Recipe: Iced Pumpkin Cookies

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So the next thing I know, I'm married and it's almost November. What?! Time flies when you're in a wedding tornado, I tell ya. Now with the wedding behind me, I have MUCH more time on my hands to do important things like finish up season 2 of Homeland (holy crap that was one heck of a season finale!), partake in happy hours (hi wine! I've missed you) and BAKE (nice knowing you wedding diet)! Yes, I'm back in the saddle my friends. Since it's Fall and all, I decided to make something with gourds because that shit is so seasonal. Cue Iced Pumpkin Cookies. This is a nice straight forward recipe, no fancy moves in this one. This would also make for a fabulous Thanksgiving dessert (speaking of Thanksgiving, somebody needs to tell Macy's that Christmas is NOT the next Holiday).

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Recipe from All Recipes
Yield: Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients – Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients – Icing
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2.  In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of  butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly. Pro Tip: I skipped the flattening part.
3.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork. Note: Mine took 12 mins on the nose and I love me some glaze so I spread small dollops on each cookie with the back of a spoon for a better glaze to cookie ratio.
4.  To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

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photo cred: my hubs

I’m in love with my cookie scooper. It completes me.

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Half tempted to close this with a line from McSweeney's article, but I'm afraid I'll offend someone...so I'll go with the PG version:

Welcome to autumn, yammos!

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Our Wedding Cake

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A little over 3 weeks ago I partook in the best day of my life. No, not a day spent at an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet (great guess), it was my wedding day <cue awws>.  While I could easily talk (write?) your ear off about the wedding, I instead want to hone in on the wedding dessert highlight: the cake. I posted awhile back about the cake tasting, courtesy of the lovely Amy, that knocked my ankle boots off and holy cow did Amy deliver on the wedding cake. When I first laid eyes on the cake, it was, frankly, love at first sight. I mean, check this beauty out.

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The two flavors we chose were: (top two layers) chocolate espresso cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and (bottom layer) golden yellow cake with orange zest with vanilla buttercream frosting. Needless to say...I had 3 slices throughout the night.

Amy, thank you again for making us a stunning and ridiculously delicious wedding cake! 

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Had to be done. You can see the slight guilt on my face.

Recipe(s): The Hunt For The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

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I have a buddy who is equally as much of a dessert fiend as I am. He’s been known to eat a WHOLE pan of brownies in the middle of the night because he “just couldn’t help himself” (true story). One of his favorite desserts is chocolate chip cookies and he’s been pestering me to post a recipe for these. Oh, I'll post one all right, how about we go on a little hunt for the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe? Boomtown.

My game plan was to try out four different recipes (I mean, a girl can only make so many different choco chip cookies in a day) that have grabbed my attention in some way, but still have all the classic cookie ingredients. I also wanted to do a blind taste test to see which of these took the gold. I chose a sunny Sunday to stay indoors and embark on my quest and after gathering all of the ingredients, it was go time. Here are the four different recipes I tried, along with my review of each one.

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Supplies: check! The cookie scooper my new FAVORITE baking tool.

One thing to note, the taste-testers were real softies and had a hard time ranking each of these. There were a lot of cookies that tied for 2nd or 3rd place- I don’t even think anyone gave out a 4th place. It felt a lot like elementary school tee ball where everyone got a trophy at the end of the season, even if your team came in dead last. Hell, did they even keep score at that age? I digress, back to cookie makin’!

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Nestlés Chocolate Chip Cookies

First up: Nestlés Chocolate Chip Cookies. A classic. The recipe is conveniently located on the back of the Nestlés Chocolate Chip bag. Such smarties. I choose this recipe because it’s an all-American cookie to me. Anytime I needed to make a batch of choco chippers, I reached for this recipe. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s always a crowd pleaser.

Nestlés Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: Makes 60 cookies 

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Directions
1.  PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
2.  COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3.  BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Thoughts?
The taste testers really enjoyed these, myself included. Some said it tastes like a chocolate chip cookie should taste like- no bells and whistles. My dad gave it 1st place because it tasted familiar and comforting, a cookie you'd have with your family after a  home-cooked meal. My sister gave it a tied 1st place (here we go) for the same reasons, but a few of the taste testers weren't as impressed and gave it a tied for 3rd place <gasp>.

