The Simple Things in Life.

I live a pretty simple life. I wake up every morning about 9, I watch reruns of The Office on TBS on a daily basis, I listen to my new Josh Groban cd too much for anyone else's comfort, and I bake. Sometimes I'll stray outside my usual day to day schedule and go on a shopping spree at TJ Maxx, or go on a weekend trip with my mom to Columbus. But most of the time, I wake up in the morning in my warm bed and I know that the day ahead of me is going to be like every other: simple. Now, don't get my wrong, I wouldn't change a thing about my life. For me, simple is nice. I enjoy knowing what I'm going to do everyday and I love writing to-do lists and keeping track of my schedule. Some may call that boring, but I like to think of my life as planned, and there is nothing wrong with that.

A few weeks ago, I broke out of my normal daily pattern, and I hopped on a plane at the awful hour of 5:30 in the morning. Where was I going, you ask? Raleigh, North Carolina. My aunt lives there and she invited me down to visit, and to attend and photograph the Cut to the Core culinary competition at Johnson & Whales in Charlotte. I have a ton of things to say about this, so I think I'm going to just dedicate an entire post to it, instead of cramming it all into this one.

Guess who was one of the guest speakers at the event?! Alton Brown! And I met him! I was totally geeking out like a little kid when I talked to him, but I'm sure he gets that all the time. He talked about his healthy eating journey and how he lost 50 pounds! His speech was exciting and inspirational too. After he was finished, he stood at the beginning of an extremely long line and signed every book that awaited his signature. When I got to the front of the line, I was very nervous. What do you say to someone who is such a culinary inspiration? The first thing that popped into my head was a recipe of his. For one that many foodies know and love. The Chewy. So I just mentioned to him that it was the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever and that everyone loved it. Then he signed both of my books, one for me and one for my mom, and sent me on my way. It was the coolest moment ever.

So I thought it was an appropriate way to share my story of North Carolina with you with my favorite chocolate chip cookie. In this cookie, butter is melted not softened, bread flour is used, and the brown:white sugar ratio is greater than most cookies. Something about the way the melted butter interacts with the bread flour makes the cookie oh so chewy and awesome. This chocolate chip cookie is far from simple. Perhaps that's the reason I love it so much.

So even if you live a simple life, like me, you need to make this cookie. Your day will go from ordinary to extraordinary.

First, start with a recipe...

The Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie-recipe by Alton Brown

-2 sticks unsalted butter

-2 1/4 cups bread flour

-1 teaspoon kosher salt

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/4 cup sugar

-1 1/4 cup brown sugar

-1 egg

-1 egg yolk

-2 Tablespoons milk

-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

-2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Pour the melted butter in a mixing bowl. Add the sugars and cream on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet, and bake for 14 minutes (I only baked mine for 8 because they were done enough then). Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Be the Best.

I have a confession to make. I have been a bad blogger.

I looked in my "Already Made" bookmark folder the other day and I have 40 recipes in there. Forty!! And that doesn't count the recipes I've made from cookbooks and such, including a delectable Madeline recipe (coming soon). I am incredibly disappointed with myself. I could have shared over 40 yummy recipes with you, but I was a slacker.

The point is, I'd love to get restarted on this little space in the internet devoted to my baking adventures. I'd love to be the best food blogger I can be. So, I thought it was appropriate to make the best chocolate bundt cake ever. That title was appointed by Joy the Baker, and boy oh boy was she correct. My mom told me this was one of the tastiest things I've ever made.

Moral of the story: be the best blogger while eating the best chocolate bundt cake ever. Seriously, do it, you'll thank me.

The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake Ever; from Joy the Baker

For the Cake:

1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tablespoon brewed coffee

3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tablespoon buttermilk

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoon canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups, plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted

For the Glaze:

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  

Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan and set aside.  

To make the cake batter:  Put brewed coffee and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently.  Remove from the heat and let come to room temperature.  

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment, mix together sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs and egg yolk on low speed for about 1 minute.  Add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract and mix on low again for another minute.  

