A Girl Bakes in Brooklyn...

fresh muffins every day for a month? yes you can!

2011-03-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

and they are healthy too! on my most recent trip to london, my friend jon made these muffins. when he told me that he could keep the batter in the fridge up to 30 days and make a fresh muffin whenever he wanted--- i was determined to make these for myself as soon as i got home!

basic recipe:
1/2 cup veg oil
2 eggs
1 cup wheat flour
2 cups digestive bran
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of oats
a sprinkle of mixed spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc... up to you)

*mix oil, sugar and eggs until mixed.
*add remaining ingredients and mix well.
*you can also add honey, banana, dried fruit, raisins or nuts now-- or add things in with each new baking session. I decided to do the latter, so i could make different muffins every time
*allow to stand overnight in refrigerator, sealed in a plastic container.

when ready to bake:
*oven to 375F
*spoon in to greased muffin tin, filling each compartment to the top.
*bake for 12-15 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

*this batter will keep in the refrigerator up to 30 days before baking--- make sure the container is tightly sealed.

i decided to do 6 muffins at a time, and a different mix in with every batch. these are the muffins i made:

30 day muffin mix with cranberries and honey

30 day muffin mix with banana, honey and oats on top.

30 day muffin mix with banana, oats and dark chocolate on top.

pre-valentine's day treats

2011-02-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

the weekend before valentine's day two of my favorite ladies had a double birthday. i didn't want to do anything with icing, because 1) i wanted to do something different 2) making sure your icing stays in tact on a jerky A train is no fun.

i wanted something rich and with chocolate, because one of the ladies in question is a major chocolate fiend. hey... can you blame her? she sleeps with a rifle under her bed, so i wasn't going to disappoint.

i turned again to smitten kitchen (the bible of baking blogs to be honest), for something easy to carry on the train AND muy deliciouso.

peanut butter and chocolate rice krispie bars

for this recipe i bought my first candy thermometer--- a very exciting purchase indeed. i plan to make lots of other candy treats with the aide of this device.

adapted from smitten kitchen:

(bottom) rice krispie crust:
1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons salted butter- melted

(middle) milk chocolate peanut butter layer:
5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter

(top) the chocolate icing:
3 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72 percent cocoa) chips (thanks sahadis!)
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) salted butter

lightly grease the pan

rice krispie layer:
put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan.
gently add the sugar and corn syrup and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined.
put a candy thermometer in the saucepan.
cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 degrees F.

remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal.
working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour it into the prepared pan.
using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides).
put aside- let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.

the milk chocolate peanut butter layer:
in a large nonreactive metal bowl, stir together the chocolate and the peanut butter.
set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth.
remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly.
pour the mixture over the cooled crust.
put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.

the chocolate icing:
in a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter.

set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth and shiny.
remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.
pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread (actually, I found it easier to just roll it around until it coated smoothly, avoiding the risk of picking up any of the peanut butter layer with it) into an even layer.
put the pan into the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the topping hardens.

cut into squares and serve. WARNING: try not to eat them all before presenting them to the birthday girls.

i followed the recipe exactly. they turned out delicious--- except, i think i wanted more of a rice krispie layer. next time, i am going to double the krispie crust layer.

i put a few aside for boyfriend (it was verrryyyyy appreciated) and a few aside for our red lobster double date buddies for the next night (micah and jenn). these treats and red lobster all in one weekend?? yes... i did.

matcha filled oreos!

2011-02-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

the month of matcha continues! for the next round, i wanted to make something with chocolate. i once had green tea ice cream with chocolate and it was delicious. since i had been wanting to make these smitten kitchen oreos again, i thought i could just add some matcha to the filling. they looked kinda funny (bright green filling) but they tasted divine. they were on the tea trolley in the morning and gone by the afternoon.

follow the recipe on smitten kitchen, and add 1-2 tablespoons of matcha (based on your preference). this was a pretty easy recipe. homemade oreos are BEYOND delish :)

half japanese cake... kickin' off a month of matcha!

2011-01-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

hello fellow sweet lovers. for the next month i am going to attempt to bake lots of delicious things with matcha! my parents brought me some all the way from japan and now that it's opened, i have to take full advantage of the delicious green goodness.

i wanted to make something seriously yummy in honor of my (former) co-worker pammie, she had her last day a week ago. she is someone who enjoys more non traditional dessert, and i thought something with matcha would be right up her ally. also- we have an (oh so amazing) tea trolley we set up in our little communications den at work. i wanted something that would go well with tea. i looked for many desserts with matcha before i made my decision. the amount of butter in this cake would make paula deen very proud ya'll!

lemon and matcha marble pound cake
adapted from joy the baker

makes 2 cakes

4 cups flour (sifted)
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
9 eggs
1 cup sour cream
juice of one lemon, zest of 2
1 1/2 tbsp MATCHA powder
3 sticks (minus 1 tablespoon - put that aside for greasing the pans) of unsalted butter melted

*set oven to 350º F

*sift together flour, salt, baking powder in a bowl and set aside

*wisk eggs and sugar until well mixed. mix in vanilla, then sour cream. mix on a slow speed until well blended

*melt the butter and put aside

*very slowly mix the flour mixture into the egg/sugar/sour cream mixture

*mix in butter slowly. make sure the batter is very mixed.

*split the batter into two bowls.

*add lemon juice and zest to one bowl. add matcha to the other.

*layer (4 layers- 2 of each batter) the batter in 2 pans that have been greased and dusted with flour. one layer of lemon on the bottom, one layer of matcha on that, one layer of lemon on that, one more of matcha on top. take a knife, put it all the way to the bottom, and make a swirl pattern.

