Charlie Bakes

Homemade Hummus - I went to Israel!

2016-08-01T16:59:00.003-07:00

Hi friends!

I just came back from the most amazing 5-week adventure! I graduated high school this June and my grandparents offered me the most incredible gift: go to Israel for 10 days and London for a week!

In Israel, we were with a tour group of people from our area, so we were with some close family friends as well as some awesome new people. We traveled all around Israel for 8 days, via 2 large buses. I took many many pictures -- they help describe the trip because I don't know how to put it into words.

Fun Fact: on my first night in Israel, I got my phone stolen on the beach in Tel Aviv ... lesson learned !!

After Israel, Grandma and I headed to London by ourselves ... we were THE ULTIMATE TOURISTS, selfie-stick included. We did everything we possibly could: see 2 theater performances (Motown and 1 magic show, visit St. Paul's Cathedral (I climbed the 550 steps to the top for the most spectacular view!), stood in awe at the National Portrait Gallery, saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, had tea with the Queen (just kidding, she was on vacation), and much more. We were so tired after London .... good thing I went to France for 2.5 weeks after to relax!

Grandma flew back to San Fransisco and I went to the West Coast of France to visit my dad's family in a little beach town we go to each summer. Here's what I did: slept til 1pm, ate yummy food, edited pictures, went to the beach (collected sea shells, swam with cousins, tanned, made sand castles), came home and hung out with family, had dinner, hung out some more, went out to catch some Pokemons, and went to bed around 3am. REPEAT THAT ABOUT 15 TIMES. It was awesome.

I'm now back in the States and on my FIRST day back, my best friends came over and we made some homemade hummus because I loved it so much in Israel (we ate it about 3 times a day with Israeli Salad) and I wanted to try to recreate that authenticity.

Erin said that we NEEDED to make a double batch, which of course was way too much so now I have several full tupperware of hummus .... SOS!

In Israel, I learned that the correct pronunciation of Hummus is not huh-muss, it's cwho-moose. Get it right, people!

____________________________________________

Homemade Hummus! (click here for the printable recipe)

For homemade pita chips, cut store-bought pita into sixths. Place those pieces on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt and rosemary on top, use your hands to evenly coat all the pita pieces with oil and seasoning. Bake in 375degree oven until golden brown.

I made mine VERY garlicky, so make sure you taste as you go!

____________________________________________

Israel Pictures!

Hummus in Israel! (Yafo, Tel Aviv)

Sea of Galilee - boat ride!

Dancing Grandma!

Tel Aviv Street Vendor

Cooking Class at Druze family home

Tel Aviv Street

Western Wall

Masada - an extra hot place!

Old City in Jerusalem

____________________________________________

London Pictures!

Top of London Eye

London Eye

View from top of St. Paul's Cathedral

Top of St. Paul's

Parliament - wow!

View from London Eye

Thank you for reading! In a few weeks, I will be moving to Tacoma, WA to attend the University of Puget Sound .... I am very excited!

-Charlie

Cali Livin'

2016-05-29T18:07:00.001-07:00

It has recently occurred to me that many people dream of the day they will finally make it to California, when they can take an artsy pic of the Golden Gate bridge on a foggy San Franciscan day, or when they can dig their feet into the sand in the cold Pacific Ocean - all while I'm here in the San Francisco Bay Area, enjoying the crisp air among the Redwood Forests, hearing about my neighbor's latest start-up company, and telling people to take shorter showers because of the drought.

As I prepare to move away for college, to attend the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma Washington (I'm super excited!), I'm realizing I am going to have to leave this amazing Cali lifestyle behind. I will soon have to adjust to a rainier climate that requires a bit more clothing than a tank top and shorts with flip flops. However, I am super excited to begin my next adventure in a new place with cool people from all over - some that have been dreaming of traveling West and some that call the West Coast their home.

I wanted to take the opportunity to appreciate the beauties that make up life in California. However, there will be a focus on Northern California, since that is what I know best.

Here are some reasons that Cali Livin' is amazing and unique:

1. Redwood forests are breath taking.

2. Farmer's markets are a must. They are colorful, full of smiling faces, and encourage the community to live healthier lives.

3. You can go hiking, almost any day of the year!

4. There are TONS of opportunities to explore ideas and to be creative (I live in the heart of the Silicon Valley).

5. There are so many BEAUTIFUL sights!

Have I convinced you to visit California yet??

Thanks,
Charlie

P.S. All of these pictures are mine :)

Chocolate French Macarons

2015-09-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!

Light airy cookies. Rich chocolatey inside. A perfect combination.

It's no wonder that these classic French cookies bring joy to those who share a moment with them. There are so many different combinations you can create! Here are some of my previous posts:
Raspberry French Macarons: Click here
Pistachio French Macarons: Click here (has lots of step by steps pictures!)

Click here for the CHOCOLATE MACARONS RECIPE!!!!

Here's an update on my life: I spent the summer in Hawaii on an organic farm. I started my Senior year of high school and am currently working on applying to colleges. I got gall stone pancreatitis and had to get my gall bladder removed this month. I'm looking forward to having a fun Senior year filled with fun and friends and family and most importantly, sweets!

Key tip: coffee and chocolate are a great pair!

Thanks,

Charlie

French Macarons: Raspberry

2015-05-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Here is a sequel post to my Pistachio French Macarons.

French macarons are complicated to make but are also very simple. Each recipe virtually has the same base, and then we add flavors.

Click here for the recipe: RASPBERRY MACARONS!!!

You start by whipping up some room temperature egg whites. The whites MUST be at room temperature! Adding a pinch of cream of tartar will help the egg whites come to a stiff peak. Sprinkle in the white sugar, then add your (Oil-free) food coloring (either liquid, gel, or powder). Go slowly because a little food coloring can go a long way. Also note that the color will fade while the cookies bake (so you may want to strengthen the color).

Next, fold the almond powder, and powdered sugar into the fluffed whites. Make the dry ingredients have already been sifted once, then sift slowly over the whites. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Notice the air bubbles !!!

Print out sheets of paper with equal circles on them. Place under the parchment paper. Remove to re-use or leave under the sheet when piping is complete.

Even pressure of the pastry bag is crucial. Also, to avoid dots at the top of the cookies, do a 3/4 turn with the pastry nozzle.

Let the cookies rest on the pans for a minimum or 15 mins, 1 hr is preferred. This will ensure that the cookies form "pieds", or "feet". You will know they are ready as they will form a sort of skin at the top.

Bake, Fill with raspberry jam, with either two spoons, a knife, or with a pastry bag, and ENJOY!

Click here for the recipe: RASPBERRY MACARONS!!!

Thank you!

Charlie

FOOD ADDICTION ALERT

2014-12-26T12:50:00.003-08:00

Dear Diary,

I have a problem and I’m not sure what to do about it. But clearly I’m already doing well since I am admitting I have a problem…I’m totally on the road to success now, right?

So here’s the issue: I am in love with frosted mochas and morning buns.

BUT NOT JUST ANY FROSTED MOCHA OR MORNING BUN.

Background: there’s this amazing Cafe in downtown Menlo Park, its called Cafe Borrone (I pronounce it BOH-RO-NEE….not sure if that’s correct but its too late for me to change my pronunciation now). Cafe Borrone is amazing. All of their produce is from local fields and farms. They bread they use for sandwiches? Acme Bread, which is a South Bay business. So they are not only a business themselves, but they are supporting local businesses. Its almost a metaphor…you need to serve/help those around you first in order to really help the entire world (okay, that was a stretch but let’s just go with it).

Borrone has a hipster-like vibe. Everyone is so chill and friendly, and the customers include, but are not limited to, students or serious bikers or ME.

Frosted Mochas have been a local favorite at Borrone since 1975….DO YOU SEE MY POINT—THEY ARE AMAZEBALLS!

There are logistical issues within the addiction: its a 20 minute/5 mile drive from my house (without traffic); frosted mochas aren’t the healthiest option (but I deserve a treat, right? Okay maybe not like 3 times a week….?); and well….actually there aren’t ANY other issues.

It’s going to be hard to move on from these delicious drinks from heaven , but luckily I have the support of my family and community behind me—there’s really nothing more important than that.

Sincerely,

Charlie Bakes

Thanksgiving Crafts

2014-11-23T20:11:00.001-08:00

This year, my sister and I put ourselves in charge, officially, of the decor for our Thanksgiving table.

Thanksgiving is BY FAR our FAVORITE HOLIDAY; we love spending time with our family, continuing our wacky traditions that we've held onto for years and creating new ones to add to our repertoire of memories.

After doing some research on the internet, browsing Google Images and Pinterest, we got the idea to spell out "Giving Thanks" with candles. This centerpiece will add charm, nice lighting, and warmth to our table.

Four painful hours later, we finished our first and probably last craft project of the year 2014.

Here's the recipe, however it is flexible to showcase YOUR taste and personality.

Ingredients:

12 6in candles (different colors will add different effects)
tape
brown paper (textured adds a cool effect)
gold metallic Sharpie pens (buy two because they run out/get tired very easily...I had to run back to the store to get another because one didn't suffice)
various toppings for your wreath (buy the base and then go crazy!)
a glass candle stand to raise the middle candle between the words

Steps:

1. Cut paper so that about 1/2 inch of candle is still showing on the top AND bottom when it is rolled in the middle of the candle.
2. Write this out on a scratch piece of paper. This will ensure that you write the correct letters on each side of the candles; we made sure that people on BOTH sides of the table could read "Giving Thanks".

3. Neatly write G and S on a paper, using the gold pen. Then when you wrap it around the candle, taping it to make sure its stays on nice and tight, one side will be the beginning of the phrase and one side will be the end of the phrase....trust me, it all makes sense and works out once you do it.

4. Make your wreath with whatever "look" you want to give it (sparkly? rustic? grandma's house?)

~ Shoutout to my mom for taking these pictures for me! ~

I'm hoping to post soon about my actual Thanksgiving.

