Happy Go Marni

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fleur de Sel on Top

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 27 May 2013 19:56:00 +0000

I was sifting through Leite's Culinaria (one of my favorite recipe websites of all time; definitely go there after you're done reading my entire post ;) ) when I happened upon a chocolate chip cookie recipe that claimed to be the ultimate version. I was intrigued by the recipe because first of all, it was making quite the claim, and secondly, it had just enough interesting changes from a more traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe that the claim actually seemed possible. Notice the cake flour and bread flour called for in the recipe. Neither of those ingredients is standard in a basic chocolate chip cookie. Maybe those are the two top secret ingredients that put a chocolate cookie over the edge into Cookie Stardom. I had to know for sure!

So I whipped up a batch of dough, tossed the bowl of dough in the fridge, and waited anxiously for a miserable 24 hours to bake it the following night. If you're wondering why I had to wait a night, it's because the recipe said to wait (it's not because I'm into self-inflicting pain), and I wanted to follow this recipe to a T so I could give it a proper assessment of its worthiness to be called "Ultimate." Fast forward to the next night, and I scooped mounds of dough onto my baking sheet, sprinkled fleur de sel on top of each mound, and baked them for no more than 10 minutes.

It might sound ridiculous, but even just looking at them when they came out of the oven, I could tell these were a special breed of chocolate chip cookie. They had exactly the right coloring, the right thickness, and a heavenly aroma. Of course the first bite was what truly did me in and sealed the deal.

These cookies deserve the "Ultimate" title. A cookie doesn't get any more perfect than this.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fleur de Sel on Top
Adapted from a recipe in Leite's Culinaria, originally from Jacques Torres
Makes about 4 dozen small cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped (can use disks, bars, or chips), at least 60 percent cacao content
Fleur de sel or other sea salt for sprinkling on top

Sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients just until combined. This should only take about 10 seconds; do not overmix or you'll have tough cookies. Add in the chopped chocolate and mix to incorporate. Cover the dough with plastic wrap by pressing the wrap directly over the surface of the dough in the bowl and chill in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours. Feel free to use only a portion of the dough at a time for up to 72 hours. That way you can keep making fresh small batches of cookies as you desire them!

To bake the cookies, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper.

Scoop heaping teaspoon-sized balls of dough onto the baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between cookies. Flatten any chocolate pieces that are sticking straight up so that they are lying horizontally. Then sprinkle the top of each mound of dough with fleur de sel. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until a very light golden brown, but pale enough that they look a little underdone. That will ensure they are chewy! Remove from the oven and place the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies from the sheet directly to a wire rack.

Enjoy this perfect cookie with a tall glass of milk!

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Cream together the butter and sugars...

Add the eggs, one at a time...

Beat in the vanilla...

On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients...

Mix in the chopped chocolate, then chill the dough in the fridge for at least 24 hours...

Scoop mounds of dough onto the baking sheet...

Sprinkle each mound of dough with fleur de sel...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes...

Take a bite!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins: Breakfast or Dessert?

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:22:00 +0000

My aunt and uncle gave me a cookbook for my birthday back in January called Peanut Butter Sweets, and every single recipe in the book uses peanut butter. They know the way to my heart (or is it mouth or stomach?).

So, one recent sunny Sunday afternoon, I was craving a peanut butter snack, as is often the case, and I decided to head to my peanut butter cookbook. I had all the ingredients on hand to make these simple and totally scrumptious peanut butter muffins. I added chocolate chips to them because the only thing better than peanut butter is when you pair it with chocolate.

I cut into a muffin, hot out of the oven, and it not only took care of my craving, but it was impressively moist and peanut buttery, with chocolate chips that were ooey gooey, and a cross section featuring a perfect crumb. And that makes it something I'd do again without hesitation.

Thank you, Aunt Debbie and Uncle Phil, for the cookbook!

And now to stump you with what's stumping me, I must ask, is a peanut butter chocolate chip muffin a breakfast item? Or a dessert?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from a recipe by Pamela Bennett in Peanut Butter Sweets
Makes 12 large muffins or 36 mini muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I recommend using Skippy rather than a natural brand)
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease or spray each cup. I prefer greasing the cups over using paper liners.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Transfer these dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the peanut butter and butter and beat just until you see coarse crumbs forming. Add the milk and eggs and mix just until well combined. Don't overmix. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick and gloppy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Add the sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir together...

Add the peanut butter and butter and blend...

Once coarse crumbs form, stir in the milk and eggs...

But don't overmix!

Gently stir in the chocolate chips...

Fill each greased muffin cup about 3/4 full...

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean...

Enjoy!

Copenhagen Pastry: The Place for Authentic Danish Pastries and One of the Overall Best Bakeries in Los Angeles!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:55:00 +0000

Copenhagen Pastry, located in Culver City on Washington Blvd., just a block east of the 405, is a truly authentic Danish bakery. Everything from the kringles to the people serving you are the real deal. I went to their grand opening awhile back and have been a huge fan ever since. The selection is not enormous, but all the right things are on their simple menu and the prices are very reasonable at just $1.85 per pastry. Lots of almond paste, cinnamon, butter, sugar, and flaky, flaky dough. Yum!

Well, today I learned there's a 6 minute 40 second mini-documentary of the bakery interviewing Karen Hansen, who I see every time I go, and Henrik Gram, the master baker, who I will now have to introduce myself to next time I'm there! In the film, they take you behind the scenes into the kitchen so you can watch how they make their authentic danishes! I love this video. I love Copenhagen Pastry. Go right away! Tell them Happy Go Marni sent you!

The Details
Copenhagen Pastry
11113 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA
310-839-8900
www.copenhagenpastry.com

Coconut Butter Brownies: I'm Officially Cuckoo for Coconut Oil!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:32:00 +0000

I've heard a lot of good things about coconut oil, everything from the taste, to the health benefits, to how great it works as a baking ingredient. This week, I used coconut oil to make Coconut Butter Brownies! It was my first time ever using this ingredient. I found it at my local Trader Joe's store. And the only other time I'd encountered it was at my parents' house, because my dad makes a mean popcorn with coconut oil for movie nights at home.

Coconut oil, at least the kind Trader Joe's sells, is not as thin and liquidy as you might expect. It's much more of a grainy paste - very soft and spreadable, and very unlike olive oil, grapeseed oil, canola, and other common cooking oils. But, if you put coconut oil in the microwave and melt it down, it will become that thin liquid you're so familiar with for oil.