Add the flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.  The batter will be very loose.  Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.  

Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack.  

To make the icing:  Chop the chocolate into small pieces, put them in a heatproof bowl (or a double boiler), and set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water.  Be sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the boiling water.  Remove the bowl from the heat when all of the chocolate bits have melted. 

Melt the butter in a separate pan or in the microwave.  Whisk the melted butter into the melted chocolate until thoroughly incorporated.  Sift in half of the powdered sugar.  Add the sour cream and whisk to combine.  Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.  The glaze should be thick and shiny.  Lastly, add the coffee and whisk to create a glossy glaze.  

Pour the glaze over the Bundt cake, covering it completely.  Leave at room temperature until ready to serve.  

Can I Have S'more?

I am a sucker for anything s'more flavored. When I look through my subscription feed of blogs and I see a variation of a s'more, I almost always bookmark it in my "To Make" folder.

I saw these cupcakes on Annie's Eats awhile back and knew then that I had to make them someday. That day was last week when I was craving something delicious.

These cupcakes were very moist and really did taste like a s'more. It all started with a graham cracker crust that was baked for five minutes in the cupcake liners. This crunchy crust was to die for. It's the classic s'more combination and it made the cupcake awesome. 

Next, I made a simply chocolate cake. I was rather scared when adding the boiling water, as the batter was quite thin, but I continued scooping them into their liners and held my breath the while they baked. 

After the cupcakes had baked and cooled in their pans, it was frosting time. The frosting was a simple meringue and then browned a bit with a Crème brûlée torch. The crispiness of the top of the meringue and the gooeyness of the inside was amazing.

The only things I would have done differently is to have made a thicker graham cracker crust. On some of the cupcakes, it was very thin and you couldn't taste it very well. I also would have added more butter to the crust mix. I think if it was packed better, it would have held up more when the cupcakes were taken out of their wrapper. 

Although there were a couple changes I would have made, the cupcakes were still amazing and I fully recommend making them. Especially if you're a diehard s'more lover like I am. 

Here is the recipe for this delectable treat:

S'more Cupcakes

For the graham cracker crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 

For the cake:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1½ tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water 

For the frosting:
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork.  Drop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom.  (Note: I found the bottom of my squeeze bottle to be the perfect size to do this job neatly and quickly.)  Sprinkle a small amount of the chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.

To make the cake batter, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed just to combine.  In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; whisk together.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the boiling water and stir just to combine (batter will be thin).

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full.  Return the pans to the oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler.  Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.  Mix in the vanilla until combined.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.  Brown with a kitchen torch.

Sinfully Delicious.

So you say you have a sweet tooth?

If the above statement is true, this cake must be tried.

It's a Candy Cake!!

And boy oh boy was it delicious!

Repeat after me. Moist vanilla cake. Nutella buttercream. Twix. Reese's. Butterfingers. Milky Ways.

Here's how you make this gem:

-Vanilla Cake Mix (I used a box mix simply because it was the easiest. Also, my mouth was watering just thinking about this and I needed to make it as soon as possible.)

-Miniature Candy Bars, chopped. I used Twix, Reese's, Butterfingers, and Milky Ways, but you can use whatever floats your boat. There are no rules.

-1 cup unsalted butter

-3 cups powdered sugar

-1 cup nutella

-2 Tablespoons milk

--Prepare the cake mix and bake as directed. I made my cake a 3 layer 8-inch, but you could also make a 2 layer 9-inch if you wanted. While the cake is baking, this is the perfect time to prepare the icing, you will need it once the cake comes out of the oven. 

--For the Buttercream: Mix butter until smooth and creamy. Add nutella and mix until fluffy. Add 1 cup of sugar, slowly, until incorporated, then add 1 T of the milk. Add 1 more cup of the sugar, mixing until smooth, then the other T of milk. Then, add the last cup of powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 

--When the cakes come out of the oven, cool just a bit, about 5 minutes, then remove from pans and level them off. Place the first layer onto a cake stand and top with a scoop of buttercream, spread, and add a handful of the chopped up candy. Yes, you will want the cakes to be hot, it melts the chocolate from the candy to produce chewy goodness that tastes amazing. Once the cakes are filled with the icing and candy, let them cool completely.

