Charity Bake Sale!

It has been a whirlwind of a season so far... but its only just begun! I'll be making some amazing holiday gift baskets for clients and friends! From brioche cinnarolls to decorated rice krispy treat trees... I'm making it special for everyone!

I've already kicked off some holiday/seasonal items at the Long Beach Patchwork in November... next up will be for a charity bake sale put on by Eat My Blog, with proceeds going to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank! Hope you can stop by and show your support!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you're like me and manage to spend hours in a bookstore just browsing through cookbooks... you're sure to have come across this book:

and now... the follow-up:

But rarely do you ever splurge on getting these pretty books for yourself. So it was quite exciting when I got the second book for my birthday this year!

There are so many great recipes I'm dying to try! Double-Chocolate Loaf with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread, Boston Cream Pie Cake, Cowboy Cookies...

My first pick (simply because I had all the ingredients - but isn't that how it always is?) was the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. YUMMM.

Like the recipe describes, it has a really good flavor of an oatmeal cookie, but as a nice dense cake reminiscent of a banana bread loaf. Can you imagine?

I used a dark baking pan, when the recipe calls for a glass or light-colored one... so I will admit, it did get a bit overdone by the time I realized. But still good!

Chocolate Crack!

What a loooooong time it has been (again)! Not much time to do actual baking as of late - except for a few repeats of the classic recipes. But here's something I couldn't wait to try as soon as I saw it online.

We are all familiar with my "crack fish" yes?
Well, when I went to Unique LA a couple of weekends ago... I came across Bacon Crack from Cast Iron Gourmet. SO good... and then I didn't feel so un-PC by calling my crackers "crack fish".

So when I found this recipe for "chocolate crack"... why the hell not give this a shot? Plus, all I had to pick up from the store were the saltines.

Chocolate 'Crack' from Serious Eats

Ingredients:
Approx 2 sleeves Saltine Crackers
8oz Unsalted Butter
8oz Dark Brown Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
12oz (or random handfuls) of Dark Chocolate (chopped or chips)


Line a half sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Then lay flat saltine crackers all along the bottom of the lined tray.
Melt butter on the stove. Add sugar and vanilla. Cook until thick and bubbly.
Pour over crackers. Spread evenly.
Place into preheated 350 oven, until butter mixture gets super bubbly. (I might have pulled this out earlier and may not have reached optimal bubbly-ness.)
With butter mixture still hot, drop chopped or chips of chocolate all over the top. Let it melt from the residual heat and spread with a spatula.
Let cool to room temp. Then place in refridgerator to let it chocolate firm up.


*I sprinkled some sea salt on the top. I like a distinct contrast of salty and sweet.

This is definitely Trial 1. The crackers got a bit chewy/soggy. Perhaps from prematurely taking them out of the oven. And I think I would play with the thickness/thinness of the butter-sugar layer as well as the chocolate layer. But great flavors together. Got to brainstorm something for the texture. I want crunchy. Crunch crunch.

A "Thank You"

I sometimes find myself struggling with the (weak) correlation between my education and my "career". Art and baking, respectively. But then, I get a "project" that gives me reason to believe again. LOL.

Hand-cut/shaped rice krispy treat letters.

Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies, PB Cup Rice Krispy Treats, Krispy Marshmallowy Peanut Buttery Chocolate Brownie Squares

Cookie Cutouts

We all know I have a slight aversion to decorating. It drives me (almost) bananas. I try not to decorate any of my cutout cookies or sugar cookies simply because I don't like icing/decorating a whole bunch of individual items. But when you get some cute ass cookie cutters, why the hell not make an exception?

We've seen these before!

Got this tree cookie cutter from Sweet Baking Supply. Awesome shop! Great stuff, quick to ship!

I love my snail cookie cutters too! Still looking out for "the" perfect dino cookie cutter though.

Sugar-crusted Strawberry Muffins

In the "early years" of my baking adventures, I would jot down recipes into this little 3"x5" Hello Kitty notebook. (What other way is there, really?)

And even so, I still look through it for treats to make! Thus, a re-visit to fresh strawberry muffins.
The source of the original recipe is now lost, but at least I still have it to work from!