Overall Rating: 4 sticks of butter

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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this next recipe through a gal I was in a foodie book club with. She claimed it was the best chocolate chip cookie she’s ever eaten, but you don’t get that sense by the way the recipe is named: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. It sounds like my 3 year old nephew named it, but I was still curious enough to give it a go, because you know, the name could be telling the truth. She’s also an amazing baker/chef so I knew they had to be pretty legit.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: Makes roughly two dozen cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 12 oz. bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips (use the highest-quality chips you can afford)  Note: I used Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Using an electric stand mixer, cream sugar and butter until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Finally, add chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
4.  Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop golfball-sized mounds on a cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown along edges.

Thoughts?
These cookies took 1st prize for presentation. They looked really pretty coming out of the oven- nicely puffed up with a lovely light tan color. As far as taste went, they were buttery and noticeably a bit sweeter than the others. The taste testers liked these a lot, most giving them a solid 2nd place.

Overall Rating: 4.5 sticks of butter

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Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Next up was a recipe I’ve wanted to try ever since my coworker raved to me about them, saying they were her go-to cookie recipe: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. I chose this recipe because they sound like a cookie should sound like: un-wimpy. There’s nothing worse than a wimpy cookie, am I right?

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: Makes 18 jumbo cookies or two dozen regular sized cookies.

Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (more or less, as desired)  Note: I used fancy chocolate: Scharffen Berger 62% cacao semisweet chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped

Directions
1.  Heat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
3.  Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips to taste.
4.  Roll scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and with jagged surfaces facing up, join halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth dough's uneven surface. Place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving 2 1/2-inches between each ball. Pro Tip: I didn’t do this. It sounded confusing so I just used my cookie scooper and called it a day.
5.  Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, about 18 to 22 minutes.
6.  Cool cookies on sheets. When cooled, peel cookies from parchment.

Thoughts?
Well, these were exactly what I expected: thick and chewy. They came out looking super flat, but definitely had the best texture of the bunch. The taste testers weren’t as impressed with these mostly ranking them at tied for 3rd place. I’d have to agree with their ranking- the flavor wasn’t as buttery as I tend to like my CCCs (chocolate chip cookies).

Overall Rating: 3.5 sticks of butter

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NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies and the taste testers in action.

Lastly, I took a stab at the famous New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, adapted from Jacques Torres. There’s a lot of hub-bub around this recipe so it seemed blasphemous not to try it out. Sadly, I did not follow the recipe exactly because high-maintenance Jacques asks for the dough to sit 24-48 hours. Frankly Jacques, that’s too long to wait for cookie consumption, come on. After cursing Jacques name, I settled on making the dough first, let it sit for most of the day, and bake them last. Close enough.

NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: Makes two dozen cookies

Ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content Note: I used Scharffen Berger 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
Sea salt.

Directions - NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
1.  Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2.  Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4.  Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Thoughts?
This recipe was annoying to make, but damnit, I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t delicious. Consistency was spot on and the bittersweet chocolate with the hint of salt was a perfect pairing. The taste testers agreed, almost everyone ranked them at 1st place. Lots of love for the salty addition. Jacques, you’ve done good you handsome, baking bastard. (I just googled Mr. Torres after calling him handsome. Perhaps I was a little generous with that description.) If you have the patience to make these cookies, do it, because they’re really good.

Overall Rating: 5 glorious sticks of butter

Final Thoughts?
If you’re looking to dazzle someone with a CCC and happen to have 24-48 hours to wait, definitely make the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie. It’s a hit and a half. If you want to impress people with a darn good-looking cookie, go for The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Lastly, to my dessert-loving friend who inspired me to go hog-wild with cookie baking, the next time you’re in town, a batch of one of these cookies is on me!