*cook for 1 hour

*let the cake sit before removing from pan.

this cake is delicious with a small spread of lemon curd. but really, it's delicious on its own.

this cake was lovely. it's beautiful to look at and tastes divine! go matcha go!

christmukkah cookies for all!

2010-12-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

every year i bake cookies for all the men that work in my building. this year i even invested in really pretty cookie packaging from my new favorite spot in brooklyn - paper source.

i wanted to have a variety of cookies, but also wanted cookies that could all be done for all eight recipients in 2 nights (at most). i wanted to make sure i got everyone fresh cookies-- it makes all the difference. i also had to find a good vegan recipe. two of the lucky cookie recipients are vegans- and they both happen to be the nicest guys in the building.

my friend pam recently made these delicious cookies that she mentioned were vegan. they were so rich with chocolate and spicy too. i knew they were the right choice. i gave the extras to my boyfriend and some visitors i had in from baltimore. i mentioned the cookies were vegan and my cookie fans were shocked!

spicy mexican hot chocolate cookies for vegans (and non vegans too)

ingredients:
cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne

topping:
coarse sugar
cinnamon

instructions:
*oven to 350 F.

*mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. set aside.

*mix together oil, sugar, syrup, and milk. mix in vanilla.

*sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.

*roll dough into walnut sized balls. pat into the sugar topping to flatten slightly (not too flat). transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread).

*bake for 10 to 12 minutes

so- the vegans were taken care of, now what about the other nice guys in my building? i decided to use one sugar cookie dough recipe (which i doubled) to make three different types of cookies. thumbprints with jam, nutella sandwiches with sugar on top, and lemon iced cookies (lemon icing recipe further down). they were all sooooooo delicious. i also had a lot of help from my awesome chef's assistant / boyfriend.

the best simple sugar cookie dough:

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the work surface

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp maple syrup

instructions:

*oven to 350° F.
*in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
*using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. beat in the vanilla.
*reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). shape into a disk. wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
*on a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. using cookie cutters, cut into shapes. place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart.
*bake 10 to 12 min

lemon icing:
juice of half a lemon
lemon zest
1 cup of confectioner sugar
few spoonfuls of water

wisk till smooth.
when cookies are cool, dip in icing.
let dry a bit. dip one more time.
sprinkle with sanding sugar.
put in fridge for 30 minutes.
serve cookies at room temp.

these are the cookies ready to go! happy holidays everyone.

xo

BAKE OFF!

2010-12-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

i have been baking quite a bit in the last month! the holidays have been busy and it seems i have been neglecting the blog. so many recipes to share, so many sweet tales to tell.

to start off, please meet the new love of my baking life:

so. in. love. hanukkah harry is a good man!

about a month ago my lovely co-workers and i decided to have a bake off. there are a lot of skilled bakers in my office, so it was getting pretty competitive. lots of shit talking, lots of planning, but all in good fun. we even put out an email to the whole office to recruit judges. the bake off dessert had to have an autumn theme. this is what i made:

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES. BUTTERSCOTCH CHIPS. VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. YUM!

I used this recipe for the pumpkin cupcakes, but also added a pinch of cloves, a pinch of black pepper, and a teaspoon of maple syrup. I also added butterscotch chips, folding them in before spooning out the batter into the liners.

i made vanilla cream cheese frosting. it's easy and delicious to make this from scratch. the key is to have your cream cheese and butter very soft at room temp. also, sifting the sugar helps keep the icing light and smooth. with an icing this simple, these factors will make a large impact. i also like to add the contents of one vanilla bean.

VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 package of full fat cream cheese (8 oz)
1 stick unsalted butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar (i lean closer to 2 cups as the cupcakes were pretty sweet)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean (the seeds only, not the pod)

A TIP: save the vanilla bean pods- put them in a jar with some white sugar and shake it up. in a day or so you have homemade vanilla sugar. vanilla sugar makes a cup of pg tips with milk even more delicious!

the cupcakes were a big hit! although i didn't win first prize, i was a close second. i did hold the title for 2 years, so it's only fair someone else get the glory for a short while... i let them know, i am ready for a rematch!

cake balls, brooklyn's best and vintage tins!

2010-11-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite west coast ladies got married this summer. i sadly could not attend the wedding. as a little post wedding treat, i sent a care package. other than the horrible experience of waiting in line at the post office (a fate worse than death), it was so much fun to assemble this package. it included homemade banana cake balls, mast bros chocolate, a baked brownie, brooklyn gum, 1" story pin, goucher college sticker (it's where we met after all), john waters postcard and cards from atomic books--- i put it all in a vintage 50's tin from holland. i love vintage tins, and to find one in such beautiful condition was divine!

cake balls are something i rediscovered recently. they are always a BIG hit at the office. making cake balls can be a bit messy, but they are pretty easy to make otherwise. i recently starting thinking about all the flavor combos that could be made... and one that i needed to try was banana cake with cream cheese frosting and dark chocolate. i followed bakarella's 'instructions' while incorporating different flavor cake. i also put a single sugar pearl on each cake ball, which i thought was a romantic touch.

so much deliciousness being sent with love from east to west <3

you will be missed... delicious friend

2010-10-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

blue marble has mastered the art of simple, delicious, high quality ice cream. sadly, the blue marble on atlantic avenue (just a short walk from my apartment) will be closing in less than a week. this blue marble is insanely popular and very loved. it seems ice cream doesn't make the rent. so no more last minute blue marble stops on my way home after a bad day. no more blue marble runs with my boyfriend at 10:30pm for a mini marble. sigh.

