Sugar Coma

Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2014-07-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Friendship can be a tricky thing. Making them, keeping them and enjoying them gets harder as you get older. If you're fortunate enough to have lifelong friendships that make you feel comfortable and open, then congratulations. But for most of us, friendships that survive growing up, marriage, kids, time and distance is a rare animal indeed. And fighting, let's not forget the fights, because friends who care about each other will invariably get into arguments.

As you get older and become set in your ways it's harder to approach other people, to put yourself out there on a ledge and expose your true self for the sake of making a new friend. Finding those that share similar life experiences or an interest in the same things can even be a chore. And if you're already married to your BEST friend it's nearly impossible to find another friend who will measure up.

Hell, I'm not even sure what point I'm trying to make with this post unless it's to say hold onto your friends. Or maybe I'm saying friends are a pain-in-the-butt that may or may not be worth the frustration. It's a social crapshoot sometimes so draw your own conclusions on what I'm trying to say.

I had some friends over from dinner and cake, so a post about friendship sounded like a good idea in my head, but now....

Let's just talk about the cake, alright?

It's a fairly straight-forward coffee cake base, with a tender crumb. I think I over-baked it a little because I found the cake portion to be a little dry. The cream cheese topping adds a nice tang to what could have been a boring cake. The blueberry and almonds are a great compliment to the cream cheese and make for a great combination. My friends liked it.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For the blueberry topping:

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons water, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping and assembly:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds

To make the blueberry topping:

Combine blueberries, 1/4 cup water, and lemon juice in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils. Lower heat and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally. Simmer until blueberries have split and released their juices (about 3 minutes).

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water. Add to blueberry mixture. Stir until thickened (about 1 minute).

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Add butter and mix with a pastry blender or a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Remove 1/2 cup of mixture and set aside to use for the topping.

Add lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, egg, and vanilla until blended and smooth. Add to flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Spread evenly.

To make the topping and assemble the cake:

Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and lemon juice until smooth. Spread mixture over cake batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.

Spread cooled blueberry mixture over cream cheese mixture. Leave some of the cream cheese mixture visible around the outermost edges.

Stir almonds into reserved cake mixture. Sprinkle over cake, placing most of the mixture around the outer edges.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and the center of the cake barely jiggles when the pan is gently shaken.

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, release the pan's latch and remove the sides of the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Read This Book

2014-03-30T16:23:00.002-07:00

It's not a newly released book. It was published in 2009. I've been anxiously awaiting the sequel ever since.

I keep a running list of my top five favorite books in my head at all times. You know, just in case I randomly get invited to the White House and need to make interesting dinner conversation.

To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-Douglas Adams
Shades of Grey-Jasper Fforde
Catch 22-Joseph Heller
Special Topics in Calamity Physics-Marisha Pessl

Jasper Fforde is probably best known for writing about the adventures of his book detective creation, Thursday Next. Which started off as a pretty fair series of books in their own right, but has faltered since the first three books.

Fforde is British with that wonderful Brit sense of humor that can make a good book a great book. He deserves far more attention for his canon of work than he receives.

A brief synopsis of the book: In a dystopian future (just stay with me) "something happened" and generations are born color blind. Everyone's place in society is dictated by the amount of any given color they can see.

That's it, that's all I'm willing to tell you. If it sounds boring, I assure you that you're mistaken.

Misery loves company. If I have to suffer through the wait of the sequel, then I need someone to do it with. Read this book, tell me what you think about it. Even if you end up hating it, I want to talk to you about it. Just read it.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

2014-03-30T15:02:00.001-07:00

There's a sense of self-satisfaction to making things yourself. Knowing that you accomplished something on your own is a real confidence builder and we could all use more of that.

When I had my first apartment I ran my own phone line into a room that was lacking one. I was so proud of what I'd done I called everyone I knew to squawk about my feat. You'd have thought I had found the Titanic, and raised it from the ocean floor using only my bare hands and a snorkel.

Making food from scratch that most people buy at the mega-mart has that same sense of ego enhancement. Around our house we make our own sauces: pasta, hot dog and stir fry. I have a friend who teases me about this practice, asking if I'm considering the move to an Amish lifestyle, and how often my butter churn is dragged out from the barn to be used. For the record, I have made my own butter (there was no churn in site unless you count my KitchenAid stand mixer) and it was nothing special. Tastes just like the supermarket stuff.

We occasionally make our own sandwich bread and bagels. And just as the homemade butter is nothing special, the bread is so perfect that it will make your heart soar. One of the great toppers for a large slice of that bread or one of the chewy bagels (my personal preference) is our own apple butter.

If you're wondering why you should make your own when buying it is so convenient, I have, in a surprise to no one who knows me, prepared a list.

Preparing it in a slow cooker is almost as easy as pulling a jar of pre-made off of the supermarket shelf. Hell, you don't even have to peel the apples. Throw in the ingredients and walk away for a few hours.
You control the flavor. The amount of spices and sugar is all up to you. All to be customized to your palate. I don't know about you, but I'm all about anything that is tailor-made for moi.
I won't lie to you and tell you it's cheaper than buying it pre-made, but per ounce it's still pretty inexpensive.
No artificial ingredients. Unless that's the kind of thing you enjoy.
You're painfully lonely and can't eat an entire jar of apple butter before it spoils? It's freezable.
You know exactly what's in the jar. Even if a hair ends up in the there, at least you know its YOUR hair.