Anyways, the brownies came out GREAT. The fat called for in the recipe is half butter, half coconut oil. That ratio definitely gives it a distinct coconut taste that sets it apart from other brownie recipes, but to me, it seemed mild enough that picky eaters who wouldn't normally go for coconut desserts might still really enjoy this. My taste-tester friends, however, reported a very obvious coconut taste (and for most of them, that was a very good thing!), so I suppose if you're not so keen on coconut, this might not be the recipe for you.

The texture is moist but with some mealiness to it. The top gets that beautiful brownie crust, but the inside is soft and chewy and utter perfection. I'll be making these again! And if you tell yourself that coconut oil has all those health benefits, then hey, this recipe is good for you! I'm officially CUCKOO FOR COCONUT OIL!

Coconut Butter Brownies
Adapted from a recipe by Marcy Goldman on BetterBaking.com

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, slightly melted and stirred (looks almost like a soft grainy paste - I get mine from Trader Joe's!)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or spray the bottom and sides of a 9x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, line the pan with foil and spray the foil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the melted butter and coconut oil with the white and brown sugars. Add the vanilla and eggs and blend on low until well incorporated. Remove bowl from the mixer.

In a separate medium-size bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients gently, just until incorporated. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl because you'll probably find some of the flour mixture still at the bottom!

Spread the batter evenly into the pan. The batter is really thick and won't slide around so you'll need to even it out with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake. Err on the side of underbaking if you're not sure because a moist brownie is always better than a dry one! The center of the brownie should look set, not jiggling.

Cool the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares to serve. Store in an airtight container. Feel free to serve with powdered sugar dusted on top at the last second before serving.

Makes 12-20 depending on size. I prefer smaller, bite-size brownie squares.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
This is the coconut oil I used. It looks like clear liquid when melted down from the white paste in the jar...

Beat the butter and coconut oil with the sugars...

Beat in the vanilla and eggs...

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) in a separate bowl and then fold into the wet ingredients...

Spread the batter into the greased pan. The mixture will be thick...

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes...

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Hanukkah is Happier with Sufganiyot from Bibi's Bakery & Cafe!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:23:00 +0000

It wouldn't be Hanukkah without jelly donuts, known also by their Hebrew name Sufganiyot. And I couldn't be more thrilled to find out that one of my favorite spots in LA is serving them up all Hanukkah-long.

Bibi's Bakery & Cafe in the kosher Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles is a GREAT place for a tuna melt, a Greek salad, a pita toastee, shakshukah, babka, challah, and now sufganiyot! When Bibi's switched ownership and Dan Messinger became the new captain of the ship, everything improved, from the menu, to the signage, ambiance, customer service, and even the marketing...they're now on Facebook offering up plenty of food porn pics and social media discounts! Basically, Dan is really Dan the Man.

While I already consider myself a regular customer there, I hope that soon enough I can get around to ordering a bunch of the aforementioned savory items all at once, take some pics, and share all that with you on this blog (especially because Bibi's tuna melt is in my top 3 favorite tuna melts of all time), but for now, go get yourself some sufganiyot! In addition to the traditional jelly-filled donuts, Bibi's is offering custard-filled and chocolate-filled! Price is $1.50 per donut, and they are a hefty, honkin' good size.

Happy Hanukkah!

Details:
Bibi's Bakery & Cafe
8928 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 246-1788
Strictly kosher dairy/pareve
Official Website: http://bibisbakery.com
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/BibisBakeryandCafe

Move Over, Peanut Butter! I'm Nutty for Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:28:00 +0000

Peanut butter will always have a special place in my heart. It's one of my favorite ingredients of all time, and the flavor combination of peanut butter and chocolate is arguably (am I arguing with myself?) my all time favorite. But man, oh man, I have to tell you, I feel a little disloyal to peanut butter as I share this recipe with you. Because here's a cookie that features not peanut butter, but ALMOND butter, and it's as good as or better than any peanut butter cookie recipe I've ever had EVER. Whew! That hurt to say.

I remember vividly the day I made this cookie. My brother was moving to LA for school so my mom was in town helping out with the move. While they were out and about running errands, dealing with the housing office, and other assorted not-so-fun tasks, I was in the kitchen making, unbeknownst to me, what would become one of my favorite cookies of all time. As I took the last tray of cookies out of the oven to cool, my mom and brother called to say they had accidentally left some important housing paperwork at my apartment and were going to head over to pick it up. They were in a huge rush and would need me to run down to the street to hand them the paperwork.

So naturally, I grabbed a Tupperware container and plopped a bunch of cookies in it for them. My mom and brother were going to need some almond butter chocolate chunk cookies for the road, I figured. Moving Day will be so much better with cookies!

A few minutes later, I got a call on my cell phone and it was them, pulling up to the front of my building and needing me to run down with the paperwork. I put my flip flops on, grabbed the paperwork and the container of cookies, and ran downstairs. I presented them with the care package and they seemed excited and thanked me. Then they drove off.

I ran back upstairs, and just a few minutes later, I got another call on my cell phone. It was them again. "Something wrong?" I asked. Well yes, something was the matter. They were calling to let me know that they'd run out of cookies. They had eaten the entire container within a mile or two of my apartment.

And THAT, my friends, is how you know you've made a good cookie. That, or my mom and brother have zero willpower. :)

Move over peanut butter, there's a new nut butter in town. I'm nutty for almond butter cookies!

Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Adapted from a recipe by Emily Luchetti in Fearless Baker
Makes at least 4 dozen cookies

1/2 cup sliced almonds
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup almond butter
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces dark chocolate (58 to 62 percent cacao suggested, but any semisweet or dark will work fine), chopped or broken into tiny pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place one rack in the upper third of the oven and another rack in the lower third. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Toast the almonds in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet until light golden brown, about 8 minutes. I used a toaster oven, but you can use the oven, too. Do not go too far away from the kitchen because nuts burn easily! Let the almonds cool, then chop them into smaller pieces. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the almond butter, then add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well incorporated and smooth. Remove from the mixer and stir in the chopped chocolate and almonds with a wooden spoon.

Scoop tablespoon-fuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Feel free to make the mounds of dough larger or smaller (just adjust the baking time accordingly). With the bottom of a glass, flatten each mound of dough slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned but the center still feels soft. Do not overbake them; err on the side of underbaking since they'll continue cooking a bit as they cool. Halfway through baking, swap the two tray locations so they bake evenly. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Beat the butter and sugar together...

Beat in the egg...

Beat in the almond butter...

Beat in the flour, baking soda, and salt...