Thank you so much for your support!

Charlie

Summer 2014

2014-09-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends!

Here's a fun recap of my Summer!

American Grandma and Grandpa's 50th Wedding Anniversary:

Planned a successful trip to a lake for my youth group chapter!

My mom went a little crazy in the pie department for the 4th of July; not a problem in my book!

Treetop Adventures in France!

Learned to play the ukelele this summer; my baby cousin loves it!

I love my family way too much <3 br="">
What else would cousins be for except to bug you and pour pitchers of water on you!?

On my way home from visiting my family in France, my family went to Venice and then Florence.

I'll start with Venice:

Using airbnb.com, a super cool program that allows you to rent people's homes, for a low price and be directly in contact with the owner, my mom found an apartment that is close to town, on a canal, and made us feel the life of locals.

We weren't annoying tourists that take way to many pictures of everything, we were simply people enjoying life in Venice. Getting off the boat from the airport, we were greeted by the owner's friend at the water taxi station (everything is by water, since there are no roads or automobiles).

The nice woman had us follow her through a small plaza, over a bridge, along several tight alley ways, and up a flight and a half of stairs (remember that we have four huge suitcases) only to arrive at the most charming and perfect Venetian apartment. The first thing we see of our home for the next three nights is a gorgeous old dark door that is quite impossible to unlock. Each room has the added charm of high ceilings with authentic crown molding. We had the cutest terrace on a balcony where we enjoyed our supermarket bread with jam, or for my sister's case, Gluten Free cereal with lactose free milk. (She recently found out that she has Celiac's disease, basically she can't have any trace of gluten in her diet.) We thought it would be difficult to travel to Italy, the great unknown, but we soon discovered that all Italian children are tested for Celiac's, so not only is it well-known, but many restaurants have gluten free pasta--yay! Later in the post, I describe more on Celiac's in Italy.

You'll notice that the word I keep emphasizing is charm, because that is the single best word, I feel, to describe such a unique place. I mean, the buildings and roads are over 500 years old for Pete's sake! It almost felt like we were actually on a Hollywood set. I still don't understand how men built this island city with the limited technology they had back then. People never cease to amaze me, and that's something I have really learned to appreciate along this trip. For example, we went to a restaurant a block from our place for a second time, with AIR CONDITIONING (a selling point in the hot humid, mosquito filled weather), and the host recognized us and showed his gratitude in many ways!

Sorry, we're classic tourists

As mentioned, our place was on a canal, I mean like directly on it to the extent leaning too far out the window could result in you falling from several stories high into the less-than-sparkling clean water. I would say the one flaw in our apartment was the lack of screens preventing bugs from coming in. (We had to keep the window opened during the cool hours because it was just too hot). Literally all the Italian mosquitoes just hang out along the canals, see an open window, and then attack you, leaving you full of itches, swelling, and discomfort. But, I'm not complaining because that was part of the charm. It was just so tranquil, sitting in my bed, in front of fans on full blast, listening to the gondoliers paddling the operatic men with voices that should be on American Idol or something of the like.

Someone say its hot out? Call the fire department!

Oh wait, this is a food blog, so maybe I should talk about food. There is literally pizza everywhere you look. I hate to say this, but I really wasn't that big of a fan. The inner food critic in me thinks it was too raw, oversimplified and not how I personally like it. That is NOT to say that many other people like it. Basically, I am a creature of habit that has gotten use to the Americanized pizza.

However, the PASTA was amazeballz. Like I had bolognese the first night (cooked Al Dente), then the best lasagna I've ever had (sorry Grandma Nicole), then carbonara (Woah!). Let's just say this trip has increased my love for Italian food. Now, those were all the classics, but quite frankly not out of the ordinary.

I had the most amazing food I have had in a really long time; 10 hour slow-cooked soft veal topped with a tarragon sauce and soft olive oil potatoes to go with it. You know that feeling that fills your body when you eat something so perfect that you want the plate to be bottomless, that's the feeling I got with every bite of that meal.

Sweets! I love any tiramisu, and boy do Italians know how to make some heaven!

I was thoroughly unimpressed with the gelato, maybe I went to bad places or maybe I got weird flavors.

But for me, they were just too bland and eh. This could be caused by my high ice cream standards, since I was just in France at my favorite ice cream shop in the world (I went 4 times in two weeks...don't judge).

Back to the whole Celiac's and gluten free thing; since Italy tests all five year olds for it, they all know what it is, the severity of eating traces of gluten, oh and the most important thing: have yummy GF options on their menu. Sometimes, they even had an entire menu just for people with Celiac's!

My mom went nuts over these menus!

This continued in Florence, where we arrived after a two hour train ride.

Honestly, Florence was quite the opposite of Venice, mostly because it lacked the charm. The streets were wide and kind of dirty, everything was spread out, but on the bright side there were the most gorgeous old churches.

