Happy Go Marni

Handel's Ice Cream, An Ohio Tradition and My Personal Favorite

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:01:00 +0000

My mom ordering her two scoops at the window

Handel's Ice Cream is some of the best food you'll ever eat in your life. It's mostly found in Youngstown, Ohio, and surrounding areas, but there is one West Coast location in Southern California. On a recent trip to Palm Desert, my mom and I stopped at that one California location, in Upland, about 45 minutes from Los Angeles. We couldn't miss the chance to eat here! My mom is from Youngstown and grew up eating this stuff. There's something about the creamy, soft texture of Handel's that can't be beat, and it's made on the premises. I've visited Youngstown for family reunions and we've been known to stop at Handel's 5 times in 2 days, and other crazy ratios like that. Do the math; that's a LOT of ice cream. Plus we'll get two or three scoops at a time.

My Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Chunk and Mocha Almond Fudge Ripple

My mom's Praline Pecan and Chocolate Malt with Caramel

We are so grateful for this one California location, even if it is not just up the road. In fact, my parents once drove down to LA from the Bay Area to visit and made a trip to Upland to get ice cream. But they didn't just eat there; they went to Albertson's across the street, bought an ice chest and dry ice, then purchased several pints of Handel's to drive all the way back up the state. Now that's true love.

The Upland, CA, location

Handel's ice cream shops always have a window where you order from the street, and then the server gets your scoop from one of the many freezer bins inside the shop. All seating is outside. The servers let you taste samples galore and they don't skimp on scoop sizes. Plus, they're just really friendly people.

At the outdoor ordering window

Handel's was invented in 1945 by Alice Handel in Youngstown, Ohio, and today is headquartered in Canfield, Ohio. USA Today, Chocolatier Magazine, and Travelchannel.com all named Handel's one of the best ice creams in America, and National Geographic named it #1! I feel like a proud mother.

Inside the shop, where only employees go,
the ice cream girl scoops our ice cream from freezer bins

If you don't live near one of the Handel's locations, you can have it shipped, though there's a hefty price tag for the care required to mail ice cream. I think I heard somewhere that Bill Cosby gets it shipped. If I had the budget for $90 pints of ice cream, I'd do it, too.

The classic Handel's blue bench!

Handel's offers dozens of flavors and they are often flavors you've never seen anywhere else. Some of my absolute favorites are Banana Cream Pie, Chocolate Malt with Caramel, Buckeye, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Chunk, Graham Central Station, Coconut Creme Pie, Spouse Like a House, and Heavenly Hash.

The flavor menu

When my mom and I were at the Upland location for this most recent Handel's experience, we tried to stuff our faces full of scoops. We each ordered two scoops to start. My mom got Chocolate Malt with Caramel and Praline Pecan. I got Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Chunk and Mocha Almond Fudge Ripple. We sat in our car to eat since there is no indoor seating and it was cold and rainy outside. When we had both licked our bowls clean, there was this funny moment of silence and then we turned to each other, lifted an eyebrow, and non-verbally communicated to each other, "Well, can you fit another scoop or two into your tummy?" We both were so stuffed we didn't end up going back for more, and we were pretty disappointed in our low threshold.

But there's another family reunion in Youngstown, Ohio, coming up in May. So I'm going to need to organize another trip to the Upland location to work on increasing my tolerance level for several scoops in a short period of time to be ready for Youngstown! There's no such thing as moderation in this plan! Ice cream overload or bust! Come to think of it, both!

The Details
Upland, CA location
373 South Mountain Ave.
Upland, CA 91786
(909) 946-9077

To find a Midwest location, check the Handel's website.

Texas Barbecue Put the Baking on Hold

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:04:00 +0000

Iron Works Barbecue

I just spent the last 5 days eating Texas BBQ at SXSW Interactive in Austin. Soooooo yummy. But now it's time to rededicate myself to my sweet tooth and say buh-bye to my carnivorous side. And I think I'm going to eat only vegetables for the next MONTH!

Almost-Like-a-Bakery Traditional Hamantaschen

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:01:00 +0000

For Purim this year, I made chocolate-peanut butter hamantaschen, which you saw in my last recipe post, but I also made these more traditional ones by Marcy Goldman. That's because Purim wouldn't be complete without a little poppyseed filling and jam filling. Plus, since part of the fun of making these cookies is giving them away to family and friends as mishloach manot care packages, I wouldn't want my grandfathers on either side to miss out on the flavors they grew up with as little kiddos in Youngstown, Ohio, and New York.

Two years ago I blogged about traditional hamantaschen by Carole Walter. They were delicious and I will absolutely be making those again. But this year, I wanted to try a new recipe and so naturally I found myself sitting on the carpet in front of my cookbook bookcase studying Marcy Goldman's Jewish baking book. She had more than one option for traditional versions, but I was drawn to the title of this one, "Almost-Like-a-Bakery." They were true to their name and turned out yummy!

Almost-Like-a-Bakery Traditional Hamantaschen
Recipe by Marcy Goldman in A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking
Makes 4 to 6 dozen pastries

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or unsalted margarine
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice or milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Approximately 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Golden egg wash (see recipe below)
Fillings: chocolate hazelnut paste, cherry, apricot, prune, or poppy
Regular or coarse sugar (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter, and sugar together. Add the eggs and blend until smooth. (If the mixture is hard to blend or seems curdled, add a bit of the flour to bind it.)

Stir in the orange juice or milk and the vanilla. Fold in the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix to make a firm but soft dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a smooth mass. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into 2 or 3 flattened discs and work with one portion at a time.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter and cut as many rounds as you can. Brush the rounds with egg wash. Fill with a generous teaspoonful of the desired filling. Draw 3 sides together into the center. You should now have a 3-cornered or triangular pastry. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling. Brush the pastries with additional egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with regular or coarse sugar, and bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden brown (18 to 25 minutes). Cool on the baking sheets.

If you prefer, this dough can be made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 days, or frozen (either as a disc of dough or as already formed and filled pastries, for a couple of months). If refrigerating, allow the dough to warm up before rolling out. For frozen pastries, bake without defrosting.

Golden Egg Wash
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1-2 tablespoons milk or water
Pinch of sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Use a pastry brush to glaze or brush on prepared, unbaked hamantaschen.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Cream the shortening, butter, and sugar together...

Add the eggs, milk (or orange juice), and vanilla...

Fold in the dry ingredients until the dough comes together. Then let rest before shaping or wrap up and chill...

To shape, cut circles out of the dough, then brush the rounds with egg glaze and fill with poppyseed filling or jam...

Fold the sides up to form triangle cookies. Poppyseed filling here...

Apricot-jam filled with egg glaze and rainbow coarse sugar, ready to go in the oven...

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 25 minutes, then you're done!

New Blog Design for Happy Go Marni!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:04:00 +0000

Notice anything different today?????

It's the new and improved Happy Go Marni!

I had been wanting for ages to change up the look of my blog because I was using a template from Blogger and it did not feel Marni-enough or personal. Good thing I have talented friends, because my wonderful, amazing, can't-say-enough-good-things-about-him friend Hillel Smith very generously offered his time and creativity to redesign my blog!

