Easter is always a fun holiday--it’s relaxed, the weather always seems nice, and most importantly there is carrot cake!
The fact that I’m such a carrot cake fan is a little odd considering carrots are not one of my favorite veggies.
My sister, Gina, is an incredible baker.
She makes desserts that are the epitome of #craveworthy.
They always satisfy that inner child in you who craves something rich, moist, and slightly over-the-top.
For Christmas she makes loads of cookies, packs them in her suitcase, and flies them to Buffalo where we all converge to celebrate the holiday season.
And when she arrives, she kicks me out of the kitchen and does her best to cover every inch of it in flour--making even more cookies and treats.
Gina is the Yin to my Yang, always taking on the desserts and leaving me to what I really do best.
Together, our foods are perfect complements, and so come Christmas it’s a bit of a Sweet vs. Savory Showdown.
And at the end of this fight, everyone is a winner.
servings: 3 dozen cookies
Original recipe from Two Peas + Their Pod
My sister, Alecia, is One with the cookie the same way some people are One with nature.
And by “the cookie” I mean every cookie ever made.
Come December, she hosts an epic Christmas party and serves not one, not two, not five, but over 20 different types of cookies!
She starts making preparations weeks before and then freezes most of the cookies (and yes, they defrost beautifully!).
But there is one cookie that cannot be made ahead of time, and is also very, very delicate.
This cookie is so amazing, so unique, so incredibly delicious, that even though it's not the easiest to prepare in advance, Alecia ALWAYS makes it.
Chocolate Clouds are her favorite and they will always be on her table (and in lots of happy bellies!).
The airiness, chewiness, and crunchiness of a meringue cookie is already addicting--but when you fold in cocoa powder and chocolate chips, it becomes downright irresistible.
Since most of you are not lucky enough to come to the party, I’ve brought the party to you. I now present you with Alecia’s favorite cookies, Chocolate Clouds!
servings: 30 Cookies
Original recipe from Food.com
Being pregnant seems to mean two things for me--a love of any task that I can do while fully reclined, and a need for all things sweet.
As I am trying to keep my sugar intake in check, I made a deal with myself to only have sweets if I make them myself, and to try to dip into my candy drawer only occasionally.
The only problem is that suddenly I’ll bake up a couple dozen cookies and there is only one place for them to go--my belly!
So I came up with a cookie recipe that I can feel good about--no matter how many cookies I consume.
The 4th of July is just around the corner and that means fun, frolicking, and most importantly FOOD. Most years I find myself making sweet treats for my niece Lucy, as her birthday falls on the 4th. We all like to gather in Fire Island to celebrate as we sing happy birthday and watch the fire works.
To say Lucy loves dessert is an understatement, so I always try my best to put a smile on her sweet little sugar addicted face and make her some incredible treats. No matter what you are making this July 4th it should be easy, should make people smile and if it happens to also be red white and blue than even better. So here are some of my favorite July 4th recipes that will make your weekend that much more sweet.
Red, White + Blue Sangria by Crista at Peace.Love.Quinoa
Let’s start this 4th of July with fizzy and refreshing white wine sangria's! In this recipe she finishes her sangria off with sparkling water; I think I'm going to skip that part and finish it with some bubbly champagne! The best part about sangria is you can use whatever wine, fruit and juice you like.
As a society we like things on a stick, things that are fried and things that are STUFFED!
The idea of something stuffed inside of something else is a simple but exciting idea. It's a mystery and a surprise.
You have something already delicious, like a doughnut, a potato or a turkey and then you take these things to a whole new level. You stuff the doughnut with jelly, load up the potato and then of course there is the ingenious idea of stuffing a turkey with a chicken and a duck!
You have made something new! You have taken something and not just made it the best it can be, but even better. You have STUFFED IT!!
Now let's talk about cookies. We all like cookies and many times I judge my cookies like I do my books...by its cover of course.
I look at the outside, I see if it's thick or thin, smooth or bumpy. And far before I bite into it I have made a certain judgement about this cookie.
To continue to grow and learn in life you must be humble. You must accept that you are probably not an expert in…well…anything. And there is a very good chance that there will always be somebody that knows more than you do on any given subject.
When it comes to cooking I accept that there is more to learn, though I think I have plenty to teach on the subject myself ;)
But, when it comes to baking I will easily take a back seat and allow a real pastry chef to teach me a thing or two.
And so I'm not the least bit ashamed to say that my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe...is not my own.
When someone comes up with the perfect ratio of sugar to flour, the optimal amount of chocolate chips and a simple but specific method to creating the best cookies you have ever had, well, you just do exactly what they do.
RECIPE:
2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1&1/4 C Dark brown sugar (packed)
1&1/4 C sugar
2 sticks (1 Cup) Salted butter, softened
3 Large eggs
1 C Creamy Peanut Butter
2 tsp Vanilla
Whisk together dry ingredients in medium bowl. Than in large bowl combine sugars, and butter and cream with a mixer. Continue by adding eggs, PB, and vanilla a mix until mixture is light and fluffy. Add flour mixture at a low speed, mix until combined but do not over mix. Drop rounded spoonful’s onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Use a wet fork to make crisscross pattern on the cookies and bake at 300 for 15-22min, don't over bake! Let cool, serve and ENJOY!
NOTES:
