In Good Company

Dear Chase:

It is Saturday night and we are on our way back from picking up sushi at our favorite spot, Enoshima's in the Marina when I saw this new cupcake store called "Susie Cakes". I have never heard of them before so of course, I made a pit stop to see what it was all about. As I walked in the first thing I noticed were the head wraps that all the employees were wearing. I thought it was very original and super cute....it reminded me of the "I love Lucy" era. Next, I noticed that  I was surrounded by 8 layered cakes in flavors such as, red velvet, coconut creme and double chocolate fudge, not to mention the variety of cupcakes they had too. You know there are so many cupcakes places in San Francisco from Kara's Cupcakes to That Takes the Cake to now Susie Cakes. I have to admit that I have tried them all and yet I don't really have a favorite place because they are all good in their own way. I love the carrot cupcake from "Kara's", the red velvet from "That Take the Cake" and the mocha cupcake from "Susie Cakes" (pictured above). The baker in me always feels that I can make it too, so why buy it. But at the same time I also believe it is important to taste other people's food as it may inspire your baking in other ways as well. If I had to pick one cupcake flavor that I enjoy making the most and the one that gives me the greatest reviews....that would have to be my chocolate cupcake with either a vanilla cream cheese frosting or  a dark or white chocolate frosting. Now....all this cupcake talk is giving me a craving, not for chocolate but more like a vanilla cupcake with a vanilla bean frosting. Stay tuned....

The Quest for the Perfect Brownie.....take two

Dear Chase:

Another week begins and as I look back at my two days worth of grocery shopping, dry cleaning, laundry (lots of laundry), cleaning the entire house and cooking for our family.... I would have to say that making these brownies was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend! Last week I tried to make the perfect brownie but it was a challenge using the recipe that I had on hand. The first and second batch that I made a week ago turned out thick and cakey, not the texture you would want in a brownie but the flavors were good. In baking we always strive for perfection and if it isn't 100% perfect...then we keep trying until we get it right. So, I decided to do some research and take bits and pieces from the original recipe and change a few of the ingredients and techniques.  In my mind, the perfect brownie is not too thick, chewy and moist and definitely not cakey. The brownies you see in the above picture is a cross between a chewy cookie and a moist flourless chocolate cake. Add a drizzle of caramel sauce and a dopple of whipped cream and you have yourself the ultimate chocolate brownie. But of course, the palette is very subjective so try these out and you be the judge.



Here is the recipe to make your own perfect little brownies:

1/2 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
1/3 cup Dutch Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
2 Large Eggs
1 cup Organic Cane Sugar


Directions:

Add flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa in a small bowl, whisk together and set aside. Take a medium sauce pan and melt the butter on a med-low heat, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add in sugar using a whisk for about 1 minute until combined. Next add egg, one at a time until completely blended. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture using a whisk and blend until combines, then add the remaining flour until fully combined but do not over mix. The brownie batter should be very thicker in consistency. Pour into a square baking pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minute, do not over cook. Cool completely and then add caramel and whip cream as desired.

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.