I think the new look really speaks to the theme and content of this blog. It's bright and cheerful in color and mood, and it doesn't overpower or darken the food photos; on the contrary, it warms everything up! Even the logo at the top has my curly brown hair. What's not to love! And I wouldn't expect anything less from Hillel; you should visit his site and see some of the amazing work he's produced over the years.

Hillel and me

I will be introducing you to Hillel's amazing artistic abilities more in an upcoming post, but for now, since we wouldn't want an elephant in the room, I have to address the fact that no, you are not on the wrong blog, it's just new and improved and, well, Happier Go Marni!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Hamantashen

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:30:00 +0000

I know I've said before that I'm a fan of cookbook author Marlene Sorosky. But what I haven't told you is that I own every single one of her cookbooks now. Last weekend, I searched online for the missing ones from my collection, and ordered all of them in one giant credit card blow. I was tired of staring at the void in my cookbook bookcases, knowing that some of her books were not there. I had had enough! Some people collect vintage Barbie dolls, some collect stamps or coins, I collect cookbooks. It's not about having every single cookbook that was ever written. But it is about having every single cookbook by my favorite authors. Over time, I'll complete my Beatrice Ojakangas, Lou Pappas, Carole Walter, Beth Hensperger, Marcy Goldman, Lori Longbotham, and David Lebovitz collections, and a few others.

My Marlene Sorosky collection

This recipe immediately stood out to me because it's not your conventional hamantashen (which I do really like, too). It's a chocolate dough, and a winning combination of peanut butter-strawberry filling to go with that chocolate. It looks really neat to include in your mishloach manot care package to give your friends and family on Purim along with more traditional hamantashen, fruit, and snacks. Since I'm going through a fancy salts phase/obsession and newly purchased Maldon sea salt, I sprinkled a few flakes on the just-out-of-the-oven cookies to finish the look. You certainly don't need to, but my taste buds were very happy with the result!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Hamantashen
Recipe by Marlene Sorosky in Fast & Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays

Chocolate Dough
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Filling
Scant 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup strawberry jam or preserves
3 Tablespoons whole or low-fat milk
Strawberry jam for topping (optional)

Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease or spray 2 heavy-duty or cushioned baking sheets.

To Make Dough: In mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla until well blended. Mix in melted chocolate. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Mix on medium speed 1 minute. Shape into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold enough to roll. (Dough may be refrigerated up to 2 days. Leave at room temperature until soft enough to roll but still very cold.)

To Make Filling: In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and jam together. Stir in milk.

To Shape Hamantashen: Divide dough in half; cover 1 portion with plastic wrap. Roll other half between 2 sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out circles. (A clean, empty tuna can with both ends removed makes an ideal cutter.) Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons filling in the center of each circle. Press 3 edges together to make a triangle, leaving a small opening in the center for the filling to show. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Reroll scraps, cut out, and fill. Repeat with remaining dough.

To Bake: If not baking on cushioned baking sheets, double-pan by placing 1 baking sheet on top of another. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tops are firm. The cookies will firm up slightly as they cool. If you like them soft, bake the minimum time; for crisper cookies, bake longer. If baking 2 sheets in one oven, rotate positions halfway through the baking time. If desired, top each with a small dollop of jam and return to oven for 1 minute to set. Cool 2 minutes and remove to racks. (Hamantashen may be stored, airtight, for several days or frozen.)

Makes: about 24 hamantashen

Step-by-Step in Pictures

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar...

Mix in egg and vanilla...

Mix in melted chocolate...

Add flour, baking soda, and salt...

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate...

To make the filling, stir together peanut butter and strawberry jam...

Add milk to the filling...

Stir filling until all ingredients are incorporated...

Roll out the chocolate dough and cut circles...

Spoon a dollop of peanut butter filling in the center of each round...

Shape into triangles and place on cookie tray...

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees...

When the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and drop a tiny bit of strawberry jam on top of each one, then return to the oven for 1 minute...

Enjoy!

Raspberry Cake Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:01:00 +0000

These are not cake. Not brownie. They're cake brownies! I say that because when you taste them, you aren't really sure what they are or how to describe them to others. The texture is somewhere in between.

What's fun in these bars is that you mix in raspberry jam. So the berry flavor is throughout, not just a layer on top or in the middle, and not just pieces of fruit folded in. The crunch comes from adding chocolate chips.

They're easy to make and you most likely have all these most basic baking ingredients on hand already. Do you eat toast with jam? Perfect! Then you already have jam, too!

I'm sure I've mentioned before but just in case, Marlene Sorosky is one of the best recipe authors on Planet Earth and if I share one of her recipes with you, the most appropriate reaction on your part should be that of gratitude and giddiness. So go on, react.

Raspberry Cake Brownies
Recipe by Marlene Sorosky in Easy Entertaining with Marlene Sorosky

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter or margarine, cut into 8 pieces
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (I strained jam with seeds)
2 tsp kirsch, Chambord or framboise, optional
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioners sugar for dusting the top, optional

Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with a sheet of foil, letting it extend 1 inch over the sides; butter the foil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat or in a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt unsweetened chocolate and butter or margarine, stirring until smooth; cool slightly. Whisk eggs in. Whisk in sugar, jam and liqueur, if using. Stir in flour, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips until incorporated. The mixture will be thin. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; lift foil out of pan and cool completely.

The cake may be wrapped and held at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen.

Before serving, cut into squares, approximately 1 1/2 inches each. Dust the tops lightly with confectioners sugar, if desired.

Makes 25 squares.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

In a medium saucepan, melt unsweetened chocolate and butter, then whisk in the eggs...

Then whisk in the sugar, jam, and liqueur (optional)...

Stir until smooth...

Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder...

Stir in the chocolate chips...

Spread the batter into a greased, foil-lined baking pan...

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes...

Cut into squares to serve...

Rosenfeld's Babka

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Last night I had a great Shabbat meal at a friend's. He's a meat fanatic so all the time he spent in the kitchen prepping was on the main course (or rather, the several main courses because there were so many meat options). But when we were already stuffed to the brim and rolling in delicious meat gluttony, he cleared the table and presented us with a Rosenfeld's babka. It had been in his freezer since his last trip to Boston. And we made room in our tummies for it.

Photo credit: Rosenfeld's Facebook fan page

Rosenfeld's is a kosher bagel shop in Newton, Massachusetts, that also happens to make these incredible loaves of chocolate babka. There's a thick layer of chocolate glaze coating the top, plus chocolate filling, and a powdered sugar glaze also drizzled on top. The babka is pareve, making it perfect as the last taste in your mouth after a nice Shabbat meat meal.

Best of all, my friend sent the rest of the loaf home with me!

Next time you're in Boston, be sure to visit Rosenfeld's Bagels and pick up a loaf of their babka. It freezes nicely so you can pull it out for special occasions. I hear the challah is out-of-this-world, too. And Yelpers give this bakery a whopping 4.5 out of 5 stars. That's impressive. Of course one bite of the babka, and now I see why all the Yelper love.

