Chocolate mint cupcakes

To me, chocolate and mint is a perfect combination. These cupcakes were outstanding. If you also like minty-chocolaty-goodness, try 'em out. You won't be disappointed.

You can find the recipe here at Simply Recipes. I topped off my cupcakes with the buttercream frosting.

Baby shower favors

Edible party favors are easy and cheap to make. For this baby shower, I made some sugar cookies topped with cinnamon and sugar (just like a brown bear, but much safer) and wrapped them up in plastic bags tied with a ribbon. That's it!

The worst part for me was cutting and tying the ribbon. I don't like scissors. Luckily, bf helped with that part.

Looking for a no-fail, simple sugar cookie recipe? I used the one from Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking: From My to Yours.

Baby shower cake

I've been holding on to this recipe for a couple of months, waiting for a baby to be born. I didn't want to jinx anything. Normally, I don't believe in that kind of thing, but you never know. I don't like to take chances when it comes to other people's babies.

Anyway, the baby finally made its grand appearance last week, and baby and mama are healthy and happy. The time has come to blog about this cake.


Volunteering to make the baby shower cake was a fun little project; volunteering to make the cake, 3 different kinds of sliders, and the edible party favor was a crazy idea. Good thing I'm crazy.

The cake turned out great and people really seemed to love it. It was fruity and light and nicely contrasted by the tangy cream cheese frosting. Personally, I didn't love it, but then again, I don't believe in desserts that don't contain at least some chocolate.

I made the cake over two days, first baking the cake layers and freezing them to make the cutting, layering, and frosting much easier.

At the time, I was worried about using pink trim since nobody knew the sex of the baby. Lucky for me, she's a girl.

The sliders were also a big hit, but in the midst of the craziness I forgot to take pictures of them. I prepped the sliders at home and cooked them at the host's house. Cooking in another person's kitchen is stressful. You'll just have to take my word that they were tasty.

Sadly, the cake didn't look so pretty by the time I got the party. (Note to self: if you're going to volunteer to make cakes for special events, invest in a cake box.)

I'll tell you about the edible party favors tomorrow.

In the meantime, you can find the recipe for this pink lady cake here.

Chocolate covered strawberries

Perfect for spring. Easy to make; easy way to impress your guests.

Directions: melt chocolate, dip strawberries, allow to cool. Optional: melt white chocolate, drizzle over chocolate-dipped berries. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate chip cookies bore me. I know, I know; everybody loves chocolate chip cookies. Don't get me wrong - if you hand me a chocolate chip cookie, I'm going to eat it. I may even love it. But when I take the time to bake cookies from scratch, chocolate chip cookies seem too commonplace to be worth the effort. That's why I knew I had to make these these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies as soon as I saw them. A small twist on the classic cookie makes a world of difference. And these cookies were totally worth the effort -chocolaty, salty, nutty, chewy, and not too sweet. Perfectly good; perfectly not boring.

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
(adapted from: Baking: From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt (a little bit more than suggested, I like salty cookies!)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used smooth, NOT all natural)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips)
1 cup finely chopped salted, roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat for another 2 minutes, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute each. Slowly blend in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts by hand with a spatula. Spoon the dough into slightly rounded tablespoonfuls and place on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center. Allow cookies to rest for 1 minute before moving them to a rack to cool.

Spiced molasses cookies

Out of nowhere, I had an intense craving for a gingersnap cookie. I wanted something sweet and spicy. However, I don't love crisp cookies, and wanted something softer and chewier. These Spiced Molasses Cookies from Dorie Greenspan hit the spot. They had a bit of crunch on the outside, were chewy on the inside, and sufficiently sweet and spicy. If, all of a sudden, you are craving gingersnap or molasses cookies - I suggest these.

Sugar-topped Molasses Spice Cookies
from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1 large egg
Sugar, for rolling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper.

Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for 2 minutes or so to blend. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. If some flour remains in the bottom of the bowl, to avoid overbeating the dough, mix in the last of the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. The dough will be smooth and very soft dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (I left in the refrigerator overnight and baked the cookies the next day.) Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment. Put the sugar in a small bowl. Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms. One by one, roll the balls around in the bowl of sugar, and place them on the baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down on the cookies until they are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops feel set to the touch. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature.

A happy holiday

I had a very nice holiday season. I enjoyed almost 2 weeks off from work during which I made the rounds visiting family, friends, babies and pets. I saw almost all of them. And I enjoyed some fantastic tasty business along the way. I made some of it, but for the most part, I was able to just enjoy. Can't beat that! Here's a glimpse of what I've been up to:

Lots of snow made for a white Christmas (sort of)
Before the holiday began, we took a short trip to Vermont

The cabin we stayed in had this stove. I LOVED it. Bf and I made some tasty breakfast for the whole group. I only wish I could have brought it home (the stove, not the breakfast).


Final wrapping of the tasty treats I gave out as gifts

Christmas Eve dinner was delicious. I made these roasted Brussels sprouts with shallots and cranberries to go with the ham. I also made this butternut squash.

While the rest of my family had cheesecake for dessert, I enjoyed this tart I made with some cinnamon whipped cream.
This little guy loved his first Christmas morning.

I forgot to bring my camera to Christmas dinner. This extremely unfortunate as Christmas dinner is my favorite meal of the year. I can't even begin to describe the tastiness - antipasto, lasagna, salads, roast beef, vegetables, cookies, cookies, cookies, desserts, homemade drinks, wine, torrone, etc.... So yummy, I can't wait for next year's meal.