ANNE’S SLOW COOKER APPLE BUTTER

3 LBS APPLES OF YOUR CHOICE

¼ C. SUGAR

¼ C. LIGHT BROWN SUGAR

½ TBS. VANILLA EXTRACT

½ TBS. CINNAMON

¼ TSP. GROUND NUTMEG

¼ TSP. SALT

1 TBS. CORNSTARCH

Core and chop apples (peel removal is optional). Add apples and all other ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 6 hours. Use immersion blender to puree the cooked mixture and smooth. Jar and refrigerate for up to 30 days. Makes approximately four cups of butter.

It's worth making just so you can text all your friends and brag about how great you are.

A Tale of Two Burrito Boutiques

2014-03-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Winter can be enjoyable, but even I have my limits. Luckily, there are plenty of burritos to keep me warm.

Getting the chance to cook a meal is something I thoroughly enjoy. The creativity, the stress relief, to say nothing of the eating, all speaks to my soul. But like most people of our generation, my love and I, also jump at the chance to hand the wooden spoons over to professionals who wish to feed us in exchange for money. We are adventurous eaters and our rotation of old and new restaurants is an eclectic one, except when it comes to Mexican eateries.

I'm going to say what so many of you have been thinking all along, but refuse to say aloud....all local Mexican restaurants taste exactly the same!! There is nothing that sets one apart from another. It's the same entrees of tacos and burritos with the same beans, lettuce and sour cream on the side. Oh sure, sometimes the whole eatery will get a little excited when someone dares to order that sizzling, smoking platter of fajitas. Oooohing and aaaahing as they're brought out to the table, but that's where the thrill ends. From the chips and salsa to the fried ice cream it's a big snore.

I usually avoid Mexican restaurants because life is too short to bore my taste buds to death. I prefer the taco salads, tacos and burritos that we make at home.

If you're thinking to yourself "It's easy for you to feel that way, but I don't cook. And my only other choice for Mexican is Taco Bell". Fear not, I have found an alternative that doesn't suck.

I give you Black Sheep Brews and Burritos. My second favorite restaurant (since they do not serve "The Cake" they will never take the top spot in stomach). This hipster, boutique burrito joint will wake up your taste receptors that were formerly addled by tasteless taquitos (try saying that three times quickly).

I've visited both locations in Charleston and Huntington. The space and decor for each is very different. Huntington's spot is cozy and intimate. Housed in the location of the former Calamity Cafe, the large bar is still the eye-grabber in the room. The space gives a hanging-out-waiting-for-the-party-to-start vibe.

The Charleston location stands at 702 Quarrier St. in the former Capitol Roasters building. The Charleston spot is much bigger allowing more seating (there's always a line to be seated), and has a warehouse/steakhouse feel to it with aluminum siding on the walls and exposed rafters. The downside to the larger space seems to be lack of sound absorption. Frankly, the hubs and I couldn't even hold a conversation over the roar of a family-filled Saturday night crowd. Yep, it made me feel old (LOWER YOUR VOICES YOU WHIPPERSNAPPERS....AND GET OFF OF MY LAWN WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!) This location also houses a microbrewery, adding to it's charm.

There are some things that can be counted on at both locations. Both seem to be a hit with small children. The menu is consistent at both (more on that in a minute). And one thing that you can be sure of, no matter which one spot you visit, you will be served by a dyed-in-the-wool hipster. Your waiter will have a full-on Grizzly Adams beard and will be wearing a toboggan while indoors, and because it is the law, your waitress will have the standard-issue nerd glasses (non-prescription), of course and she will be wearing skinny jeans with ballet slippers even though it -15 outside, (pink hair and indoor scarf optional). I'm not downing the hipsters, I'm just saying that they try so hard to be edgy and they end up looking like cookie-cutter conformists of themselves. *whispering* Maybe I am downing them just a wee bit.

But the burritos, OH THE BURRITOS YOU'LL EAT! That is why I came here is to tell you about the burritos, remember? Pictured above is the brisket burrito. I will not go into minute details on the ingredients, that's what the menu link is for at the end of the post. I will tell you that it is quite huge and ridiculously good. Wrapped in a large flour tortilla, covered with coleslaw, this Dijon glazed, burrito screams with mammoth tastiness. If you only eat one brisket burrito this year, make it a Black Sheep burrito, boys and girls.

If you don't like burritos then you should still visit Black Sheep for their large array of sandwiches, and side dishes. Most importantly the Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad. In this salad I may have found the perfect side dish. The complexity of its flavors set it apart from run-of-the-mill potato salad. In taking a bite, you are first hit with the sweetness of the potato. Then the smokiness of the chipotle comes roaring past. And last, but still important, you get just a touch of heat from the red pepper on the back end. I could take a bath in this stuff and never get sick of it.

So, you heard it here. Check this place out (the Huntington location, if you can), you won't be sorry.

http://www.blacksheepwv.com/

SALTED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES

2014-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

Another day, another brown cookie.

They look tasty, no? The flavor is rich, and screams for a large glass of milk. They're chocolatey with just the right amount of salt sprinkled on top. The taste is not the problem with this cookie. The problem is with the consistency, and the problem with the consistency stems from the need for more detail in the recipe. First let's look at the recipe....

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: about 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

2 to 3 tablespoons coarse salt, such as fleur de sal

Instructions

Place bittersweet chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at half power in microwave in 30-second increments until butter is melted and chocolate melts when stirred. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Slowly add the chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Stir in vanilla extract.