Photo credit: Boston's Hidden Restaurants

The Details:
Rosenfeld's Bagels
1280 Center Street
Newton, MA 02459
(617) 527-8080

Financiers au Chocolat, A.K.A. Individual Chocolate Almond Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:01:00 +0000

I'm always looking for an excuse to use my almond extract. I don't get many opportunities because I serve some pretty picky eaters, and for some reason, almond extract goes hand-in-hand with nuts, raisins, onions, and a few other most-commonly-avoided ingredients among friends (and children....huh, strange coincidence). This is so annoying since I love all those foods! But I decided I would make these chocolate almond cakes because they sound excellent, easy, and I'd be offering them at a party attended by mature palates. The sissies can just deal!

The recipe is inherently good because of its author, David Lebovitz. But one taste and you don't need to be sold based on author. The instructions say to finely grind the almonds, but I left mine slightly coarser because I wanted some crunch in the cakes. Either way works great. And don't you just love the French name? Financiers au Chocolat. It's so pompous and showy in all the right ways! It allows a silly little home baker like me the chance to make something that sounds way harder than it is, as if I attended a cooking school in Paris or something.

If you're a fan of almonds, then you're in for a treat.

Financiers au Chocolat, A.K.A. Individual Chocolate Almond Cakes
Recipe by David Lebovitz in The Sweet Life in Paris

Makes 15.

6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup (90 g) sliced almonds
3 tablespoons (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
1 tablespoon (10 g) flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (90 g) confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly butter mini-muffin tins or a silicone baking mold with 1-inch round indentations and place on a sturdy baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside until room temperature.

3. In a food processor or blender, finely grind the almonds with the cocoa, flour, salt, and sugar.

4. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

5. Stir the egg whites and almond extract into the ground almond mixture, then gradually stir in the melted butter until smooth and fully incorporated.

6. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them three-quarters full.

7. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly puffed and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool completely before removing from the molds.

Storage: Once cooled, financiers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. The batter can also be made, then chilled and baked up to five days later.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Finely grind together the almonds, cocoa, flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor...

Transfer that dry mixture to a bowl and stir in the egg whites and almond extract...

Stir in the melted butter...

Mix just until incorporated...

Spoon the mixture into greased muffin cups, filling them 3/4 full...

Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes...

Let cool in the pan completely, then carefully remove from the pan...

Chocolate Pound Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:01:00 +0000

This is the recipe where I ran out of sugar and butter and almost eggs. That's because I didn't register in my brain at the time that pound cake, by definition, requires a lot of heavy duty ingredients. In fact, the ratio of sugar to flour to fat is usually 1:1:1. In other words, I'd need 3 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 3 sticks of fat (1 stick of butter, 2 sticks of shortening). Plus 5 eggs. Yes, it's very possible to run out of ingredients if you don't plan ahead. And yes, that's what happened to me. Late night run to the grocery store to finish making this cake.

But oh boy it is worth it! Pound cake is a dense cake. It takes an hour and a half to bake! You can even pick the slice up with your hand rather than a fork because it won't crumble or break off. It's not at all diet food, but it's also heavier tasting and therefore you don't need the same size slice you'd take if it were a devil's food cake. One of these pound cakes and you can easily serve 25 or 30 people. Have a glass of milk ready, too.

The recipe comes from the cookbook spinoff All Cakes Considered from NPR's All Things Considered. I totally relate to this cookbook and the author Melissa Gray because she is the "Cake Lady" for the NPR staff, bringing in baked goods each Monday. I am the Cake Lady for my office, though I don't have a schedule quite as disciplined and regular as Gray. Maybe that will come with time...

Chocolate Pound Cake
Recipe by Melissa Gray in All Cakes Considered

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs

1. Position a rack so the cake will sit in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper and spray the sides and bottom with baking spray.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, dry whisk the flour, sugar, and cocoa together.

3. Gradually add the butter, shortening, and milk and beat on medium speed until smooth.

4. Add the baking powder and salt, and beat until incorporated.

5. Still on medium speed, add the vanilla extract and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick or thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and flip it onto a rack or plate. Continue cooling the cake.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Dry whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and sugar in a mixing bowl...

Add the butter and shortening...

Then add the milk...

Then add the baking powder and salt...

Now add the vanilla and mix well...

Mix in the eggs...

Spread the batter into the prepared pan...

Bake for an hour and a half at 325 degrees F...

Let cake cool completely before slicing and serving...

Look how dense!

Slice and serve!

Baking Bread in Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:04:00 +0000

The baker carefully pulling the baked bread out of the oven with tongs

As I mentioned in my last post, I just returned from 2 weeks in Israel. I traveled all over the country and took over a thousand photos and an hour and a half of video on my HD Flip Mino. Much of the footage is of my meals, or of restaurants or markets. I'm a little obsessed with food. And the food of Israel is delicious and amazing.

On my very last day in Israel, my friend Joel, who moved to Jerusalem about 10 months ago, took me to a bakery in Jerusalem just outside the shuk (outdoor market). It was my birthday. Joel thought I'd get a kick out of the unusual way this bakery bakes its bread. He was right. I was fascinated by the bizarre oven pits and baking method. You stretch out the bread dough on what looks like a round pillow cushion, then carefully hold the edge of this cushion with your hand, stick your arm in the oven, and slap the cushion against the oven wall so that the dough sticks to the wall. It bakes for 3 minutes.

The baker saw how interested I was in what he was doing, and kindly invited me into the kitchen. He showed me the whole process, then showed me the scars on his arm from several burns, and then asked me to try my hand at slapping dough into the oven. Um, in that order. Let me repeat that. First he shows me his battle wounds, then says it's my turn. Suffice it to say, I was scared to death.

Without further ado, here's my 5 minute video of bread baking in a Jerusalem bakery. Enjoy!

Video: Marni and Joel Go Inside a Jerusalem Bakery Kitchen

Photos: In the Bakery Kitchen!

The baker preparing the portions of dough

The baker and Marni hanging out in the kitchen

Dough baking against the oven wall

The bakery sign as seen from Agrippas Street

My friend Joel and me enjoying the just-baked bread!

I'm Back and Birthdayed with Mark Peel!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:01:00 +0000

My sister Beth, Mark Peel, and me!

I just returned from two amazing weeks in Israel (and I'll have more to say about that in upcoming posts). The last day of my trip was spent in Jerusalem, and it was also my birthday. Pretty special to celebrate the day in the Holy Land. This weekend, back in Los Angeles, I got together with friends for a little belated birthday bash at The Tar Pit, chef-restaurant mastermind Mark Peel's latest endeavor, and wow, my first impression was great! The vibe was cool and classy. Giant glass chandeliers, mirrored walls, and beautiful and comfy armchair seating. The drinks were fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed my mint cucumber cocktail.

Being reunited with my friends after two weeks away, and doing so at a neat new bar-restaurant run by a man who's already proven himself to me with Campanile Restaurant and La Brea Bakery, made this birthday celebration a hit. But an unexpected bonus appearance by the real deal, Mark Peel, put this night over the top and gave me what friends pointed out on my face as a giant grin and glow. It's true, I couldn't stop smiling. So this is exactly what happened...

