Vintage Cake Stands...................

Do you have something that you always search for on-line when you are bored or just dreaming? Well I do. Cake stands! I love old and vintage anything. I have always loved collecting "things" since I was young. I always loved rocks and collected them when we would travel. I also collected Barbies of all sorts and was known as the Barbie Queen. I would and still get them for birthdays and Christmas because I loved loved loved playing Barbies growing up, now I leave them unopened but still love receiving them. I also collected Madame Alexander Dolls, my grandma would give us one each year for our birthdays. As I got older I started collecting cute tea pots.

As of late, since I love to bake I love old vintage cake stands, to hold not only cakes but cupcakes, chocolates, cookies or lemon squares. So here is to dreaming and wishing. Check back with me in ten years and hopefully I will have an extensive collections of vintage cake stands.

Easter and Sugar Cookies........

For every holiday and time of year I love, I make sugar cookies and decorate them according to that season. I love spring time and I love Easter. I love everything about Easter....Easter egg hunts, dying eggs and spring dishes. I love it all. For the famous Bradford Sugar Cookie Recipe, click here. Here is to a beautiful spring and Easter. Enjoy!

Caroline's Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies......

About once a week I go and visit all my favorite food blogs. I see what new recipes they have posted and usually print out a stack of "new" recipes I want to try. Truly surfing my food blogs brings me happiness and gives me a sense a peace, I can't explain it, maybe its because I love to see other bloggers who have a passion for cooking and also love to see how creative other people are.

One of the blogs that I visit often is Caroline's Bake Shop. I love her blog and am always so impressed with the recipes she posts. I also love Caroline because we grew up together in Walnut Creek, CA and went to the same church. Her older sister Kristin was our favorite babysitter ever and honestly we loved her. I remember one year Caroline, her sisters Courtney and Kristin and brother Justin came to my birthday party. I thought I was so cool because they were so much older than me, and they had taken the time to come.

So anyways, I was doing my weekly perusing of my blogs and clicked on Caroline's blog. She had posted a recipe for Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies. I instantly thought of my husband and how this sounded like the perfect cookie for him, mainly because he loves chocolate chip cookies and coconut. So I decided to make them that night for the hubs. He loved them and they were even better the next day.

These cookies are soft and chewy and have made the perfect partnership of coconut and chocolate. If you are a coconut lover then these cookies are so for you....

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 2/3 cup coconut (yes,you read that correctly)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. I then place a sheet of parchment paper on top of my cookie sheet. Set aside.

In a stand mixer cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Once combined, at the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix each one completely. Then add the vanilla. Mix well.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix well. Then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until it is barely combined. Then add the coconut, milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. Mix until just combined. Place the dough into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Then scoop out a tablespoon of dough, shaping into a round ball and place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes (my cookies took 11 minutes). Once baked to perfection allow to sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to cooling rack to allow to cool completely.

These are easy to make cookies that will send your taste buds reallying with the combo of butter, coconut and chocolate chips. These cookies are worth every calorie.

Carrot Cake Cookies

Ok so I love cookbooks. I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to make all the recipes that I find. I also have a huge stack of recipes that I have printed off, that I have had every intention of trying. I have cookbooks that I have tried about 1-5 recipes in them, knowing that they hold countless undiscovered yummy recipes that could become family favorites. Unfortunately I try about 1 % of the recipes I find and the list just gets bigger and bigger. But I am here to say that I finally tried a recipe that I have eyed for a while.

When spring comes around I start getting the Easter itch. I love Easter, I love dying Easter eggs, love Easter egg hunts and jelly beans. I also think of springy desserts. One dessert that is so appropriate for spring is Carrot Cake, so when I was looking through my "Martha Stewart's Cookies" cookbook and found a recipe for Carrot Cake Cookies, I knew that I had to try these because I love carrot cake and cookies.

This recipe was a delight. After making the dough I sampled it and I remember telling Thad that the dough tasted like carrot cake in a cookie form. I didn't think it could be done but some how they did it! And what cookie does not taste fantastic sandwiched between cream cheese frosting. After a careful taste testing session by Thad, he gave them a strong thumbs up. His only want was for some more cream cheese frosting in the carrot cake cookies and some milk.

Carrot Cake Cookies

1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)
1 cup raisins

Start off by preheating oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.