We walked a lot. And then, as if I didn't have enough leg pain, my dad and I decided to climb up the tower at the Duomo (huge and famous church). That is 414 stairs up; making a grand total of 828 stairs to go up and down. When we were done, we were literally dripping sweat from our foreheads.

If we did that everyday, we would be in such great shape!

Here are some concluding pieces of advice:

1. Move to Italy if you have Celiac's disease.

2. Don't go to Italy in August. It's extremely hot/unpleasant with lots of thirsty mosquitoes. Oh, and the locals are on vacation, so it doesn't feel quite as authentic.

3. Rent an apartment from a local to get the real experience.

4. Stick with the classics and basics (this one can be applied to an Italian adventure, or to daily life I guess).

5. Italian's aren't known for their bread or baked goods for a reason....I mean, it was hard to compare anything after leaving France. (Sorry, I'm a little biased.)

Thanks,

Charlie

Great American Bake Sale 2014

2014-07-09T11:53:00.002-07:00

Disclaimer: This post is about two months late. I'm a busy girl, okay!?

I cannot thank my family, friends, and community enough. This bake sale was scrambled together at the last minute, because I got a concussion in March until April and wasn't able to plan a huge sale.

We still raised $1000 for Share Our Strength, a non profit aiming to end childhood hunger in America. This was my 4th annual bake sale to benefit SOS.

Check out my other bake sale posts for more ideas, tip & tricks!

My sister recently found out that she can't eat gluten, so my mom made some treats for those with dietary restrictions. Diversity is good at bake sales! Just make sure the treats are still just as yummy, you need to SELL, SELL, SELL.

Probably the bestest cake ever: Vanilla Rich Chip Cake.

Peace Love Bake,
Charlie

Life Lately

2014-03-21T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hi friends!

Ugh, my health has just been out to get me this year. I had mono last semester for three months and on March 1, I got a pretty bad concussion.

Charlie, how did you get your concussion?
I fell down some stairs during intermission at a school play.

As I go into week four, I can sadly say I haven't driven this whole time (that's a big deal for someone who is going to get their driver's license soon!) BUT I have kind of been baking. Not like adventurous baking or anything "cool", but the typically cookie dough to satisfy my cravings after a long day at school.

Oh, I went to Dallas, TX in February for an International Convention with my Jewish Youth Group, BBYO.
This was the most memorable weekend of my life. I reconnected with old friends, got CPR certified for the second time, listened to some really amazing speakers, saw B.O.B. and American Authors in concert, and held a real armadillo. I would say it was quite the trip. I can't wait to go next year (it's going to be in Atlanta, GA).

Highlights from my trip:

Saw a sloth at the aquarium, someone please explain that logic to me

Army doctor

Survivor: Africa Winner

Holocaust Survivor

Got interviewed about my time in BBYO

Some lovely friend time!

Going to the aquarium day

CPR certified with 2,000+ people = kind of a big deal I guess

B.O.B. in concert = entertainment

Thanks!

Charlie

ONE-BOWL Brownies

2014-01-20T13:38:00.002-08:00

Ugh, I had the flu all last week! Now that I finally have strength back, I am ready to blog. Good golly, its been too long since my last post! To be honest, I have been busy with high-school-sophomore-life. C'est la vie!

A few years ago, at one of my annual Share Our Strength Bake Sales, my school cooking teacher made brownies. I was expecting Ghiradelli Brownies from the mix; those are pretty good if I do say so myself. But it turns out that she made "Baker's One Bowl Brownies".

As the name suggests, it takes ONE BOWL. That means less ingredients. Less materials needed. Less clean-up.

Steps:

1. Melt chocolate and butter.

2. Make sure its perfectly liquid.

3. Add sugar.

4. Make sure its combined.

5. Add eggs.

6. Add vanilla extract.

7. Add flour.

8. Add nuts (walnuts or pecans work).

Sometimes, the best recipes are on the box.

Click here for the Baker's ONE BOWL Brownies

Chocolatey heaven.

9. Line pan with foil. Spray with oil.

10. Spread batter evenly.

11. Bake & ENJOY!

Click here for the Baker's ONE BOWL Brownies.

1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla1 cup flour
1 cup coarsely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

HEAT oven to 350°F.

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray foil with cooking spray.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and nuts; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely. Use foil handles to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Charlie

Cake Pops

2013-11-24T16:16:00.001-08:00

Ah.....sophomore year. I am 15 1/2 which means I got my driving learner's permit (so excited to drive!).

So, I have mono; the typically teenage "kissing disease"...haha, very funny....I'm actually exhausted. This means that I haven't baked, or done anything much, in a while.

We had a three day weekend last week at school (yay!) and I decided to try to make cake pops. I wasn't going for anything cool looking or artistic, just the basic technique. Thanks to Bakerella's many posts, I was able to make them....they were amazing.

What is a cake pop you ask? Its basically when you take cake, crumble it up, add frosting, roll into balls, and miraculously put on lollipop sticks.