We are surprised and elated to see Mark Peel personally
delivering a dessert plate and birthday candle to our table!

I saw a man walk through the restaurant in a white chef coat and I immediately knew who it was. I stretched my arm and pointed him out to my friends. My friends tried to stop me from pointing, thinking I was identifying (and outing) some incognito celebrity who had just walked in. I explained to them that this man was the chef-owner. When they realized the level of excitement on my face, they encouraged me to go up to him and say hi.

I'm about to make a wish...

This wouldn't be the first time I'd met the man. He was a judge at the KCRW Good Food Pie Contest where I took home first place in the Creams category. So I got out of my seat and ran up to Mark Peel and said to him I wanted to re-introduce myself. He was so friendly! I told him it was my birthday party and he wanted to know where we were seated, what we were drinking, what we were eating, and if we were having a good time. Then he came over to our table to say hi to the gang. He told them I was Queen of Cream Pies, which made me blush. I couldn't believe I was chatting with Mark Peel. Then he went off to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he came back out with a yummy dessert plate of banana and coffee ice creams, an assortment of mini cookies, and a lit candle. He placed the plate in front of me, sang happy birthday, and sat down beside me. I made a wish and then got a photo with him. He stayed to chat for a few more minutes. Ain't life sweet!

The delicious dessert plate. Thank you, Mark Peel!

Mark, if you're reading this, you are a gracious host. Thanks for putting my birthday celebration over the top! I will definitely be returning to The Tar Pit; I have unfinished business there, needing to try the dinner menu and other delicious-sounding cocktails.

The Tar Pit
609 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 965-1300

Happy New Year and Away I Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:01:00 +0000

Happy 2010! I've already mistakenly written 2009 four times this year. I wonder at what point I'll catch on. I am looking forward to another fun year of baking and experimenting and learning new things. Oh, and sharing all that with you!

But first, I'm going to disappear for two weeks and do a little traveling. It's a great way to start off the new year! When I come back in late January, I'll be ready to go in baking mode.

Until then!

Peach Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

What a happy cake. It's unintimidating and friendly and colorful. You can make it all year round because it uses canned peaches instead of fresh (though fresh will work, too). It's got a beautiful cross section with bright spots of yellow peaches peek-a-booing out. And cream cheese frosting is always a hit with guests. Author Melissa Gray is my new best friend!

I made this cake in my mom's kitchen, and one of many special things about that (aside from the obvious - being in the company of my mother, which is always a treat), was that I was able to use my grandmother's tube pan to bake the cake. My mom has a lot of her mom's baking equipment. I never had a chance to meet my grandmother, but getting to use the exact same items she once used makes me feel like she's in the room with me. I know that she and I would have been great friends.

My grandmother was an avid baker, just like my mom and me. Baking must be hereditary. And Bubbe, this cake's for you!

Peach Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe by Melissa Gray in All Cakes Considered

For the cake
3 large eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups sliced peaches, preferably canned
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

For the frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

To make the cake
1. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the cake pan by lining the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan with parchment paper and spraying the sides and bottom with baking spray.

2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, and oil. Mix on medium speed until just blended.

3. In a separate bowl, dry whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together. Add to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. The batter will be sticky.

4. With a spatula and/or wooden spoon, fold in the peaches and nuts.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until the cake tests done.

6. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then unmold onto a cake rack. Allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting
7. With the mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.

8. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and ginger. Beat until smooth.

9. Apply the frosting to the cooled cake.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Grease and flour a 10-cup tube pan (this exact one was my grandmother's!)...

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside...
Mix the eggs, sugar, and oil...
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture...
The batter will be sticky and light brown colored...
Drain the peaches (if canned, they come with syrup you'll need to discard) and slice each one in half if you want smaller pieces...
Add the peaches and nuts to the batter...

Fold them in to incorporate but don't overmix...

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan...

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 50 minutes...

Let cool completely...

To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla...

Add the confectioners' sugar and ginger...

Mix until of spreading consistency...

Spread the frosting on the cake, garnish with nuts if desired, slice and serve!

Spiced Nut Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Does spiced nut snack mix count as baking? Sure, why not! It goes in the oven! And this recipe is by an extraordinary baker, David Lebovitz. And I like it! Those are some pretty good reasons. Preparing flavored, spiced nuts is simple, and they make a great hospitality gift when you're invited to a dinner party, or to serve at your own dinner party. People like to nosh while they schmooze, so let's give them something to nosh on!

Spiced Nut Mix aka Melange de Noix Epicees
Recipe by David Lebovitz in The Sweet Life in Paris
Makes 4 cups

2 cups (275 g) raw nuts - any combination of pecans, almonds, peanuts, cashews, and hazelnuts
1 tablespoon (15 g) salted or unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons (45 g) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder or smoked paprika
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups (100 g) small pretzel twists

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, maple syrup, and cocoa.

3. Stir the warm nuts into the spice mixture to coat them completely, then sprinkle on the salt.

4. Mix in the pretzels, then spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the nuts are well-glazed and browned. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Once cool, break up the clusters and serve.

Storage: The nuts can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to five days.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and toast them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees...

In a bowl, blend together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, maple syrup, and cocoa...

Pour the toasted nuts into the spice mixture...

Stir to cover all of the nuts with the spices...

Add the salt...

Add in the pretzels...

Stir until the pretzels are well-coated with the spice mixture...

Spread the nuts and pretzels onto the baking sheet...

Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 until they have a nice glaze on them...

Ready for snacking!

Yogurt Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

I love cakes that call for some sort of dairy product. The crumb comes out especially moist. My favorite chocolate birthday cake, a recipe from my bubbe, uses a cup of buttermilk. The chocolaty fudge cake I made earlier this month by Marcel Desaulniers also calls for buttermilk. The cinnamon pumpkin cake bars I made in November uses sour cream and they turn out light and fluffy and amazingly moist. The plum blueberry upside down cake by David Lebovitz that I made back in July calls for milk. The chocolate zucchini cake I made over a year ago specifies sour cream or yogurt will do. Catch my drift yet? Dairy is your friend! Well, cake's friend, anyways.

I can often guess if a cake I'm tasting has some sort of dairy in it. I'll be at a restaurant with a friend and say to Friend, "Friend, this cake is so moist! Look at the crumb on this baby!" Friend adds, "Yeah, I love it. How's it so moist?" To which I reply, "Dairy, darling. Dairy." Ok, maybe I'm dreaming, but that's how the conversation would go.

But what I'm not so good at telling is the type of dairy used. The moistness of a cake can come from any of several types of dairy. When a recipe calls for dairy, I often use yogurt, buttermilk, and sour cream interchangeably. But with a recipe like this coffee cake, where yogurt is in the title, I'm going to stick with yogurt simply because the author put so much prominence on the ingredient that I'll stick to the letter of the law.

You are really going to like this cake. I bet you can guess by now that I'm going to tell you it's moist. But it's also full of flavor, easy to make, attractive, and perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Enjoy!