Stir in the chopped chocolate and almonds...

Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto a prepared baking sheet...

Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the top of each mound of dough...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes...

The Ultra Fun Voice-Activated Popinator: Shooting Popcorn Right Into Your Mouth One Kernel at a Time

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 20:34:00 +0000

If ever there was a time to use the made up word "funnest," it's in reference to this Popinator contraption from Popcorn Indiana. They have invented, hands down, the funnest way to eat popcorn. Sit or stand up to 15 feet away from the Popinator machine and say the word "POP" and it will launch a kernel of popcorn into your mouth. It uses some sort of audio science to identify where you're located based on hearing you say "POP."

Sure, no two popcorn kernels are exactly the same size, weight, shape, etc... and so when the machine spits one out, you may have to angle your body or dip, duck, or jump slightly to catch the unique piece flying through the air, but from what I can tell in the video, it does an amazing job of getting pretty darn close to your mouth.

I suppose there's a slight risk of it being a choking hazard if you care about safety and such. :)

But I want one! Watch the video and you'll want one, too!

What to Do With Leftover Pie Crust Dough: Mini Zucchini Onion Quiches Baked in a Muffin Pan!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:00:00 +0000

I made a strawberry pie earlier in the day, and had a bunch of scraps left from the dough I had rolled out for the top and bottom crusts. The scraps were sitting in plastic wrap in my fridge. Now, I hate to waste perfectly good dough (Ummm, did I say perfect? Why yes, yes I did! The dough is from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert cookbook and it's my new favorite, probably never-to-be-one-upped pie crust recipe).

So anyways, I threw a couple of ingredients together, totally makeshift, a whatever-I-had-in-the-fridge kind of thing, and it turned into an amazing mini quiche recipe that made use of every last ounce of that dough!

So here's the thing. This is not an exact science. Everyone is going to have a different amount of leftover pie dough when they finish making their pie. So, go ahead and make this quiche filling, and if you end up having too much for the amount of pie dough you have left, simply divide up the rest of the filling into buttered ramekins and bake crustless quiches! There's simply no way to fail, guys! The math will work out! You'll net zero extra, wasted crust. You'll gain deliciousness, and maybe a few pounds.

Whatever you do, DO NOT THROW OUT YOUR PIE DOUGH SCRAPS! A much better destiny awaits them!

Mini Zucchini Onion Quiches in Leftover Pie Crust (Though Crustless Quiches Work Great, Too!)
Recipe by Happy Go Marni

3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (feel free to use powdered buttermilk with water instead, or even regular milk)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 zucchini, grated or shredded
1 onion, chopped

However much leftover pie crust dough scraps you have from the delicious pie you were making for dessert

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have an ungreased muffin pan ready.

Divide the leftover pie dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. On a floured work surface, roll each ball of dough into a circle about 5 inches in diameter, or large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a muffin cup. Gently press the dough into the muffin cup, stretching or patching the dough so that it reaches all the way to the top of the cup. Using the tines of a fork, poke several holes in the dough on the bottom and all over the sides. If you don't have enough pie dough to fill all 12 muffin cups in the muffin pan, fill the empty cups with a half-inch of water. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden. If the crust starts to puff up too much in the first 5 minutes, open the oven door and use a fork to puncture the air pockets.

While the mini crusts are in the oven, prepare the quiche filling. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the buttermilk and stir to combine. Then add in the salt, garlic salt, oregano, and parmesan cheese. Stir in the zucchini and onion.

When the crusts come out of the oven, use a ladle to pour the filling into the crust cups to about 3/4 full. If you have extra filling, butter some ramekins and fill them 3/4 full with quiche filling. Place the ramekins on a lined baking sheet. Return the muffin pan and the ramekins to the oven and bake for 20-35 minutes. I found that I preferred cooking them on the longer side so the tops would be golden, but technically, the eggs are done cooking and ready to eat much sooner.

NOTE: The night I did this, I had enough leftover pie dough to line 12 muffin cups (1 entire muffin pan) with crust. The quiche filling recipe I concocted allowed me to fill all 12 of the crust-lined muffin cups and an additional 4 ramekins of crustless quiches.

ENJOY! Don't eat them all at once!

Casting in LA: How Would You Keep Mrs. Fields' Cookies From Crumbling?

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 06:07:00 +0000

A casting director contacted me about a new show for Oprah Winfrey's network OWN and TLC. The show's topic? How to revive Mrs. Fields in this difficult economy. The show is looking for customers of the cookie company in the Los Angeles area who have ideas and opinions on what Mrs. Fields should do to increase sales and get the company going strong again. If they choose you for the show, there's monetary compensation. There's even the chance that you could be hired to work for Mrs. Fields. Plus, come on, you can't argue with that good feeling you get from saving cookies from destruction. Be the hero and apply for this show!

Here's how to apply:
Email customercasting@gmail.com and include the following info:

Name
Age
Occupation
Current contact info
Which brand you'd like to help out (Mrs. Fields)
What changes you would make if you were the boss

More details, direct from the casting guy:
This episode focuses on Mrs. Fields Cookies, which has been struggling in the current economy. They’re looking to reach out to the Los Angeles area and its neighboring communities for help. In each episode loyal customers will be given the chance of a lifetime to help a brand that they love re-establish itself. The show is extremely positive and allows the average everyday customer a chance to work with and help reconfigure one of their favorite companies in addition to aiding the current economy by saving some jobs in the area.

We are currently looking for outgoing, opinionated and creative consumers who might be interested in being a part of the show. Participants must be 18 years of age and over. We are open to customers from all walks of life as long as they are passionate about the company and creative enough to come up with ways to improve the brand.

And more from Happy Go Marni:
Good luck cookie-saving!

Buttery, Feathery, Puffy, Perfect Pull-Apart Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 06:24:00 +0000

It's the Happy Go Marni Limerick Happy Hour! In other words, I wrote a poem about these bread rolls.

Bread Roll Limerick
There once was a roll oh so good,
That you wonder if you even should.
The secret's the butter.
2 sticks; don't shudder.
Its perfection can't be misunderstood.

You know that round pan in your cabinet you use mostly for cheesecake? Yeah, the springform pan with a clasp on the side. I've got a new use for it. Bread rolls! I can't emphasize enough how incredible these rolls are. They are everything you want a roll to be, and then some. Soft, buttery, golden, feathery, fluffy, and sizable. Serve them with dinner, or spread some jam on the inside for a yummy breakfast alongside your coffee.