blue marble still exists at two lovely brooklyn locations- but the original on atlantic is what started it all!

i will miss you blue marble on atlantic avenue! your ginger ice cream lives on in my heart... and my belly.

if you live nearby, you should stop by 420 atlantic avenue and show your support before they close on 10/24. if you've never tried blue marble---- GET READY :)

over the moon for french macaroons

2010-10-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

french macaroons. beautiful and delicious. the type of treat that has you channeling your inner french princess. i recently set out to make these for the first time. my sous chef for the day was mandark. although macaroons are a simple recipe, everything has to be precise, so i was a bit intimidated. i think they turned out pretty good for a first attempt! the colors we decided on were lavender and baby blue. we turned to martha for the recipe.

for the filling we melted down a bar of vosges creole bar. i felt like we had to go for some high class chocolate filler to make macaroons even marie antoinette would enjoy.

i want to make macaroons again soon... half the fun is deciding the color and flavor combos that are possible with this lovely little cookie :)

rhubarb + strawberry coffee cake

2010-08-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

during a recent trip to the catskils, i discovered a new farmers market. it was full of amazing fruits, veg, cheese and baked goods... including one of the BEST coffee cakes i have ever had. full stop. it was baked in a basic tin, with an unassuming label in plain type: 'strawberry rhubarb'... but boy oh boy, when i bit into that moist coffee cake it had the perfect balance of sugar, cinnamon, fruit and crunch. i wanted to buy more to bring home, but there were none left the next day. so i decided when i got home i would attempt my own.

adapted from martha 'lady jesus' stewart

for the crumble topping:

4 tblspns unsalted melted butter- plus more for dish
3/4 cup cake flour- plus more for dish
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tspn salt
1/4 tspn cinnamon

for the cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tspn vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups of strawberries and rhubarb that have been diced

*oven to 350° F.
*butter a 9-inch round baking dish, dust with flour, tap out excess.
*stir together butter, flour, sugars, salt, and cinnamon. set topping aside.

*mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

*in another bowl cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. beat in eggs and vanilla.
*working in alternating batches, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. stir until just combined.
*fold in fruit. pour into dish. sprinkle with crumb topping.

bake about 1 hour. sprinkle with powdered sugar.

give half to your boyfriend and bring half into work. endless praise. enjoy with whipped cream or if you're feeling really glutenous- cinnamon ice cream.

souper trooper

2010-07-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

every once is a while you need a break from sweets... right? or rather... something to eat in between desserts.

when i was in still in college, my good friend marge showed me this soup recipe she learned while living in italy. pappa al pomodoro! it's easy, cheap and delicious- the three most important meal factors to any poor college student. i had not made this soup in a while, but once i had the thought of it in my mind, i was on a mission.

everything you need is in this picture:

1. stock
2. onion
3. garlic
4. basil
5. can of whole peeled tomatoes
6. stale bread
also olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (my preference), parmesan cheese

this soup gets better over time. if it gets dried out just add a little more stock as you warm it up. i also LOVE this soup b/c it gives me something to do with my fancy baguettes from balthazar once they go stale.

this is what is should look like as it's all brewing:

even my little brother had three bowls in one sitting.

athletes like cupcakes

2010-07-11T19:25:00.001-07:00

recently my good friend pete was visiting from london. pete is an amazing sound genius and he tours with lots of awesome bands. last year i met up with pete and his girlfriend (my good friend) gil in melbourne. pete was on tour with spiritualized and we saw them perform at mt. buller. it was beautiful. other than one scary encounter with a big spider, the weekend was magic.

so... pete was just recently in nyc with athlete. i have seen the athlete perform before, and it's always a good show. to top it off, the guys in the band are beyond lovely. we had only exchanged a few words last time i met them, but for this trip pete let me know they would all have some free time in BROOKLYN. athlete were performing at the bell house (great venue) and there was going to be time for dinner beforehand. i suggested we go to get fresh-- they have an amazing prix fix. dessert was not included in the prix fix, so i decided to make dessert myself. ALSO-- pete brought me lardy bread all the way from the UK, so i felt he really earned a cupcake :)

these cupcakes are always a hit!

'better than magnolia' (so says athlete) blueberry cupcakes with maple icing

cupcakes
3 1/4 cups cake flour sifted
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tblspn baking powder
1/2 tspn coarse kosher salt
1/4 tspn baking soda
6 tblspn (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup whole milk
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 tspn grated lemon peel
1 tblspn maple syrup
1 pinch cinnamon
1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries, frozen for 4 hours

*oven to 350°F.
*sift flour and next 4 ingredients into large bowl
*whisk melted butter and oil in medium bowl.
*add eggs; whisk to blend.
*whisk in buttermilk, milk, vanilla extract, and peel.
*add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just to blend.
*stir in frozen blueberries.

*bake cupcakes 20-25 minutes

frosting
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
10 tblspns (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
maple syrup (to taste) (14 - 1/2 cup)
1/2 tspn salt
1 1/4 tspns vanilla extract
4 tspns (or more) whole milk

cream sugar and butter. add salt. add vanilla, add syrup. still in milk slowly till you reach desired consistency. chill for 30 minutes.

1 cup chilled fresh blueberries covered in sugar (for decoration)

the boys really liked the cupcakes, and dinner was delicious. the band played well and the crowd was so joyous. to top it off they recorded a little video for my friend willa, who is a big athlete fan, and was out of town!

a brunch fit for a queen mother

2010-06-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

mothers day! not your everyday brunch... it calls for something more special than your generic pancakes or eggs (as good as that is). brunches like this are an excuse to make something far more gluttonous than your typical sunday fare.

pain au chocolat bread pudding , fruit, healthy canapes and french press coffee were the items on my menu.