Recipe: Italian Pizzelles

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Hello my pretties

Every time my fi(ancé) and I go to his parent's house for Christmas, we are not only greeted by his lovely family, but also stacks upon stacks upon stacks of pizzelles smiling as us. They are proudly made by my future sister-in-law's father-in-law (did you follow that?) The great thing about these is that all you really need is a pizzelle maker and a fabulous recipe. I've got you half way there friends. Behold, the recipe:

Italian Pizzelles
Yield: a bazillion servings

Ingredients
12 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup butter - melted
2 cup sugar
4 cup flour
1 tablespoon anise
3 tsp other flavor (orange, vanilla, almond)

Directions 
1.  Mix together eggs, oil, butter, sugar and flour in a medium sized bowl.
2.  Stir in anise. Add other flavors OR play around with this part. Try separating out the batter and add a little of one flavor, test and so on. My fi's sister also tried adding a heaping scoop of <my favorite condiment> Nutella to the batter and she had one word for it: AMAZING!
3.  Add spoonful of batter to hot pizzelle maker, hold down for 1 min or so (it will depend on your maker) and fork off onto a cooling rack. You will probably have to do a trial and error on this part.
4.  Once cooled, pizzelles should be waffley-crispy when you chomp into them. Experiment with the time it's in the maker if it's coming out too soft.

Dazzle a Italian stallion or bella ragazza with these delights!

Story: The Laaaast One!

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I'm about 4 here, but you get the gist of what 3 year old Courtney looked like. I'm holding my very tolerant cat, Smudgie.

When I was 3 years old, I did something very, very bad. Lets take a trip back in time, shall we? It was a few days after Christmas and I was super jealous of what one of my sister's gave the other sister: a shoebox full of all of her favorite candies. My eyes lit up like a Christmas tree (pun intended) when my sis opened the lid for the first time. It was like this forbidden treasure that I wanted in a bad way. My sister's knew this of course, so they decided to keep this box o' heaven well out of my T-Rex 3 year old reach: on top of their bedroom bookshelf. You know, it would have been a great hiding place if I didn't see where it lived whenever they generously shared a piece of candy with me. Suckers.

A couple days later, when they were babysitting me and my bro, I gingerly (pun intended) snuck away with one thing in mind: IT'S CANDY O'CLOCK! I don't know how I did it, but I scaled that bookshelf like a ninja and snagged that shoebox like it was nobody's business. After making my way back to solid ground, I bolted to my bedroom, dove under the bed and settled in for a nice little snack. When my sisters noticed I was missing, they started looking and calling for me for the next hour. They passed my room several times, but I wasn't about to reveal my hiding place and what I was up to. My sister's recall this next part very clearly. When they walked past my room at one point, they heard a tiny voice call out "the laaaaaasst one!" They looked under my bed and I was popping the last candy in my mouth while sitting in a sea full of candy wrappers. They were both a tornado of anger, to put it lightly.

I'm just now having this realization, well over a decade later, MAN do I owe my sister a shoebox full of her favorite candies. Alas, Christmas isn't too far away, is it? Too soon?

Recipe: Summer Peach Pie

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It's summer! <cue song> San Francisco sadly didn't get the memo, but the rest of 'Merica did. Luckily I'm headed to a MUCH hotter climate this weekend..although, it's supposed to be 109 degrees one of the days. I might die of gingeritus.

Summer means most fruit is in season which means people start baking fruit pies! Score. In light of this, I made a peach pie with my mom over the 4th of July weekend. The recipe is from a friend of hers who's a bake-a-holic, so I knew it would be gold. The key is to have fresh peaches preferably from a farmers market or home garden. Side note: for the crust, we bought 2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts to save time, but if you feel inclined to make your own, this recipe looks amaze.

Summer Peach Pie
Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
5 cups peeled & sliced peaches
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk (for top of crust)
1 tablespoon sugar (for top of crust)

Directions
1.  Place bottom layer of pie crust into pie dish.
2.  Peel and slice peaches into medium sized bowl, stir in lemon juice, set aside.
3.  Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in separate smaller bowl. Pour over peaches and stir.
4.  Plop mixture in pie dish with crust, dot with the butter. 
5.  Weave lattice crust on top. Pro Tip: start in a "corner" and alternate strips going perpendicularly. Trim any excess. Pinch edges for flare
6.  Brush the lattice crust with 1 tablespoon of milk, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar, dot with butter.
7.  Bake at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes until it is bubbling.
8. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Anything á la mode makes everything better.