Add flour mixture in three portions, mixing just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. (If dough is still warm, allow to cool before stirring in chocolate chips so that they won't melt.)

Chill dough for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.

Use a cookie scoop to drop tablespoonfuls of dough on prepared pans. Sprinkle each cookie with desired amount of salt.

Bake cookies, one pan at a time, 8-10 minutes, or until outside edges of cookies are slightly cracked but centers are still soft. Do not overbake.

Refrigerate remaining dough until ready to bake. If the dough has become too hard, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping and baking.

Cool cookies on pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

The cookies should be somewhere between a cookie and a brownie, and it almost gets there. The recipe should be changed to specify chilling the dough for 15 minutes or until firm enough to roll into balls. I chilled the dough for 15 minutes, and it was runny. I chilled it for an additional 15 minutes and it was slightly more firm, but still more of a batter than a dough. I pressed ahead anyway and this is what happened with the first batch...

They spread during baking and were too thin to lift off of the parchment paper, they had to be scraped off after cooling. They tasted delicious, but a cookie they were not.

The second batched fared a little better, probably because the dough/batter had chilled 45 minutes for this round. But I don't think the cookies are supposed to turn out this thin, they should be puffier.

I would attempt this recipe again, just because the taste of these cookies is worth another shot. I wouldn't
call this whole thing and epic fail, but definitely a disappointment.

ITALIAN CREAM CAKE (OR HOW I STOPPED WORRYING AND LEARNED TO LOVE MY ACHILLES DESSERTS)

2013-12-29T10:16:00.001-08:00

For those of us who love to bake, there are always, ALWAYS those confections that never turn out quite right for us, no matter how hard we try. I call those confoundings my Achilles Desserts. For me, my list of Achilles Desserts(A.D.) always seem to be the sweets that I enjoy the most. Shortbread cookies make my mouth sing, but the ones I make always turn out like bland sand. What should be a smooth, creamy chocolate frosting for my Texas Sheet Cake instead turns into what I describe as shards of greasy glass. These things happen to me regardless of the multiple recipes I've tried for each one.

That brings us to what I thought was destined to be A.D. numero uno, Italian Cream Cake.

There's a small, Italian eatery near my house, that we frequent often. That restaurant has a house-made Italian Cream Cake on the menu that is so good that it will make you beg the owners to adopt you so that you can spend more time in the presence of.....THE CAKE. After eating THE CAKE a few times I was determined to replicate it in my own kitchen. Cake, nuts, cream cheese frosting. How hard could it possibly be??!! Turns out it was very, very hard. The recipes I tried were either too dry, or the flavoring did not live up to that of THE CAKE.

I had pretty much given up, and had come to terms with only having THE CAKE when out and about. The A.D. list had welcomed another addition.

And then, my boss' birthday rolled around. Knowing that the man loves pecans with a near-religious fervor, I searched my files for a cake that would scream "PECAN OVERLOAD!!!!!!" (I'm having a new love affair with exclamation points, it's a sickness really. Let's hope the symptoms soon pass....!!!!!). The only recipes that filled that need was the Italian Cream Cake. I stared bitterly at the pages, and they stared back, mocking me with their A.D.-ness (it's my blog and I can make up words(and faux drama) if I want to). A first-world problem, but still a problem, to be sure.

I threw out the useless recipes and again scoured the internet for the Italian Cream Cake that would rule them all. I'm sure you figured out that I found my saving recipe, otherwise there would be no point to this post. The cake is light and moist, the frosting is nutty and sweet without being overly so. It was a hit with my boss!!! (I will be entering exclamation point group therapy after the new year begins). I can't really compare this to THE CAKE, because they're so different from each other, but I'm satisfied with how close this cake comes to the cake of all cakes.

The recipe comes from http://www.bakeorbreak.com/ and I cannot begin to tell you how great that sight is. It's quickly becoming indispensable to me. I've included the full link to the cake recipe below.

http://bakeorbreak.ziplist.com/souschef?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakeorbreak.com%2F2006%2F11%2Fitalian-cream-cake%2F

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SUGAR COMA

RANDOM NOTES ON CHRISTMAS BAKING 2013

2013-12-29T08:48:00.000-08:00

I'm raising my own bad-ass Santa cookie army. One of them is so tough he cut off his own nose. Beware the KKLF (Kris Kringle Liberation Front). Motto: So cute, yet so angry.

Raspberry Oat Bars: Cake mix crust + raspberry jam + oat streusel = divine.

Lemon Crumb Bars: The balance of salty crust and lemon tang are smack-your-face delicious. My 2014 prediction....forget salted caramel because here comes salted lemon.

The list of baked goods made this Christmas is too long to include here, so that wraps another Christmas baking season. Also known as the I-claim-I-love-this-time-of-year-but-I-secretly-want-to-put-a-gun-to-my-fa-la-la-la-head holiday. In a shoutout to one of my fave Twitter follows, @ASourAppleTree, cue the Layla outro.

NO-BAKE COOKIES

2013-12-29T07:32:00.001-08:00

No matter what name you know them by, Preacher Cookies, Chewy Charlies, Cow Patties, Candy Cookies, or Poodgies, most of you will know these cookies by site. Even if you've never made them I can bet you've eaten at least one in your life. In my house they've never been known by anything more than "no-bake cookies".