Sugar-crusted Strawberry Muffins

Strawberry Muffins - yields 1 doz

2T Butter
2/3C Sugar
1/2C Milk
1 Egg
1/2tsp Salt
1-1/2C Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1C Chopped Strawberries
Turbinado Sugar to top

Cream butter + sugar.
Add egg.
Add milk.
Then add the (already combined) dry ingredients.
Fold in fruit.
Portion into muffin cups.
Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake at 350 for 35 min, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Banana Bread Mini Loaves

So, its been a while since I've made banana bread. How could I forget those several failed attempts previously? Armed with my new loaf pans... I think its time to try again!

Banana Bread Mini Loaf

Baby Lemon Loaf

Aaaaaand it's been over a month since I've blogged. Needless to say I've been uber busy!

Anyhoos, just wanted to share that I'm loving my new mini loaf baking pans!

Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Buttermilk Pound Loaf

This super moist and lightly sweet & buttery cake is perfect for tea time or a coffee break!
I tend to like more slim sized loaves, so perhaps a 9x5 loaf pan was too hefty. But still good!

 I am on a loaf baking binge... next up will be lemon loaf and banana bread!

Lemon Bundt Cake

So, buddy Ila moved. Thus, a housewarming gift = cake. Cake made with the kugelhopf bundt pan she gave me!

Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze (not pictured)

2.75C AP Flour
1.5 tsp Baking Powder
0.75 tsp Salt
8oz unsalted Butter
1.5C Granulated Sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
0.75C Milk
0.25C Lemon Juice (approx 2)
Lemon Zest from juiced lemons (approx 2)

Sift dry ingredients. Set aside.
Beat butter (at room temp) with sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs until combined. Then beat in vanilla extract.
Alternated adding in the dry and the liquid. Starting with the dry and ending with the dry.
Scrape down bowl as needed.
Spoon batter into prepared pan; Spread so that sides are higher than the center.
Bake at 325 for 55 to 60 min, toothpick test.
Once toothpick comes out clean and cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, transfer to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.
Then turn out cake and drizzle with lemon glaze. (OR, let cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.)

Lemon Glaze (based off of Gonna Want Second's Kathleen Meyer Lemon Cake recipe)
0.25C Lemon Juice
8oz Powdered Sugar
2oz unsalted Butter, room temp

Just beat all together until smooth. Throw in some lemon zest too, if you like!


It was my first time using the pan, so I wasn't sure about how well it would release the cake after baking. I HEAVILY buttered and floured it all. But I must not have done a good job spreading in the butter into the nooks- or I should have tapped the pan to get out the airbubbles. Either way, I'm sure next time will be better.

The usuals...

I'm always getting orders for these "usuals"... why? BECAUSE they are awesome. :)
I got to play around with some old china plates I got at an estate sale too!

Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cheerios Marshmallow Treats

Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pie with Marshmallow Filling

Rice Krispy Treats

"Crack" Fish

Krispy Marshmallowy Peanut Buttery Chocolatey Brownie

Dark Espresso Brownie

Cap'n Crunch Marshmallow Treats

Chewy Ooey Gooey Brownies

These. Are. The. Best. Chewy. Ooey. Gooey. Brownies. Ever.

Made with Valrhona cocoa powder, Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate and espresso powder...

You know you want one (or ten) with a tall glass of cold milk!

Bread in the oven

My favorite thing about baking bread? The smell! MmmmMMMMMmmm! Oh, and eating the warm bread right outta the oven too!

Rustic Country White Bread

Divided and packaged up for sharing!

One of my favorite breads... brioche! My brioche a tete is still in practice, obviously.

I love that nutty brown color! MMMM!

Happy Valentine's Day (p2)!

Oh Valentine's Day... you have come and gone once again. Your obnoxiously commercialized pinks and reds and hearts each year continue to nauseate me every time I walk into a store. Too bad I still end up buying into all of it...

and this year I actually CELEBRATED IT! With a boy! ♥
A homemade dinner of teriyaki salmon, brown rice and steamed asparagus, followed by our attempted dessert of individual molten chocolate cakes.

Based off the recipe I found from America's Test Kitchen. I thought it would be perfect for Valentine's since it was portioned exactly for 2!

After folding the beaten egg mixture with the melted chocolate mixture, my hopes (like the batter) deflated. So that was obviously the major problem.

It was still edible... but no molten chocolate center either. Hmmm. Must have baked too long. Sad face.

Happy Valentine's Day (p1)!