Once dough has chilled and is firm, shape tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Transfer to oven, and bake until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking to ensure even color, 12 to 15 minutes (my cookies were perfect just at 11 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat baking process with remaining dough.

While cookies are cooling start on the cream cheese frosting (below). Once cookies are completely cooled, use an offset spatula to spread the cream-cheese filling onto a cookie (they say to use 2 teaspoons but I used twice that amount on mine). Sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*This recipe makes 2 cups but I liked more cream cheese on my cookies, so I doubled the recipe and this recipe doubled was just enough.

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

These cookies are, as Martha says "tiny inside-out carrot cakes, with the signature cream cheese frosting on the inside and spiced cake on the outside". They are guaranteed to win over any carrot cake lover, so enjoy!

Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes w/ Strawberry Frosting.....

There are many places that I day dream about visiting, sadly it is the not the historical monuments or incredible shopping I dream about......its the food. I am a self proclaimed foodie who grew up in a house where food was good and always made from scratch. We traveled a lot and tried some amazing food and I feel like that is where I developed my love for all things delicious. I still think about the Patisserie in the little quaint downtown of St. Cloud, France in which we lived. You could get every beautiful french pastry you could have dreamed of there and the care in which was put into each baked good was exquisite. Since then I love little quaint bakeries. There are so many bakeries that I want to visit someday. To name a few Magnolia Bakery in NYC, Miette in San Francisco, Georgetown Cupcake in DC and Baked in Brooklyn...and many many more.

So to add to my dream bakeries to visit is Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills, California. I remember hearing about them for the first time from my mom. She told me how good they were and that people order them from all over the world. It is rumored that they were one of the very first Cupcake bakeries.

On Oprah's official website she featured Candace Nelson, the owner and founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, showing how to make their famous Strawberry Cupcakes. I was instantly intrigued and had recently told Thad that in my food daydreams I envision a strawberry cupcake with strawberry icing, since whenever spring starts to creep up I want to bake with berries and a strawberry cupcake sounded so light, fresh and spring-y. So all the stars aligned and it was just meant to be that I came across this recipe, plus felt pretty cool having the recipe for a Sprinkles Cupcake.


Sprinkles Cupcakes' Strawberry Cupcake
2/3 cup fresh or frozen whole strawberries (thawed if frozen)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk , room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg , room temperature
2 large egg whites , room temperature

Start off by preheating the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree. Add a few more strawberries if necessary, or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In another small bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla and strawberry puree; set aside.

In the bowl of an stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

Turning the mixer to low, slowly add half the flour mixture, mixing until just blended. Add the milk mixture, also mixing until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended. You want to be sure to not over mix because if you mix it too much it will be a dry, harder cupcake. So be sure to not over mix.

Using an ice cream scooper or a spoon, evenly divide batter among prepared muffin cups (they should be about 2/3 full). Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes (my cupcakes took 15 minutes due to a fast oven, but be sure to watch them closely). Once done baking, transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.


Sprinkles Cupcakes' Strawberry Frosting
1/2 cup frozen whole strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over mix, or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

These cupcakes were a treat. They were moist, light and the flavor was subtle but just enough to give you a little taste of strawberry. A spring time recipe that I will be making again soon. Until we meet in person Sprinkles Cupcakes, these will have to do.

Bon Appetit!

Yummiest Chocolate Cupcake Ever..........

We all know that cupcakes are all the craze right now. There are cupcake shops popping up all over the place and something so classic as a cupcake has become the newest coolest baked good. I think that everyone needs in their recipe arsenal a good chocolate cupcake recipe and a good vanilla cupcake recipe. I have been looking for both for some time now and my chocolate cupcakes I just stumbled upon.

I am not sure if you remember when I had my first official catering job. It was for Thad's work and they wanted me to make alabama cupcakes (here is the link). For the chocolate cupcakes I made Surprised Filled Cupcakes. For this cupcake there is a cream cheese filling that goes in them and they are very good. When I was making these cupcakes for the catering job, I ran out of the filling and had some chocolate batter left over and so I made some plain chcoclate cupcakes with the extra batter. Thad had one of the plain chocolate cupcakes and raved about how moist and good they were. I had a taste and agreed. And in that moment, our favorite chocolate cupcake was discovered.