These cookies seem to have taken a toehold all across the country, but from where I'm sitting, nowhere more so than the state of West Virginia. If we were to declare an official state cookie, this would be the one, hands-down. No-bake Cookies are present at every potluck, Christmas party and baby shower from Welch to Wheeling. They are available for sale near the check-out area at most gas stations and convenience stores from one end of this state to the other. And even though there isn't any baking involved, it's rare to find a local bakery that doesn't display them proudly.In some quiet, unassuming way, these cookies have crept into the consciousness of these mountains like edible tribbles.

It's no accident that this cookie is so popular, after all, it has a lot going for it. The texture is soft,almost fudge-like. Then you have the nuttiness of the peanut butter, that pairs so well with the chewiness of the oats. They're so easy to prepare that you can literally have a dozen cooked and ready to eat within 30 minutes. And their versatility lends them to being customized to suit a variety of tastes. You don't like cocoa? No problem there are recipes out there that tell you how to make peanut butter their primary flavor. Not happy with the oats? Substitute coconut instead. Think they would benefit from nuts or raisins? Go for it. I've tried a wide variety of extracts in place of the original vanilla that the recipe calls for, all of them bringing something new to the party (almond extract has become my favorite, but orange extract runs a close second).

Just because they're easy to make, doesn't mean that things can't go wrong. Undercook them and they won't firm up enough to actually be called a cookie. But eating them with a spoon doesn't make them any less delicious. Overcook them, or add too much peanut butter and they will become miniature, tooth-chipping, boulders. Again, still edible, but the texture and coloring are unpleasant. They should be soft and pliable but still solid enough to hold in your hand without breaking. The coloring should be a deep, chocolate brown.

When I think about the cookies of my childhood, this one dominates those memories like no other. I think their praise is long overdue.

No-Bake Cookies

2 - cups granulated sugar
4 - tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 - cup butter
1/2 - cup evaporated or whole milk
1/4 - teaspoon salt
2 1/2 - cups quick or old fashioned oats
1/2 - cup creamy peanut butter
1 - teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat add butter. sugar, cocoa powder, milk and salt.

Stir until butter is melted and ingredients are incorporated. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until completely melted Add vanilla and oatmeal, mix well.

Working quickly before the mixture cools drip by tablespoon (I use my small cookie scoop) onto wax paper.

Let cool completely on waxed paper. Remove the cookies when they have set up.

CHERRY SWEET ROLLS

2013-10-05T17:42:00.002-07:00

I know, it's feast or famine with me, right? I don't post anything for almost a year, and then boom, three posts in one day. And before we dive into this I have to say the sweet roll picture above? It looks a little anatomically gross. Sorry if I just scared you away from this recipe but I felt like it had to be said.

Not to get too bogged down with it but I've been gone a while and I wasn't sure if I was ever going to come back to this blog. This past year has been tough to handle. My grandmother died, and I don't know if I'm ever going to recover. I suffer from depression that I thought I finally had a handle on, and her death showed me that I was so very wrong about that assumption. Stress and other personal issues just reinforced my lack of desire to say anything out loud, much less in a blog. And that's why I've been gone. Now that we have that out of the way, let's move on to sweeter topics.

I culled this recipe from a blog called Lemon Sugar, and the full recipe can be found here.....http://lemon-sugar.com/2013/09/cherry-sweet-rolls.html/ If you make your way over to Lemon Sugar you should look around a bit, there's plenty to pique a sugar freak's interest.

I haven't had a sweet roll since I was a kid. My mom would often purchase the Hostess sweet rolls, and I liked those quite a bit. With that in mind, I thought that a homemade version would turn that sweet roll love up to 11. I was wrong.

Perhaps a different sweet roll recipe could capture my heart, but this one certainly did not. I think it all boils down to the yeast. Specifically the vast amount of it. It's a yeast dough, which was no surprise, and I usually enjoy a yeast dough in things like donuts, and cinnamon rolls. I am guessing that the unusually large amount of in this recipe is to make the dough rise much more quickly than it would with a normal amount of yeast and therefore makes the entire process less time consuming. But the yeast flavor is so intense in these rolls as to overpower everything else about them. Smell= yeast, taste= yeast. I prefer not to have my dessert smell like beer (and vice-versa).

If the yeast-fest appeals to you, this recipe will be your dessert Nirvana. For all other, don't bother.

Smash Burger- Fast Food Review

2013-10-05T17:05:00.001-07:00

There is something that most of you don't know about me. I am.......a comic book geek. Yep, say it loud, say it proud. It's not that I necessarily keep it a secret, it's just something that rarely comes up in everyday conversation, and therefore, not common knowledge to most. The mythos of comic lovers would lead you to believe that we are all hermits, living in our parents' basements, hiding behind the anonymity of our computer screens, having myopic interests (those interests being comics, talking about comics, complaining about comic books that have been turned into movies and, of course, watching lots of porn), and that all of them are male. I assure you that most of those stereotypes are true, but they're slowly changing. I'm still often the only female browsing my local comic book shop, and still get stares from the male shoppers. Not sure if these stares come from....

A woman being in their midst.
I often browse after work, in office attire, so maybe their wariness stems from worry that I'm some kind of narc.
Seeing someone at the Batman rack that does not have severely inflamed acne.
A strong distrust of anyone that actually has a paying job, and is therefore an interloper.

This is not a tutorial on geeks in their natural habitats. It really does involve food, it just takes me a while to get to the point, but just stay with me, and you will be rewarded.

My love of comics at times leads me to comic book conventions. I am fortunate to have a husband who indulges this sick love of superheroes and their multiple universes, and so he escorts me to these conventions. We made our way to Mid-Ohio Con a couple of weeks ago, and he only had one request and that was to eat a Smashburger location.