Valentine's Day includes pink and red and flowers and mushy gushy stuff and sweets! Lots of sweets!
Here's a kickback to some of the sweets of V-Day's past.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Scones + Treat Bags
Gift Baskets with a whole mess of homemade treats

And what was in store for this year's Valentine's sweets orders?

Why, a TOOL BOX (a red one no less) filled with treats!

Contents include:

Pink(Strawberry) Rice Krispy Treats

Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies (of course!)

Heart Shaped Chocolate Whoopie Pies (whoopie!)

Tiramisu for me, Tiramisu for you!

Homemade tiramisu... not as daunting as it might seem.

 I pared down the recipe to serve just two (instead of a whopping 8 people).

Recipe from my CIA book:

Yields 2 4" rounds - used springform pans

1/3C Espresso
2T+2t Kahlua/coffee liquer
1/2C Granulated Sugar- divided into 1/3C and the remainder
2 Egg yolks
1/3 of an Egg (tricky tricky - I divided using weight)
13oz. Mascarpone Cheese
1/3t Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg White
16 stale Ladyfingers (approximately, I used a whole package of 24)
Cocoa powder for dusting
Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine espresso and Kahlua. Set aside.
Whisk together the 1/3C granulated sugar, egg yolks and the 1/3 of a whole egg. In the stand mixer bowl, set over simmering water, whisk until volume nearly doubles and becomes a light lemon yellow color.
Transfer bowl to mixer with whisk attachment and whip at high speed until mixture is cooled to room temperature.
Add half of the mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract at low speed until very smooth. Scrape bowl as needed. Add remaining mascarpone and mix enough to combine evenly.

In a separate bowl, whip egg white with remaining sugar until forms medium peaks. (This won't be very much). Fold beaten egg white into the mascarpone mixture.

Press 3-4 ladyfingers into the bottom of springform pan. Generously brush with espresso/Kahlua mix. Spread mascarpone filling on top. Top with ladyfingers and brush with espresso/Kahula. Repeat 3-4 times depending on height of your pan. End with mascarpone on top. Dust entire top with cocoa powder and powdered sugar.
Wrap and chill overnight in the fridge.

Carefully unmold! And enjoy!

Gift Bakets Galore (aka holiday baking bonanza part II)

This post is quite overdue... oops!

Just wanted to tie up the holiday season, though its been long gone...

2 baskets from the Holiday Baking Extravaganza

Special Gift Basket a la The Appropriated Muffin

 Included: the usual Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies and...

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallow with Semisweet Chocolate

Holiday shaped Rice Krispy Treats

Dachshund shaped Butter Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips for eyes (the recipient was a doxie owner)

Homemade Marshmallows

One of the new items for the holiday baking this year was homemade marshmallows. I had made them in class and thought it was super easy to make - not much time needed and so few ingredients. I "jazzed" mine up for winter with some peppermint extract instead of vanilla. But I probably should have gone less than a full tablespoon since the peppermint flavor came out fairly strong - I decided to "counteract" that with some melted semi-sweet chocolate chip spread on one side.

Let's do the mini tutorial thing again yeah? You'll need a kitchenaid mixer - BTW.
Step 1:  Combine 3 envelopes of gelatin (or 2T+3/4t) in mixer bowl and let soften with 3/4C water.
Step 1a: Prepare pan, depending on size and shape of marshmallows you want. I used a half-sheet and got flatter marshmallows vs. thick cubes. I greased with vegetable oil then sifted powdered sugar over. (You probably DON'T need to sift the sugar over).

Step 2: Melt 2 Cups sugar, 3/4C light corn syrup and 3/4C water, boil until 240 degrees (softball stage).

Step 3: Remove from heat then add stir in an additional 1/4C light corn syrup.
Step 4: Start the mixer with the gelatin and carefully pour the hot mixture. Beat on high (approx 10 min) until mixture is triple in volume and thick. Beat in your flavoring (1T of vanilla, or peppermint extract - use caution with the strength of your flavoring)

Step 5: Spread the mixture into prepared pan, smoothing as much as possible. Set aside uncovered for 8 to 10 hours at room temp.

Step 6: Dust your workspace with powdered sugar to cut. Dip cut sides into powdered sugar. Store in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Optional Step 7: Melt semisweet chocolate and spread on top side. Let set before packaging.

You might want to do a neater job of spreading chocolate than I did.

Enjoy!