Often, these bundles sent from heaven are looked down upon (from a taste aspect) in the "mature" world because of the use of cake mix and dare I say.....canned frosting. People usually use these because the pops take so long to make anyways, that this is just a bit easier. However, I made homemade cake (Recipe from Magnolia's Bakery) and homemade frosting (your regular Cane Sugar 5-minute buttercream). Even my mom, who doesn't like cake pops, couldn't get enough pops; that says a lot about how they tasted.

Anyways.....

The cake pops look daunting, but they are actually quite easy to make. The key is to have good temperature control, good patient skills (and Lord knows patience is a hard skill), and time.

Thank you Bakerella.com for the recipe!

You are going to need:

-basic cake (13x11)

-1 Lb vanilla/white frosting

-candy melts (whatever color)

-Side note: don't use chocolate or something like that, candy melts are made for this task

-opt. Crisco (helps loosen up the candy melts to make for easier dipping)

-cookie sticks (need to be around 8in and not too thin in diameter...they need to be strong)

-sprinkles or other decor

-styrofoam blocks

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.
Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

I hope you try these out! If they look terrible, don't worry-- they still taste awesome!

Live life on the edge a little bit; try this challenge!

Thanks,
Charlie

Concorde

2013-10-08T18:02:00.002-07:00

I made this delicious, I mean absolutely AMAZING, French cake called Le Concorde. This cake is layered crisp chocolate meringue, with a rich chocolate mousse in between the layers.

History behind the cake:

Famous french chef Gaston Lenotre created this cake in 1969, when Air France flew its supersonic jet for the first time. The jet was called the Concorde, so Lenotre named his cake after it.

Description:

This is not an American cake. It does not have an excessive amount of frosting with artificial flavoring on top of a moist vanilla or chocolate cake. If this cake was in a math textbook, this would be its equation: Chocolate Meringue+Chocolate Mousse= Concorde Cake.

Click here for the link to the recipe.

On with actual baking of the Concorde......

Measuring the ingredients.....

....Making the meringue.....

....Assembling the Concorde Cake.....

.....It does get a little messy.....

....Adding the meringue bits for crunch.....

....Adding more crunchies.....

.....The Final Product

Click here for the link to the recipe.

This "cake" was a hit with everyone who ate it. Hats off to Gaston Lenotre.

Thanks,

Charlie

Coffee Cake Cookies

2013-09-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

I didn't think these cookies would be as good and addicting as they turned out to be.

They were amazing the next day for my breakfast. For my lunch. For my snack. Oh, and for my dinner.

I got this recipe from CookiesandCups.com .

Click Here for the Recipe!

This is the simple equation for these cookies: cinnamon/vanilla cookie + ditch dug in the middle filled with crumb topping = what all Starbucks should be selling.

These cookies stay moist and are a little bit messy to eat, which makes it all the more yummier.

Click Here for the Recipe!

Click Here for the Recipe!
Coffee Cake Cookies
Makes 20 large cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup flour
10 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 1/3 cup flour
optional ~ 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
How to Make
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner. Set aside.
3. Mix all the crumb ingredients together in a medium bowl and cut together with a pastry cutter or a
fork until evenly mixed. Refrigerate while making cookie dough.
4. Mix together butter, shortening and both sugars for 1-2 minutes on medium speed, until combined
and smooth.
5. Add in cinnamon, eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until evenly combined.
6. Turn mixer to low and mix in baking powder, salt and flour, mixing until dough comes together
evenly.
7. Scoop cookies out, using a cookie scoop or spoon (about 3 Tablespoons) and place on lined
cookie sheet. If using a spoon, form the dough into rounded balls.
8. Make an indentation in the center of the cookie dough.
9. Scoop at least 1 Tablespoon of Crumb Topping into the center of the dough pressing lightly to
stick. I added as much as I could get in there!
10. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes, or until edges start to get golden.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes on cookie sheet, then transferring to a wire rack
to finish cooling.
12. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Click Here for the Recipe!

Thanks,
Charlie

S'mores Cupcakes

2013-09-10T17:16:00.002-07:00

As you may be aware, I tend to bake at the most random moments. Usually to get out of doing something else, like homework for example. I decided to try a complicated chocolate cupcake recipe. It isn't for beginners, but if you understand the concepts of patience and determination I can promise you some delicious cupcakes.

The cupcakes even tasted like time and effort had gone into them.

The funny thing is that I only decided to make them S'mores Cupcakes after they were baking. Therefore, I couldn't put a graham cracker crust at the bottom, like traditional S'mores Cupcakes.

Oh well. I still made a delicious marshmallow frosting that tasted exactly like marshmallows, but was made without gelatin (or marshmallows for that matter). I do not like gelatin but I won't explain why because I try to keep my opinions to myself, if at all possible.

Click here to print the recipe!

Alright...now the good part. Fooddddddd.

It's not real baking until there is a huge mess.

Click here to print the recipe!

