Better Luck Next Time

This is one of those bummer stories. The kind where things don’t exactly go the way you had hoped, but contains a silver lining. As is the case most of the time with me, the silver lining is inevitably good food.

My friend Michelle began the 26 year of her life this past weekend and wanted to bring it in with her closest friends around her in a relaxed setting, making crafts, and eating delicious treats. My kind of night. Michelle loves anything chocolate and coffee studded and I had every intention of delivering on those goods.

Here’s the background. I don’t own a car, and quite frankly I don’t want one. The only purpose I see one of those behemoths serving is to get me to Disneyland in a time efficient manner. But I digress. I also work nights, which means I have the sometime elusive task of catching my “z’s” during the daylight hours. This was not in the cards for me this past Saturday.

Living across the street from a gorgeous park is utter perfection, until a wretched, indiscernible  70’s cover rock band plays from 9am until 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Needless to say, not a whole lot more than internal desperate pleas for silence and constant tossing and turning until eventually, surrender was inevitable. This unfortunately left me with no energy and feeling ill, which left me unable to make the trek to my friends’ home (it would have been an hours journey, half by bus and half by bike).

This truly hurt all the more because upon walking into my kitchen at 3 o’clock that lovely Saturday afternoon, to what would normally be a view to inspire childlike joy, to look at a plate of perfect, soft, moist, billowy, fudgey, and espresso ridden Brownies. Ah yes, brownies. The deceptively simple, yet complicated dessert. The downfall of women and the weakness of grown men. The childhood favorite, and the future bringer of world peace. Yes the Brownie is all this and so much more, but my sweet Michelle would miss out on these specially made morsels.

That morning that I returned home from work I immediately set to work on these monsters. I am going to be perfectly up front with you about my brownies. I do not like black out, over the top, sugar studded Brownies. Yes, I’m pointing the finger at you box mix! To me chocolate is something to be celebrated and highlighted. You should taste the chocolate, not overwhelmed by it. Second point I will emphatically make. Healthy and brownies will never go in the same sentence. Don’t talk to me about diets, fat free, whole grain, low sugar, or any of that other nonsense when we are talking about brownies. There are certain things that need to be what they are, and brownies should never be diet. So unfortunately if you are one of my health nut or Vegan readers, I must bid you adieu at this point (or stick around if you need a guilty pleasure in your life. I promise not to disappoint).

My brownies focus on depth and combining flavors. It may seem complicated, but if you have a well stocked pantry this will be no big deal. I am a firm believer that in baked goods, never go with one type of chocolate, personally I believe in combining 3 different types, but 2 is absolute magic. This recipe is results in more of a fudgey brownie, not a cakey due to the fact that I melt down chocolate and do not use cocoa powder. The next biggest insight I’m going to lay on you, eggs. Lots of eggs. This not only gives the brownies moisture and structure, but the eggs act as your leavening agent and they give a nice glossy crust that forms on the top of the brownies giving texture as well as adding a whole depth of flavor. With all that said, here comes the recipe!

These Aren’t The Kind of Brownies You Take Home To Meet Your Mother (9×13 pan) (Inspired by Craft of Baking)

Brownie Batter

• 3 sticks Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 3 oz High Quality Milk Chocolate, roughly chopped
• 3 oz High Quality Unsweetened Chocolate, roughly chopped
• 6 Eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 cups Dark Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons Sea or Kosher Salt
• 2-3 teaspoons Espresso Powder, finely ground
• Dark Chocolate Chips

Espresso Cream Cheese Swirl (There will be some left over, I do this on purpose to have on hand for other baking ventures)

•  6 oz Cream Cheese, soft and at room temp
• 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, soft and at room temp
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Egg, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• Espresso Beans, very finely ground

1. With a hand or stand mixer, whip the cream cheese and butter until combined and fluffy.
2. Add the Vanilla and the Egg and whip until fully combined.
3. Sift in the powdered sugar and whip until fluffy and soft.
4. At this point you are going to want to add the Espresso Powder in small batched until you have achieved the desired coffee flavor. I wound up adding 3-4 tablespoons. The mixture looked like cookies and cream ice cream!
5. Cover and chill while preparing the brownies.