Yogurt Coffee Cake
Recipe by Margaret Fox in Morning Food
Makes 1 cake that serves 12

1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda, sifted
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups white flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Topping
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt and baking soda, and set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and eggs until fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, add to the butter mixture, and blend. Quickly stir in the yogurt and soda.

Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. If you are using chocolate chips, sprinkle evenly over the surface and press them lightly into batter. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle it evenly on the surface. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes, until it tests done with a toothpick.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Mix together the yogurt and baking soda...

Cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and eggs...
Sift together the baking powder and flour, then add to the butter mixture...

The batter will be thick and sticky...

To the batter, add the baking soda/yogurt mixture, which will have puffed up from the chemical reaction...

The resulting batter will be shiny and smooth...

Spread into a greased baking pan...

Distribute the chocolate chips over the batter, then carefully press them in...

For the topping, combine the cinnamon, brown sugar, and nuts...

Here's your topping...

Sprinkle the topping over the batter...

Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven...

Look how moist!

Quick and Easy Rocky Road Fudge

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

This is really good fudge and there's nothing to it. I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9x13" pan so I wouldn't mind giving a lot of it away. That logic didn't end up working because honestly, it's so good I do mind giving it away! The recipe comes from chocolate genius Lora Brody's cookbook Chocolate American Style, which I just spent the past weekend studying in depth. I've marked about a dozen pages of things to try, and this fudge was first on the list.

It makes a great homemade gift because, first of all, who doesn't like fudge, and second of all, it has a long shelf life so you can make it days in advance of your gift-giving and the recipient doesn't have to eat it all at once. Go to Michaels craft store or other creative supply shop and buy some goodie boxes, cute ribbon, stickers, and perhaps paper cup liners, and make a fun project out of decorating the fudge gift boxes.

Quick and Easy Rocky Road Fudge
Recipe by Lora Brody in Chocolate American Style

Makes 1 1/4 pounds: 24 generous pieces

Unsalted butter for preparing the pan
1 2/3 cups (13 ounces) sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups (3 ounces) miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup (3 ounces) toasted nuts of your choice, coarsely chopped
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Generously butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with enough aluminum foil to overlap two opposite sides of the pan by 2 inches. Butter all the foil that touches the bottom and sides of the pan.

Place the sugar and evaporated milk in a 2-quart saucepan and set it over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil, and cook it for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir well around the bottom of the pan so that the mixture doesn't burn.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts. Add the marshmallows and nuts and stir until the fudge begins to cool and thicken. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Press the mixture into the pan and allow it to cool until firm.

Unmold the fudge onto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and use a long, sharp knife dipped in hot water and dried to cut the fudge into portions.

The fudge can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Heat up the sugar and evaporated milk...

Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and liquid is simmering...

Remove the pan from the heat and add the unsweetened chocolate...

When the chocolate has melted, add the marshmallows...

Let the marshmallows melt...

Add the toasted walnuts...

Continue stirring until the mixture thickens...

Add the chocolate chips...

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and let cool until firm...

Yum. So chocolaty!

Scavenging Los Angeles Cupcakeries in a Chevy Camaro and Equinox with Best of Tours

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Image credit: When Tara Met Blog

Say what now?

Yes, on Saturday, I spent a couple of hours with fellow food bloggers, being chauffeured around town in Chevy demo cars, going from cupcake place to cupcake place to cupcake place to cupcake place.

Image credit: When Tara Met Blog

More specifically, we all met up at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, where a couple of Chevy Equinoxes and one Chevy Camaro were lined up in the horseshoe, waiting for us. Giant magnet decals stuck to the outsides of the cars that read Best of Tours. That's because we were about to embark on a best-of-Los-Angeles-cupcake-bakeries tour. There were four stops planned: Crumbs Bake Shop, Sprinkles, SusieCakes, and Vanilla Bake Shop. The drivers had their printed-out cupcakeries maps ready to go. We got in the vehicles, taking turns riding in the Camaro because there was only one, and because it was so freaking awesome (bumblebee yellow and black and special Transformers edition with the Transformers logo on the outside of the car and stitched on the leather center armrest).

Our first stop was to Crumbs Bake Shop in Beverly Hills, and Harley Bauer, the owner and West Coast partner of the company, was there to greet us and personally hand us our cupcakes to sample. He was very hospitable, offering everyone coffee, additional cupcakes, and staying to chat. He was also wearing a fantastic t-shirt ("Jews do it for eight nights"), so I was an instant fan. I've always enjoyed Crumbs because they have a great ratio of frosting to cake (in other words, a TON of frosting), they even have fillings, there are tons of flavors to choose from (Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is my absolute favorite), and they stay open later than any other cupcake shop I can think of so you can get your fix late at night. Crumbs is also certified Kosher, and that is one HUGE leg up over the competition in this very Jewish city, and much appreciated, might I add. :-) Getting to meet the owner behind this great brand was really exciting, and for him to turn out to be such a doll and so inviting and friendly only made my experience at Crumbs Bake Shop better. In fact, I can tell you right now, this first stop was the highlight of the tour for me.

Hanukkah cupcakes at Crumbs Bake Shop

Harley Bauer, owner/West Coast partner of Crumbs Bake Shop and Me
standing outside the Beverly Hills location

But I will blab on a bit about the other three stops because, well, there was a lot more sugar to be had, and I did have other positive experiences.

Sprinkles, just down the street from Crumbs Bake Shop, was our second stop. I really enjoy Sprinkles cupcakes. The ones I love the most are the ones that do, indeed, have sprinkles on them. For the tour, we pre-ordered a couple of boxes so we wouldn't have to wait, and we stood outside the shop to taste these. There is almost no room inside and we wouldn't all have been allowed in at once. Without getting to meet the owners or even the staff at Sprinkles, I simply didn't have the same positive feeling about this cupcakery that I had at Crumbs; it was missing the personal experience. But the cupcake itself was delicious. I had a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles covering every last spot of the frosted top.

Tara of When Tara Met Blog being fed a Sprinkles cupcake by pal Zendi

Then we were off to SusieCakes in Brentwood. The staff were warm and helpful. The holiday decor in the shop was everywhere, from the full-sized Christmas tree to the shelf displays to the baked goods, and they had a lot of seasonal options, not just in the form of cupcakes. In fact, while I got the gingerbread cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and it was spectacular, I also had my eye on a gingerbread whoopie pie with buttercream frosting sandwiched in between. Wow. SusieCakes makes a great cupcake. I am very impressed with how moist the cake part of the cupcake is.

Seasonal cupcakes at SusieCakes; I ordered the gingerbread ones
on the left with cream cheese cheese frosting

Amazing-looking gingerbread whoopie pies with
buttercream frosting from SusieCakes

My make-shift Tupperware is filling up!

Finally, we stopped off at Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica. There were some cutely decorated cupcakes for Christmas with dyed green frosting, and mini versions of some of the flavors. I opted for a chocolate cupcake with toasted coconut frosting. Yum.

Lindsay, friend and co-editor of LAist, sitting in the
backseat of the Chevy Equinox with me.