S’mores Cupcakes

Miette’s Double Chocolate Cupcakes

ingredients

1½ CUPS (7½ OUNCES) ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

1¼ CUPS (4½ OUNCES) NATURAL UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER (SEE NOTE)

1½ TEASPOONS BAKING SODA

½ TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

¾ TEASPOON KOSHER SALT

2 OUNCES 70 PERCENT CACAO CHOCOLATE, COARSELY CHOPPED

1 CUP BOILING WATER

1 CUP BUTTERMILK

½ TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

2 LARGE EGGS, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

½ CUP VEGETABLE OIL

2¼ CUPS (16 OUNCES) SUGAR

preparation

1. Line 24 cupcakes tins.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

4. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Whisk until the chocolate is melted. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.

6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs on high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour in the oil, whisking until combined, about 30 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and whisk until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds longer.

7. Reduce the speed to low and slowly pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly pour in the buttermilk and vanilla mixture. Add the sugar and whisk until the batter is smooth and liquid, about 2 minutes.

8. Stop the mixer. Remove the bowl and add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, preferably by hand, lifting and folding in from the bottom center. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again just briefly by hand. The batter may still look a little lumpy, but stop mixing.

9. Pour the batter through a medium-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl to remove any lumps. Press against the solids in the sieve with a rubber spatula to push through as much batter as possible, then discard the lumps.

10. Fill each cupcake. Bake for 20-25 mins.

11. Cool.

Marshmallow Frosting Recipe

INGREDIENTS

8 large egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.
STEP 2
Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.

Click here to print the recipe!

Thanks so much!
Charlie

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2013-08-12T12:48:00.001-07:00

If you are trying to stay on a diet, these cookies are not for you. However, if you love to splurge, reward yourself for being awesome, or want to know what it feels like to float off to heaven....then these are the cookies for you!
Melt in your mouth, with a crunch, rolled in powdered sugar....it doesn't get much better than that.

Now, these cookies are not the cookies kids would typically go for if just looking at an aray of cookies by sight....with that being said....once they have tasted the treats, I doubt they will ever judge cookies by their "covers" ever again. So there you go! You get cookies and you can teach kids a valuable life lesson of "not-judging-a-book-by-its-cover".

Anyways...moving on the actual making and baking of the cookies.

Click here to print the recipe!

I made a video because I got really bored, but since I had jet lag a few days ago, I couldn't do anything that required too much need for attention or movement; so I made this video to show you how easy Mexican Wedding Cookies are to make!

Click here to print the recipe!

Here are some pictures for your personal enjoyment.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

yield: 5 dozen 1 ¼ inch. cookies

1 cup (4 oz.) coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

¼ tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

⅓ cup powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease cookie sheets.

Pecans: Spread in a baking pan and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 mins, until lightly browned.

Set aside to cool thoroughly. Using a nut grinder, food processor, or blender, grind until finely chopped, but not powdery or oily.

Using an electric mixer, beat until very fluffy and well blended: butter, salt, ½ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Gradually beat the pecans into the butter mixture. Sift over, then beat in until incorporated: the flour.

Pull off pieces of dough and roll between the palms into generous 1-inch balls. Space 1 ¼ inches apart on sheets.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 12-15 mins, until faintly tinged with brown. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let the cookies firm up slightly. Then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool thoroughly. Roll the ⅓ cup of powdered sugar until evenly coated.

Store, airtight, for 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 month. If freezing, omit powdered sugar until cookies have thawed.

Click here to print the recipe!

Thanks for reading!

Charlie

M&M Cookie Bars

2013-08-07T09:05:00.002-07:00

Hey y'all!
Yesterday, I got home from a one month trip. I went to a leadership camp in Wisconsin and then flew directly to France to chill with my family. As you may know, I go every year to a cute little beach down called Pornichet, look forward to many posts from my time in France this summer! Without further a due...here is an amazing recipe for you! Try it out!

These moist cookie bars have all the deliciousness of chocolate, vanilla, cookies, and bars all packed in one recipe! I fell in love with the recipe in 7th grade, but finally made the treats in my summer after 9th grade! You could say I'm a procrastinator; but in the end I regret this major life decision because I have been missing out on so many valuable calories!
Click here to print the recipe.

M&M Cookie Bars

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick of butter, softened

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups M&M candies

Preheat oven to 350*.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment: beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gadually stir in flour mixture. Stir in half of the M&Ms.

Spread evenly into a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper. Place the remaining M&Ms on top of the "dough". Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack, cut into squares when completely cool.

Click here to print the recipe.

Thanks!

Charlie

Toffee Pecan Cookies

2013-06-26T10:30:00.003-07:00

Bored and sick of regular old Chocolate Chip Cookies? Sure they are classics and a crowd pleaser, but lets try out some other goodies. This chocolate-free cookie will appeal to a wider amount of people.

These cookies are not hard to make, just DON'T BURN THE PECANS. The cookies won't taste as good; you are going for the nice toasted nut.

Click here for the recipe.

Dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, salt, baking soda.

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Gradually add the dry ingredients until just mixed.

Add the toasted pecans pieces and the toffee bits.

Scoop onto cookie sheets with parchment paper. Bake for ~12 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Click here for the recipe.