I'm thrilled to have discovered what will undoubtedly become a staple in my recipe repertoire. When I served them for dinner, they were a huge hit and I swear, eyeballs were rolling into the heads of my guests. No exaggeration. To get a reaction like that from a bread roll? That's pretty special. And that's why they warranted their own limerick. See corny limerick above.

And can I offer you some words of advice? Whatever you do, don't skimp on the butter. The recipe calls for a stick in the dough, and another stick melted on top. Just bite your tongue and play along. You'll be glad you used all that butter. I think that's where "guilty pleasure" came from. :)

Buttery, Feathery, Puffy, Perfect Pull-Apart Rolls
Adapted from a recipe by Marcy Goldman in The Best of Betterbaking.com
Makes 12, 14, or 16 buns

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons instant yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks
5 to 6 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, for glazing

Grease a 10-inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. You can also use a 9x13-inch baking pan, but I think the round pan looks way cooler. Place the pan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, mix the water and yeast briefly and then let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in the sugar, salt, eggs, stick of softened butter, and 5 cups of flour until the dough forms a soft mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Spray a large bowl and place the ball of dough in the bowl, then turn the dough over so both sides are coated. Cover loosely and allow the dough to rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough to deflate it, then leave it alone to rest for 20 minutes. Return the dough to the lightly floured work surface. If the dough looks like it rose back up at all, gently deflate it. Divide the dough into 12 or 14 or 16 equal portions. To shape each roll, create a disk out of the piece of dough, and then pull three corners to the center, pinching to seal. Turn over so seal side is down and place in the baking pan. At first, it might not seem like all the rolls will fit into the pan, but they will. You just have to pack them in tightly. Brush the tops of the rolls generously with the melted butter and then dust with flour. Cover the pan loosely and allow the rolls to rise for 20 or 30 minutes, until very puffed up.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the round pan (which is on the parchment-lined baking sheet) in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Lift the round pan off the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then unclasp the springform pan and remove from the rolls. Serve at room temperature or still warm. You are going to love this!

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Mix the water and yeast together, and then add the sugar, salt, eggs, and softened butter...

Mix in 5 cups of the flour...

Add enough additional flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl...

Knead the dough and shape into a ball...

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat, and cover until doubled in size...

Once it's doubled in size, gently deflate the dough...

Remove from the bowl and divide the dough into as many portions as you want rolls (I made 16)...

Shape each piece into a roll and place seal side down in the baking pan...

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flour...

Let rise, covered loosely, for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are very puffed up...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden on top...

Allow to cool off the baking sheet but with the springform still attached for 30 minutes...

Then remove the springform, and enjoy!

Meeting Alice Medrich, the First Lady of Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Several weeks ago I flew up to San Francisco to hear a talk at Omnivore Books in Noe Valley with my mom. Omnivore Books is a charming cookbook shop with little square footage and yet a surprisingly, deceptively huge cookbook collection. The shop owners regularly invite cookbook authors to host talks in their shop, allowing these authors an opportunity to introduce the crowd to their most recently published cookbook.

This is not the first time I've booked a flight from LA for the sole purpose of hearing a cookbook author speak. It's such a fun afternoon in the City, and a great excuse to visit my parents and see family and friends in the Bay Area. I can't do it all the time, but I must say, this particular weekend was a no-brainer. Alice Medrich, the First Lady of Chocolate, was scheduled to speak about her latest book Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts. I own most of Medrich's cookbooks. So adding her latest to my collection was something I was very interested in doing. And in the process, I got to meet her, chat with her, have her sign my book, and take this photo! Note the garb. My mom and I dressed in our most baking-obsessed clothing for the afternoon. We are baking dorks to the max!

The Making Of: A Happy Go Marni Plate!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 05:35:00 +0000

Soooooooo, I decided to make a Happy Go Marni heart-shaped plate. I love me some hearts! And a serving plate for my baked goods is always a good idea (you can never have too many). Plus, how cool is it to be able to tell your guests you made this awesome dish?

To make this plate, I went to Color Me Mine in Beverly Hills, a ceramics shop where you select a piece to paint and then they glaze and fire it for you. It's ready for pick-up 3 days later.

To get the Happy Go Marni logo onto the plate, I used the computer in the shop and pulled up my logo, resized it to fit the surface of the plate, and printed it out. I then placed the image over special carbon paper and used a pen to outline the design, pressing hard enough for the lines to appear on the plate. That created the perfect stencil for me to paint on! And the carbon lines disappear when the pottery is fired in the kiln.

Keeping the paint within such an intricate design was not the easiest thing in the world since I couldn't find any paint brushes with a fine enough point. It took a combination of patience, concentration, and letting go of my perfectionism to get the job done. But I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! It was so exciting to return to the shop 3 days after the painting day to see the results of my hard work. I now have a one-of-a-kind piece of art with my name on it. I can't wait to serve blondies on this plate! But as far as making a matching mug? No way, Jose. :)

The Making of the Plate: In Photos
Placing the logo over the carbon paper, and centering it over the plate...

Tracing the design with a pen...

Lots of concentration required! :)

And the painting is done! This is what it looks like pre-fired...

3 days later and here it is glazed, fired, and ready for serving!

Stovetop Crispy Corn Flake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:36:00 +0000

If you are a peanut butter fan, this bar is for you! I can comfortably make that claim because I served it to a bunch of peanut butter lovers and they all had glowing assessments. One said, "I think you need to add this to your regular repertoire." Another said, "I really shouldn't have seconds but I'll make an exception this once! Darn you, Marni!" And another asked, "When is this going up on the blog!?!?!?!?!"

I love that it's a no-bake, stovetop-only bar. Put a couple ingredients in a saucepan, stir corn flakes in, spread the mixture into a foil-lined pan, and cover with melted chocolate and chopped peanuts. The bars never go in the oven. They just chill in the fridge for a few hours. Easy as pie, er, bars! And if you store the leftovers in the fridge (uhhhh, what leftovers?), the corn flakes seem to stay crispy for days! GREAT SUCCESS! GREAT SUCCESS!

Since these corn flake bars remind me a lot of a rice krispy bar, I'm kind of curious to try the exact same recipe using a different cereal next time. Though as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! And these do not need fixing! A+!

Shabbat Note: It would be very easy to make these pareve for Shabbat. Simply use margarine instead of butter and use pareve bittersweet, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate for the top layer.