I may have mentioned at some other point in this blog that the hubs and I are always on the hunt for the perfect burger. Some consider pizza the perfect food, for others of us, it's hamburgers that take that honor. So, part of this red meat journey led us to Smashburger. The burgers there are good, far above your average fast food burger. The patty is thin, seared to a nice crust, and you can get a wide variety of fresh toppings. They are extremely juicy and greasy (in the best possible way). I went through five napkins in a blink.

Though the burger was above average it could not compare to the greatness of their Smash Fries.

They differ from their regular fries in that they are fried in olive oil and then sprinkled with sea salt and rosemary. They are the height of decadence in a fast food basket. Yum.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake....Without the Cream Cheese

2013-10-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten to take a picture until the last, very small, piece of it was left. Hence, the poor picture. The reason the pic was all but forgotten is because this cake is made to be eaten. That's not to say that you couldn't just leave it sit around so that you can drink in the beauty of its simplicity. But I'm more of an eater than a looker (take that second part of the sentence any way you choose to). This cake is moist, delicious perfection on a plate....or in your hand....or on your fork.

Ack! I can't say enough about how well this dish turned out, but I can say I cheated by straying from the original recipe, something I usually don't allow myself to do when making a dessert for the first time. This original recipe can be found on the Bake or Break site (one of the best baking sites out there), and here's the link.....http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2012/03/cinnamon-cream-cheese-coffee-cake/
I'll be posting my slightly modified version at the end of the post.

The picture, and the recipe says "I'm just an unassuming coffee cake. Move along, nothing to see here". But one bite and you'll know that it's so much more. The cake is dense, but not dry. The streusel topping is sweet without being overly so, with a slight crunch and yet almost....creamy. If you take at the "true" recipe, it includes a cream cheese swirl layer between the cake and the streusel, but I didn't have any cream cheese, so I simply eliminated it from the recipe. It still made for great cake, but when I make it again, and there is no doubt that I will make it again, I'll include the cream cheese swirl. The batter was just too stiff to work with and I added a 1/2 c. of buttermilk that isn't originally called for, but it worked out perfectly.

This cake is so versatile. Great for birthdays, pot lucks, and dare I say it, even for breakfast.

For the crumb:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
pinch salt

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 c. buttermilk

Instructions

To make the crumb:

Combine all crumb ingredients in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until mixture resembles crumbs.

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9” x 13” baking pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Stir in sour cream, buttermilk and mix just until combined.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top of cake.

Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

THE WOMAN THAT ATE CHICAGO

2012-11-10T17:51:00.001-08:00

What can I say about the city of Chicago that hasn't already been said, by those far better qualified to say it than I? Absolutely nothing.

I'm here to merely rhapsodize about what a great time I had, and how much I already miss the food.

Chicago was a long awaited and needed vacation for me and Mr. Icequeen. The first trip to the Second City for both of us. Every meal we had was good...but many were great, and more importantly...memorable. Pictured above are the simplicity of the homemade red hots and sausages from Hot Doug's. There aren't enough superlatives to describe how delicious all of it was. After standing in line for 45 minutes on a Saturday, surrounded by hipsters, we were able to inch our way inside the small but colorful eatery. All the hipsters would usually have deterred us, but the grizzled city police officer ahead of us gave us hope that we were in the right place. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that cops know the best places to get good food, for cheap.

My first,authentic Chicago dog. The snap of the wiener, the pickle, tomato, sports pepper, and that poppy seed bun, oh my! It goes against everything a West Virginia girl believes in when it comes to hot dogs. But change is a beautiful thing, my friends.

The bratwurst dog, and spicy red hot were both ordered with caramelized onions and mustard (yellow, as it should be). But most importantly, and the primary reason for the pilgrimage to Doug's....the duck fat fries. Which alone would have been worth the wait, but paired with the dogs, made for a gastronomic experience that I'd be willing to repeat again and again.

Some may see Hot Doug's as "touristy" and so, choose to steer clear of it. Please don't make that mistake, or you will miss out a spot that I feel truly reflect the true essence of Chicago's food scene. I have found my Mecca.

I want to take a few moments here to say that one of the greatest things about Chicago is feeling the buzz of a huge metropolis, but the interactions with the natives reflect that Mid-Western mentality. Everyone was incredibly friendly to us. It quickly felt like a second home.

But onto the pig!

The love that the husband and I share for all things pork is well known. And so, The Purple Pig was practically created with us in mind, it specializes using the pig from snout to tail. Located on the Magnificent Mile, we decided to stop in for a late lunch (unfortunately on a Sunday), to fill our bellies. The restaurant/bar was standing room only, and there was very little of that, and the noise level was through the roof (yep, I'm old). Much to our delight, the wait for a table was short, and our porky journey was about to get underway.

We began with the Testa, a house made cold cut, the primary ingredient being pig testes. Not bad, but a little greasy. Next, bone marrow with toast. Now we're getting somewhere! Bone marrow is one of my favorite dishes, and this did not disappoint. The fatty marrow, smeared on the thick, grilled bread, was lardy heaven. But I do have to note, pig marrow is not as flavorful as beef marrow, but I'll take what I can get.

The freshly made bratwurst, for me, was the star of the meal. Subtle seasoning in the brat, served over kale and sun dried tomatoes was such a perfect balance of flavors.

There was deep fried sow's ear. The ear cut into shoestring strips, then deep fried until ultra-crisp, served beneath a softly fried duck egg, and over thick cut bread and micro greens with a sharp vinaigrette.