FIRST canapes: wasabi egg salad on cucumber

for the egg salad:
5 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
3 spoonfuls of wasabi mayo (trader joes brand)
red onion chopped
chives chopped
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

serve on sliced cucumber. garnish with cayenne pepper and chive

SECOND pain au chocolat bread pudding and strawberries on the side

PAC pudding (get the le crusset ready):

5 stale pains au chocolat (cut in 1" slices)
2 cups whole milk
2 cups double cream
3 tblsp sugar
1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 bar quality dark chocolate (my choice - vosages creole bar)

oven to 350.
butter your dish.
cut up the bread to 1" pieces and arrange in dish.
sprinkle roughly chopped chocolate bar over dish.
put milk and cream bring to near boiling point.
whisk egg, yolks and sugar into large bowl.
pour milk into egg mixture whisking continuously.
add vanilla.
pour over bread and leave to soak for ten minutes.
cook for about 45 minutes.

this brunch was a big hit. good quality coffee to accompany brunch is highly recommended.

taking you downtown to brownie town

2010-06-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

my friend mellio likes nothing more than desserts with raspberries and chocolate. she started telling me months before her birthday that making her anything else was just not an option. also not an option--- trying to live to see 30 without baking for her birthday ;) she's a funny lady. she's a puerto rican chick who loves the film yentyl and insisted ricky martin was NOT gay, just hispanic ('danielle, you just don't know what hispanic men are like, ooohkay!') until one month ago.
melissa and i go way way back to the days of midwood high school. how could i say NO to mah gurl?

i looked over so many recipes before i decided something rich and simple would do the trick. raspberry chocolate brownies it is then!

raspberry chocolate brownies

* 4 eggs 
* 1 1/2cup sugar
* 2 teaspoon vanilla 
* 1 cup butter 
* 1 ½ cup ghirardelli ground chocolate
* 1 1/3 cup flour 
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
* 1/2 teaspoon salt 
* 4 teaspoons of milk
* semi sweet chocolate chips
* raspberry jam

*confectioners sugar, with milk and cocoa for icing glaze.

1. oven at 350 degrees F. 
2. cream butter with sugar and vanilla; add eggs. beat till well mixed.
3. mix ground chocolate with flour, baking powder, and salt. 
4. stir into egg mixture; milk, and chocolate chips last, stir in raspberry jam.
5. 8 x 8 well greased pan
6. Bake 40-45 minutes
7. let cool
8. put in 'cups'
9. drizzle glaze and raspberries
10. one chocolate truffle for the birthday girls portion

enjoy. digest. enjoy again.

paging dr pepper!

2010-04-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

my boyfriend loves his sweets. there is one thing in particular that he is very well known for loving (other than me)- and that is dr pepper soda. i knew i wanted to make him something with dr pepper- and a dr pepper cake seemed like a great option. i have had chocolate coca-cola cake before, and boy, did i love it. for these cupcakes i used a coca-cola chocolate cake recipe and added dr pepper instead. the batter seemed a bit runny when i first filled the cups, but the end product was rich and moist. i am happy i decided to make a simple vanilla frosting to go with it, because the flavor of the cake itself shouldn't compete with anything too rich. these cupcakes were a huge hit at sheep station. in fact, they went over so well with the bar staff that i got a few free drinks out of it! most importantly, boyfriend loved them too :)

i call these sweeney-pie's cocoa pepper cola cakes :)

CAKE:

1 1/2 cup dr. pepper soda
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 stick salted butter (good quality)
4 tablespoons cocoa powder (i used some i got as a gift from belgium- any high quality cocoa works)
2 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk

oven to 350° F

combine the dr. pepper, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. when it comes to a simmer, mix well and turn stove off.

mix dry ingredients together - then add to mixture in saucepan and mix well, by hand. don’t over mix.

in a separate small bowl lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together, and add them to the cocoa cola mixture and mix lightly- not too much.

pour into cupcake cups and bake at 350° for approx. 20-23 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

cool on rack. put in fridge till cool.

FROSTIN:

2 sticks of unsalted butter - very soft
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cup confectioner sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon of buttermilk

beat butter 3 minutes, slowly add sugar

in saucepan, simmer milk, buttermilk and flour till it forms a warm paste. stir constantly- it will burn otherwise.

add warm mixture to butter/sugar. mix well.

put in fridge for 30 minutes.

FROST CUPCAKES. EAT, ENJOY!

from queen victoria to the queen of graphic design

2010-03-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

i spent about two weeks in london, and it reminded me of a few culinary facts:

*london DOES have great coffee (broadway market!)
*some curries are worth hiking up a mountain for (or so stated the menu write up for the best curry i ever had)
*sharon's in stamford hill is worth a bus trip on the 149
*victoria sponge cake- when made right- is AMAZING!

so when i realized i had a very special birthday at the end of my first week back, i set out to make my first victoria sponge cake. shocking that an anglophile such as myself hasn't made one before- i know! i turned to the queen of british cooking, one of my idols, nigella. the cake was for one of my favorite people at work, and in general- willa. not only is she the queen of graphic design, but she's the queen of many hearts at our office. she is also always very complimentary of everything i cook / bake.

the victoria sponge is a pretty basic cake- so i think investing in quality ingredients is important more so than usual. they now sell kerrygold butter at trader joe's which makes me very happy. this cakes takes lots of butter, so this new development made my day. i decided on trader joe's blackberry preserves, because it's my absolute favorite jam they make. i wanted to use clotted cream, but couldn't find any... anywhere! i made fresh whipped cream at the last minute which was nice.

this cake can all be done using one big bowl, and a hand mixer. yes. mix in all the following ingredients- save the milk for last and mix that in slowly.