For the Brownies:

1. Preheat your oven to 375F as well as grease and line your baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Get a medium to small sauce pan and fill with and inch or two of simmering water and cover with a heat proof bowl (glass is perfect), making sure that the glass does NOT touch the water. We want to heat the chocolate very delicately and respectfully. Add your 6 ounces of chocolate and the unsalted butter. Using a rubber spatula fold the two together until fully melted and incorporated. Do not scorch the chocolate or leave it alone, burned chocolate will produce tears of bitter sadness. Once the mixture is fully melted. Turn off the heat, but leave the bowl on the sauce pan to keep the chocolate warm.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together your sugars and eggs until fully combined and billowy. Do not leave the egg and sugar mixture alone. There is a chemical reaction that takes place where the sugar cooks the eggs. (Isn’t science and baking awesome?!) Once the eggs and sugars are incorporated, slowly whisk in your cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Sift your flour and salt on to the chocolate mixture and using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together. It is of the upmost importance not to over mix the brownie batter. Use a light and delicate hand and just before the mixture is fully incorporated add your chocolate chips and espresso powder.
5. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish, starting in the center and gently working the batter to the edges. Grab your cream cheese mixture and add 6 dollops on top of the batter. Using a fork, knife, skewer, toothpick, or shoot your finger will work just fine; swirl the cream cheese mixture on the top level of the brownie batter. Be sure not to incorporate the cream cheese into the brownie batter.
6. Bake the brownies for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Check on the brownies at this point and get a gauge for the time. My brownies typically bake for another 10-15 minutes. You will know when they are ready to come out when the crust is formed and there is only a slight giggle in the center of the pan when you shake it. Do not wait until the brownies are stiff, they will be over baked. The more you bake brownies the better you will become at discovering the nuances of when to pull them from the oven.
7. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then pull up on the parchment paper and let the brownies cool completely on the wire rack.
8. At this point you may do as you please. But also know this, brownies freeze and reheat beautifully! If you are a mom, or a busy college kid who needs a dessert immediately and don’t have time for all these steps, you have a friend waiting for you. Make sure the brownies are completely cooled off then tightly wrap in plastic, these will keep for 2 months. To reheat, pop them in your oven at 350F for 10 minutes and you’re golden!

So the story goes that the brownies turned out absolutely delicious and had a wonderfully strong coffee flavor that was balanced by the creaminess of the cream cheese and the light chocolate brownie. Sadly, my friend didn’t get to have them for her birthday, but I relish the opportunity to be able to do something for her again in the near future. Se la vie.

Take a step back please.

Alright, so I missed my “Inspiration Friday” post yesterday. Believe it or not I have a good reason. I spent all day yesterday crafting and baking cupcakes for one of my dearest friends, Emily. It’s her cousins bridal shower today and Emily and her family graciously choose me to make cupcakes for the event. I honestly feel so humbled and honored whenever anyone asks me to do something like this for them. I had the immense pleasure to be able to do Emily’s wedding cupcakes last year as well!

So the goodies I created were new twists on classic flavors. The theme to the bridal shower is “vintage kitchen” and the future bride’s favorite flower are Sunflowers. I was given full creative license on the flavors, and the only request was that there be variety. Emily’s mom, Vic, LOVES Black Forest Cake so that was an easy choice and to match the yellow of the flower of choice, I went with a Lemon Cake with cream cheese buttercream. Seems simple enough right?

Negative Ghost Rider! Ha! I may put out straight forward, and simply delicious desserts; but my process is usually far from “simple.” For the Black Forest I decided to  change it up a bit and use a lighter cocoa powder (My usual weapon of choice is Valrhona Cocoa Powder. My goodness this is one of the greatest things on Planet Earth) and spice the cake slightly with cinnamon and nutmeg. For the cherries, I roasted them in raw turbinado sugar and sea salt for 15 minutes, then I added about 1/4-1/3 of a cup of a young, spicy  cabernet sauvignon and continued to roast for an additional 5-7 minutes to burn off the alcohol and infuse the flavors. The only thing I have to say on the subject is that they are lucky to be getting Black Forest cupcakes and not plain chocolate cupcakes. I miraculously limited myself to two cherries and I am still enjoying the effervescent notes of dark berries, cocoa, and spice hanging in the air of my studio. Le sigh.