I hope I get to partake in another Best of Tour because I had a lot of fun. It was neat to meet bloggers whom I only knew online via their blogs or on Twitter, plus going to eateries and sampling food is always a good time. And then of course, there's the aspect of being driven around in brand new vehicles with that new car smell...

The Chevy Equinox was a fun ride. Kind of reminded me of a Honda CRV. Outdoorsy and rugged, yet sophisticated enough to work as an everyday car. We even tested out the On Star feature, calling the hotline for directions back to the Pacific Design Center. There was plenty of leg room and the leather was comfortable.

Chevy Camaro and 3 Equinox cars taking us around LA

The new Camaro was a great ride and in a totally different way than the Equinox. It was sporty and sexy and bulging with biceps, if you know what I mean, and I could tell people on the streets were paying attention. And we weren't in just any Camaro. It was the bumblebee, meaning bright yellow with black striping detail all the way down the car. And it was the Transformers special edition with logo detailing on the outside and on the leather interior. The only thing missing from the scene was Shia Labeouf.

The sexy bumblebee Transformers special edition Chevy Camaro

Transformers logo affixed to the Chevy Camaro!

Transformers logo embroidered on the interior leather of the Chevy Camaro!

Special thanks to Tara of When Tara Met Blog for organizing the event. Thanks also to Chevy and GM for providing the transportation and to the cupcakeries for putting up with a crowd of chatty, photo-snapping, inquisitive bloggers.

Speaking of these bloggers, if you want to follow some really interesting, opinionated, fun ones on Twitter, why not start with the attendees from this event!

Here are their Twitter handles:
@BakeSpace
@squashblossom
@Kat_Taf
@LetMeEatCake
@LAOCFoodie
@Kimmycocochanel
@tarametblog
@kathleenbush
@katelin
@carolineoncrack
@happygomarni
@fauxlahipster
@pleasurepalate
@juliewolfson
@bestoftours
@GMNewsSoCal
@MeshaThomas

And here are recaps of the day by some of the bloggers:
Caroline on Crack: "Best of LA Cupcakes Tour with Bloggers and Chevy"
Let Me Eat Cake: "Cupcake Coma"
When Tara Met Blog: "Best of LA Cupcakes Tour with Chevy"
Pretty Sandy Feet: "Cupcakes and Wedding Dresses!"
Faces of GM: "Bloggers, Cupcakes and Chevrolet"
L.A. and O.C. Foodventures: "Thankfulness for Cupcake Tour Around LA"
LAist: "Tuesday is National Cupcake Day: So Who Has the Best?"
Edmunds Inside Line: "Chevrolet Goes on Cupcake Tour in L.A."
Pleasure Palate: "LA Cupcake Tour Powered by Chevy"

I've retired from cupcakes for a few days.

Chocolaty Fudge Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

This cake is a 10. It's a slightly denser, heavier chocolate cake than a devil's food because of the large quantity of butter. But it's not as dense as a pound cake and honestly, it's just right! You actually serve it chilled, which I found unusual for a chocolate layer cake. The chocolate frosting is amazingly rich, light in color, and with a strong brown sugar, even caramel flavor to it. Not your normal chocolate frosting. Makes an incredible birthday cake, and that's how I used it. Now I just need to find more birthdays to celebrate.

Me bringing the cake to the birthday girl

My Aunt Debbie, the birthday girl! The cake was a well kept secret
and my aunt had no idea I had baked it for her...until this moment!

Chocolaty Fudge Cake
Recipe by Marcel Desaulniers in I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas

Heavy Fudge Icing
2 cups tightly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces

Chocolaty Fudge Cake
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, plus 2 teaspoons, melted
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the heavy fudge icing:

1. Bring the brown sugar, cream, chocolate, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and melt the chocolate and butter. Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat. Pour into a baking sheet with sides and use a rubber spatula to spread evenly. Refrigerate for 2 hours, until chilled thoroughly.

Make the chocolaty fudge cake:

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9 x 1 1/2-inch cake pans with some of the melted 2 teaspoons butter. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment or wax paper, then lightly coat the paper with more melted butter.

3. In a sifter, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Sift onto a large piece of parchment or wax paper.

4. Melt the chocolate and the remaining 8 ounces butter in the top of a double boiler or in a medium glass bowl in a microwave oven; stir until smooth.

5. Place the granulated sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium-high for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened and pale yellow in color. Add the melted chocolate and mix on low to combine, about 15 seconds. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix on low to combine, about 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until thoroughly combined.

6. Immediately divide the batter into the prepared pans, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake on the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans at room temperature for 15 minutes. Invert the cake layers onto cake circles or cake plates. Carefully peel the paper away from the bottom of each layer. Refrigerate the cake layers, uncovered, for at least 2 hours before assembling.

7. Transfer the chilled fudge to the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on high for 2 minutes until lighter in color (a very mellow chocolate brown) and slightly fluffy.

8. Remove the cake layers from the refrigerator. Use an icing spatula to evenly and smoothly spread 2 1/2 cups of the icing over the top and sides of one of the inverted layers (baked top down). Place a second layer, baked top up, on the icing and gently press it into place. Evenly and smoothly spread the remaining icing onto the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour before slicing and serving.

9. Heat the blade of a serrated knife under hot running water and wipe dry before cutting each slice. Serve immediately.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

To make the cake, melt chocolate and butter together...

Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl...

Blend together the sugar and eggs until pale yellow in a mixer...

Add the melted chocolate and mix...

Add the dry ingredients gradually...

Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix just until combined...

Here's your cake batter!

Divide the batter evenly among two round cake pans...

Bake the cakes for 28-30 minutes at 325 degrees F...

To make the frosting, heat together the brown sugar, cream, chocolate, and butter...

Let simmer for 15 minutes...

When the mixture is completely thickened and smooth, pour into a baking pan with sides and chill for 2 hours...

When the frosting mixture has chilled, scrape it out of the baking pan and into a stand mixer...

Whip up the frosting until light brown in color and thick and spreadable...
To assemble the cake, first place strips of wax paper under the first cake layer so frosting doesn't get all over the serving plate...

Cover the first layer with frosting...

Add the second cake layer...

Frost the top and sides of the cake...

Sooooo good!

No-Knead Onion Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:02:00 +0000

Oh baby this bread is goooooooooood! We made it for Thanksgiving dinner. It uses onion soup mix, which is full of great hearty flavor. Lipton's makes a perfect onion soup mix and I think they come two packets to a box. So, if you make the Spinach Kugel I posted a few months ago, you can use one onion soup packet for that, and the other for this delicious bread. The recipe calls for dill, but in the crazy kitchen chaos hours before Thanksgiving dinner, we couldn't find dill in the spice cupboard so we skipped it. I made the bread again last night and did use dill in it, and holy mother of breadgoodness, it adds wonders to an already spectacular loaf! So with or without dill, this bread is a keeper.

After Thanksgiving was over, the leftover loaf made a great sandwich with some swiss cheese, lettuce, and avocado. Yum! And did you notice in the title that it's no-knead? That means no pulling out the pastry board, dirtying extra dishes, and putting your fists into it. Easy breezy yeast bread!

