! And those pears…

They’re totally making out! Color me jealous.

Little do they know it’s about to get even better…

Here comes a deep, dark, heavenly robe of chocolate cake batter to make this cake major!

Majorly awesome, that is.

I couldn’t shovel this into my hungry face fast enough! And vanilla gelato melting all over the place only made matters worse (yes, add gelato!!).

This cake never met another soul besides the shockingly selfish chocolate hog hiding inside me.

Off to mix bacon with bananas and coconut… i’ll tell you more about that next time!!

Upside-down Pear Chocolate Cake -  adapted, barely, from

Epicurious  | September 2009

by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for pan

Fruit Topping

• 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, and each cut into 12 slices (1 pound prepped)

Cake

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (1 ounce) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk (I used buttermilk)
• Chantilly cream or Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, for serving (optional)

Butter a 9-inch round baking pan.

To make the fruit topping, put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan (one with a tight-fitting lid) and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then cover and cook for 2 minutes. (Covering in this way allows the steam to wash down the sides of pan, which will prevent any sugar crystals from forming.) Uncover the saucepan and continue to boil the sugar, gently and slowly swirling the pan as needed to cook the caramel evenly, until it becomes a dark amber color. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and allow it to harden. The pan will be very hot from the sugar, so take care in moving it if you need to. Fan the pear slices on top of the caramel in a circle around the perimeter, filling in the center with the remaining slices.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the cake, place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and melt, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Transfer the melted chocolate to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake bounces back slightly when touched. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate, leaving the pan on top of the cake for 5 minutes before you remove it. Serve the cake warm, topped with a small dollop of Chantilly cream or a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Storage: Wrapped in plastic wrap, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

What’s your deal with St.Patty’s Day?

I’m typically more of a passer than partaker in all the parties, pub crawls, and parades.

I dunno…It’s nothing personal; I love the Irish! Their endearing accents, affable charms, and heavy handed whiskey pours have always held an untouchable place in my heart.

But somewhere in between the pasty, plastered boys sporting their “KISS ME I’M IRISH” attire and the parades that carton so many folks a frenzy with celtic craze into one confined place, I find myself seizing a mini flask of Jameson from the closet liquor provider and avoiding the whole mess of it.

I embrace the whiskey, meat and potato, happy go lucky way of life daily anyhow.

But after seeing so many blogs rockin’ Irish fare and St. Patty’s Day inspired recipes, I decided to jump in the festive mood:

I’m a girl obsessed!

Spring green pumps! Metallic green nail polish! And oh mah god, you should see the trio of shimmery shadows I swiped up from Sephora in a recent spree!

And how about the food and drink we get to indulge in for this Irish celebration?!

I found myself lugging pounds of cabbage and brisket and bacon home from Whole Foods this week; The whiskey and stout are coming via FreshDirect!

I’m also on a mission fueled with desire and curiosity to finally try those freaky little Irish potato candies, they’re so bizarre looking – they must be some kind of amazing.

I’ve decided that what I lack in Irish heritage, I’ll make up for in smiling eyes, shamrock bows, and fresh loaves of soda bread perked up with brown butter and rosemary.

This bread was devoured ferociously by the boy and me in less than 20 minutes.

We slathered fresh strawberry preserves and (oh my god good) white truffle butter on hot pieces of this loaf and shamelessly stuffed our faces non-stop until the last crumb was fought over and consumed – I won.

I’ll be baking a few more loaves this weekend, and I can’t encourage you enough to gather your ingredients and get this baking!

Brown Butter Soda Bread – Bon Appétit | February 2006

I’ve always made a concentrated effort to avoid all those famous little cliche expressions.

Like “when it rains, it pours”… what?! Ridiculous.

Or “it is what it is”. What is what?

Alas, it seems these little phrases have slyly maneuvered their way into my daily mantra.

Oh life, how you do have a mind of your own.

Truthfully, I’ve been feeling a bit out of sorts. Life is silly, and scary, and surprising.

I’m trying to keep my cool, chill on the coffee and wine, and de-stress one carb loading, mentally frazzled day at a time.

In times like this, a tray of warm muffins can do wonders.

In between moving apartments, letting go of an old job and chasing grandiose dreams, forcing my heart to be silent and open and accept the slice of happiness it’s being filled with right now – i’ve been getting down with a lot of flour and sugar.

It’s a lot to take in.

And while I should be packing – er, buying boxes to pack – or ya know, finding a new apartment to move into in 3 weeks, I baked muffins and felt inclined to strongly suggest you do the same.

These muffins have an abundance of sparkling fresh flavor packed into their moist interior: Lemon, blackberry, and thyme are a power trio.