I could keep going, but I don't want to bore you with each and every dish, but I will give you this....

if you go, save room for dessert. The grilled, Nutella, banana, and marshmallow creme sandwich is divine. Just the right blend of sweet and salty to wind up the pork-a-palooza.

Sometimes all there is to say is.....GO BEARS!!!!!

I could go on and on about Chicago. In fact, enough to fill several posts. But I won't. Because nothing I could say would do the city justice. The food, the history, the shopping, the architecture. So, I will simply take a chance and say......Oh Chicago, you and I are going to become close, close friends.

WHAT I JUST FINISHED READING

2012-05-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which took me about six months to get through. I am a very quick reader, but I just kept laying this novel aside and picking it back up every few weeks to read a page or ten, so it took me longer than it usually would to finish such a small book. I'll try to be as diplomatic as I can about this.......the book doesn't live up to the hype. When it was released it was named one of the best books of the year for 2011. That just shows you how uninteresting the books of last year were.

In all fairness, the author paints a stunning visual picture of the titled circus, detailed descriptions of shows, costumes, meals, and sumptuous Victorian settings are first rate. I just wish she had spent more time and energy on fleshing out the characters and the plot line. The story of a mysterious circus as the venue for two rivals in a mysterious contest intrigued me. But I found myself not caring about the characters and what happened to them. And even though the buildup for the finale is fairly well done, it falls apart at the end, and seems to fly off in all directions with no cohesion.

The movie rights for this have already been optioned. I'm curious to see if Hollywood can do anything to improve it. I say skip the book and wait for the movie.

2012-05-13T10:55:00.001-07:00

RANDOM NOTES FROM AN OFTEN ABSENT BLOGGING PRINCESS

I know, I know, it's been a while since you've heard from me.

Sometimes when you're life is really good, it can make for boring copy. The reason crazy authors are so interesting to read is because they're writing comes from their disarrayed, pained lives. I don't have that. I lack a raging drug habit, arrays of broken love affairs with psychotic men who I just can't seem to forget, and I don't much care for alcohol. My milquetoast life is great for me, but boring for my followers.

So today is all about random thoughts, random pics and as I'm typing this sentence I have no idea which recipe will be featured at the end of the post. That's about as seat-of-my-pants, death defying as I get.

My tombstone will read....Zzzzzzzzz.

I'm in a maudlin mood so, let's go with that, shall we?

People move in and out of our lives like books. Hint: If you don't enjoy reading you may want to skip this part. There are some books that once we encounter them they are with us always, and we could not imagine our lives without them. And some books we read, don't care for and so we do not maintain much, if any contact with that book. And then...then. Then there are books we think we are crazy about, and we lose track of them, and then, we find them again, we're surprised that we ever let them go in the first place.

I really don't have a point about the people/book comparison, just a stream of consciousness thing I have going today.

The cinnamon rolls are out of a tube. But I like the pic.

I feel that life is just as much about your failures as it is about your victories (maybe even more so). And in that vein, I am posting this.....

It began as a brownie bottomed cheesecake. It's a great recipe that I have made for Mr. Icequeen a few times before. But it turned into an epic failure. Cheesecake on top, raw, unbaked brownie batter on the bottom. It looked like mashed potato covered motor oil pie. It didn't stop him from eating every bite. I don't know what I'd do without that man. He is the sexiest saint available. ;-)

Life has been very strange. I can't think of any other adjective to use. Turning forty has been even better than I expected. Feeling better and looking better than I ever have. More confident than I ever thought possible. Why can't your 20s be more like your 40s? It would make those early years so much less harrowing.

Anyone who bakes on a regular basis usually has a killer chocolate chip cookie recipe in her/his arsenal. And I am no different. This recipe is so nearly perfect and most importantly, adaptable. The dough makes one hell of a chocolate chip cookie, or can be switched up to contain only nuts and dried fruits, and you can even go down the oatmeal, peanut butter or cinnamon highway, by just throwing in a few extra ingredients. It is the Optimus Prime of cookie dough. The bad thing I can say about this recipe is that, sadly, it isn't mine. Nope, I stole it from Alton Brown. I have taken the recipe, loved it, given it a good home, and raised it up to be a cookie to be proud of. You can always depend on this recipe, it will never leave you in a lurch. It will never force you to run to the supermarket at the last minute for preservative filled substitute cookies. It will hold your hand and be there for you, just the way a great cookie should. Behold....The Chewy.

Do not be fooled by their ordinary facade. One bite, and you will be forever faithful. No other cookie will be good enough for you ever again. Don't take my word for it. Test the theory for yourself. But only if you're ready for serious cookie monogamy.

Ingredients

•2 sticks unsalted butter

•2 1/4 cups bread flour

•1 teaspoon kosher salt

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1/4 cup sugar

•1 1/4 cups brown sugar

•1 egg

•1 egg yolk

•2 tablespoons milk

•1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

3.Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4.Chill the dough for roughly 25 minutes, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutesor until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

I'LL BE FORTY

2011-08-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be forty.

Unlike many people who turn forty, I'm not dreading it, I love birthdays, especially my own. My attitude is that I'd much rather have a birthday and get another year older than be dead. Morose, but true.

So often, getting older, and being an adult in general, is underrated. Often I hear those of my generation or older lament that they would love to be a kid again. Reminiscing about a time of no worries, or burdens, nothing but play time, nap time, eating and fun time. I don't recall my childhood as being nearly that rosy. Frankly, being an adult rocks.