No-Knead Onion Bread
Recipe by Marlene Sorosky in Easy Entertaining with Marlene Sorosky

Note from author: Lots of onion soup mix and dill lace this tender, even-grained peasant loaf. A perfect partner to heaty soups and entrees.

1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 package dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons dry onion soup mix
1 tablespoon dried dillweed
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water for glaze
Butter for serving, if desired

Pour water into a large bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar; let sit 5 minutes or until foamy. In a medium saucepan, heat cottage cheese, butter or margarine, honey and onion soup mix until buter melts and mixture is warm to the touch. Stir in dill, baking soda, salt and egg. Stir into yeast mixture. Stir in flour; the batter will be stiff. Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and a damp towel. Set in a warm place and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and place in a well greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the top of the loaf lightly with egg glaze. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is browned. Remove from oven, immediately go around edges with a knife and invert loaf. Turn right side up and cool on rack. Serve with butter, if desired.

*The bread may be wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature up to 2 days or frozen.

Makes 1 loaf.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine cottage cheese, butter, honey, and onion soup mix and heat until butter is melted...

Stir in dill, baking soda, salt, and egg...

Add this warm cottage cheese mixture to the yeast, water, sugar mixture...

Add flour. Dough will be stiff...

Cover and let sit about one hour until doubled in size...

Pat into greased loaf pan. Let rise again until doubled in size, then brush with egg wash...

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes...

Remove from pan, turn over, and tap the bottom to listen for a hollow sound, which indicates it's done.

Turn it over again so it is right side up and let cool...

Slice and serve!

No-Bake Gingersnap Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Yeah! It's December and that means lots of holiday treats! My kitchen is in full swing this month, ok, every month, but I feel especially inspired to bake this time of year. I think it's all the seasonal flavors I get excited about.

Similar to the Rum Balls I blogged about last year, these No-Bake Gingersnap Balls are a little more kid-friendly. And they're addictive. And easy! Even the most inept baker will be able to put these together. Sorry, did that offend you? I just meant, if you suck at baking, don't worry, you'll do fine! :-P

No-Bake Gingersnap Balls
Recipe from Santa's Favorite Cookies December 2004 issue
Makes 2 dozen cookies

20 gingersnap cookies (about 5 ounces)
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar

1. Place cookies in large resealable plastic food storage bag; crush finely with rolling pin or meat mallet.

2. Combine corn syrup and peanut butter in medium bowl. Add crushed gingersnaps; mix well. (Mixture should hold together without being sticky. If mixture is too dry, stir in additional 1 tablespoon corn syrup.

3. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls; roll in powdered sugar.

Cook's note: Some gingersnaps are crisper than others, so you might need to add an extra tablespoonful or two of corn syrup to the crumb mixture to hold it together.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine corn syrup and peanut butter in a bowl...

Add the crushed gingersnaps and mix well...

Shape the mixture into balls...

Then roll the balls in powdered sugar. That's it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Today is Thanksgiving and I thought I'd take a moment to share a few things I'm thankful for this year. It's certainly not a comprehensive list. It's simply a little look into the past year and some of the things that have put the Happy in Happy Go Marni.

I'm thankful for my family. My mom Joyce and I talk every day and are as close as a mother and a daughter could be. She is my baking inspiration, an accomplished physical therapist, and the strongest woman I know. My dad Mark is brilliant and artistic and creative and fun. I call him for advice or to run ideas by him and he always has great feedback. My sister Beth is an amazing pediatric physical therapist, adventurous and curious, and always happy to try new restaurants or see shows with me, not to mention share precious sister-talk. My brother Zachary is a walking, talking dictionary. He just finished his masters degree at the London School of Economics and I'm so happy he moved back to the states. He can pretty much spout off any historical info on demand and shares my passion for social media.

I'm thankful for my LA community. I surround myself with supportive, fun-loving friends and together we explore the city, take turns hosting dinner parties, share or exchange clothes, and listen when someone needs an ear. It is a truly wonderful network of friends and I am so lucky!

I'm thankful for my KitchenAid standmixer. I didn't get this machine in 2009, but it's the gift that keeps on giving. I get so much pleasure from this machine that it's just about the biggest ROI purchase I've ever made. Baking in the Happy Go Marni kitchen would not be complete without my KitchenAid.

I'm thankful for my DVR. I watch a lot of TV series. But I'm also a busy girl, who works hard, commutes 2 hours a day, still manages to go out, see friends, play piano, frequent the sushi bars, bake, and fit in sleep. I don't let my TV shows dictate my life. The DVR allows me to watch shows in between the rest of my activities. My guilty pleasures of Glee, 90210, Melrose Place, Parks and Recreation, Private Practice, Big Bang Theory, The Middle, How I Met Your Mother, Iron Chef, Ugly Betty, Family Guy, and others can all wait!

I'm thankful for my cookbook collection. This collection grows every year. I have a disease called Must Buy More Cookbooks. It's a bad disease. It has infested my living room. There are two giant bookshelves near the couches and the only things in them are cookbooks. That's how many I have! Even when I'm not in the mood to bake, I'll still pull a cookbook off the shelf just to read it, study the recipes, the forward, the index, the photos, whatever. It makes a great night cap to an evening, just before bed. I mark the pages of these books with post-its, each one indicating a recipe I plan to try one day. At this point, with probably hundreds upon hundreds of post-its used, it's not realistic I'll get to them all and that makes me really sad and frustrated. There aren't enough hours in the day!

I'm thankful for my job. I am fortunate to have such a wonderful job with great coworkers, a supportive and involved boss, and work that constantly challenges me both intellectually and creatively.

I'm thankful for running. It was just over a year ago that I discovered running. At the time, October 2008, I started in order to train for a half-marathon in honor of my friend Rachel who was diagnosed with lymphoma. But even after the half-marathon ended, I ran in two more races and have kept up my running ever since. It's an incredible full body workout, a great stress reliever, and it allows me to catch up on whatever music I've just downloaded to my iPod.

And finally...

I'm thankful for my blog readers. I have a great time baking and writing up these blog posts and it's doubly fun to know that others are enjoying reading them. Hearing that someone made a recipe off my blog and it was a success is very rewarding. Hearing that my step-by-step photos are helpful is also really rewarding. I've met a lot of wonderful bloggers and non-bloggers through this blog. It's surprising and awesome how much fun this blog has brought me. So thank you to you, dear blog readers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

I know there was reportedly a pumpkin shortage this holiday season, but in my house, you wouldn't have known it! When I decided to make these bars, I didn't need to go to the store to buy pumpkin. I had 3 cans sitting in my pantry. I'm that way about a lot of things. I don't let my ingredients get depleted. It's the girl scout at heart in me, despite never actually having done Girl Scouts. Nothing is worse than being mid-recipe and running out of something, or being in the mood to bake, but having to go to the store because you don't already have the ingredients in stock. Even as my flour bin is half full, I already have another unopened bag ready to go. Same with sugar. Same with peanut butter. Same with pumpkin. I used up part of one can on this recipe, which means I've still got at least two more baked goods to make before the holidays are over. That won't be difficult.