Toffee Pecan Cookies (From Magnolia Bakery)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1 cup toffee pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars for 2 minutes or until smooth.
Add in the egg and vanilla; beat well.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Stir in the pecans and toffee.
Drop by rounded teaspoonsful onto an ungreased cookie sheet (leave room for expansion).
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Let cookies cool in pan for 5 minutes; then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Thanks,
Charlie

Train Cupcakes

2013-06-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day Weekend, I made cupcakes for my English teacher's son. Tyler turned two and loves trains. I made little Sugar Cookies for goodie bags and made cupcakes for the party.
This recipe has not yet failed me, which is saying a lot considering I used to be too scared to make homemade cupcakes that I would only use cake mixes. Sure, cake mixes are great when you have little time or patience, but homemade is better 99.9% of the time.

This recipe uses self-rise flour in addition to all-purpose flour, which basically cuts out the baking powder or baking soda. Trust me, this is an easy and successful cupcake recipe that almost anyone could bake. Thanks Magnolia Bakery!

Click here for the recipe.

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Click here for the recipe.

Click here for the recipe.
I hope you try these cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery!
Thanks,
Charlie

French Macarons: Pistachio

2013-06-17T18:36:00.005-07:00

I would have to say that the most well-known French dessert would have to be French Macarons. These light little cookies are sandwiched together with a delectable filling.
There are not easy to make. You need time, patience, and desire.

A few weeks ago, I took a cooking class with my grandma where we learned how to make French Macarons. It was such a great experience! I highly recommend going to a cooking class or watching a cooking demo (in person) so that you can really get a feel for the techniques as well as be able to ask questions to the chefs.
Recipe: French Macarons: Pistachio

Next, fold the almond powder, pistachios, and powdered sugar into the fluffed whites. Make the dry ingredients have already been sifted once, then sift slowly over the whites. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Print out sheets of paper with equal circles on them. Place under the parchment paper. Remove to re-use or leave under the sheet when piping is complete.

Even pressure of the pastry bag is crucial. Also, to avoid dots at the top of the cookies, do a 3/4 turn with the pastry nozzle.

Bake, Fill with your filling, with either two spoons, a knife, or with a pastry bag, and ENJOY!

Recipe: French Macarons: Pistachio

Happy eating!
Thanks
Charlie

Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

2013-05-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

These easy cookies look great and taste amazing! Simple: crowd pleaser.
Recipe adapted from The Comfort of Cooking
Click here for the recipe!

You can use different sprinkles for different occasions:
-Rainbow-any day fun
-Red/White/Blue-any national holiday
-Orange/Black-Halloween
-Pastel colors-Spring time

TRY THIS RECIPE OUT!

Click here for the recipe!
Thanks,
Charlie

Chocolate and Coffee Eclairs: REPOST

2013-05-24T11:07:00.002-07:00

"I have been baking very easy and basic desserts lately so I decided to challenge myself. I asked my family what they wanted to eat and they suggested nothing more yummy than French Eclairs. These are a puff pastry, called pate a choux, filled with a flavored creme that has a very pudding like consistency. After a dipping in a coffee or chocolate frosting, the eclairs are ready to eat.

I used Julia Child's Pate A Choux recipe.

I 1st mixed boiling water, sugar, butter.

Next, I made a well in a bowl with the hot mixture. I then add 1/4 cup of the eggs at a time to make sure I didn't cook them. I kept doing this until I had a smooth batter. The bottom right picture is of me scooping the batter into a pastry bag with a medium size tip. I placed the bag in a tall glass to keep it up, to free another hand.

I then used a ruler and pencil to draw lines that are 3 inches apart from each other to make sure that the eclairs are all the same size. Make sure that you flip the parchment paper over before piping the eclairs on, or else the eclairs will have pencil marks.

Here, I am piping and piping and piping and piping out the eclairs using the guide lines that I made in the previous step.

Here are the baked eclairs.

I have now started the cremes or custards for the filling. I separated a bunch of eggs and mixed the yolks with sugar. To that I added hot milk bit by bit with help from my dad.

Here are the 2 flavors of crèmes, chocolate and coffee. I first separated the non-flavored creme and then added the chocolate chips or coffee.

Next, I covered the cremes and let them cool for 2 hours, but the longer the better.

I am now filling the eclairs by using a frosting squirter or pastry bag, which is injecting the eclairs with yummy stuff. Then I dipped the eclairs into the frosting to show what flavor the eclair is and they are done.

Here are the finished eclairs that turned out amazing.

Here are my 7th grade textbooks: History, Science, Math and Cooking!

I hope you try these recipes to make your taste buds have a party.

Choux Pastry

By Julia Child

For 2 1/2 cups of pastry

1 cup water

3/4 stick of salted butter, cut into 6 pcs

1 Tbs. sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled

exactly 1 cup eggs-about 5 large eggs (blend them together before measuring)

The dough:

Bring the water to a boil in a 2 quart-pan, with the butter and sugar.
As soon as the butter has melted, remove the pan from heat, pour in all of the flour at once, and vigorously beat it in-it will be lumpy at first but smooths out rapidly as you beat.
As soon as blended, beat over moderate heat for a minute or more, until pastry balls up, cleans itself off the sides of the pan, and begins its bottom.