1 cup unsalted butter (very soft)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
3-4 tablespoons milk (mix in with the hand mixer on low)

put in two 8" round pans that are buttered. bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

after the cakes have cooled for a good while, put them on two plates, and put whipped cream on one side, and jam on the other. sandwich together. i used a good amount of jam, so it ran over. i just used a knife to smooth it all out, and covered with powdered sugar. make sure this cake goes in the fridge if you are not serving right away.

this cake was delicious! even my cream-phobic friend rachel was lovvvvving it.

also- a special thanks to my #1 bunny rabbit for serving as sous chef :)

girl bakes in brooklyn takes over london. mmm! LUSH.

2010-03-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

on march 2nd, my little brother turned 25. he is studying in london, and i had been trying to figure out a good time to visit. his birthday seemed like a great idea. not only was there a birthday to celebrate, but there were two new babies to see, and friends (that, hell, are like family) to visit. it feels like a second home to me, and every time i visit, i fall in love with something new. 100% of the time i fall in love with a new food or snack. i know london gets a bad rap for having shitty food-- but it's NOT true! if you think that, you haven't been, or you've put no effort into finding something good. eating at the markets alone (borough, broadway, etc) will have you in foodie ecstasy. the curries, the tea, the scones, the biscuits and the cheese are usually AHmazing.

for baby brother's birthday, we took over lock tavern. one of my fave pubs in london, and surely the best one in camden. good beer, cool space, good pub food, CUTE bar staff (for this lady)... i spent the day making good ol american cupcakes and brownies. it involved a trip to morrisons, icing brought in from new york, and a trip on bus 149 through stamford hill, and carrying them through hackney past an old man who called me a 'cunt' (TRUE STORY! such lovely old men live in the east end). in the end, they were very appreciated. everyone was nom nom noming them like mad.

the mustard of all mustards - via gent!

2010-02-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

recently my parents went on a trip through brussels (lucky them) and they brought me back some of the most sought after mustard on earth. no really--- it's nigella lawsons' favorite- but- this little shop refuses to ship the yellow goodness to her or anyone else. you can only get it straight from the shop, and straight from the mustard barrel!

i decided this special mustard deserved to be paired with some worthy bread-- so i set out to almondine for a pretzel and cheese roll. truly amazing on its own, but i knew it would go great with any mustard.

i have to be honest-- this spicy yellow gold lived up to the hype. great mustard flavor, a bit of spice that subsides quickly after. the adorable jar it comes in isn't too bad either. i also made some AMAZING salad dressing with it. i don't consider myself a condiment snob, but i really do appreciate a sauce that is made with this much skill, love and tradition.

snow day cookies

2010-02-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

there have been a lot of snowy days recently- and what warms a cold nyc apartment better than fresh baked cookies?? mmMMmm! i have made these cookies many times before. i love them because i almost always have everything i need to make them in my kitchen already, and it's easy to vary the spice or citrus for different flavors. this cookie has so many textures and flavors-- it's sure to please. i don't even measure my spices at this point, and sometimes i add different spice combos than listed below. on this very snowy day--- i wanted every layer of texture, flavor, spice, zest, chocolate, gooey chewy, cookie goodness to knock me into submission.

!!snow day cookies!!

*set oven to 350 degrees

*cream the following:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*add to cream mixture: 2 large eggs

*mix dry in a bowl:
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cardamom

*add these after incorporating dry ingredients bowl:
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (maybe more--- i LOVE chocolate)

tablespoon size scoops. 10-15 minutes depending on your oven.

consume. share. repeat.

muhn rolls for nahal

2010-01-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

muhn (AKA poppy seed) cake is one of my favorite desserts. when i was last in germany (berlin) it was my quest to find the best muhn cake possible... funny enough, nothing came close to the muhn cake i used to get at spitalfields market in london, around 2002. these german cake ladies were unstoppable! my friends and i used to bring back large moist slices of poppy seed, apple and rhubarb and slowly eat them with cups of pg tips. delicious memories.

recently on a trip to sahadis, i spotted poppy seed filling! i was excited, because i had been talking about making poppy seed filled something for so long. most traditional recipes for the filling require quark, which is really hard to find outside of germany/austria/hungary... i am going to work on a homemade filling recipe soon, but this was a great way to get my muhn fix in the meantime. i should also mention that while i was in line waiting to buy the filling, michael shannon was sanding behind me singing christmas carols...

it was my friend nahal's last day of work friday. i thought it would be nice to make something for breakfast that a bunch of us could share. originally i was going to make cinnamon rolls and then i remembered the poppyseed filling. mmm! i used a basic cinnamon roll recipe and just used the poppyseed filling instead. it was quick, easy, delicious and it looked lovely when i was done!

the dough:
3/4 cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour; more for rolling
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
sugar for sprinkling when done*

filling:
poppyseed goodness
melted butter

icing:
3/4 cup powder sugar
2 tbs milk (maybe more, depending on how thick you like it)
splash vanilla

combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. process until smooth. add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. the dough will be soft and moist. put on a well floured surface. knead a few times. roll out into a rectangle. cover with melted butter. add poppyseed filling. slowly roll the dough to form a long roll. take a very sharp knife and cut out rolls. place in a well buttered dish/pan. sprinkle with sugar. bake at 400 for 20 minutes. after this has cooled, cover with icing.

nom nom nom! muhn rolls for nahal <3

hot chocolate boyfriend brownies!