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A rough peel-job is just fine

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Easier to do this part with a helper!

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Hello lover

Review: Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies

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Photo Cred: Sarah O'Rourke

I've happily scarfed many cookies in my day and just when I think I've tried them all, I come across a golden nugget that blows my mind. Enter Brown Butter Cookie Company- thank you for existing. Huge thanks to my lovely coworker for introducing these to me. On occasion she'll generously bring in a box to share and each time it feels like Christmas. Heck, I even bogart more than my sweet pregnant coworker does. I can't help it, they're too good! The BBCC store is located in a cute surf town: Cayucos, Ca, but luckily you can order these online whenever you please. If you happen to hit up the store, you will be greeted by free samples and possibly the two sisters who co-own this company as well.

Now lets talk flavors. I've been lucky enough to sample 4 flavors, but they make 6 total: Coco, Coconut Lime, Citrus, Original, Coco Mint and Espresso. Here is my two cents on the flavs I've tried.

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Photo Cred: Sarah O'Rourke  |  Coco Cookie 

Coco: It's so money. I mean, look at these beauties. It has a glorious light buttery chocolate flavor. Definitely one of my favorites!

Coco Rating: 4.5 Cookie Crumbs

Coconut Lime: This little guy is very intriguing. It's unlike any cookie I've had before. It has a hint of lime tucked away just enough in a butter-based cookie.

Coconut Lime Rating: 4 Cookie Crumbs

Citrus: I didn't dislike it, but it didn't make me want horde any away for later. I love citrus in chocolate, but it's not my favorite in a sugar-type cookie. They can't all be winners, right?

Citrus Rating: 3 Cookie Crumbs

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Photo Cred: Sarah O'Rourke  |  Original Cookie 

Original: This is my FAV. It's so good once it hits your lips. I love the brown sugar and pop of salt you taste in each bite. I also appreciate the buttery flavor that's not greasy by any means. These cookies are too classy to be greasy!

Original Rating: 5 Cookie Crumbs

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Photo Cred: Sarah O'Rourke

These cookies are so sweet, they even say "enjoy!" on their package. Do yourself a favor and order a box and thank me later.

People Who Don't Like Chocolate

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www.100redflags.com

Whenever I encounter someone who doesn't like chocolate, I can't help but instantly judge them. I meannnn...WHO DOESN'T LIKE CHOCOLATE? Perhaps they're missing some enzyme like people who don't like cilantro.  Boggles my mind I tell ya. I also have a buddy who doesn't like peanut butter, however, he enjoys peanuts. HUH?

And now I have a hankering for chocolate dipped in peanut butter...mmm.

Recipe: Chocolate Orange Tarts with Olive Oil Crusts

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Know what really strikes my fancy? Discovering a dessert that's easy, impressive looking and delicious. A triple threat if you will. Sadly, I rarely find these gems, but was lucky enough to come across one recently at a cooking class my family and I took. We made "chocolate orange tarts with olive oil crusts."

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At first I was perplexed that we were baking with olive oil vs butter, but let me tell ya, it was phenom. We used two different types of olive oils: a tangerine one and a rich, buttery one. I’m definitely a believer in the power of baking with olive oil now. Butter, you've got some competition friend.

Chocolate Orange Tarts with Olive Oil Crusts
Yield: 12 tarts

Ingredients – Pie Crust
2/3 cup We Olive Mission Olive Oil (any buttery olive oil)
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups All Purpose Flour

Ingredients – Chocolate Filling
2 tablespoons of Tangerine Olive Oil (Blood Orange Olive Oil works too)
2 teaspoons of Sea salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup cream Pro Tip: For a lighter recipe, use vanilla almond milk. Tastes just as good!
Raspberries to garnish

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Directions – Pie Crust
1.  Whisk 2/3 cup of Olive oil and 1/3 cup of water with fork for 2-3 minutes until emulsified. You will know it is ready when Olive Oil and water have become one and created a cloudy appearance.
2.  Add salt and flour continue mixing with fork. Spread on floured cutting board to finish combining by hand. Once mixture becomes tacky and well combined wrap in plastic wrap nd place in fridge for 10 minutes. Pro Tip: We skipped the fridging and it rolled out just fine.
3.  Roll out with floured rolling pin until it's roughly 1/8–1/4" thick.
4.  Cut into circles with a mug or glass. Press into greased muffin tin and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Pro Tip: We were very "rustic" with this and didn't spend too much time on the pressing.

