A sad day, but a so incredibly happy and wonderful experience

I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my house guests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

- Dream, Priscilla Ahn

I don't think I have ever mentioned this before, but for the last couple of months I have been interning at the Flying Apron Bakery, in Fremont, Washington. And I have loved every single minute. It was without a doubt a dream come true. I was working in this wonderfully successful bakery without any outside experience, (except what I had learned in school). I started interning for my senior project at the beginning of October 2011 coming in two to three days a week and have been interning there for two days a week ever since.
My coworkers are wonderful people with incredibly kind hearts, I always leave smiling or laughing. :) Our baked goods are great, and oh-so-fun to make! The atmosphere and the customers are lovely and I have always felt so at home. Although, I am sad to say that because of my school schedule they no longer need me as an extra pair of hands on those two days during the week. But I have nothing to say but joyous things. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. If anything, working here has solidified my decision on what I am doing with my life after I am out and graduated from high school. As of right now, I am in the middle of my application to the C.I.A (Culinary Institute of America), and on my way to filling out a couple more applications to Culinary schools in my area.
I want to say so much more, but I also feel like if I do, I will constantly be repeating myself... :) What else can I say? I am so blessed and I am so grateful to have had the chance to experience what I have experienced. To all of my Flying Aprons, thank you, thank you, thank you so much. You will never know how much you have done for me. I am sad it is over, but I am so unbelievably happy, I don't know how to say it any other way. But thank you for all you have done. ♥

Not your typical Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week is finals week, and as a high school senior I am doing what I do best.  Procrastinating! To me, it's always seems like I find the recipes I like the most, or that turn out the best when I'm avoiding school work. :) Although, I'm not recommending this trend! Study, sleep, and bake to de-stress yourself throughout finals week.

The first time I made these cookies, I brought one downstairs to my mom for her to try and she took and bite, and then said. . . "That is not your typical chocolate chip cookie!" Thus, the title of this post. :)

Soooo. . . lately I've really been trying to eat healthy. I'm trying to get into the habit of it so I can drop a bunch of weigh for PROM. >:) Hip Hip Hooraaay! Anyways, one afternoon I was sitting at home, and !SUDDENLY!  I had a massive craving for chocolate chip cookies. Now trying to be healthy, I thought of the lovely idea to make a point to find a recipe that used Whole Wheat flour instead of All-purpose. And I did! I did! I did! It's yummy, it's a fun recipe to make, and I brought them into my art class on the last day of the semester and everybody love, love, loved them.

Recently I had heard about 'browning the butter' for a chocolate chip cookie recipe in Cook's Magazine. Well, I decided to try browning the butter in this recipe! I think it turned out fantastic, but some with more experience may beg to differ. These cookies are soft when they come out of the oven, but become crunchy fast, that may be because of the browned butter process but I'm not positive. Nevertheless, they're delicious.

Although this recipe says it makes 3 dozen, I each time I've made these I have got about 5 dozen. But I wasn't too uniform about the size of each cookie. Most were an inch to an inch and a half across, and some were bigger. Lately I've been in the mood for smaller bit-sized cookies, but it just depends on your preference. Another reason my cookies look so unchocolate chip cookie-ish, is because I was seriously slacking on chocolate chips! I used 12 oz instead of the called for 16 oz. But, I would HIGHLY recommend you stick with the 16 oz.

Ice cream scoop used as a cookie-scooper!

I'll also be posting the video I used to figure out to brown the butter for my cookies. Basically, browning the butter is browning the milk solids in the butter. Doing that, brings out a nice, very flavorful natural nutty flavor. Too good.

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup whole spelt flour (or an additional cup of whole wheat pastry flour)* I used ww
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, BROWNED** ~See video~
• 1 1/2 cups raw (turbinado) sugar
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (60% or higher)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 ℉ degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. Whisk in the vanilla extract and maple syrup.
6. Add the dry ingredients in 3 increments, stirring between each addition. Once you’re done mixing in the last of the dry ingredients, you should have a moist, uniformly brown dough.
7. Stir in the chocolate chips and oats by hand until they are evenly distributed. Put some muscle into it!
8. Drop about two tablespoon* of dough per cookie onto the baking sheet, leaving about two inches of space around each cookie.
9. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until the tops are just golden. Err on the side of underbaking.
10. Allow the cookies to set on the baking sheet for about a minute and transfer them to a cooling rack. If desired, sprinkle with a pinch of Maldon salt. Serve with a glass of milk, of course!
    
    **Ice cream scoopers can also be used as a clean way to scoop cookies. 
    
    Adapted from: Cookie + Kate

Christmas Christmas Cookiess!

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Here are some pictures of a massive but lovely cookie-decorating escapade over Christmas break!

Yum!

:)

Not your typical Chocolate Chip Cookies....be expecting them soon!