2010-01-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

a few months ago one of the legal interns brought in the most amazing brownies. of course i told her she had to send me the recipe. she finally did... going by her original recipe produces delicious results, but i decided to change it up a little bit. half of these went to my new boo, but some of them made it into the office, which was very appreciated. this recipe also produces some of the best brownie batter i have ever tasted--- i really didn't think you could beat box brownies--- but these do!

Ingredients   
* 2 eggs 
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla 
* 1/2 cup butter 
* 3/4 cup ghirardelli ground chocolate
* 2/3 cup flour 
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
* 1/4 teaspoon salt 
* teaspoon vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons of milk
* 1 tablespoon cinnamon
* semi sweet chocolate chips
* hot chocolate mix for dusting (cadbury is my pick)

directions   
1. oven at 350 degrees F. 
2. cream butter with sugar and vanilla; add eggs. beat till well mixed.
3. mix ground chocolate with flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. 
4. stir into egg mixture; add oil, milk, and chocolate chips last.
5. 8 x 8 well greased pan
6. Bake 40-45 minutes

the flavor reminds me of the hot chocolate in barcelona. straight up brownies are effing delicious, but sometimes it's nice open yourself up to something a little different...

a chocolate cake so decadent, it gets its own bath...

2009-12-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

nigella! i love the woman... soft focus on film, curves, english accent, large appetite, domestic goddess to all. i got her cookbook from my secret santa, and i got it just in time to try something for xmas day at the bon bons (should i just rename this blog 'keeping up with the bon bons' ??)... i looked through the whole thing twice and the cake that seemed the most irresistible was her chocolate mousse cake. it's a lot of egg, a lot of chocolate, and a water bath!

i decided to bake it in the morning before heading over, and it really was quite easy for a cake this rich. i enjoyed melting the chocolate and butter in a double boiler--- breakfast of champions! the recipe (if you don't have the book) can be found here.

then the cake pan took a little bath...

and: MMM!

this cake went over very well at the bon bon xmas! also the next morning the bit i had left was destroyed by melissa, who consumed it all and demanded i make her her own cake next time.

a very merry jewmas indeed.

AND... the next day we went to buttercup bake shop for cupcakes. tasty weekend! jojo was NOT complaining.

CHRISTmas cookies for butter lovers and vegans too!

2009-12-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

happy holidays ya'll! this week has been busy! parties, gift swaps, going through holiday hate mail at work (it's not a HOLIDAY tree, it's a CHRISTmas tree), spending time with old friends, spending time with new friends, and baking my little heart out!

i decided to make cookies for the guys that work in my building. i was going to make classic butter cookies for all, until i discovered my 50-something dominican handyman is a VEGAN (upon saying my handyman was a vegan all my friends pictured a young skinny hipster--- but this is not the case). i have had some pretty delicious vegan desserts, but i have never gone out of my way to bake something vegan before. this cookie making extravaganza also gave me a chance to make some brooklyn bridge cookies (YESSSS).

for the butter cookie dough, i used martha's recipe. i added a tiny bit of maple syrup and brown sugar to add a bit more sweetness to these.

for the icing- i combined 2 cups of confectioners' sugar with one egg white and 1/3 cup of water. i beat this until it looked smooth (like paste) and then i added one drop of food coloring.

i also added some snow flake sprinkles to the sugar cookies with icing. WOOT! snowflakes.

i made nutella sandwiches out of some of the sugar cookies as well. i want to nom nom all of them. also some sugar for dusting... gorge.

some of these are going to my doormen, but some of them are going to my lovely bon bons, who i spend christmas day with every year. when i gave my super his box of cookies, he said ' i am going to eat them all- none for my children or my wife'... what an awesome man he is. i also discovered one of my doorman is a vegan as well--- so i am happy both the vegans in my building were taken care of... especially after i stressed how delicious kangaroo tastes to one of them (adorable AND delicious).

for the vegan cookies, i decided on a mexican wedding cookie. i combined the following in my lovely electric mixer:
2 sticks unsalted vegan margarine (room temp)
2 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup ground pecans
1/2 cup ground walnuts
nice pinch of salt
2 big spoonfuls of maple syrup
splash of vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon

after i mixed this together, i wrapped in cling film and put in the fridge for 2 hours. after that, i rolled the dough into small dough balls, and placed on a baking sheet. bake it at 350 for 15-18 minutes. after that, let them cool for a few minutes. then, while they are still a tiny but warm, toss them in confectioners' sugar until well coated. let them set and cool. then... nom nom nom your vegan sweets for days.

the packaging for my cookies were courtesy of blue ribbon general store and a cook's companion. i LOVE both those stores--- i could spend hours debating between sprinkles, stickers and gift boxes...

a very merry brooklyn chrismakkah to all!

x

egg nog cake + kelby: a love story

2009-12-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

egg nog is just so delicious. because i grew up jewish, i never had it in the house... but i would always go to the bodega and get some which i would hide in the back of the fridge until my mom found it. she always seemed somewhat dissapointed that i liked it so much, as if it was a sign i might start going to church or something. i just like the egg nog! i mean, non jews eat bagel and lox, right?

let me tell you about some of my favorite people: the bon bons are a rowdy group of siblings that are my close friends--- practically family. they are michael, jojo and marianne; and they are fabulous. michael bon bon was turning 21, so i made his favorite- egg nog cake with cinnamon icing and pumpkin filling. i made it for the bon bons on christmas last year, and michael consumed nearly the whole thing in a weekend.

i followed this egg nog cake recipe. i followed this basic buttercream frosting recipe (but added cinnamon). i also put some pumpkin filling in the center with some frosting. i decided to do this brooklyn bridge design as a tribute to mr bon bon, who is also a born and raised brooklynite. the cake came out great.

i also purchased some amazing candles and party hats from annie's blue ribbon, which i LOVE. the candles are perfect for someone like michael, who thinks life goes downhill after 21.

everyone was oohing and ahhing over the cake... unfortunately, we left it unattended for minute too long, and kelby, the bon bon's akita, got a bite, broke a glass, but looked adorable when caught in the act (as usual). kelby had cake fever bad after that, he really wanted more- we wouldn't give in!

let's eat 'till we pass out from tryptophan!