But on to the Lemon Cupcakes! In case you are wondering, yes, the lemons came from the heavenly tree in my mother’s backyard! I zested a large lemon and used the juice from two of the lemons in the cake. While the cupcakes were baking I made a simple lemon syrup by boiling lemon slices in a sauce pan with sugar and water (if you ever want to make a simple syrup the ratio is 1:1. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes and vuala!) Right after the cupcakes came out of the oven I poked holes in them with a toothpick then brushed them with the lemon syrup and alternately rested the lemon slices on the cupcakes so they would soak up as much lemon flavor as possible.

The buttercream was actually the most simple part of this whole process and fortunately I picked two flavors of cake that called for the same type of frosting. Some times I am delighted with how my subconscious helps me out from time to time! My buttercreams are definitely something that I need to nail out a precise recipe for. I treat my baking so much like a chef treats his dishes. I obviously follow very strict ratios and rules, but you would be surprised with how much I work with and adapt my recipes. That’s why it’s hard for me to give recipes sometimes! Knowing Garrett Jones, my dear friend and co-owner of Back to Eden Bakery in Portland, has gotten all of his recipes down pat and I am motivated to pull myself together in that manner. He and John fuse creativity and organization in a way that is completely inspiring. They make me want to grow up and be responsible. So, the moment that I stop being so loosey goosey with my frostings is the day that I will share them with you!

I kept the cupcakes simple, yet elegant. I found these lovely little sunflower and white gerber daisy flowers that I placed on the buttercream and I airsprayed the Lemon cupcakes a light yellow. Nothing too fancy but when they’re all next to each other they look rather delicate and uniform. The shower is today and I just hope that they like the little spins that I put on these classic recipes! I always get so nervous when people eat my food. I may present myself as the most confident woman on earth, but I am a wreck when I send my product out. I put a lot of myself into my baking and cooking. It’s my life, how I express myself, and most importantly how I love people.

So that’s the excuse for missing “Inspiration Friday!” This week it’s a Saturday post which will be coming up moments after this is posted! Have a wonderful weekend!

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Black Forest Cupcakes

Nature’s Bounty

I am a fanatic about fresh produce. We can blame it on being a vegetarian and vegan for 10 years, or that my mother fed us from her garden growing up, either way I don’t really care. Whatever the source may be I just know that there is nothing on this planet like the scent of freshly picked Rosemary or Basil, the mouth watering juice from a vine ripened tomato, or the crisp sweetness of an Autumn apple. There is a level of joy obtained in no other way than enjoying the purity of the best foods nature has to offer us. It may sound like I’m going a bit too far on this point, but I seriously eat Green String Beans like a 5 year old nabs Skittles out of a candy bowl. Yum!

Also, being the Frugal Franny that I am, finding these treasures at a reasonable price is proving to be a tougher challenge as the days progress. This is especially true if you are wanting to buy in-season, local, and organic. (I will readily admit that practicality takes the front seat over presumption. I cannot justify spending $6 a pound for organic peaches. Sorry, but I’m taking the more affordable route on this one). I have the incredible blessing of having the freedom to visit and go to multiple grocery stores to get the lay of the land and see who has the highest quality Portobello Mushrooms, or the best price on Pink Lady Apples, or the best of both worlds and has high quality with low prices. I am especially thankful for this because seeing how busy moms’, like my older sister, lives can get, one stop shopping is a must and I cannot nor will I ever pass judgement on her going to a superstore. We have what we are given, and it is our responsibility to make the most of it.