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Directions – Chocolate Filling
1.  In a large bowl, combine chocolate, olive oil and Sea salt.
2.  In a small saucepan, bring cream to a bare simmer over medium-high.
3.  Immediately pour cream over chocolate and let stand 1 minute.
4.  Whisk gently until chocolate melts and mixture is completely smooth.
5.  Pour chocolate into cooled pie shells and refrigerate until set, 30 minutes.
6.  Slide out with a fork or knife and garnish with raspberries and mint for extra flare.

We had extra choco filling and each of my family members (mostly me) kept going back for a spoonful or five. It. Was. YUM. Special shout out to Chef Lauren for introducing me to this recipe!

Wedding Cake Tasting

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The day was finally here. WEDDING CAKE TASTING! Naturally, I was beyond excited about this. Giddy even. One of my good friends, Amy, happens to be a kick-ass baker and kindly agreed to make our wedding cake. I've had several of her desserts before so was stoked to try out the cakes she made for us. When we walked into the tasting, she had made not one, not two, but FOUR cakes that were all gorgeous and beautifully presented. We were blown away. Keep in mind, in normal cake tastings, I'm told you usually only get a few slices to share, not actual full-on cakes. Amy rocks.

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Our first slice was a golden yellow cake with orange zest and orange/Grand Marnier buttercream frosting. This cake was killer and the citrus kick made it delightfully refreshing. The Grand Marnier was a clever twist too, well played Amy.

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Second up was a dark chocolate espresso cake with espresso buttercream frosting. While Amy was describing this cake to us, I was inwardly cheering and outwardly trying to keep my cool. After my first bite...I was in love. Decadent, moist chocolate cake paired perfectly with the light, espresso buttery frosting. Swoon.

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Third round was a golden yellow cake with Nutella filling and Nutella buttercream frosting. Man oh man. This golden cake and I should be friends. Close friends. I loved the little pocket of Nutella too which happens to be one of my favorite condiments (yes it's a condiment, ask any Brit). You know what else should be a condiment? Buttercream.

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Lastly was a marble cake with chocolate ganache and hazelnut praline with vanilla buttercream frosting. I loved how pretty the slice looked with its marble swirlies. I also enjoyed the crunch the hazelnuts gave.

After we polished off all 4 of these slices each (can you say, cake coma?), my fi and I decided to blurt out our favorite at the count of three. We are very dessert compatible, but if we both said something different, heads would have rolled. Luckily, we both said the same cake and also agreed on our 2nd tier as well. Crisis. Averted.

​I've been savoring the to-go slices we were given all week- yes, we even got to take half of the cakes home with us! Can't wait to revisit these beauts on our wedding day (inwardly cheering again).

Review: Luna Park's Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

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When my sister found out I started a dessert blog, she said I absolutely had to go to Luna Park to try their Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. She was a fan, to put it lightly. So much in fact that when she was dining here with a friend when she was 9mos pregnant and started going into labor, she insisted they stay long enough to order this dessert...and polish off every last bite, including an extra scoop of ice cream! Brav-o sister, bravo.

Don't you hate it sometimes when siblings are right? Not in this case. This dessert is kind of like eating a hug. Crispy on the outside, warm gooey chocolatey goodness on the inside and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts over this bread pudding in all the right places. Yeah that sounded weird...just go with it. 