There's a lot to be said for leaving the t.v. AND all the lights on when I leave the room, if that's what I want. I can go to bed whenever I choose (my choice is often 8:00 p.m., but that's not the point). Running through the house with scissors has become an option. I can have cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The choice of what clothes to wear and how to style my hair on any given day are mine and mine alone. I am not required to make my bed. And even at the ripe old age of forty, my bedroom floor is often littered with clothes that no one can make me pick up and carry to the laundry room. I don't have to be home by the time the streetlights come one. There's no one to "give me something to cry about!". No more worrying about being tall enough to ride the roller coasters. I can shop in department stores without the employees there treating me like I'm going to steal something.

Of course, many of the perks that I listed come with consequences, if I choose to implement them. Exorbitant electric bills, possible flesh wounds, a shameful waistline. But sometimes, just knowing that you can do what you want, within the reasonable confines of the law of course, is just as good as actually doing them. Just think about it...adulthood wins.

RANDOM FOOD LISTS

2011-06-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my random food opinions in list form...
A Sour Apple Tree's blog does this type of thing much better than me, but I like his blog so much, I've decided to swipe it ;)

Best Hamburgers in the Charleston/Huntington area...

1) The Bear's Den-Downtown Charleston, in the basement of the old Daniel Boone hotel

2) Bobby's Bar and Grill-Cross Lanes (Yes, it's a beer joint, but it's not a scary beer joint, and you'll see lots of people there strictly for the food)

3)Five Guys-Pullman Square (Crusty deliciously messy burgers and fantastic fries)

4) Fat Patty's-Barboursville and Huntington (Wish the fries were better, but hey, this is a burger list)

5) Steak and Shake-Barboursville (Royale Burger, 'nuff said)

Best Hot Dogs in the Charleston/Huntington area...

1) Sam's Hot Dogs-Hale St., Charleston

2) Tony's Gold Dome-Kanawha City (Another beer joint, but the dogs are worth the risk)

3) Sam's Club-Southridge Centre (What? Don't laugh. The weiner is Nathan's brand, the chili is Custard Stand, they're HUGE, and ultra-easy on the wallet)

4) The Leonard's-The Mound in South Charleston (Just simple WV dogs, for WV people who know good food)

Sorry Huntington, you're just not a "hot dog town". Hillybilly Hot Dogs, Stewart's, Frost Top, I'm unimpressed with all of those offerings. But I have an open mind, if any of you want to recommend a great dog in Huntington, just leave me a comment letting me know about it.

DULCE DE LECHE WITH TOASTED COCONUT ICE CREAM

2011-06-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that I will be spontaneously combusting at any moment now. Actually, if it wasn't for the tropical humidity that is making everything so wet and steamy, I already would have. It's hot. Inhumanely hot. And in weather like this, a young woman's fancy turns to thoughts of ice cream.

Usually, I'd only make ice cream a couple of times between May and September. But, because of my above mentioned facing of a fiery death on what now seems to be a daily basis, I've already made ice cream three times, all of them crazy good batches.

There was the ubiquitous chocolate, made with a healthy infusion of Nutella (I wish I had two hearts so that I could pledge one of them to Nutella *sigh*). Chocolate is the preferred ice cream flavor of Mr. Icequeen, so it has become required summer (and winter) eats in our house.

Then there was the semi-successful-first-try at a peach flavored quart. Not bad, not great either, but I'd be willing to try making that one again.

But then....oh but then, came the one flavor to unite them all....Dulce de Leche w/toasted coconut. Not only is it possibly the best ice cream I've ever made, it may be (insert booming god-like voice here) THE BEST ICE CREAM OF ALL TIME. Yep, I said it after the first spoonful, and I stand by it now, even though the last drips of it were finished weeks ago. It's not just good, it's not just great. It's (comic geek alert!) the fucking Batman of frozen treats. This flavor will now be held up as the standard that all other ice creams aspire to. I'm drooling on my keyboard, just thinking about how great it will be when the ice cream and I are together once again.

It tastes like caramel. It tastes like coconut. Sweet monkey dumplings, it tastes like BUTTER! Smooth, and creamy, with tiny flakes of crunchy, nutty coconut throughout. It was sweet, and just a little salty. I've reached food Nirvana, and it's quite lovely.

DULCE DE LECHE W/TOASTED COCONUT ICE CREAM

1 cup half and half

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs vanilla extract

1 Tbs coconut extract

2 cups whipping cream

6 oz cream cheese, softened

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

13.4 oz can dulce de leche

2 cups coconut, toasted and finely chopped

In large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until fluffy then gradually add sweetened condensed milk until smooth, then the dulce de leche, beating until all ingredients are smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the ice cream mixture into a ice cream freezer container and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

MALTED WAFFLES

2011-06-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

I may be the luckiest woman in the world. Because of my lifestyle (child-free) and my job (government drone), most of my weekends are lazy, stress-free affairs. Before you start hating me, you need to know that even with all this free time on my hands, I still can't seem to....

Make myself work out on a regular basis
Get to all the backed-up shows on my Tivo
Read all the books and magazines that I have laying around
Get to work on time
Shave my legs as often as I should
Learn a second language
Do as much baking as I'd like
Pay enough attention to my blog.

One thing that there always seems to be time for is the weekend breakfast. You know what I'm talking about. The breakfast that consists of more than a bowl of Corn Pops, or a piece of toast you're frantically shoving down your throat in that futile attempt to make it to work on time.