I intend on incorporating the three of these superstar ingredients into a refreshing cocktail very very soon!

I think these would look great on your breakfast table tomorrow: go forth and bake muffins!

Blackberry, Lemon, and Thyme Muffins -

Bon Appétit | March 2012

by Elizabeth Belkind

Cake Monkey for Intelligentsia Coffee, Los Angeles, CA

Crumble:

Last week… I broke up with carbs.

It was painful.

I may have cried.

I definitely cursed.

I may be guilty of delivering undeserved mega dirty glares toward innocent street folk carrying pizza, scones, or baguettes. I’m a freak like that sometimes.

So, why the cold shoulder to our beloved carbohydrates, you ask? (I’ll pretend you asked)

I’ll let you in on a dirty beautiful little secret…

It’s the reason this here site has been utterly lacking all the things I live, love, and devour.

I snuck away last week…

well, we snuck away: there’s totally a boy in the picture now(!!!).

We ditched our beloved concrete jungle for a few days and ate our weight in salmon stuffed bagels, the beefiest burgers, muffins with the crunchiest lids a girl could dream of, nachos of every variety one could think up, and way too many margaritas – all while basking in the sun speckled beaches of California: It was heaven.

But! I’m back. And we’ve got a lot of catching up to do, my dears!

I owe you big time on the sweet front, and i’m ready to pay up.

I can’t stop thinking about fresh strawberry and lime tarts.

Sweet potato fries with maple bacon cream dip… it’s happening.

Macadamia nut crusted coconut lime shrimp is stalking my every thought!

And chocolate… we have so much chocolate to catch up on.

My point is, really, that i’ve missed you and I can’t wait for all the eating we’re about to embark on together – you’re in, right?

I decided to start us off on the right foot; a cookie so incredibly rich, and buttery, and addicting you’ll be adding this to your baking rotation immediately if you’re anything like me.

This shortbread is a breeze to throw together, bliss to bite into, and an added perk: while baking, it generously blankets your home in the dreamiest scent of butter and rosemary: this is a win!

Rosemary Shortbread Gourmet | December 2002

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons mild honey
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• Garnish: small rosemary sprigs
• Special equipment: parchment paper

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and rosemary in a bowl.

Mix together butter, honey, and confectioners sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed, then add flour mixture and mix until dough resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Gather dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until it just comes together, about 8 times. Halve dough and form each half into a 5-inch disk.

Roll out 1 disk (keep remaining dough at room temperature) between 2 sheets of parchment into a 9-inch round (trim as necessary). Remove top sheet of parchment and transfer dough on bottom sheet of parchment to a baking sheet. Score dough into 8 wedges by pricking dotted lines with a fork, then mark edges decoratively. Arrange rosemary sprigs (if using) decoratively on top of dough, pressing lightly to help adhere, and sprinkle dough with 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar.

Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Slide shortbread on parchment to a rack and cool 5 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a cutting board and cut along score marks with a large heavy knife.

Make another shortbread with remaining dough.

I have a gift for you!

It’s cake…

of the chocolate variety!!!

I’ve eaten it everyday for breakfast this week, and I think you should too. Preferably at my house, so I can dig in to another slice: I’m out!

It’s perfectly paired with your morning coffee, but a glass of ice cold milk really does the job right.

My heart composed songs, poems, and sonnets of love each time I bit into this tender, dark loaf; i’ll keep those savory words private for the time being…

But best believe: This deep, devilishly decadent chocolate cake is the epitome of pleasure and self satisfaction in a loaf pan.

Everyday Chocolate Cake for president? It has my vote.

Everyday Chocolate Cake – taken from SmittenKitchen.com

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (6 7/8 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2 5/8 ounces) Dutch cocoa powder (see above for a natural cocoa adjustment)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan, or spray it with a butter-flour spray. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat well, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little uneven. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together right into your wet ingredients. Stir together with a spoon until well-blended but do not overmix. Scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, at which point you can cool it the rest of the way out of the pan.

Listen up, doll faces!

This is breakfast on the quick and tasty tip – mmk?

Oh oats – I could eat them all day! Not like raw or anything… but you know what I mean.

And perky little raisins, they sweeten up life on the healthier side. I’ve been thinking about being healthier – we’ll see…

But for now, let’s just focus on oats and raisins and a few other ingredients that will quickly become your new favorite snack on the go.

Let’s bake up some chewy granola-ish bars that taste like cookies and share with the people we love – deal?

Don’t forget to send me my share: I want more!