Rating: 5 Milkshakes

Thank you sister for sharing this yummalicious dessert. : )

Tip: Frosting a Cake

When frosting a cake, if the cake starts coming apart mid-frost, toss the frosting in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds- it will be a breeze after that. Make sure the frosting isn't runny though or else it'll be a hot mess. Fun (?) Fact: when the cake falls apart, it's usually because the cake temperature vs the frosting temperature is off. I'm told it's ideal to have a cold cake and room temperature frosting. Regulating these temps sounds like more work than I'd like to sign up for- hence this tip!

Is anyone else craving cake now?

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thatkindofwoman.tumblr.com​

Review: Desserts of Disneyland

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My family and I go to the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland, every year. This is partially due to the fact that we all truly love it, but mostly because there's a dental convention in Anaheim that my parents attend. (Ironic fact: my dad is a dentist and my mom is a hygienist...and we're all dessert fiends. GASP). Since we've been going for so many years, we know the park waaay too well, especially when it comes to the desserts (didn't see that one coming huh?) Luckily, Mr. Walt Disney didn't disappoint in this area. My fam and I have dessert traditions that we try to partake in each visit and I'd like to share some of the highlights with you.

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Clockwise starting left: Chocolate Chip Cookie Hot Fudge Sundae, Strawberry Ice Cream with Hot Fudge, Firehouse Dalmatian Mint Sundae and Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream.

​​Best Ice Cream Sundae: Firehouse Dalmatian Mint Sundae @ Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor.
This sundae can do no wrong. Two scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream, served in a waffle cup, with hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. This past visit, I stupidly ordered the Chocolate Chip Cookie Hot Fudge Sundae ​to mix things up. Don't do this. It was below average. Plus, I got to watch my sister happily chow down on the Mint Sundae across the table from me. I was an angry panda.

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Why so happy friend? I'm about to eat your face.

Best Frozen Nibble: Mickey's Ice Cream Sandwhich @ Frozen Treat Cart.
Snag one of these adorable cookies 'n cream ice cream sandos and bite Mickey's ears off with glee.

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Best Afternoon Snack: Churro: @ Churro Cart.
When you're in between meals and you need a little something something to tie yourself over, order yourself a Churro. It's sugary crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside.

Best Baked Sweet Treat: Chef Cookie’s Deep Dish @ Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue.
Choose from a classic chocolate chip cookie or seasonal cookie (ours was a snickerdoodle), each served with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with hot fudge or caramel. It's yum.

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photo cred: disneylandblackoutdates.com

Best Hot Day Refresher: Pineapple Whip @ Tiki Juice Bar.
This pineapple fro-yo is not only delightfully refreshing, but is probably the healthiest dessert at DL. Order this when you've been porking out on corn dogs and want a lighter sweet.

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Clockwise starting top left: Some fruity dessert, some PB choco number, my duo of crème brûlée: vanilla and hazelnut and lastly molten choco with flare.

Best Exclusive Dessert: Crème Brûlée duo @ Club 33
You can't help but feel like a VIP getting to dine at Club 33. The 4 desserts we tried were not all mind-blowers, but most were really tasty. Tom Colicchio would give them all high marks on presentation, but I personally think the crème brûlée duo tasted the best.

Disneyland will always hold a very special place in my heart...and stomach. My hat is tipped to you Walt!

Overall Rating: 5 Ice Cream Scoops

My Dad's "Love" for Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

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Growing up in a house full of dessert lovers meant desserts didn't stick around long. This was a problem for my dad, who's favorite go-to dessert is ice cream. Whenever his sweet tooth hit, he wanted to have a dessert he could rely on being there for him, like an old friend if you will. This is where Ben and Jerry's "Cherry Garcia" ice cream came in.* My dad was crafty and was able to find the single ice cream flavor that the rest of the family hated. Keep in mind, this was far from his favorite flavor, but he grew fond of it, mostly because he didn't have to worry about it disappearing on his watch. Brilliant or desperate? Nevertheless, whenever I open my parent's freezer and find a pint of Cherry Garcia sitting there, it makes me smile.

*If you haven't had the pleasure (?) of sampling this, it consists of cherry ice cream with cherries & fudge flakes. B&J, this flavor royally sucks. Stick to what you do best like "Coffee Heath Bar Crunch" or "Half Baked".

Recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

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I whipped up some birthday cupcakes for my friend's very, very and I mean very belated birthday dinner (her birthday was in early November, oops). I wanted to attempt to recreate these cupcakes she raved about that my sister made several years ago: white cupcakes with raspberry buttercream frosting. This dessert had me at butter-cream, so I was up for the challenge. I ended up going with a vanilla cupcake recipe I found on browneyedbaker.com and a raspberry frosting recipe on food.com. These were easy as pie to make (sidenote: pie isn't that easy to make phrase coiner!) You basically throw all the cupcake ingredients in a bowl, blend, done, and same thing for the frosting. Even a lightly trained monkey can make these.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients – Cupcakes
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Ingredients – Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 -8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
milk (if needed)

Directions – Cupcakes
1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.
2.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain. Pro Tip: Just use a regular mixer, no need to get fancy with this.
3.  Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Pro Tip: Always start with the lower time range to avoid overcooking. Mine took 20 mins on the nose.
4.  Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.

Directions – Frosting
1.  Cream butter and jam until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
3.  Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time until you reach desired consistency. Note: I used about 4 cups.
4.  If frosting gets too thick you can add a little milk to thin it out.

Hug a Cupcake

Ever loved a cupcake so much that you wanted to hug it? Or perhaps spoon it? Well you're in luck because now you can <said with cheesy salesman voice>! Check out this gem I found online. Can you say, Birthday gift? : )

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image courtesy of thefancy.com

Recipe: Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake

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image courtesy of askmen.com

As a ode to St. Patrick and my ginger hair, I made an Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake yesterday. It was fairly easy to make and I was pretty happy with the outcome. The cake was majorly moist and the whiskey gave it a nice "wang" <insert joke here>. If I were to make this cake all over again, I would add 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips for a nice crunch and I'd make a side of whip cream to offset the richness (hint: you should do the same if you are wise). Here is the recipe lowdown, found on Epicurious.

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake
Yield: Makes 12 to 14 servings

Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus 3 tablespoons for dusting pan
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
1/2 cup Irish whiskey (or any whiskey that isn't too peaty)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1.  Place oven rack in the middle and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch bundt pan well, then dust with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, knocking out excess. Note: I only used 1 heaping tablespoon.
2.  Heat coffee, whiskey, butter, and remaining cup cocoa powder in a saucepan over moderate heat, whisking, until butter is melted. Remove from heat, then add sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool 5 minutes.
3.  While chocolate mixture cools, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then whisk into cooled chocolate mixture until combined well. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined (batter will be delightfully bubbly). Pour batter into bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Note: mine took 43 mins and the toothpick came out mostly clean.
4.  Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack. Pro Tip: I garnished mine with confectioners sugar for flair.

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Cheers to my fellow Irish lassies!

Review: Cupcakes of NYC

On my first trip to New York City in the spring of 2009, I decided to embark on a journey: to find the tastiest cupcake NYC has to offer. It was a short trip, so I had to be focused. Sadly, I did not make it to the top of the Empire State Building or see the Statue of Liberty, but I did make it to three cupcake shops. Now that's what I call a successful trip!

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Left to right: PB, Cookie Dough & Cappuccino

First, my girlfriends and I hit up a cupcake place that has a lot of hub-bub: Crumbs Bake Shop. The shop may be small, but the cupcakes are ginormous. We snagged three to try: Peanut Butter Cup, Cookie Dough and Cappuccino. Thoughts? The frosting-to-cake ratio was off; there was waaay too much frosting/topping for your own good. Plus, each of them had a frosting filling too, not like it needed anymore. All this frosting was crazy sweet too, which is ok for a bite or two, but come bite three, things start to turn bad.​

Crumbs Bake Shop Rating:​ 1.5 cupcake wrappers

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Disneyland length line

Next cupcake stop was at another crowd pleaser: Magnolia Bakery. This place was featured in a Sex and the City episode, so yeah, it's popular. We're talking line-out-the-door-and-around-the-block popular. So we waited in line with the other schmucks for our cupcakes, hoping they would be worth all the fuss. We ordered three cupcakes to sample, and to be honest, I can't even remember what they were. They were that forgettable. The only thing I recall is thinking they were OK, nothing special about them...not to mention it made me question Carrie and Miranda's taste in cupcakes.