2009-11-27T22:56:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving! one of my favorite holidays! i love all the foods and flavors that make up the thanksgiving feast. turkey, gravy, brussels sprouts, cranberry, chestnuts, sweet potato, and mexican pie! mexican pie may just be a tradition at my thanksgiving :) for as long as i can remember, my family has been celebrating thanksgiving with 4 other brooklyn families. we meet up in a lovely brownstone in carroll gardens, we pot luck and each year we look forward to certain signature dishes. our host prepares the bird and a series of delicious apps. i really look forward to the spinach stuffing puffs every year. that and a glass of white wine is breakfast. i hang out with these boys that i used to play soccer with when i was 5 (simon is the gentle giant in the picture below). we still sit at the 'kids table' even though we are all nearly 30... sometimes people sneak outside pre-dinner for herbal assistance...

this year i was on dessert... as always. i couldn't decide between my orange saffron ricotta pound cake OR pumpkin chocolate chip cookies; so i made both!

ricotta pound cake with orange and saffron: follow this recipe, but also soak some saffron in a few tablespoons of boiling water... add this to the wet mixture before you add the dry ingredients. i also add a bit of cardamom and cinnamon to this recipe. i know i say this all the time, but i think changing recipes to fit your personal tastes should be encouraged... painting outside the lines is FUN.

i made cupcake versions of this recipe just to try it out. you should cook them around 20-25 minutes at the recipe's suggested temp.

i also made these AMAZING pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (totally LOVE this baking blog- joy the baker). i am so in lust with these cookies. i never would have thought that chocolate and pumpkin would go together so well, but the combination (especially when the cookies are warm) is all sorts of earthy/rich/sweet goodness.

the desserts were a hit. this is good news, because i might be selling my baked goods at cafe 457 in park slope! i should probably start promoting this blog. fa realz.

gobble gobble gobble x

the brooklyn flea... dumbo

2009-11-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

i love the brooklyn flea! mostly, i'm in it for the food... i mean there are some cool crafts/clothes/jewelry etc, but that stuff is sometimes out of my price range. on the other hand- i always have $5 to spare for a papusa or some asia dog with kimchi! today it was nearly 70 degrees, so Jojo BonBon and i headed to Dumbo, coffee in hand, sunglasses on--- in NOVEMBER. Jojo and i took a long walk around before we decided papusas were the right choice. the tables inside the flea were packed, so we took a walk to the Dumbo park by the water... i really LOVE this park, and have a soft spot for the tobacco factory in the background. Jojo and i grew up in Brooklyn, so i think sometimes we forget how nice it is to take advantage of places like this-- i don't come here enough.

so, i got a chicken and a bean & cheese papusa with cabbage, tomato sauce, jalapeno and sour cream- the works!

it was delicious as always! Jojo and i listened to some lady gaga and solange. we had some good chats and sat in the park until we got kicked out... i love you brooklyn. can't you be 70 degrees every autumn sunday?

also- i made a second batch of the pumpkin cream cookies, but i used a pastry bag to make them look a little 'fancy'... they taste delicious either way. i was mostly looking for an excuse to make them again because i thought they were so yummy.

condiments and cookie sandwiches

2009-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

you know how you always have left over sauce after ordering in from your favorite take out place... for me that place is a toss up between lemongrass grill and bombay dream. i have to say--- that the biryani from bombay dream is seriously delicious and may induce food coma. i always get some paratha and chutney with any meal. i always have leftover sauce and feel someone guilty just throwing it out. this time i used my leftover sauce to make something for lunch the next day. i had some baby potatoes and an onion.
i chopped them up and tossed them with the tamarind sauce (courtesy of bombay dream), masala spice, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, olive oil, and black sesame seeds. i baked them in the oven at 400 degrees for around 30 minutes.

they were super delicious!

FOR DESSERT...

i came across this recipe on friday and knew that i had to make them! the season has me craving pumpkin and squash all the time. i had almost all the ingredients, so this was going to be an easy sunday baking sesh. i followed the recipe but added a few extra things to make it more to my taste. a bit of maple syrup and clove spice for the cookies and a bit of cinnamon for the cream filling. i am heavily debating eating these all while i watch the season finale of mad men--- some of them just might make it into the office.

the cookies themselves cook super fast and have a similar texture to black and white cookies (yum)- very cake like. the only unpleasant part of this very easy cookie baking experience was that my smoke alarm went off. i think my poor cat gombotz is still recovering. my cookies were not burned (in fact-- perfectly cooked), so the smoke alarm incident remains a mystery. maybe the guys of bored to death can help me out :)

popcorn, marshmallows, chocolate and cinnamon... oh my

2009-11-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

happy halloween from sookie stackhouse! one of my favorite days/nights of the year. a chance to dress up, play pranks, watch old horror films, be a little naughty and eat candy... popcorn balls has always been one of my favorite halloween treats. i had never made them before, but i discovered the recipe is almost the same as rice krispie treats. i decided to try adding some chocolate and cinnamon to make them a little more exciting, after all halloween is about sugar overload, so why not go ALL THE WAY.

what you'll need:
half a stick of butter
bag of marshmallows
3 quarts of popcorn
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup hot chocolate mix (cadbury for me)
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips

in a LARGE pot, cook the butter, sugar and marshmallows. melt them down till you have a big pot of ooey gooey melted marshmallow goodness. after that, turn the heat to low. in a large bag mix the popcorn, hot chocolate mix, cinnamon and chocolate chips. add the bag of 'seasoned' popcorn to the marshmallow goo. stir till well coated. coat your hands with butter and roll the mixture into tightly packed popcorn balls. let cool on wax paper and serve. i added a few smarties for fun.

mahalo! civil liberties fighters collab on calamondin cookies.