--Once completely cool, frost the entire cake with the remaining buttercream and top with however much of the chopped up candy you feel is necessary (In my case, this was a lot).

This little fella is very filling, and definitely not low-cal, but it is divine and I fully recommend making it sometime. 

 Until next time,

I Have Returned!

Whew....

It's been quite a long time, hasn't it? I went on vacation a few weeks back and I also acquired a job. But in all honesty, there really isn't any excuse at all, I still had plenty of free time on my hands as well and I should have spent it doing this.

But I didn't.

So I am back.

After my hiatus, I realized that I really miss this. I miss showing what I do to anyone to reads this silly thing. Do you accept my apology? Please?! Perfect! Cause I'm glad to be back.

So what have I been doing, you would like to know? I suppose I could just tell you. Or I could show you!

Well first off, I won a cupcake contest!! Every year, our town has an ice cream social, and this year it was the 100th anniversary so they decided to do a birthday party theme and include a cupcake contest in the festivities. Without hesitation, I entered. I had to make 100 mini cupcakes and 12 regular cupcakes on the day of the social. After much contemplation I decided to make my strawberry cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting (as seen here). They were a hit! I was so excited and very surprised when they called my name on stage and said that I won first place! I received ice cream for a year and that big trophy (that is now sitting on the desk in my foyer for all to see when they come in the door). They also had a little write-up in the paper about the social and my name was in it and everything! I was amazed, and it was such a cool moment.

Next off,

I went to IRELAND!!

It was absolutely ahhh-mazing and I had the time of my life. My family and I flew up to Boston and stayed there for a day and a half, which is so beautiful by the way, then we flew over to Shannon, Ireland. When we landed, it was 6am Ireland time but only 1am our time, so we were all verrry tired. After sleeping for a good nine hours, we were all awake and headed over to a local pub and had dinner, listened to a couple of Irish men play music, and just hung out the rest of the evening.

The next day we headed to the Cliffs of Moher, the scenery in most of the pictures, and let me tell you...it was gorgeous!! Also, if you've seen the movie Leap Year, that's the place where Declan gives Anna the claddagh ring and proposes to her.

After staying the night in Lahinch we made our way to Westport the next morning. That is where our family is from, and we still have a  95-year old cousin who lives over there. Westport was probably my favorite place. It reminded me so much of the town I live in now, with all the cute shops downtown, but definitely cooler just because it's in Ireland. :) On the second day in Westport we took a trip out on the bay and went fishing. It was very fun, but I'm just not a huge fishing fanatic. I tried to catch a few, but failed, so I graciously handed the pole back to my brother for him to continue. The most exciting part for me was just being out there on the water, with a nice breeze, and beautiful scenery. And I even saw a seal!!

After two days in Westport we drove to the complete other side of the country to Dublin. By this time, everyone had spent a ton of time with each other in close quarters, so being in a van for four hours wasn't the best of times, but I shook that feeling of annoyance off because we were in Ireland! And we were headed for the capital! Once we made it we decided sight-seeing was a must. So my brother, my two cousins, and I went out to explore. We saw O'Connell street, which I absolutely loved, for obvious reasons, went over to check out Temple Bar, and then just walked around looking for pretty places and beautiful scenery. And let me tell you, it was everywhere.

The next day we took a bus tour of Dublin, which was very informative and fun, and then toured the Guinness Brewery. It was a nice last day in Ireland. Most of the trip was very laid back and cozy, which I loved, but it was very nice to see the city in all of it's glory and spend time with my family as well.

Overall, I had a blast! I can't stop thinking about Ireland and if I could, I would move there in a heartbeat. There wasn't one thing about that country and the places we visited that I didn't love.

So I will leave you with this...

Two Words: Candy Cake!

And this too...

Three Words: Cutest Dog Ever!

Until next time,