Chewy Oatmeal Rasin Bars – adapted – slightly – from AllRecipes

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat bran, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, eggs, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the bars begin to turn a golden brown at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

You’re stocked on bananas, right?

Wait. What? No…?!

Um – you should go make that happen… like right now. Grab 6 big ones! There’s bread to be made!

Pick the ones no one else wants: soft, spotted, and totally misunderstood.

Or pick up a ripe batch, toss em’ in a brown paper bag, and totally ignore them for about 4 days – they’ll forgive you.

Once you’ve got your banana situation under control, it’s time to get your bake on.

*Sliced bananas on top look so pretty!

I seriously wanted to inhale my entire apartment while this was baking.

Do they make banana bread perfume? I’ll check etsy… I need this scent on me at all times: it’s heaven.

At least… I hope heaven smells like this.

As for taste, texture, and all those other little details: each one could be followed by the word perfection. And you should know this – I don’t use that word lightly!

Ultimate Banana Bread From the The Cooks Illustrated Cookbook

Serves 10

Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even black) bananas in this recipe. This recipe can be made using five thawed frozen bananas; since they release a lot of liquid naturally, they can bypass the microwaving in step 2 and go directly into the fine mesh strainer. Do not use a thawed frozen banana in step 4; it will be too soft to slice. Instead, simply sprinkle the top of the loaf with sugar.

We developed this recipe using a loaf pan that measures 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches; if you use a 9 by 5‑inch loaf pan,start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe. The texture is best when the loaf is eaten fresh, but it can be stored (let it cool completely first), covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large very ripe bananas (2 1/4 pounds), peeled
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse (optional)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 81/2 by 41/2‑inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.

Place 5 bananas in separate bowl, cover, and microwave until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes.Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes (you should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup liquid).

Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until
mostly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Pour banana mixture into dry ingredients and stir until just combined, with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into 1/4‑inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of loaf in 2 rows, leaving 11/2‑inch wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Have you ever said the sentence “This sugar cookie just blew my mind” out loud?

I kindly warn you, careful the company you keep when uttering those words.

I mean, people just look at you like you’re straight up bonkers. As if… an epic moment of self realisation in cookie love is such a crazy thing! Hater gonna hate – Whatevs.

Now that these decadent discs of desire sprinkled their sweetness all up in my world, I had to share – and bake more as quickly as humanly possibly.

Truth: I downed 6 of these in under an hour.

Truth: I feel no shame.

Truth: I want another one… so badly.

With their generously chewy body, gorgeously crisp edges, and actual presence of FLAVOR: I am totally on team sugar, baby.

*milk or coffee chaser – duh.

Chewy Sugar Cookie – Cook’s Illustrated Best of 2011 Magazine

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling the cookies in
2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 small pieces
6 tbsp butter, melted and warm
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk (I used skim)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.

In a large bowl, place the 1 1/2 cups sugar and the cream cheese, then pour the warm butter over it and whisk to combine.  It will be slightly lumpy.  Whisk in oil, mix well then add the egg, milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.  Add flour mixture and mix with a scraper spatula until dough forms.

Make two dozen balls, rolling gently in your hands.  Pour the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow bowl and gently roll each ball in it, before placing on baking sheet.  Once they are on the baking sheets, flatten with the bottom of drinking glass. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each one.  Bake 11-13 minutes, until edges are just set.

12 deep into the new year, here’s the bad, the good, and some muffins!

The Bad:

My apartment is officially carpeted with an atrociously large mass of lurking laundry.

My nails are cringe worthy… and in desperate need of gold (or pink??) glitter polish. I need to be more girly in 2012! And i’m glitter obsessed right now.

Beer bottles have taken over my recycling bin. There may be a kahlua bottle in there too – I blame hot chocolate entirely for that. Have you made a kahlua hot chocolate yet? Do it.

And my hair… well, it has officially reached an epic and unholy state of frizz and chaos ala Amy Winehouse ( miss her).

But, it’s all good in the hood. Everything is totally alllrrrriiiighhhhhtttt.

Why you may ask? Perhaps with a slight tone of doubt and skepticism?

Well, because, silly! We’ve got the good:

I’ve got you. duh… awesome. I have a major friend crush on you.

I’ve got a handsome new friend (!!!) who writes me the prettiest of sentences. Swoon. He needs a new jacket… but totally fixable.

I’ve got new opportunities on the horizon and a heart full of hope. Hope is all we’ve got sometimes, but it’s something to hold on to.

I’ve got an apartment full of sweet aromas and a pan full of muffins just waiting for me to rip their crunchy little lids off.

And muffins… well, muffins = love.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins – taken from Smitten Kitchen who adapted them from King Arthur Flour

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.