Adding the eggs:

Turn the pastry into a 3-quart bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds to cool it off briefly.
Make a well in the center if the warm pastry and beat in 1/4 cup of the beaten egg; when blended repeat with another 1/4 cup of egg, then another, and half the final bit of egg.
The pastry should hold it's shape when lifted with a spoon-thus you'll probably want all of the remaining egg, but beat it in by dribbles to be sure the pastry is not too loose.

To form and bake eclairs:

Pipe out cylinder shapes 3 inches long and 3/4 inch across.
Bake them 20 miutes, at 425 degrees, then 7 to 10 minutes, or until crisp, at 375 degrees.
Pierce and return them into ovenfor 5 minutes.

To make the crème fillings (recipe from Mme. Marion Querenet de Breville):

2 cup boiled milk

1/2 cup white sugar

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup flour

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, flour and egg yolks in a large bowl.
Gradually add hot milk ( to not cook the eggs).
Put all bowl contents back into pan and cook on medium high until thick.
Cool completely

To Flavor the creams:

1. split the cream into 2 bowls, make sure they are just about equal.

2. For the chocolate: mix in 1/3 cup chocolate chips into warm mixture, semi-sweet works best.

3. For the coffee: mix in 2 Tbsp. liquid espresso coffee or strong decaf.

4. Make sure these are completely cooled before piping the cream into the eclairs.

To make the Icing for the tops of the eclairs (recipe also from Mme. Marion Querenet de Breville):

Chocolate Icing: Add 1 rounded Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder to 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Mix well. Add 1 Tbsp water and mix to a thick paste. If too dry, add a few drops of water. Stir until smooth for at least one minute.

Coffee Icing: Mix 1 Tbs instant coffee or espresso with 2 Tbs hot water. Add 1 Tbsp of this coffee mixture to 1/3 cup powdered sugar, mixing it into a thick paste. If it is too dry, add a few more drops of the coffee mixture. Stir at least one minute until smooth.

Dip the top of the eclairs carefully in the correct frosting and set them out to set.

I hope you make these eclairs, but try not to eat them as fast as my family did.

Thanks,

Charlie"

Great American Bake Sale 2013

2013-05-17T12:23:00.002-07:00

Uh-Oh. Its that time of year again. Baking for hours on end. Selling treats until we lose our voices. Recruiting friends, family, and neighbors for help.

Its Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale!!!
S.O.S. is a non profit organization that helps end childhood hunger in America.

I cannot thank my friends, family, and neighbors who took time out of their busy lives to help me. I couldn't have done it without them. Special thanks to my Grandma, Isobel, Andrew, Jennifer, and my mom.

We ended up raising: $1,068.44

Please enjoy scrolling through these pictures. (P.S. I am not captioning the pictures because they speak for themselves.)

I am so proud!

Gone Bananas!

2013-04-29T19:48:00.002-07:00

So, tomorrow is my birthday. What does that mean? I made myself some cupcakes to hand out at school. We had some bananas that, frankly, wouldn't have last for another day or two. I mean, for baking with, the bananas were perfect: brown, soft, strong smell.
The flavor of these Banana Cupcakes is amazing because along with the banana, you have cinnamon and vanilla. Then, you have a Cream Cheese Frosting to balance the sweetness.
They were a success.
Here is a link to the recipe: http://bakingbites.com/2012/12/banana-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

I had a good time making these cupcakes because my nine-year old neighbor, Catherine, came over and made them with me. Thanks girlie!

Puppy Love

Thanks!
Charlie
P.S. My Third Annual Food Blogger Bake Sale to support Share Our Strength in ending childhood hunger, is this Saturday May 4th. Can't wait!

How to Make Someone's Day

2013-04-23T20:37:00.002-07:00

...of birth. Randomly give someone a birthday cake on their birthday. It will make you feel good. And it doesn't need to be ridiculously fancy. I did mine on a school night; with a mix; and made yummy five-minute frosting. Adding some fresh fruit makes the cake feel like it is a bigger deal that it actually is.

And there you go.
Thanks,
Charlie
P.S. Go like the Charlie Bakes Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/charliebakesblog?fref=ts

Power Comes From Within (The Cupcakes)

2013-04-13T16:30:00.001-07:00

My mom's friend Ada asked me to bake cupcakes for her son Doug's 4th birthday.
Of course I said yes, plus she had me put little Power Ranger rings on them!
The mini cupcakes were vanilla with a variety of colored frostings. All homemade. Doug went nuts over the cupcakes and the (dinosaur) sprinkles on some of them. I am so glad to have been a part of his birthday celebration. I hope he has a ton of fun at his Kung Fu birthday party!

"No! I have the Power inside me, and so do you!"

Thanks!

Charlie