The weekend breakfast du jour is malted waffles. This is another one of those Baked: Explorations recipes (I'm smitten with this cookbook). These waffles were slightly crisp on the edges, with a very fluffy interior. The recipe requires malted milk powder, which I actually had on hand, and the powder gave it a hint of malty, cocoa like flavor. Me and the hubs were enjoying them so much, that I almost forgot to take a pic for you. The recipe follows the shot.

Malted Waffles

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup malted milk powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the center. Whisk the egg in a second bowl. Whisk in the butter and buttermilk. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until mixed – there will be some lumps. Heat waffle maker as per manufacturer directions and. Brush lightly with oil. Drop batter onto waffle maker and use technique from manufacturer to make the waffles.

Makes five to six waffles.

Up next, Dulce de Leche and toasted coconut ice cream.

\\

WHAT I'M READING...SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY

2011-06-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

In a bleak future where the United States is on the brink of becoming a third world country, and everyone is judged primarily by their credit rating, a poor schlub in Manhattan is just looking for someone to share his pathetic life with.

This is not a chick book. Instead it's a funny, often ironic, look into what could end up being a very real vision of the future, mixed with lots of heartbreak that speaks to the inner loser in all of us.

BROWNIES TWO WAYS

2011-05-22T16:22:00.001-07:00

Since almost any recipe you could possibly want is available via internet, I rarely lust over hard-cover copies of cookbooks anymore. But, "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" is an exception. If you're looking for something simple, but still a little off of the beaten path, B:NFB is worth a fun look.

Some of the most rewarding baking, is "thank you baking". Baking something for someone who has done something helpful or nice, or someone whose friendship you appreciate, and you want them to know it.

The reason for the two different types of brownies, is because I wanted to make brownies for some co-workers. I wanted to make something special, but I also needed a back-up brownie plan in case something with the untested recipe went awry.

I looked through the B:NFB cookbook, and made the delicious "Baked Brownie". Recipe listed further along. They turned out great, but then Mr. Icequeen wanted brownies too, so instead of making another trip to the grocery store for supplies to make another batch of "Baked Brownies", I turned to a Ghardelli box mix instead.

Both are delicious. I've always believed that boxed brownie mixes were actually superior to all brownies I had ever made from scratch. But, I have seen the chocolate light. The scratch brownie is both fudgy, and has a deep chocolate flavor, that is richly enhanced by the espresso powder added to the mix.

THE BAKED BROWNIE

Yield: 24 brownies

The Baked brownie is a beautiful thing.

Baked Note: A great brownie is easy to make, but you have to be aware of several factors. 1. Use a dark cocoa powder, like Valrhona. A pale, light-colored cocoa does not have enough depth. 2. Make sure your eggs are room temperature and do not overbeat them into the batter, and 3. Make sure you check your brownies often while baking. Once the brownies have been overbaked slightly, they have reached the point of no return.

1 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder

11 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-72%), chopped coarsely

8 ounces butter (2 sticks), cut into 1 inch cubes

1 tsp instant espresso powder

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal pan 9x13x2 pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.

Configure a large sized double boiler. Place the chocolate, the butter, and the instant espresso powder in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. Mixture should be room temperature.

Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (DO NOT USE A WHISK) fold the dry into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.

Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotate the pan half-way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.

APOCALYPSE-FREE SHRIMP FRITTERS

2011-05-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

We never really thought that the world would end over the weekend, but we're always looking for any small reason to celebrate. So, when the world is nice enough to keep on keeping on, it only makes sense to party on down with shrimp fritters.

The only thing that even came close to the "walking dead" was Yeti.

What I'm Reading Right Now

2011-05-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

I just finished the Hunger Games trilogy. If you have not read this set of books, you must do so, right now. I'll be waiting here patiently for you to come back, and to let me know what you think of it.

ORANGE COOKIES

2010-10-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes knowing which recipes to avoid is just as important as knowing which ones are keepers. These cookies are terrible. Do not waste your time with them. They're so bad that I threw them out.

To be called orange cookies, the taste of orange turned out to be undetectable. They have the eggy taste of a poorly executed pound cake, except with a hint of cardboard flavor. Strike that, cardboard has MORE flavor than these cookies. I would have been okay with a subtle orange flavor. I would have rhapsodized about a strong orange flavor that really hit me over the head, but I received neither. I'm posting the recipe so that you'll know to avoid it. Read it, memorize, and then run far, far away from it.

Original Recipe Yield 33 servings

Ingredients

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

ICING:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes), melted

Directions

1.In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice and peel. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.

2.Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3.In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients until smooth; drizzle over cooled cookies.

GINGER JAZZED BROWNIES

2010-10-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

This could have been really adult friendly brownie. But, I think that the baking time on the recipe was a typo. All other brownie recipes that I've ever tried, that called for a 9 x 9 pan to be used, have had a baking time of between 45 to 60 minutes. This recipe calls for a baking time of 35 minutes. When I took them out of the oven, they were still very gooey, but I figured they would firm up. After an hour of cooling, the middle was a raw puddle of batter. So, I put them back in the oven for another 30 mins to try to fix the mess. It didn't work. The brownies never did set up.

What a raw mess. The batter tasted good though. I'd give you the recipe, but I think I'll wait and hand it over when I've actually gotten a quality result out of it.

NEW FRIEND

2010-10-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Wanna see a pic of one of my Birthday gifts?

Isn't he cool? I've decided to name him Freddy Undeady.