So what are we left with if our budgets cannot make room for pricey organic fruits and veggies? Call in the reserves! This my friends is THE END to the guilt of asking for favors! As someone who could never ask help for anything (and still struggles with it daily!), this is huge! Think of all the amazing people that fill your life. You get to enjoy one little fraction of their lives and vice versa. Imagine all the wonderful and beautiful things that they can reach and see and experience that you may not have access to! Case and point (2 actually): My mother has the most INCREDIBLE Lemon Tree in her back yard. The tree produces year round, and let me tell you, these lemons are the most luxurious and sensationally sweet Lemons on Planet Earth. I have never seen their equal. Haha, ask anyone who knows me well and they can tell you how obsessed I am with this tree. So rather than going to the store and shelling out tons of money on lemons, I asked my mom and step-father if I could help myself to the tree when I come to visit and not only did I get permission they insisted upon it! Another example of this, I love Rosemary, but spending almost $3 for a couple of small stalks is hard to swallow sometimes, over one conversation with a coworker I come to find that not only does she dislike Rosemary, but she has a huge plant that produces very pungent Rosemary that always goes to waste and now I have a limitless, free supply of the herb any time I want it!

I believe that we are all so afraid of being an inconvenience, or viewed as a bum that we never ask those we are surrounded by for favors. Personally speaking, I do backflips for the opportunity to bless my friends and family, and I should accept that those who love me would do the same! Take a chance, you never know what amazing things can happen when your make your self vulnerable, you may even develop a deeper relationship with someone.

Enough about all of that though! I have the most delightful recipe to share with you! I have made these multiple times and I have yet to find an unhappy belly! Enjoy!

Lemon Sugar Cookies with Fresh Lemon Glaze (Adapted from Craft of Baking)

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• Zest of 1 very large Lemon or 2 medium Lemons
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice (1/2 large lemon or 1 medium lemon)
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 large Egg, room temperature
• 2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon Salt (Kosher or Sea Salt preferred)
• Optional: 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds

1. In your mixing bowl combine the soft butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Using an electric mixer beat until combined, while mixing pour sugar in a steady stream and beat on a medium speed until the butter is light in color and fluffy.
2. Scrape down the sides of your bowl. Turn your mixer on to medium-low speed and add one egg and beat until the butter mixture returns to a light color and is fluffy. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Begin beating again on medium-low speed and add your second egg and your vanilla extract, beating until the mixture is a pale yellow and light and fluffy (If your butter mixture looks broken and chunky, it means that your eggs were too cold and it is causing the butter to solidify again. To fix you can slightly warm the bowl in another bowl of warm water until the butter begins to aerate once more.) Once the mixture is fluffy stop mixing, over creaming the butter mixture will actually beat out all the desired air that will make your cookie soft and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt whisking to combine. This doubles as sifting the flour making it more airy and light.
4. In three additions while mixing on a low speed, add the flour to the butter mixture, mixing only until just combined. Over working the dough will result in a tough and hard cookie.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for no less than 1 hour.
6. Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll your dough out to 1/4″ thick. Cut into whatever adorable shape your desire and place on a lightly greased or parchment lined sheet pan. Bake with the racks on the top and lower third of the oven for 10 minutes then rotate the pans and bake for 10 minutes more. Once the edges start to become a lovely golden brown, pull ’em out of the oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack. (If you have more than one batch, allow your pans to cool completely before starting again, the butter in the dough will begin to melt causing the cookie to flatten and lose its shape in the baking process).
7. To make the glaze, in a wide mouth bowl combine two cups sifted powdered sugar, juice from the other half of the large lemon/medium lemon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional: 1 tablespooon milk, and adding water incrementally whisk the mixture until it is runny. This is not to be normal royal icing for decorating but a thin, sheer glaze to lightly coat the top of each cookie. Once the cookies have cooled and the glaze is made dip the cookies facedown in the glaze and hold the cookie upright so the excess drains back into the bowl. Place cookies on parchment (or foil) until the glaze hardens.
8. The cookies will keep air tight for 1 week, but good luck letting them last that long!

Vegan Variation!

• To replace the egg, I use Ener-G Egg replacer or 2 tablespoons of Cornstarch mixed with a scant 1/4 cup of water.
• To replace the butter, I prefer Earth Balance. It has a wonderful flavor, but it is salty, so you may want to back off the salt a bit.
• Watch the water content, if the dough feels too wet, add a bit of flour to counteract the replacements.