After Christmas, I went to NJ and NY to spend time with some very fabulous friends. We celebrated birthdays, babies, kids, and engagements.

We went to this very colorful and very tasty little Mexican restaurant in NJ.

Fresh guacamole made at our table.

And, of course, then we found these

Finally, I spent New Year's eve in CT listening to these guys

Now I'm back in MA, back to work, and back to making tasty business!

Peanut butter cups

Not quite done with the holiday treats yet. These peanut butter cups were very easy to make and are way better than any you will find at the store. This is the kind of treat that requires minimal effort, but will impress the hell out of others. A batch of these peanut butter cups would make a great holiday gift.

Peanut butter cups

(adapted from marthastewart.com)

Makes 24

4 oz. chopped white chocolate
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used all natural and it worked well)
12 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate
~1/2 cup roasted (unsalted) peanuts chopped (I pulsed the peanuts in the food processor a few times)

Line 2 12-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners. Combine the white chocolate and peanut butter and melt over a double boiler. Set aside. Melt semisweet chocolate over a double boiler. Use a spoon to layer semisweet chocolate and peanut butter mixture into liners, beginning and ending with chocolate, sprinkle top with peanuts (I lightly pushed them down into the chocolate to make sure they were set). Place muffin tins in the freezer until peanut butter cups are firm (~20 minutes). Store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

More chocolate and mint

This one I love. My (now) sister-in-law brought some Peppermint bark to Christmas dinner a number of years ago and it was fantastic. And since I have no idea if she'll be bringing any this year, I made my own. It was super easy, and if you like Peppermint bark, I suggest making it yourself too.

chopped chocolate

This version has both white and dark chocolate (I honestly can't remember if the first batch of bark I had included dark chocolate). I like the contrasting flavors of the sweet white chocolate and the bitter dark chocolate. It goes very nicely with the minty candy canes on top. Yummy!

melting chocolate

This is easy to make - melt the dark chocolate, layer on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and stick in the refrigerator to harden. Then melt the white chocolate and layer on top of the dark chocolate. Top with chopped candy canes (press down to get them to stick). Back in the refrigerator to harden, then break up the bark with your hands.

Chocolate mint cookies

Christmas time means cookies, candies, and treats. Tasty, yes. But making all the cookies, candies, and treats can be a bitch. I'm looking forward to the 25th when it's cooking utensils down, and I can sit, eat and drink my favorite meal of the year. Can't wait!

In the meantime, I made these cookies to go along with the peanut butter blossoms. I really like the combination of chocolate and mint, so these cookies sounded appealing. They weren't bad, but they weren't the best either. The cookie was too sweet and didn't have enough chocolate taste. But the melted mint candy in the middle is a nice touch. Other people seemed to really like them, but I wasn't quite satisfied. I'll make them again - next time less sugar, more chocolate. A word of advice - don't be an idiot and store these cookies with the peanut butter blossoms (like me)... unless you like the combination of chocolate, mint, and peanut butter. I don't.

Chocolate mint cookies

(allrecipes.com)

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (4.5 ounce) packages chocolate covered thin mints (Andes mints)

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer.

An oldie but a goodie

Tasty business, plain and simple. Nothing more to say about peanut butter blossoms. You know 'em, you love 'em, and you look forward to 'em every holiday season. I certainly do.

I used this recipe. Foolproof and simple. Give it a try, you'll see.

Pumpkin overdose

It was bound to happen. I love Halloween too much and accumulated way too many pumpkins. How could I let those precious orange treats go to waste? I couldn't. I had to cook them. And after all that effort, I confirmed what I already knew: I don't like pumpkin. Yup, I said it. Fall is my favorite season, Halloween my favorite holiday, pumpkins are my favorite decoration, and (obviously) I love to cook. Still, I don't like to eat pumpkin. I don't like savory pumpkin dishes, I can't stand pumpkin pie and hate pumpkin butter. I'm going to stick with other types of squash for the rest of the winter. Now, if only I can save myself from making the same mistake next year...

Even though I don't love them, I still wanted to know more about them.

Pumpkin fun facts:

• Pumpkins are 90% water
• Pumpkins are fruit and are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits
• Pumpkins are thought to have originated in Central America
• The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.
• Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October
• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake
• Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.

The dishes I made with all those pumpkins (I used "sugar" pumpkins):

Pumpkin soup with Parmesan & sage toasts
(adapted from The Silver Spoon)


Pumpkin with mushrooms over wild rice
(adapted from The Silver Spoon)


Roasted pumpkin seeds
(from Simply Recipes)


Bourbon pumpkin cheesecake
(from Gourmet Magazine, by way of Smitten Kitchen)


I also made some pumpkin brownies, but the pictures were lost when my hard drive crashed :(

Birthday cake challenge 2008

Two parents, two kids, two birthday cakes. That's all a birthday cake challenge needs. Who won? You be the judge. Next year, I'll let my brother know that we're competing.

His cake: 2 layer chocolate with vanilla frosting & strawberry filling (as seen in the previous post, Summer BBQ "CT Style").

My cake: 4 layer white with meringue frosting, raspberry filling & topped with chocolate ganache.

Whipping up the frosting

Mmmmm! Tasty ganache

The cake