These bars are a moist cake, not too tall, though I suppose if you baked them in a smaller pan for a little longer, you could have taller bars. The cream cheese frosting is a nice addition. I don't normally make cream cheese frosting because it's fattening, but it was such a thin layer spread on the bars that I was willing, and it really did make a difference. I served these at a potluck dinner, and then brought the leftovers to work. They were a hit with everyone!

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Bars
Recipe by Beatrice Ojakangas in Light and Easy Baking

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 13 x 9 inch pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with wax paper or parchment paper and spray again.

In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, egg, sugar, oil, and sour cream. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. When the bars are cooled, spread with the frosting. Cut into bars to serve.

Makes 24 bars.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine pumpkin, egg, sugar, oil, and sour cream...

Stir until well blended...

Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl...

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture...

Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes...

Prepare the frosting by mixing together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla...

Spread the frosting over the completely cooled pumpkin bars using an offset spatula...

This is what I'm talking about!

Yes, I Really Did Attend a Johnny Cash Tribute Band and Live Cooking Show

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Friday night, I took my friend Maya, the awesome blogger personality behind Shop Eat Sleep, and her boyfriend Rory, to "All Cake, No File," a show in Culver City with an unlikely match-up. It was part live cooking show and part Johnny Cash tribute band. Jewell Rae Jeffers, in a blond, 1950s wig, and thick Southern accent, led the cooking portion by demonstrating her Coke Cake on stage. It was a cake mix, some Coca-Cola, eggs, pecans, and a few more things, plus frosting with marshmallows. She offered up social commentary on the prison system while she baked and made funny mentions about all the products she was using in her cake that the show was not endorsing. The show was silly, but what do you expect from something that's part of the WTF?! Festival?

L-->R: Me, Jewell Rae, Maya

I have to tell you, walking into the theater before the show started and seeing a KitchenAid on the stage was a huge thrill. It almost didn't matter what the show was like because I just loved that it involved a KitchenAid. But the show did turn out to be fun and funny. Jewell Rae interacted with the audience throughout the show, and in between baking, an amazing Johnny Cash tribute band called With a Bible and a Gun performed some classic Johnny Cash songs. They were such a talented band! And they are actually doing a prison tour, performing for inmates all over the U.S.! They don't pretend to be Johnny Cash or his bandmates, other than wearing black and playing his music, so it's not a tribute band in the full sense of the word. Wayne Kramer of the MC5 also made an appearance and performed a few songs.

Standing with Corby Gallegos, the leader singer of With a Bible and a Gun,
who sounds just like Johnny Cash!

When the show ended, everyone was invited to the patio to have a slice of the cake and schmooze with the performers. Yes, the night ended with cake! Isn't that how all shows should end? Next Friday, November 27, is your last chance to see this show and Jewell Rae will be baking a different cake!

This was my first time at the Ivy Substation and at any Actors' Gang event. There really is not a bad seat in the house and the back courtyard area is a neat touch with heatlamps and a bar. I would absolutely go back to this venue, with or without a KitchenAid on stage.

Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver to Launch a Dating Site

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:03:00 +0000

Ok, when I read this next bit of news, I couldn't help but laugh a little. Not because it's a ridiculous idea (in fact, it might be a really, really smart one), but because it seems as though chefs are entering every kind of business now! There's Rachael Ray and Mario Batali and tons of others who each have their own line of cookware and bakeware. Obviously chefs have restaurants, often times cookbooks, and sometimes teach classes or host speaking engagements. They have cooking shows and compete on reality shows. There's Guy Fieri who is even going on tour for a rock and roll cooking show/concert, which you can read all about in the Wall Street Journal. Yes, chef-turned-rockstar.

And now, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef, is launching a dating site. The tag line for the site is "Where food lovers meet." I guess if you want to be able to share your love of food with your partner, this could be a great place to find that special someone. In fact, Serious Eats coincidentally posted a really funny forum question a few days ago: "Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?" For a lot of people, it is a dealbreaker. So maybe Jamie Oliver's got something here! He's partnered with Match.com for a 2 year deal of food-love matchmaking. According to Marketing Magazine, new members to the site will even have a chance to win a meal for two at Jamie's Italian. The site has sections such as Dinner Date Tips, Food to Make You Fall in Love, and Making the First Meal for your Partner. The URL of the site is pretty easy to remember, too. http://www.JamieOliver.com/dating.

Now I've seen it all! No, I guess when a chef starts selling lawn mowers I'll have seen it all.

Coca-Cola Debuts New Aluminum Bottles as I Get Tipsy Drinking from Them

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:02:00 +0000

A few nights ago I attended a Coca-Cola blogger tasting event at a bar called High on the rooftop of Hotel Erwin in Venice, CA. There were amazing views of the city from up there, and fortunately also heat lamps! I brought along two of my closest friends David and Tzviah and we met up with friend/blogger AJ of Confessions of a Fat Girl and friend Jess. In the elevator on our way up to the roof, I ran into Christina of Hot Pink Manolos and what's funny about that is, we were already friends on Twitter, but I had never met Christina in person until that elevator ride. Ah, the virtual-come-real world! It was also neat to see David and Tzviah wearing name tags with HappyGoMarni.com written beneath their names. As if they were working for me or representing me. Well I suppose that's possible...they are lawyer-folk, after all.

The entrance to the bar when you step off the elevator onto the rooftop

AJ of Confessions of a Fat Girl and me

Tzviah and David. Notice their nametags! They must work for me. :-)

But besides hanging out with friends at a cool venue in Venice, the primary reason I was there was to check out the new limited availability 8.5-ounce Coca-Cola Aluminum Contour Bottles. They are really neat! They keep the drink cold much longer than the normal cans, and they are sleek and classic like the old glass bottles of decades ago. Plus, unlike glass, they don't break if you drop them. Of course that doesn't make them spill-proof so don't drop them on your white carpet. I should really heed my own advice on that. They're also much heavier containers than the thin aluminum cans we are currently so used to and they're resealable.

At this event, the bartender was mixing cocktails that featured Coke, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero, and then funneling them into the new bottles to serve. I ordered the Coca-Libre, a drink that combined Coke, rum, grenadine, and red sugar. Another drink option was the Lemon Chilled made from Diet Coke, vodka, and lemonade. And a third drink option was the Zero Gravity with Coke Zero, Tequila Herradura, and fresh lime juice. Even some of the passed hors d'oeuvres contained Coke in the recipe. For sure the meatballs with their spicy, tangy Coke sauce. Yum!

Beef meatballs with a sauce made from Coke

At least for now, the new bottles are hard to find. Not sold in supermarkets and only in a few bars. I happen to live not-so-far from one of those bars: the SLS Hotel bar in Beverly Hills. Hopefully you'll have a chance to try a bottle soon. You could toss it in the recycle bin when you're done, or it makes a great bud vase!

Me with AJ of Confessions of a Fat Girl and Jess