Stovetop Crispy Corn Flake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Adapted from a recipe by Yvonne Ruperti in Serious Eats
Makes 16 hefty bars

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
Pinch salt
4 cups corn flakes, lightly crushed
1/3 cup salted peanuts, chopped and divided (from the 1/3 cup measure, pour into a 1/4 cup measure and leave the remaining nuts in the 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)

Line an 8x8-inch baking pan (or a 9x9-inch but the squares will not be as tall) with foil so that some foil hangs over the edge on two opposite sides (for pulling up the bars later).

In a medium or large saucepan over low-medium heat, melt butter. Add peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt and stir until all melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.

Stir in corn flakes, 1/4 cup peanuts, and vanilla until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top with the back of a spoon.

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water (or simply using the microwave), heat chocolate until just melted (if using microwave, be very careful not to burn the chocolate and heat just long enough to warm the chocolate pieces so you can stir them to melt them). Spread chocolate over top of corn flake mixture using offset spatula. Sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts. Cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours. Remove from pan using the foil overhangs and cut into 2-inch squares. Or if you're like me, cut them into bite size pieces. A little goes a long way!

Step-by-Step in Pictures
In a saucepan, heat together the butter, peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt. Remove from the heat.

Add the corn flakes, 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, and vanilla and stir until everything is combined...

Pour this corn flake filling into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the top...

Melt chocolate and spread over the corn flake mixture in the pan...

Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, cover with foil, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours...

Once chilled, slice and serve!

Chocolate Pecan Pie with the Flakiest Crust Everrrrrr!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 01:20:00 +0000

This is such an amazing chocolate pecan pie, and I shouldn't be surprised...it's from Alice Medrich! Don't just make it at Thanksgiving time. Pecans are always readily available, and deliciousness should be fair game anytime of year. It's not a difficult recipe, either. The filling is pretty basic, and no challenging cooking technique required. The crust only has a few ingredients and you don't need a food processor. If you want to go all out, choose extra special chocolate. The chocolate shines through in this pie, so splurging on better quality chocolate is actually worth considering here.

Make it for a dinner party, a holiday get together, or for a weekend all by yourself. Just be sure to sign up for an intense cardio class at the gym if you opt for option 3.

I'm thinking there will be more pies in my future. This was really fun to make, impressive, and absolutely beyond delicious. The flaky crust did my guests and me in! I haven't recovered from that yet.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
Adapted from a recipe by Alice Medrich in Chocolate Holidays
Serves 8-10

Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4-5 tablespoons water

Filling
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup (lightly packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rum, bourbon, or brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups pecan halves, toasted
Vanilla bean ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

For the crust, in a mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter chunks into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives. Continue until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest are the size of bread crumbs. Be careful not to overmix or the butter will turn into a paste or even melt. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of water over the mixture and distribute this moisture into the dough with a rubber spatula, folding and pressing as you go, until the mixture is just wet enough to hold together. Add up to 1 tablespoon more water if necessary. Press the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap before chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to 3 days before using.

When you're ready to bake the crust, remove the dough from the fridge and let stand until you can roll it out on a lightly floured work surface and it won't crack. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick, rotating the dough as you go. Fold the dough into quarters and transfer to the pie pan. Unfold the quarters and carefully press into the pan so that the dough reaches 1 inch beyond the rim of the pan. With the dough that's hanging over, tuck it under and flute or crimp the edge. Chill the crust in the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the chilled pie crust from the fridge. Press foil (shiny side down) over the crust, taking care not to wreck the crimped edges. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust all over, piercing right through the foil. Use pie weights or dried beans to weigh down the crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil liner and pie weights and return to the oven to bake for another 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

For the filling, which you should prepare while the crust is baking, combine the chocolate with the corn syrup and butter in the top of a double boiler set over a pan of barely simmering water. Or you can skip the double boiler and cook directly over the stove, but you have to be much more careful about not burning the chocolate. Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth, then stir in the brown sugar, salt, rum, and vanilla. Add the eggs and continue stirring until well combined and hot to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat and stir occasionally until ready to use.

When the crust is done, remove it from the oven, but leave the oven on. Scatter the toasted pecans over the bottom of the crust. Pour the hot filling over the pecans and return the pie pan to the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the filling is puffed and cracked at the edges, golden brown in spots, but still jiggles in the center if poked or shaken slightly. Unfortunately you can't use the toothpick rule here because if you insert a toothpick, it's not supposed to come out clean. There will be gooey deliciousness stuck to it. As the filling is baking, if you notice that the crust is browning too fast, cover the edges with foil. Cool the pie on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla bean ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream...The Bi-Rite Creamery Way!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000

I had an out of body experience eating this ice cream. I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't a dream. If you've never gone to Bi-Rite Creamery in the Mission in San Francisco, you are really missing out. I remember when I was there last, I got caramelized bananas and they used a giant blow torch from a hardware store, not some dainty creme brulee kitchen torch. They mean business. But more importantly, I remember the salted caramel ice cream. That's because it's the flavor to be reckoned with. It's the flavor people travel far and wide for. And it's unreal.

This month, Bi-Rite released an ice cream cookbook to the world called Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones. Bi-Rite, the world thanks you! It means I can now make salted caramel ice cream at home. And living in L.A., it's not so easy to drive up to SF on a whim whenever I'm craving the stuff.

I saw that Serious Eats had posted the recipe and I decided it was important to test it out at home, make sure it was doable, that the recipe lived up to its reputation, and it wasn't just something to be left to the experts at the ice cream shop. If all went well, I would buy the cookbook because obviously where there's one to-die-for ice cream recipe, there are bound to be more.

Well, the ice cream lived up to its reputation. Ha! Understatement of the century. It was surprisingly doable, and the intense taste of salted caramel was unbeatable. The texture was perfectly smooth and so creamy that it felt almost too indulgent! Every spoonful was filled with guilt!

The bottom line is, I brought Bi-Rite Creamery to my L.A. kitchen and I'm so excited!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Adapted from a recipe in Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough

1 3/4 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup 1% or 2% milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg yolks

Note from Marni: Before you begin, be sure to read the instructions below completely. There are various ingredients to measure out or combine ahead, as well as having bowls, strainers, and even an ice bath ready. You'll be glad you prepped in advance because the recipe is time sensitive and you can't afford to be measuring things out while the mixture is cooking and you're stirring constantly. Consider yourself warned! :)

For the Caramel: Set a heavy bottom saucepan over the stove. Measure 1/2 cup of the sugar (the remaining 1/4 cup will go in with the egg yolks for the ice cream base). Start with 2 tablespoons of sugar from that 1/2 cup and place in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts around the edges and turns an amber color, about 2 minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons of sugar until it melts, then continue, adding 2 tablespoons at a time until all the sugar is added and melted, stirring frequently. Be careful not to let the sugar burn; scrape the sides and bottom often.

When the caramel is a dark mahogony color, remove the saucepan from the heat and place it on a trivet. Immediately pour all of the cream in. Be very careful to use an oven mitt and protect your hand because the steam from adding the cream can burn you. Stir carefully to incorporate the cream so that no caramel lumps remain. If necessary because the lumps won't go away on their own, put the saucepan back on the stove and cook over low heat until the lumps are melted, then remove again from the heat.

For the Ice Cream Base: With the saucepan still off the heat, add the 3/4 cup milk and the salt to the caramel mixture and stir to blend. Place the saucepan back on the stove and cook on medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to reach a light simmer, barely bubbling, and then reduce the heat to medium.

In a medium heatproof bowl, such as a glass bowl, whisk together the 5 egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Since you can't add this egg mixture directly to the ice cream base because the eggs will turn into scrambled eggs, you have to temper them first and bring their temperature up. To do that, carefully scoop out a 1/4 cup of the hot base mixture and whisk it into the egg yolks. The egg yolks will start to warm up. Add another 1/4 cup of the base mixture into the yolk mixture. Continue little by little until the eggs feel very warm when you touch the bottom of the glass bowl. They are now ready to be added back into the saucepan with the base. Pour all of the warmed up egg yolks into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the base is thick enough to coat the back of a heatproof spatula. This only takes about 2 minutes. You'll know it's ready if you run your finger across the back of the spatula and it leaves the mark of your finger.

Have another medium-size bowl ready, and sitting in an ice bath. Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl. Pour the hot ice cream base through the strainer into the bowl. Stir the base constantly until it cools down from the ice bath and stops cooking. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

The following night, when the base is completely chilled, pour the base into the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions and churn for approximately 20 minutes until the ice cream has thickened to a soft serve consistency and the churning slows down. While it is churning, place the ice cream storage container in the freezer so it is really cold when the ice cream is ready and needs to be transferred into its container. Store the ice cream in the freezer and let it firm up for a few hours before serving. Then enjoy a little taste of San Francisco heaven!

The Making of Salted Caramel Ice Cream in Photos
The chilled base is ready to get churned into ice cream...

Pour the base into the ice cream maker...

It's done when the ice cream has thickened to a soft serve consistency and the churning slows down...

Transfer the ice cream to a cold container and store in the freezer to set for a few hours...

Scoop and enjoy!

Marniism: How to Cover a Frosted Cake with Foil so that the Foil Doesn't Stick to the Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:34:00 +0000

NOTE: A Marniism is any sort of useful habit or words of wisdom that I live by and want to share with you. Basically, a Happy Go Marni tip with a better name.

Two weeks ago during Passover, I was helping my mom put away the leftovers from the seder. There were so many leftovers! In fact, there was an entire untouched flourless chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache coating. I guess we overestimated the quantity of food needed. Although looking back, shouldn't this cake have been eaten up and the veggies spared? What's up with our priorities? Anyways, as my mom went to cover this extra cake with a loose piece of foil that was bound to land on the top of the cake and stick to the ganache, I yelled "STOPPPPPP!" I told her about a technique I had learned from King Arthur Flour that protects a cake from having the frosting get stuck to the foil. We applied this trick to our flourless chocolate cake and it worked perfectly!

Here's the tip:

Get a couple of toothpicks and the same number of marshmallows, ideally the large size, but mini marshmallows will work, too.
Stick a marshmallow on the end of each toothpick but don't let the toothpick go all the way through and out the other side of the marshmallow
Stick each toothpick into the top of the cake, spaced evenly apart at the corners of the cake. Don't push the toothpicks all the way down into the cake. You want them to stand tall over the cake.
Then cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the entire cake and tuck under the plate. Rest the foil carefully over the marshmallow-tipped toothpicks. Voila! The foil never touches the top of the cake because of the marshmallow padding! I love this tip!!!

Photo Gallery of the Marshmallow Toothpick Trick!

The Best Banana-Walnut Muffins I've Ever Had in My Entire Life. Seriously.

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 01:15:00 +0000

I can honestly say this is the best banana-walnut muffin I have ever had. And that's a very strong statement I don't take lightly. But it's the truth, and how rude would it be for me to keep such a truth from you!

My mom made this recipe first and then called me up after she tasted one of her wares. She was in shock and awe at the delightful muffin of perfection she had created. She couldn't get over it. I'm not even sure she had finished her second bite when she called to tell me. It was that big of a deal what she had discovered. I asked her where she got the recipe and she said it was a Williams-Sonoma cookbook and Beth Hensperger was commissioned to do the recipes for it. That meant something to me since I own several of Beth Hensperger's cookbooks and she is one of the best cookbook authors I know. I said to my mom, "Is that the one with the dark blue cover?" "Yup," my mom replied. I knew which one it was. Out of the thousand cookbooks I owned, I could picture the cover of this one in my head. And how lucky for me that I had a copy! I mean, it's not like my mom and I overlap exactly on which cookbooks we each own.

So with three bananas getting ripe just days after my mom made this important discovery, there was only one thing for me to do. I set out to see if I could recreate my mom's perfect experience. I made the recipe. And Oh. My. Gawd. Holy Muffin of Muffins. It truly is the best banana-walnut muffin I have ever tasted in my life. I don't know if I'll ever find a better one. No longer will bakery muffins suffice. This has ruined all others for me. I have now been exposed to what a perfect muffin is capable of.

I hope you, dear reader, make this asap, so that you, too, can experience a perfect muffin. It doesn't get any better than this. Although my mom, who added mini chocolate chips to her batch, would say hers is better than mine. I suppose she's got a point.

Best Ever Banana-Walnut Muffins
Adapted from a recipe by Beth Hensperger in Williams-Sonoma Muffins
Makes 9-11 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped and toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut oil or canola oil
1 large egg
2 or 3 medium to large very ripe bananas, slightly mashed to yield 1 1/4 cups
3 tablespoons buttermilk (or 2 1/4 teaspoons buttermilk powder and 3 tablespoons water...I actually used extra buttermilk powder, about 3 tablespoons total, but followed the 3 tablespoons water)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with 10-12 paper liners or grease. The recipe yielded 11 muffins for me, only 9 when my mom made it. If you don't use all of the muffin cups in the pan, fill the empty ones with water to one-third full so you don't scorch or warp the pan.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, toasted walnuts, baking soda, and salt (and buttermilk powder if not using liquid buttermilk).

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk or beat together the oil, egg, mashed bananas, and buttermilk (or water if using buttermilk powder) until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until evenly mixed, but don't overmix. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.

Use a mini ladle to spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling each one to the top of the cup. Don't worry, they crown perfectly and don't overflow onto the muffin pan.

Bake 20-23 minutes, until golden, set, and springy to the touch. Test for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick; it should come out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring the muffins to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. They are great plain, with butter and/or jam, or cut in half and toasted with butter.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, toasted walnuts, and salt; set aside...

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the egg, oil, buttermilk, and mashed banana...
Add the dry ingredients...
Beat until well incorporated...
Spoon evenly into muffin cups, filling all the way to the top...

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-23 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean...
Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer muffins to a rack. Enjoy!

My New Favorite Trader Joe's Item: Reduced Guilt Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:17:00 +0000

I am in love with this new dip. I bought it on a whim a few days ago, because for the past few months of Trader Joe's visits, I've been eying their traditional spinach dip, even picking it up to admire it, but then always placing it back on the shelf. It's not exactly healthfood (though the green vegetable in it sure makes it deceiving!).

So on my most recent visit to Trader Joe's, I was beside myself and jumping out of my skin when I saw a new product right next to the spinach dip. It even looked like spinach dip. Heck, it is a dip and it does have spinach in it. It's Reduced Guilt Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip! And right on the front of the package label, it says it's 50% of the fat of regular spinach dip. SOLD! 16 ounces of deliciousness for $3.99. My middle-of-the-night need-a-snack prayers have been answered.

After multiple instances of eating this dip, I must say, it tastes so much like the spinach dip we're all used to - the one you often see in sourdough bread bowls at parties - that I may never need to go back to the original.

I just thought you all should know.

Oh, and I've been crazy busy lately, but I'll go back to blogging baked goods soon. I have a lot to share with you.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:06:00 +0000

Banana + chocolate + peanut butter make for such a heavenly flavor trio that honestly, I read it and I hear angels singing. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh," sing the angels.

This recipe came from a duo of amazing bakers who own a bakery in Brooklyn called Baked. One day I'm going to make a trip to Brooklyn just to visit them (and get pizza). Anyways, I tweaked a couple things in the recipe, added in chocolate chips, swapped the sour cream for yogurt, added a little extra of that dairy, and boom. Here it is. My dream cupcake.

One of the many benefits of getting a recipe online is that sometimes other readers have already chimed in and written reviews, shared suggestions, rated the recipe. In this case, I noticed two frequently recurring comments about the frosting: 1. It's the most incredible frosting on Earth. 2. The recipe makes way too much frosting and you can cut it in half. So, I decided I wasn't going to modify the frosting (it ain't broken!), but I also decided I wasn't going to cut the recipe in half. I like a cupcake with a lot of frosting. Plus, I was planning to pipe the frosting on rather than spread it with a spatula. And piping uses more frosting than spreading. As it turned out, I made a wise decision. I used up every last drop of the frosting on my 52 mini cupcakes. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Please, pretty please, make this. Don't delay.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from a recipe by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito that was published on Epicurious.com (and in Bon Appetit April 2010)
Makes 12-15 cupcakes or 48-52 mini cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe large bananas, peeled
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain lowfat yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 overflowing cup of mini semisweet chocolate chips (tossed in 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients)

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)

For cupcakes:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 12 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with paper liners or48 to 52 mini muffin cups. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend.

In a small bowl, pour in the mini chocolate chips and add in 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients, tossing to coat the chocolate chips (this will help prevent the chips from falling to the bottom of each cupcake while baking).

In another medium bowl, mash bananas with fork until smooth. Mix yogurt and vanilla into bananas.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with banana-yogurt mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling to 3/4 full in each mini muffin cup.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes for regular size cupcakes, or 13-14 minutes for mini cupcakes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cool completely.

For frosting:
Sift powdered sugar into large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cupcakes with a metal spatula, dividing equally, or scoop frosting into piping bag with a large tip to decorate the top. Frosting can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside...

Toss the chocolate chips in a small bowl with two tablespoons of the dry ingredients...

In another bowl, mash bananas and stir in yogurt and vanilla...

These are your wet ingredients! Set aside...
In a mixer, beat butter and sugar together, then add eggs...

Add dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips...
Scoop batter into cupcake liners to 3/4 full...
Bake at 350 degrees for 13-14 minutes for mini cupcakes, 18-20 minutes for regular size cupcakes, then cool completely on wire rack...

For the frosting, sift powdered sugar into bowl, then add peanut butter, butter, cream cheese...
Beat frosting until smooth and pipe or spread onto cupcake tops...
Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Cinnamon, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:58:00 +0000

It's February and I still have leftover cans of pumpkin. What a great reason to make pumpkin cookies. Not to mention, I have a bag of cinnamon chips that I picked up at the King Arthur Flour headquarters in Vermont last fall and they deserve to be featured in something where they can truly shine. These cookies allow them to shine.

The crunch from two kinds of chips combined with canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice result in a fantastic cookie. As is common with pumpkin cookies, these are more on the cakey side than the chewy side. But I love them. I had a friend over the night I made these and let's just say, it's a good thing he has such a fast metabolism (we can all despise him). He must have inhaled 10 cookies without much of a breath between bites. I'm already thinking I should make another batch of these. I still have more canned pumpkin to go through, and there are more friends to feed!

Pumpkin, Cinnamon, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from a recipe on the Keep It Sweet blog
Makes about 5 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin (do not use pumpkin pie filling - it's not the same thing!)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup cinnamon chips (King Arthur Flour sells amazing cinnamon chips, just FYI!)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together: flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy and light in color.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Then beat in the pumpkin.

Gently stir in the dry ingredients and do not overmix.

Stir in the chocolate chips and cinnamon chips.

Scoop tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each mound 1 inch apart because they will spread. Bake 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look set when done, and you can test this by lightly pressing your finger against the top and if it doesn't leave an indentation, it is ready. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Beat the butter and sugars together...

Add the eggs...

Add the vanilla...

Add the pumpkin...

Stir in the dry ingredients...

Stir in the chocolate chips and cinnamon chips...

Scoop out tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool, then enjoy!

