Hey Little Fishy

I forgot how calming it is to watch fish swim around in a tank. There is something about their graceful movements and the clear, blue water. Not to mention those adorable fishy lips. Perhaps I will invest in a tank for my dorm room. And put it on my desk for more homework distractions ;) 

Vintage Shopping

In the midst of crazy Christmas shopping I found these vintage treasures for my kitchen.

Beautiful gold decoration on the edges and the detailed images...

 As pretty as a postcard...

I love the red and black color combo on this little cup which is perfect for my morning Keifer yogurt. The plain glasses are perfect for a casual glass of wine, I just feel wrong drinking wine out of plastic cups - keep it classy!

Better Together

Buttercream Snickerdoodle Sandwiches 

For my birthday, I decided to make one of my favorite recipes from the past year (seen here). Good news is they were as fantastic as I remember. Except afterwards I found myself with an extra tub of frosting (I am always very worried about having skimpily frosted anything). To keep myself from consuming the enture container with a spoon, more baking needed to be done ASAP. Feeling a bit lazy and confined by my dorm room kitchen, the search was on for a recipe that involved minimal work and mess. Snickerdoodle cookies to the rescue! 

Snickerdoodles are one of the easiest cookies to make, other than the classic chocolate chip. Their cinnamon flavor also feels very fitting for a crisp autumn day. I found a recipe here, but if you find yourself in a time crisis, Betty Crocker also has a box mix that will work. 

Now for the frosting. Let me please take a few line to profess my deep love for this confection. It is everything that you would hope and dream for; smooth consistency that won't drip or dry out. Soft, creamy color that resembles a perfect cloud. The flavors of real vanilla, butter and cream, merged together, none of that artificial deception. Be warned, this is not low-fat, healthy or even remotely good for your caloric intake. But it will make you happy. 

Like bacon and eggs, both the cookies and frosting are great on their own. Together, however, they are a dangerously delicious combination. 

p.s. don't forget about the sprinkles!!! 

Basic French Toast

Yesterday I moved back into college (senior year!). Moving is by far one of my least favorite things, so to make it more bearable I made french toast for breakfast. What better way to enjoy my last meal at my home kitchen than a sweet sugar and carb combination. Plus it's one of my brother's favorites and since he was left to help me haul all my stuff back and forth, he deserved it.

After much researching and testing, I found that this recipe from Alton Brown is my favorite. The honey gives it some sweetness without all the extra sugar (if you are like me, you already drown it syrup anyway). I follow his 2-3 min suggestion on the pan and it ends up perfect. If you make several rounds, however, make sure you keep a close eye on it because as the pan gets hotter, the cooking time decreases.

Another nice thing about this recipe is it's versatility. I made this the day after a holiday weekend, which meant the fridge was pretty bare, meaning no milk (we should have a cow in the backyard with all the milk my family consumes). We did however, have some vanilla coconut milk. After about 5 minutes of deliberation, seriously staring into the fridge, I decided that I really, really wanted - no needed- french toast.

My risk was a success! My brother didn't even notice until I pressed him to tell me if it tasted strange, he silently shook his head no while continuing to eat. This makes a great non-dairy option for those who are allergic. For my mom and sister who can't have gluten, this batter also works with any sort of gluten-free bread you like. More options:

• Substitute regular milk for half and half (or coconut milk like I did)
• Add a little cinnamon sugar on top just before putting into pan
• Fresh fuit tastes amazing on top, especially strawberries, raspberries and orange slices
• Can't go wrong with a healthy serving of whipped cream
• Experiment with different breads (I avoid anything whole wheat/whole grain). Good 'ol Wonder white bread and Butternut are good, cheap options. 

Life's Simple Pleasures

Enjoying a Sprinkles cupcake on the train home from the city.

(Thankfully no one was sitting next to me seeing as how I managed to look like a 5-year old trying not to make a mess while eating it.) 

You Can Never Have Too Much Chocolate

What to do with leftover chocolate chips?

How about some chocolate covered strawberries...

or chocolate dipped peanut-butter cookies...

Cardamon and Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches

As a very indecisive person, I often find myself overwhelmed by baking possibilities (a few hours on Pinterest only makes the problem worse), leading to dozens of saves issues of cooking magazines, several untouched cookbooks and a hundred bookmarked pages on my laptop. 

