What Alice Forgot

I read What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty for book club. I thought it was a great novel for book club discussion. It is about a woman who hits her head and forgets the last 10 years of her life. She doesn't remember her 3 kids or that she is getting a divorce. Everyone in my bookclub enjoyed this book and would recommend it to a friend.

The Pie Hole Los Angeles

While in Los Angeles for EIF Revlon Run/Walk we went to The Pie Hole.

 Savory or sweet all the pies we tried were delicious! I normally would pick cake over pie any day but this place has given me a change of heart. $6 seems like a lot of money for a slice of pie but it really is that good. If you want a whole pie you have to order it 48 hours in advance.

 Maple custard

This was my favorite one. I could eat an entire pie. I had it with a hot cup of tea. It's very sweet but the maple flavor isn't to strong, it's just right. 

 Mexican Hot Chocolate pie

This pie was super rich the chocolate had a hint of cinnamon.  

This is a savory pie…it is filled with mac & cheese! It had a yummy flakey outside and the mac wasn't soggy inside. I don't know how they did it. We also had the veggie curry pie. I am glad there isn't a Pie Hole in San Diego because it would be dangerous!
The Pie Hole
714 Traction Ave
Los Angeles 90013

French Macarons:: Part Un

1st Batch..EEK! 

 You may find this strange but I had NEVER tried a macaroon until this year! Oui! I always thought French macarons were pretty and tres chic. Too chic for me. I mean am still not sure if you spell it Macaroon or macaron? I just figured these french cookies couldn't live up to the hype and never tried one. Boy, was I wrong…Macarons are amazing! They aren't like any other baked good. I was hooked! 

I wanted to try making them at home. I figured I can bake French Madelines why not macarons? My first attempt was an epic fail! I did SO many things wrong. 

• I found the recipe and video online. I watched the video a few times on silence while reading the subtitles. I didn't realize the baker was Australian so the temperature of her oven was in celsius NOT fahrenheit. I thought 150 was a really low temperature to bake but who am I to judge? 
• I used wax paper and I should have used parchment paper. The wax paper started smoking (once I brought the oven's temp to 300).
• Almond flour is hard to find at the super market and it is hard to make without a food processor.  
• I think I over folded.

 Batch A I didn't slam the cookie sheet hard enough on the table before putting them in the oven. Batch B is looking better but I baked them at the wrong temp! They were raw on the inside and brunt on the bottom. None were edible. These macarons made me feel like such a failure! However it is good to be reminded no one is perfect. (It felt like I was making humble pie) I am not giving up I just need to study a little more. Forget the internet, I ordered some books from the library. I went to Costco and got more eggs so I can start practicing.

These are NOT mine…A girl can dream. 

Super Bowl

 This year's Super Bowl party stadium. 

This year for the Super Bowl I made blue cupcakes with green frosting for the Seahawks and orange for the Broncos. Last year I made a Smith Island cake for the Ravens. The Smith Island cake was an awesome challenge and I was hoping the Ravens made it to the Super Bowl just so I could make the cake again. This year I had a hard time finding a signature baked treat from Denver or Seattle so I just baked colorful cupcakes.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Cake

 Taste the rainbow

I made Duff's tie-dye cake from a box. The mix comes with tiny food coloring packets. The cake is really soft…I don't know how to describe it. It was on the delicate side so it was hard to frost. I'd like to try making the cake from scratch and doing the food coloring trick and seeing how that turns out.

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

 I got Jessica Seinfeld's new cookbook form the library. The Can't Cook Book is loaded with great recipes. It has lots of direction for people who are terrified of their kitchen...Think Carrie from Sex & the City. This cookbook has only a handful of baking recipes. One of the recipes is for Oatmeal, Maple & Raisin Cookies. I am a sucker for anything maple. 

These Maple Oatmeal cookies are super yummy! I didn't add raisins because that's how I roll. Both the Hubby & F.W. thought the cookies tasted like oatmeal snicker doodles. You couldn't taste the maple because the cinnamon is so overpowering.  

pretzel bowls

Last night I made A Beautiful Mess pretzel bowls. They turned out SO delicious! Everyone loved them. I filled the bowls with homemade broccoli potato cheddar soup. This recipe is a keeper.

Fall Baking Pumpkin Bread

 Making the topping I just used my hands to mix it. 

Bread with crumble top before going in the oven.

Every time I go to Starbucks I am tempted by their little square of pumpkin bread. I love Starbucks' pumpkin bread because it has no nuts or chocolate chips. I  also like the little pumpkin seeds on top. Today I stopped myself from buying their pumpkin bread because when you think about it a can of pure pumpkin is cheaper than a slice of Starbucks pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin bread is awesome because if you have a can of pumpkin, you most likely have all the other ingredients in your cupboard. Nothing makes a house smell like Fall than pumpkin bread. I found the recipe I liked because it used brown sugar and vanilla.  

