Night Cap!

Dear Chase:

There is only one thing I can think of to unwind at night after a long day at work. Most people would put their feet up and enjoy a cold beer, a nice glass of wine, read a book or even pop in the newest rental from Blockbuster. I would rather scourer the fridge for anything I can find to either make or bake as my way of unwinding for the evening. So, I was looking in our refrigerator and all I could find was whole milk and some heavy cream. I thought and thought about what to make and then I spotted this box of Dutch cocoa powder in the cabinet along with some sugar, bourbon vanilla and some of my favorite Maldon sea salt...and before you even finished your milk for the night; I had a pot of decadent chocolate pudding with fresh homemade whipped cream to top it off. It was the perfect night cap to a rather long day. It is funny how when you do the things you love, it never feels like work...it just make you feel good, happy and satisfied.

Follow the recipe below for your own little night cap.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup organic sugar cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium heat, and slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, and continue stirring until mixture thickens to your desired consistency. I like mine really thick, almost gelatin like. Remove from heat, and stir in bourbon vanilla. Let it cool briefly...serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving. Add whip cream and a dusting of cocoa powder on top.

War of the Cupcakes!

Dear Chase:


Not only do I love baking my own little delectables but I love watching other people do it as well. I have always been a huge fan of "The Food Network" and some of my favorite shows include, Iron Chef, Chopped and Giada at Home. The newest addiction to the food network entourage is "Cupcake Wars". A sweet, challenging competition chopped style, where the competitors take a key ingredient or theme and create 3 different cupcakes. They are judged on creativity, presentation and of course taste. It is very entertaining to watch and see how creative these bakers can be in such a short amount of time plus it gives off an extra dose inspiration for the baker in me. Last night's competition was based on "The LA Film Festival".... it centered around movie theatre ambiance, red carpet glamour and theater type snacks both salty and sweet. It was a very interesting challenge because salty and sweet is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I was particularly inspired by the winner of the challenge..."Sweet Arleen's" from Westlake Village and her interesting twist on a variety of cupcake flavors. I have not baked any cupcakes for you lately but I will be back in baker mode this week. I will be making my super delicious strawberry cupcake but with a cream cheese strawberry frosting. I look forward to next weeks episode to see who wins, who goes home and who comes up with the most creative and inventive cupcakes!

Whip It!

Dear Chase:

As with all things in life..... there is a beginning, a middle and an end. I look at baking in a very similar way that I look at life. In baking you start off with some well chosen ingredients, a few tools at hand, directions and guidelines to follow, you wait for the outcome of each new recipe you try and once have completed the process... you enjoy the fruits of your labor in your own individual way. I prefer to enjoy all my endings with a dopple of homemade whip cream that I customize for each dessert. I remember this one time, I made my go to dessert for our weekly family dinner at your grandmother's house... classic raisin bread pudding. I always serve it with my homemade amaretto whip cream and your grandmother commented that she would serve this with the classic store bought cool whip..ha! I too grew up putting cool whip on everything from jello, chocolate pudding, to my strawberries and bananas....it just makes everything taste better. Now that I have learned to make my own, I think it is definitely worth the extra time to make it. Below is my recipe to make each of your endings just as memorable and special.


Ingredients:

(1) pint of heavy cream
1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar (powdered)
(1) tsp. vanilla extract
(1) tsp amaretto liquor
 


Directions:

Place (1) pint of heavy cream in a medium size bowl. Add vanilla and amaretto and begin to beat on medium for 2-3 minutes. The cream will start to stiffen and once you get it to a creamy texture, you can start slowly adding the sugar (add more if you want it a bit sweeter). Do not over mix and you always want to use powdered sugar versus any other kind of sugar.  The powered sugar keeps the cream light and fluffy, as you can see in the picture above. Once the cream forms you will mix for about another 30 seconds. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve and the cream can be stored for up to 3 days.


Use this whipped cream on anything you choose, I recommend fruit salads, hot chocolate or even your morning cup of coffee as my sister in law, Jenica likes to do.