I saw this recipe awhile back and was instantly a fan. I mean, the kid in the picture looks so happy, how could it not be good??? I wanted to be this kid. For some reason, the recipe stayed on the back burner, getting lost behind new ideas and occasions. When a friend who likes coffee (almost) as much as I do was getting ready to leave for school, I knew these would be perfect. And they were. 

For those who have never even heard of cardamon, let alone baked with it, do not be afraid. It has a wonderful, spicy scent that fills the whole kitchen. Added into the rich chocolate it offers a surprising kick, especially with the cool coffee ice cream. What pleased me most about the recipe was the consistency of the cookie. Many, many cookies are great on their own but either too hard or to soft or too thin to hold up in an ice cream sandwich.  

We were too excited to put the assembled sandwiches back into the freezer and wait, so we proceeded to eat them with the slightly warm cookies - messy but worth it. If you planned ahead, you could easily make these sandwiches the day/night before and have the perfect afternoon pick-me-up for several days. If they last that long, that is ;) 

Summer Movie Afternoons

With the recent temps rising over 95 degrees and the humidity threatening to turn my hair into a lion's mane, I have been limiting trips outside my front door to a bare minimum. That does include trips to the library to pick up DVD's and a stop at the grocery store for copious amounts of ice cream. One of my favorite things to do is hide out in the cold basement watching movies and getting brain freeze from ice cream or a homemade smoothie.

all images from Google

My most recent movie afternoon was a French theme with Amelie (a classic) and The Flight of the Red Balloon, which was new to me. Based on the 1956 short film, The Red Balloon, this film offered a similarly picturesque view of Paris through the life of a little boy. Although a bit slow in the plot, it is perfect for when you want to travel to Europe without leaving your couch. It also has great music, which adds to the mood. The theme continued later in the evening with How to Steal a Million. This film has Paris, art, Audrey, great clothes, and boomerangs - what more could you ask for? J'aime la France!

Proscuitto Pita-Panini

Lunch is one of the meals that I missed the most while I was away at school. The options at my cafeteria left a lot to be desired: chicken noodle soup, french fries, and the mysterious "double-happiness pasta." This left salad or a slimy ham sandwich as the daily choice.

I prefer to eat a light lunch that gives me that needed burst of energy without making me feel so stuffed that I need to take a nap. This recipe combines two of my personal favorites - pita bread and panini. It takes only a few minutes longer to make than a cold sandwich but so much more satisfying. Trust me.

Prosciutto Pita-Panini

• 1 red pepper
• a few slices prosciutto (available at any Italian or specialty grocer) 
• 1 piece of pita bread (preferably the kind that open into a pocket)
• butter
• cheese! I used a shredded blend called quattro formaggio from Trader Joes which includes parmesan, asiago, fontina and provolone cheeses. Any combination of those would work, or on their own. Use 1 slice (half slices if you are mixing cheeses) or a hearty handful of shredded. 

Turn on panini maker/press or heat skillet pan over medium heat. Butter both sides of pita. Stuff inside of pita with slices of prosciutto, half of the red pepper slices (save the other half for another sandwich or a healthy snack), and cheese. When press or pan is hot enough, carefully place sandwich. Cook until the pita is slightly brown, about 2 min. Transfer to plate and eat while still hot. 

In the photo above I have sliced up a fresh cucumber, but apple slices are also a delicious side, complementing the cheese. 

White-Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes

When my friend from work, Hannah, and I get to bake it is serious business. We call our time "baking extravaganzas." They usually involve at least three hours in the kitchen running around working on multiple recipes. It's no wonder that we work up enough of an appetite to eat half of what we bake :)

On our most recent meeting we baked cupcakes and blueberry bars as well as homemade caramel frappacinos. Everything was delicious, but I think that the cupcakes came out as the clear winner of the day.

I know that many people have mixed feeling on coconut, but I for one love it (so long as it's is the real stuff). When I came across this recipe  from Barefoot Contessa, my mouth immediately started watering, they seemed like a perfect summery treat. Since I had some leftover white chocolate and since white chocolate makes every better, I decided to add them into the batter too. You could make them with or without the white chocolate, but I added about half of a bag in the batter right before I poured them into the cupcake tins (the same step as the coconut in the recipe).

This recipe is a bit tricky, beginning bakers be warned. The hardest part was shifting the flour, we both decided we not a fan. It did however, produce very nice cakes that were fluffy but not dry and crumbling. Persevere through it!