Pumpkin Bread:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
⅓ cup water
½ tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

Topping:
1 Tbl flour
5 Tbl brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbl cold butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 8″x4″ loaf pan (or three small loaf pans) with baking spray. Set aside. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat butter, oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Add pumpkin puree, water, and vanilla, mix until smooth. Add one egg at a time, mixing after each addition. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, mix just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set aside.

Make topping, in small bowl combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter with pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I used my hands to make the crumble. Sprinkle topping over batter.

Bake for 1 hour (35-40 minutes for small pans), or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Topping will begin to darken but should not burn. Cool in pan, then on wire rack.

So easy and yummy!!

Fall Baking Triple-Chocolate Bread

 This weekend I baked a Triple-Chocolate Bread from Better Homes and Gardens Fall Baking magazine. This issue is full of lovely baking ideas! It is 10 bucks but I think well worth the money. The great thing about this the triple-choclate bread recipe is you most likely already have all the ingredients in your pantry.

 This bread is wonderful! It is really chocolaty. It was a nice change from cake. 

I recommend eating it warm with a scope of vanilla ice cream. Per my usual I forgot to take a picture until after everyone had finished dessert. 

Primrose Bakery Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

 These strawberry cupcakes have a little surprise in the center.

This is the second time I used the book Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery. I really love the book's frosting recipes.  Their frosting is simple and you don't have a ton of left over frosting.

 You add 1/2 cup fresh pureed strawberries to these cupcakes.

This recipe calls for mixing everything in a food processor. I don't have a food processor so I used my mixer and I think I over mixed the ingredients. 

1:: cut hole with a sharp knife
2:: scoop out hole
3:: fill hole with room temperature jam

Pink Lemonade Cookies

 Today we went to a couple of stores to look at party supplies. While we were out F.W. came across Pillsbury Pink Lemonade Cookies. He has asked if we could buy these types of gimmicky cookie mixes before. Today I gave in as long as he made them. I did not buy the frosting the box recommended putting on top of the cookie. As you might imagine theses cookies are sweet! D didn't like them. He took 1 bite and said not for me. I think F.W. ate them because he made them.

Would I buy this cookie mix again? NO Yet it was nice to have F.W. bake something on his own.

Happy Birthday America

 I made a Flag cake for the 4th of July. I used Ina Garten's recipe. I should have used a sheet cake pan but my oven is too small. So the cake was pretty thick almost like a frosted pound cake...but it was yummy. The cream cheese frosting was delicious.

 I used raspberries and strawberries for the stripes of the flag.

 I saw this spatula in Martha Stewart Living magazine & I thought it was SO cool. I'd love to surprise the hubby with this. 

4th of July wouldn't be complete without a walk on the Monkey Bridge.

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Independence Day.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

 Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Hershey chocolate frosting

My new favorite cookbook 

I've never been to the Primrose Bakery in London but I love their cozy simple cookbook. This cookbook is filled with lots of different cupcake recipes. Some very basic cupcakes like pumpkin or raspberry. Other more exotic flavors like lime and coconut. I made the peanut butter cupcakes. D loves them. He likes them without frosting and calls them a muffin. I might have to make these again for D's birthday.

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes

Today I made mini vanilla cupcakes to celebrate Summer birthdays at the school. All those poor kids that miss out because they were born during the summer months. These bite sized treats taste yummy but I forgot to add vanilla extract to the chocolate frosting. So the frosting is REALLY rich. I don't think the kindergartners will mind...haha. If I was putting the frosting on a full sized cupcake it would be to much but since these are minis I think it will be alright.  

Maple Scones

 I love Starbuck's Maple Scone. At first I wanted to make a copycat of Starbuck's maple scones but then I thought why not simplify the scone? These are a lighter tea scone...no oats or nuts. Scones pair so well with a warm cup of tea or a hot latte. Today I gave them to the teachers at D's school so I wouldn't eat them all.

 In a large bowl mix 3 cups flour, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and pinch of salt. Use a fork and blend together.

 Cut 1 1/2 stick cold butter into cubes. Mix together with you hands.

 Stir in 1/2 cup pure maple syrup and 1/2 cup whipping cream

 Knead dough gently on a flat floured surface. Use your hands and flatten the dough into an 8 inch circle. Then cut the dough into wedges. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Fiesta de Mayo

 Blondies

 Mustache cake

 Four boring yet yummy cakes.

Busy baking week. Instead of an open house D's school has a Fiesta, every grade preforms a different dance. I made 5 cakes for the Cake Walk. I made the Blondies for the Bake Sale.

Mustache Cake step by step

 Bake a round cake and cut it in half like a Ying Yang

 I used a fork to give the mustache texture.

I used the Buttery Cake recipe from The Dahlia Bakery cookbook. This cookbook is great because it gives VERY specific directions.