Ultime Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling

Have you ever been asked to bake sixty cupcakes at 9 o'clock on a Friday night when you have had to get up early and go to work the next morning? I have. And I can tell you they turned out to be a great success and not only did we reach our goal of sixty cupcakes, but we also ended up baking ten extra. Seventy cupcakes!! Woohoo!

Thankfully, I had some another wonderful set of hands to help me. My lovely mama, we worked lightning fast, and had everything baked and set out to cool in record time. 

While I was at work the next day, my wonderful dad helped out by making frosting and decorating the cupcakes, team effort right?

 These delicious cupcakes have ganache fillings! As well as Swiss Meringue Buttercream on top.

 Enjoy

(and eat three! Like I did....oops :) )

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling

Makes 12 cupcakes

*NOTE:

*Use a high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for this recipe, such as Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar.

*Although we all highly recommend the ganache filling, you can make a more traditional cupcake and just leave the ganache out.

Ganache Filling

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes 
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note) 
1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa  
3/4 cup hot coffee  
3/4 cup (4 1/8 ounces) bread flour  
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar  
1/2 teaspoon table salt  
1/2 teaspoon baking soda  
6 tablespoons vegetable oil  
2 large eggs  
2 teaspoons white vinegar  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Instructions For Cupcakes:

1. FOR GANACHE FILLING: Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes. 


2. FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 ℉. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. 


3. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth. 

4. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour. 


Meringue-Style Chocolate Buttercream

Makes about 2 1/4 cups

Cool the chocolate to between 85 and 100℉  before adding it to the frosting. If the frosting seems too soft after adding the chocolate, chill it briefly in the refrigerator and then rewhip it until creamy. The frosting can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to frost, place frosting in a microwave-safe container and warm briefly on high power until just slightly softened, 5 to 10 seconds. Once warmed, stir until creamy. 


1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar  
2 large egg whites   
Pinch table salt  
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces 
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , melted and cooled (see note) 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for Frosting:

1. Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 ℉ on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.) Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate and vanilla; mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping beater and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary.

5. TO FROST: Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.




Love, Love, Love these little cupcakes as much as we have!
xo Laura

Banana Curry Salsa

I made this on a whim during a family get-together. My brother has become really interested in the whole organic foods, all natural food scene. We were gathered all around the kitchen talking, laughing, and eating (almost) all natural tortilla chips, and we had run out of salsa...  So, I came up with a refreshing whimsical salsa idea! I know it sounds a tad funky, but it is really yummy, it will definitely become a classic in my recipe book. :)


Banana Curry Salsa

Makes about 2 cups
2 ripe bananas
3 tbsp curry powder TT*
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon TT*
 
 * TT - To Taste

How to
1. Take a fork or a potato masher in a medium sized bowl, and mash up your two (peeled) bananas
2. Add in your curry powder and cinnamon. It really depends on your flavor preference. I like to be able to taste the cinnamon in the background, but have the curry powder be the more dominant spicy flavor.
3. Stir everything together, and viola! Dip your chips in it or eat it by the spoonful!
 

For the Love of Crust

I JUST pulled these out of the oven. Words cannot describe the happiness I am feeling as of this moment. What a way to spend a Monday night. Although my kitchen is cover from head to toe in dirty dishes... I am so incredibly happy. As I transferred the poptarts from baking sheet to cooling rack, one of them fell on the floor...Ohhh no way. Samples anyone?
To say the least, these wonderful creations will be accompanying me to Art class as yet another secret L.I.L.A.C.C mission to spread the word around... Enjoy!

imgoingtobeacook

 Pumpkin Poptarts

For the Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbs milk
• 1 large egg (for brushing the dough)

For the Filling:

• 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

For the Maple Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbs milk

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt.  Add the cold butter and pulse in 1-second increments until the butter is the size of peas.  The mixture should also hold together when squeezed into a ball.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk.  Add the mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and process to make sure that moisture is introduced to all of the flour mixture.  On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for a few turns until it really starts to come together.  Divide the dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes

While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling:

In a medium bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree and spices.  Whisk in egg, salt and sugar and place in the fridge to rest while you roll out the dough.

On a well floured work surface, press dough into a 3×5-inch rectangle, roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness.  The dough should be slightly larger than 9×12-inches.  Trim dough with a pizza cutter, creating a perfect rectangle that is 9-inches tall and 12-inches long.  Using the pizza cutter, cut each side into thirds, creating 9 squares.  Place dough squares in the fridge while you roll out the second piece of dough in the same way.

Brush one set of 9 squares with beaten egg.  This will act as the glue for the top layer of dough.  Spoon about one tablespoon of pie filling into the center of each brushed dough square.  Top with a second piece of dough and use a floured fork to crimp the sides closed.  Use the tines of the fork to create vent holes in each tart.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Let tarts rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while the oven preheats.



While the tarts bake, whisk together ingredients for the glaze and set aside.

Let baked tarts rest on a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.  Best served within 2 days.

(adapted from imgoingtobeacook(.tumblr.com)