Magnolia Bakery Rating: 2.5 cupcake wrappers

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Left to right: Classic Chocolate , Red Velvet with Cream Cheese frosting on the right, hi old friend!​

Last, but certainly not least, on our way to walk The Highline, I spotted a cute little bakery in the distance: Billy's Bakery. I insisted that we stop by after our walk and man am I glad we did. This cute, quaint shop is very unassuming and could easily be passed by if it weren't for my cupcake radar. I ended up splitting two cupcakes with one of my friends: Red Velvet and Classic Chocolate. Red Velvet was the CLEAR winner and I immediately regretted agreeing to split the second half. Cake to frosting ratio was perfect, cake was moist and a lovely light chocolatey flavor and the cream cheese frosting was just the right amount of sweet. It made me want to track down Billy and give him a high-five.

illy's Bakery Rating: 5 cupcake wrappers

The next time you find yourself in need of a cupcake in NYC, go treat yo-self with a Red Velv at (my future BFF) Billy's Bakery.

Recipe: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwich

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The Girl Scout cookies have arrived...everywhere. Local grocery store: Girl Scout cookies in your face. Workplace: Girl Scout cookie explosion. Sports Basement: BOOM Girl Scout cookies. I somehow had the will-power to dodge buying a box or 5 and was instead inspired to make my own version of a GSC (Girl Scout cookie). The "Do-Si-Dos" have always been a contender for my favorite GSC, so I decided to give these a shot. I found a good looking recipe on All-Recipes.com called "Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies III," meaning there is a I and II version of these bad boys out there too. Well played All-Recipes.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwhich
Yield: Makes 24 servings

Ingredients – Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened                   
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar                            
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg                                                      
3/4 cup all-purpose flour                                      
1/2 teaspoon baking soda                  
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt                               
1 cup quick cooking oats

Ingredients – Filling
3 tablespoons butter, softened        
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter         
2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions
1.  In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine, 1/2 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
2.  In small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.
3.  Drop using a teaspoon (scoop should be overflowing) onto greased baking sheet or wax paper, and press each mound down with a fork to form 1/4 inch thick cookies. Pro Tip: put dough in fridge for a bit to make spreading easier.
4.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8–10 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown. Pro Tip: when in doubt, take them out. Better to under-cook than over-cook these.
5.  To Make Filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter and the whipping cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Girl Scouts, c'est la vie!

Recipe: THE Cake

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One of my sister's makes a dessert so delicious that there can only be one name for it: THE Cake. It's actually a pretty simple recipe, but it hits on all the right things: Chocolate? Check! Toffee? You betcha! Whip cream? Of course!

Luckily, I get to eat this at least once a year, due to the fact that someone in my family requests it for their Birthday cake (it's usually me). She was hesitant to share this recipe, but we agreed that true dessert lovers would be worthy enough. That said, here is the recipe in all it's glory. Note: full credit for this recipe goes to her mom who also knows a good dessert when she sees/eats it.

THE Cake
Yield: Makes 12 hefty servings, 15 wimpy servings

Ingredients
1 pint whipping cream
add sugar to taste (about 1/2 cup)
10 crushed Heath bars
1 box German chocolate cake mix

Directions
1.  Make cake according to recipe in greased 2, 8" round pans, let cool
2.  Crush Heath bars (leave 1 crushed bar aside). Pro Tip: my sister's technique is putting them in a plastic bag and hitting them with a hammer, but any kind of mallet will do
3.  Whip whipping cream until firm
4.  Fold all but the 1 crushed bar into whipping cream
5.  Once cake has fully cooled, frost first layer of cake with whipping cream/Heath bar mixture
6.  Place second cake layer on, frost
7.  Sprinkle remaining crushed Heath bar on top
8.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve
9.  Cut a large and in charge slice for yourself and enjoy
10.  Contemplate eating another piece