The Quest for the Perfect Brownie

Dear Chase:

As promised, I made some of my sea salt chocolate brownies...they turned out well but I must admit I am still working on perfecting my recipe. This is the 3rd batch that I made and my dedicated taste tester Jason, gave me his honest opinion. He thought they were a bit more cake-like versus a fudgy type of brownie. I personally prefer the fudgy, gooey ones myself with chocolate frosting on top and a dopple of whip cream on the side. The two most important components for a good brownie other than quality ingredients is timing. It is essential to not overcook your brownies even by a minute, the brownie needs to be settled in the middle but not cooked all the way through. I also like to use Maldon sea salt flakes, it is a bit pricey but they make such a big different in the way your baked goods taste.This recipe is pretty darn good but I am seeking absolute perfection. Stay tuned for my new an improved brownie recipe.

Baby Blues

Dear Chase:

I am having my morning coffee when I came across this article on GOOP, a popular blog that I follow and this particular article talks about Postpartum Depression. A condition that 80% of women experience after having a child. It isn't something I fully understand or know how to deal with but I certainly did experience a mild form of that and many doctors would call what I had as the Baby Blues. This is confession time for me...this isn't the usual topic that I would talk about but it is something that happened and I would want you know and understand this someday. When I first had you, I thought the hardest part was over...the labor and giving birth part. Once that is over then it would be all better, I would be happy and I would feel the overwhelming sense of joy that I was told I would feel throughout my pregnancy. When I didn't feel that way the first day...then the 2nd...then the 3rd and by the end of the first week...I started to feel sad and guilty for not being as happy as everyone kept telling I should be. So, I started to think there was something wrong with me because there was certainly nothing wrong with you.....you were absolutely perfect in every way. I couldn't ask for anything more but at the same time, I couldn't bring myself to be happy and grateful for what I did have. Every time your father would leave the house to go to work, I would sit in my bed and cry while you were asleep. I did that for a few weeks before turning to my sister and my doctor for help.They both told me this is a very normal stage to go through and it would pass but how long....no one knew. Now, you were approaching your first month and I started to feel better. When you were around 3 months, we went to visit my parents in Las Vegas and with the support of our family ...those feelings of sadness seems to be further and further away. I found myself feeling joy and happiness again and loving the idea of being your mother. This is such an important issue and so many women around the world have to deal with this condition .... so I wanted to take the time to talk to you about it, and hopefully  you can understand and learn from it as I have.

First Moments

Dear Chase:


You turned 10 months this week and I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I'm sitting in bed trying to fall asleep but my mind is just racing . I keep thinking about first moments and how they can be so definitive to everything else in your life. Like the first moment I met your father or the first moment I knew I was in love and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him....the first moment I knew I was pregnant with you and the first moment I truly felt like a mother. Let me take us back for a moment...  you were barely 2 months old and you were very much a crier in the beginning and every night I would read you a story. I was 2 minutes into what is now your favorite book and you fell asleep for the first time without crying. It was an amazing feeling, I was never really the maternal type but the from that night on, I knew exactly what kind of mother I wanted to be. You too will have many first moments throughout your life. I will never forget your first laugh, your first smile or even your first courageous journey up our 2-step entry way from the living room into our dining room. You are definitely the dare devil in the family. As for baking, I was planning on making some brownies tonight but I think I will save that for tomorrow night. This is an old recipe that I will modify to make my own.It is the perfect blend of rich dark chocolate with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to bring out the savory and sweet flavors that compliment one another so perfectly.

Sugar and Spice

Dear Chase:

Sugar and spice....makes everything nice... I think that is how the saying goes. As always you inspire me to not only bake to my hearts content but you have helped me tap back into the simple pleasures of a song, a nursery rhythm and the fun read of a child's book. We just finished reading your favorite book, "Lama Lama Red Pajama".... you were so anxious to turn the page, that I had to read at full speed just to keep up with you. Now that you have drifted off into slumber, I decided to make molasses-spice cookies that has been in the freezer for over 2 weeks. I normally do not bake on a hectic Monday night but once the kneading of the dough begins.....I can already feel my night winding down.

Finally, the cookies are done..Oh, My Goodness ....crispy on the outside with the perfect blend of cinnamon, molasses and just a touch of ginger.

Follow this Recipe and you will soon taste the best molasses spice cookie ever!

2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger crystals 
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cup(s) sugar (I prefer sugar cane sugar)

3/4 cup(s) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg, at room temperture

1/4 cup(s) molasses


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until fullycombined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms. Do not over mix.

Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!