This recipe does not have eggs in it so it is a denser more moist cupcake. It is the perfect consistency for a perfect chocolate cupcake and a must make.

Chocolate Cupcake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups water

Start off by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees. Get out a 12 cup cupcake pan and place 12 cupcake liners in the pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt; mix. Then add the next 4 liquid ingredients....vinegar, vanilla, oil and water, mixing until barely combined. Once all ingredients are added, mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Once completely mixed, I like to use an ice cream scooper to dish my batter into the cupcake pan to make a uniform cupcakes. I Fill the cupcakes about three-fourths full. Place cupcakes in the oven, letting them bake for about 13-20 minutes. Mine are usually perfect at 15 minutes.

Once removed from the oven, place on cooling rack and let cool completely. These cupcakes can stand alone in taste without frosting but if you want to dress them up, you can top them off with a delish chocolate frosting. Click here for chocolate frosting recipe

These cupcakes are always a crowd pleaser and oh so good.

Enjoy!

Heavenly Hash Fudge

I love Valentines Day. Really, I have always loved V-day. I loved V-day when I was a kid and got to make Valentines for everyone in my class or those Valentines when I felt everyone in the world had a Valentine but me...even then, I still loved the holiday.

Since I do love Valentines, I have been making my favorite sweets and trying to experiment with others. Living in France I loved Mousse au Chocolat and so I found a recipe and made it. The mousse was good but not great and not worth sharing. And of course the plan was to make my the beloved Bradford Sugar Cookies for friends and although the weekend got away from me, still hope to do so this evening. Along with my pre-Valentines day baking I came across this recipe for Heavenly Hash Fudge. I am a sucker for anything fudgie.

David Gaus, a Pastry chef shares this recipe as his favorite Valentines Day treat. He says that growing up in New Orleans "the candy box of choice was Elmer’s Heavenly Hash. The local department stores – Maison Blanche and Krauss’ – were piled high with them during the season, in all their gleaming cellophane glory. Coming out of a sweet-deprived Lent, it really did seem like a little slice of heaven".

You would think that David, a pastry chef, would choose as a his fav Valentine's Day dessert something other than fudge but he says "there’s still nothing more appealing to me than a perfect morsel of fudge, preferably studded with pecans, thanks to my Southern bias. The smooth, soft chocolate with the crunch of a fresh roasted nut is an ideally balanced texture. The richness is decadent. I’m talking about Heavenly Hash."

With that said, after making it I too was taken by it. It was rich, smooth and those toasted pecans and soft marshmallows put it over the top. Warning: It is rich, so too much will result in a tummy ache (this may or may not be due to personal experience).

Heavenly Hash Fudge
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3⁄4 pound semisweet chocolate (preferably 58%–61% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 1⁄2 cups toasted pecan pieces
1 1⁄2 cups mini marshmallows

Lightly coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place a 10-inch-square piece of parchment paper in the baking dish, coat with nonstick cooking spray, and set the dish aside.

Bring the sugar, evaporated milk, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the syrup reaches 220°F (it will have a foam of finely textured bubbles on top like the foam on a beer), about 8 minutes.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the chocolate, vanilla, and salt until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Let it cool for 3 minutes (you shouldn't’t feel any heat if you touch a dab to the bottom of your lip) and then stir in the pecans and marshmallows until combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into a somewhat even layer using a rubber spatula (it’s okay if it’s a little bumpy and rustic). Tap the pan on your work surface a couple of times to compact, and then cover flush with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hour or overnight. David says in his recipe to let it sit for 1 hour or over night but my fudge took several hours to set and was even better the next day.

Place a deep bowl or pitcher of hot water next to your work surface. Invert the chocolate onto a cutting board and carefully remove the parchment paper. Dip a chef’s knife or pizza wheel into the hot water and cut the bar into 2-inch squares (I cut my pieces into 1 inch squares because of its richness). Place the heavenly hash in paper candy cups, wrap in decorative foil, or arrange on a serving platter and refrigerate. Let the candies sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

*Note: It you are not a bittersweet fan, I would use a semi-sweet or milk chocolate for this recipe which I think would taste divine too.

These are the perfect chocolaty Valentines Day treat and so easy to make!

Happy Valentines Day!

XOX