2009-10-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

i work for a very special organization that i love. we protect civil liberties. we defend those that have no voice. we take on the man. bill o'reilly hates us, we are keeping the human rights on lock, and rachel maddow (LOVE HER) is our friend. also- we have affiliates all over this great big U.S of A! recently, on a trip to hawaii, i got to hang out with our hawaii affiliates. they are super awesome. one affiliate in particular, who always sends sunshine in her emails, also mailed me some delicious calamondin jelly she made herself! i had never tried calamondin. it's sweet and tangy and looks like honey. i have enjoyed it on crackers- but i wanted to attempt baking with the jelly.

HAWAII/NATIONAL COOKIE COLLABORATION EXTRAVAGANZAZAZA!

*also- my co-workers and i watched obama land today- i guess these cookies are also in his honor- son to hawaii!

i used a very basic butter cookie recipe.

i made thumb prints. i added the calamondin jelly, which was sticky (not easy)-- i decided to make a few blueberry jam cookies on a whim.

15 minutes later:

i should also mention i work in an office of culinary savages/foodies/cookie monsters. get ready kids.

squash this!

2009-10-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

it's fall, so squash is in season! i plan on making a lot of squash and pumpkin deliciousness in the next few months, but this was my first squash celebration. it's a warm, sweet, gooey, earthy and somewhat healthy dessert. not that i care about that... i mean, i can remember at least one occasion where i had tunnocks for breakfast. to be fair--- manda and i were waiting for a train in st andrews scotland and it was that or cigs. i think i took the healthy road.

your journey to a yummy maple acorn squash bake:

cut squash in half
remove seeds
sprinkle salt
brown sugar (to taste)
maple syrup (to taste- i fill it up good and coat the sides)
spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg are what i go for)
place in dish
put a bit of water on the bottom so the skin does not burn
bake at 400 for 1hour 15 minutes.

so easy. and so good. happy fall!

sprouts! by way of brussels.

2009-10-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

you know what my mom never forced me to eat as a kid: brussels sprouts. i have discovered my love for them late in life, but now we are more in love than ever. brussels sprouts and chestnuts are one of the dishes i most look forward to at our annual brooklyn heights thanksgiving. these sprouts were a purchase from alice's farm. since they are organic i soaked them for a good while. i cut off the stems and halved them. i then coated them with the following:

salt
pepper
sweet paprika
lemon juice
olive oil

when it comes to ingredients, i say, season to your taste. i LOVE paprika, and probably put in more than most... then again i was raised on hungarian cooking, so i think i have paprika running through my veins at this point.

i baked it in my lovely le creuset casserole dish, which i got at the cooks companion (i love this place!).

i baked it at 400 (because that's what the mahi mahi from trader joes called for) for 20 minutes (give or take a few).

mmmmmmhmmm! brussels sprouts! where have you been all my life...

to the organic farm we go!

2009-10-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

oh! autumn! the leaves are changing, i can wear sweaters, drink hot tea, and enjoy one last weekend in lake huntington before we close up the bungalow for the summer.

i had a lovely weekend in the catskills this weekend. my friends and i stayed in lake huntington summer community, which is a few minutes from bethel woods, site of the famous woodstock music festival (1969).

the farm we went to is called river brook farm, and it's one of my favorite places to go when i am in LHSC. not only is the produce AMAZING, there are goats and sheep to play with. the property is beautiful, and as well as amazing produce (veggies, fruit, meats, milk, eggs) they also sell locally made goodies such as beach lake bread (pies and challah breads that are made with love). my friends and i made out well at the farm: great veggies for salad, farm fresh goats cheese, potatoes, farm fresh bacon, and a blueberry pie from BLB.

we ate ourselves into a coma, watched he-man (who btw, is totally dating skeletor!), took some nature hikes, and drank lots of tea... goodbye catskills! see you next summer <3>

spice is nice

2009-09-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

so... after much searching and stressing, i finally found a spice rack to hang in my kitchen. i got it at a tag sale in the catskills- upstate new york (YEAH tag sales!). i got it for 50 cents - there are still deals to be had in this recession after all. i thought about giving it a makeover, but i kinda love the worn paint and stickers on the side. i have to say, i have found some amazing things upstate at tag sales, but this is my favorite thing right about now. having my spices all lined up instead of all over my kitchen makes me happy. i recently purchased some black sesame seeds and i am excited to make something with them. if i could only keep 1 spice from this rack it would have to be the old bay spice... i don't think any spice rack is complete without that perfect blend of old bay... maybe it's the 3 years i spent in baltimore, i don't know, but that stuff is like crack.

dani bakes dani cakes!

2009-09-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

hello dahlings... i have started a blog. just for kicks. it will be about baking, life, adventures, fave spots in brooklyn, must have condiments, gossip... but mostly baking.