Now for the frosting. Oh wow. This is possibly one of the best frosting recipes I have made, I am already dreaming up new recipes to make it for. The vanilla and almond extract make it smell absolutely amazing while it's in the mixer, swirling into a creamy dream. I also approved of how much frosting the recipe yielded since I prefer a 50/50 cupcake to frosting ratio with some extra for taste- tasting.

The end result is a moist cake with creamy frosting and the sunny taste of coconut. Ocean blue cupcake liners are optional but encouraged.

Mini French Toast

First off, I apologize for my disappearance from the blogging world. School took over my life, leaving my with very time little for anything that was not school-related. The good news is my summer "resolution" is to actually post on this blog :)

For Father's Day I wanted to make something fun for breakfast that wasn't too time-consuming. One of the best things about working at a grocery store is always being there for good deals, and I was able to snag a day old loaf of a specialty cinnamon bread. I was originally just going to put it in the toaster and add cream cheese (a delicious option by the way) BUT I decided to be brave.

French toast is the perfect recipe for any sort of day old bread because you want it to be firm enough to absorb the batter without turning into a gooey mass. I liked the way I was able to fit 5-6 pieces of the mini-toast on the skillet at the same time. The size would also be perfect for smaller children.

Traditionally, French toast is served with maple syrup but since I used cinnamon bread, I wanted to balance out the sweetness that was already there. Instead, I choose blueberry syrup which added the perfect amount of tart. The end result was similar to placing a bag of chips in front of my family - bet you can't eat just one!

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows

Easter may be a few days away, but the weather here has gone back to cold temperatures of early March. This means that my evening cup of hot chocolate has begun again. Although, to be honest, I have been known to drink hot chocolate regardless of how warm it is outside.

It is a known fact that hot chocolate feels a little sad without fluffy marshmallows melting on top. If you are looking to upgrade from the supermarket bagged variety, try making them yourself at home (recipe here) It takes a bit of practice to get the consistency right, but one you do - pure marshmallow-y bliss. The ones shown here are flavored with peppermint and swirled with red food coloring, but you can also make the equivalent of the plain kind with vanilla extract.

Tips:

•  don't be afraid to use a lot of non-stick spray, otherwise you will get one giant marshmallow mass
• they might not look perfectly square the first time you make them, but they still taste delicious
• feel free to eat them alone as a snack ;) 

You say tomato, I say tomato

After my last post about biscotti, I realized that I failed to mention an important detail - how to pronounce them. I try not to be a language snob, you know the ones who turned up their noses and correct you with an overly dramatic accent. There are, however, a few things that sound like nails on a chalkboard to me, and the way 95% of people pronounce biscotti is one of them. Growing up with an Italian mom, I was taught they are pronounced biz-co-tee (the key is the long 'o'). You can also listen to audio pronunciation in both male and female here. After looking online, there seems to be a slight variation called biscotto, and here the first 'o' short and the second is long. That concludes this portion of language lessons! Now you can impress your friends and family with homemade biscotti AND an accent that even Mario Batali would approve of.

Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

Sometimes a cup of coffee feels a little lonely sitting there on your kitchen table or desk. In comes the biscotti. Not quite a cookie but so much better than a cracker, this classic Italian treat and coffee were made for each other. When I was little, I desperately wanted to eat biscotti. They looked liked cookies, often drizzled with yummy chocolate. Imagine my disappointment when I took my first bite only to find that it was extremely hard and dry, not all like the cookies I was used to. After watching my mother dip them in her coffee, I would grab a mug, fill it with milk and proceed to soak my biscotti. Since then, my relationship with coffee has begun and so has a true love for these hard cookies. 

I stumbled upon a biscotti recipe online here and was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to make. Essentially you are double baking a sugar cookie dough, first in a log form and then in pieces to create the crispy texture. These pistachio ones are my favorite mostly because I have a special weakness for pistachios anything and because they somehow feel more Italian. That being said, you can customize them any way your heart desires. Enjoy with a piping hot coffee, latte or even a late night glass of milk :) 

Hello my name is...

After much thought and time spent staring blankly at my keyboard to write the perfect opening post, I have decided to just dive right in. Welcome to my blog! If you like to cook, bake or look at pictures of cooking and baking, then you are in the right place. There will also be posts about non-food related things, such as rainbows, unicorns and dancing babies. Just kidding. But seriously, I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse of what inspires me, feel free to comment and say hi! -xoxo Rachael Rae