Unicorn Poop Cookies, the Most Magical Cookies in All the Land

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:48:00 +0000

I simply cannot take credit for such an amazing cookie. The Unicorn Poop Cookie is the brainchild of a genius named kristylynn84 (at least, that's her username on Instructables). Try it at home! She provides the recipe and step-by-step instructions here. And she even made a cheesy-good video set to classical music that beholds such a beauty.

I always knew baking was magical, but this takes it to a whole new level.

Board Certified Banana Fudge Brownies with Walnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:01:00 +0000

I brought these to work and people went bananas! I've learned over years of bringing treats to parties, work, friends' houses, etc, that certain flavor combinations are definite hits with crowds. And the popular opinion whole-heartedly supports chocolate and banana together. These brownies are the real deal. They mean business. Monkey business. So so good!

I doubled the recipe and used 3 ripe bananas I had on hand. The recipe supposedly comes from the California Walnut Board. Did you know such an organization existed? That's some serious dedication to a nut! The "supposedly" above is because my mom sent me the recipe, which she had saved on a recipe card in a binder, and can't recall for sure, but thinks it's from that walnut board. I'm going to assume she's right. Because board certified brownies simply sound better. It's like they passed a test or something. And hey, based on the faces of the lucky recipients of the batch I made, they passed with flying colors.

If you happen to know for sure that these don't come from the California Walnut Board, or heck, that the board is a fantasy all together, please keep it to yourself. I purposely didn't check Google for accuracy because I like a little mystery now and then. And I can't bear the thought of these brownies not being board certified. It would ruin my day. ;)

Banana Fudge Brownies with Walnuts

Adapted from a recipe by the California Walnut Board (if memory serves my mom right...hehe)
Makes an 8-inch pan of brownies (recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13-inch pan)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (can use chocolate chips)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 small)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 8-inch square pan. I like to line my pan with foil and then grease the foil so it's easy to lift the entire tray of brownies out and slice on a cutting board.

In a saucepan, melt together the butter and chocolate. Remove from the heat and beat in the flour, sugar, mashed banana, vanilla, baking powder, salt, egg, and walnuts with a wooden spoon.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until center is set (do not overbake or the brownies will be dry). Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into 2-inch squares. Or smaller, bite-size squares, which is my preference.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Melt the chocolate and butter together...

Remove from the heat and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt...

Add the banana, egg, and vanilla...

Stir in the toasted walnuts...

Spread evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F...

Cool, then slice and serve!

One Bottle of Beer Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Do you know why the song "99 Bottles of Beer" is called "99 Bottles of Beer"? Here's a nifty story. Believe it at your own risk. There once were 100 bottles of beer. A nice round number. But someone stole a bottle to make this beer yeast bread and then there were only 99!

Got an extra bottle of beer lying around? This yeast bread recipe calls for exactly one bottle. No need to use a glass measuring cup because you use the whole bottle! I love that it's the perfect quantity! And each time you make this bread, it will come out a little different because you can continue to change up the brand of beer you use.

I was at my parents' house when I made this. They are not the drinking kind. But I did find one random, lonely bottle of beer in the fridge in their garage, and I knew they wouldn't miss it. So I used an Italian beer called Birra Moretti La Rossa. The loaf was great! It's got white whole wheat flour in it, which gives it a hearty flavor. Would be great for making sandwiches. Turkey or cheddar! And of course, it's best enjoyed with a tall ice cold beverage in a frosty glass, if you catch my drift. ;)

One Bottle of Beer Bread

Adapted from a recipe by Marcy Goldman in The Best of Betterbaking.com

Makes 1 large loaf

1/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups warm beer

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 to 2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 egg white, beaten until foamy, for glazing

Grease or spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Place on a lined baking sheet.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the beater attachment, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.

Add the beer, oil, salt, white whole wheat flour, and 1 cup of the bread flour. Mix until well combined, then switch from the beater attachment to the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining bread flour, only as much as is needed to form a smooth, elastic dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for a few minutes. Then transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes.

Spray the inside of a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, then turn to coat both sides with the oil. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured work surface, pat it down to deflate it, and then shape it into a loaf. Place in the prepared pan. Brush the top of the loaf with the foamy egg white. Cover the pan and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slash the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife in two diagonal lines. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is browned and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for the first 15 minutes, then remove to the wire rack to cool completely outside of the pan.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Dissolve the yeast in water and sugar...

If you look closely, you can see that the entire bottle of beer has been poured into the measuring glass to make exactly 1 1/2 cups...in other words, no need to measure! Pour the whole bottle in the mixing bowl!

Add the beer, oil, salt, white whole wheat flour, and 1 cup of bread flour...

Add enough additional bread flour to form a smooth, elastic dough...

The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl...

Let the dough rise in a greased bowl, covered, until doubled in size. Then shape into a loaf and place in the prepared pan. Brush with the foamy egg white, let rise again until doubled in size, then slash the top of the loaf with two diagonal lines...

Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes...

Let cool on a wire rack, then slice and enjoy with an ice cold bottle of BEER!

A Tool to Help You Make My Award-Winning Lucky Charms Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Remember that Award-Winning Lucky Charms Ice Cream I blogged about back in April? One of the steps for making the ice cream required separating the toasted oat grain cereal from the marshmallows. And as a dedicated ice cream maker, I handpicked those marshmallows out, one by one, because what else was I going to do? It was a labor of love.

But I just read in a blog that someone invented a sifter that almost perfectly separates the marshmallows from Lucky Charms cereal! I know you are celebrating quietly in your seat.

The only minor challenge is that you need to own a 3D printer (or become friends with an owner of one) because that's how you create your sifter. The sifter shape reminds me of a paper tea cup with holes in the bottom. So, go invest in a 3D printer and then make delicious Lucky Charms Ice Cream! How much do 3D printers cost? Small price to pay!

Step-by-step instructions for making your own sifter here.

I Want a Wonder Woman KitchenAid Stand Mixer and I'm Ready to Fly to Brazil to Get It

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Looks like KitchenAid's Brazilian division is offering a Wonder Woman edition of the KitchenAid stand mixer. And a peace and flower edition! And a bugs edition! And a skull and cross bones edition! Gahhhhh! View the Brazil KitchenAid stand mixer Facebook photo album here. Maybe they'll add more designs soon!

This news came to me while I was staring depressingly at my plain white uber-boring white mixer. I've already vented on this blog in the past about my white mixer, wishing I had a fun color like turquoise or hot pink. Now that I see these special edition patterned ones, forget the solid bright colors! (Though honestly, anything is more fun than white!)

Do I have to fly to Brazil to get one or do they ship internationally? I'm ready to book my flight.