Lovin' From the Oven

Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

by 7 Comments

IMG_4031

IMG_4032

IMG_4052

IMG_4067

Time has really been flying recently. Before I know it, it’s been a week since I’ve updated my food blog. Eeeeep! No bueno. I need to get back on my schedule and keep things organized. It’s hectic since I left my job last week, have been getting ready to move out, and started figuring out my finances until then. I’ve also been addicted to getting furniture on Craigslist for the past couple of weeks. I scored a sweet counter-style dining table with four chairs for only 75 bucks!

This chocolate cupcake comes from foodess and they were alright to me. The texture was great, but the taste was stale. The coffee supposedly brings out the chocolate flavor, but I really think these could have benefitted from using a chocolate bar or some real melted chocolate chips mixed in. The cocoa powder just wasn’t enough. Don’t worry though, you definitely don’t taste any of the coffee! If you’re looking for a chocolate cake recipe, I’d recommend this one. It still stands to be my favorite.

Don’t forget: one more week until the giveaway ends!

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot coffee (or 2 tsp instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water, or simply 1 cup boiling water)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcakes with liners.
  2. Mix together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
  3. Add in the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract until combined. Gradually stir in hot coffee.
  4. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. 
  5. Cool completely and finish with a dusting of powdered sugar (or frosting).

Star Wars Brownie Roll Out Cookies

by 16 Comments

DSC_4200

DSC_4214

IMG_3441

IMG_3449

Just about to go into the oven:

DSC_4173

and baked!

DSC_4185

DSC_4204

DSC_4217

DSC_4227

DSC_4207

Happy May 4th! aka “May the 4th be with you” aka my DB’s birthday. I thought this day would be the most appropriate to share these Star Wars cookies that I made not too long ago. I picked up these cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma. They also had Star Wars pancake molds, food dyes, and aprons– perfect for the girlfriend with the Star Wars-loving boyfriend!

Funny thing about Star Wars.. I still have yet to see it. I know, I know… I’m a terrible person. But don’t worry. I’ve started! … kind of. Let’s just say that my DB’s doing better with the Harry Potter series than I have been with Star Wars. Oops.

But there is one person that I know who may or may not be a bigger Star Wars fan than my DB. That, my friends, is Donald Faison. Don’t know who that is? He’s also known as Turkleton from Scrubs (my favoriteeeee show of all time). I ran into him at Katsu-ya and he actually called me over to ask where I bought my DB’s Star Wars t-shirt from. Next, he pulled up his sweater to reveal a t-shirt that read “I <3 Star Wars." Amazing, right? Donald Faison's every bit as awesome as I thought he would be. He even took a picture with me! Listen to myself.. I sound like a little fan girl. Oh dear. IMG_1255

Okay, no more fan girl.. back to the baked goods. This recipe from Smitten Kitchen made the most perfect cookies. By perfect, I mean perfect for detailed cookie cutters. The taste was a little bland, but I do admit that they make some beautiful cookies.

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s dark)
  1. Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. 
  2. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer. 
  3. Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Roll out the cookie dough on floured counter. Use cookie dough cutters to cut into desired shapes.
  6. Bake on a lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8-inch thick cookies, the latter for 1/4-inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.

Dulce de Leche Brownies

by 14 Comments

IMG_2497

IMG_2476

IMG_2492

IMG_2458

IMG_2491

My DB and I are both in workout mode recently to get into shape for our Hawaii trip coming up. How’s that going, you ask? Better than I expected. We’ve been taking leisurely four mile walks, hiking, and I’ve been jump roping/ab-rolling it up. As far as food goes, I seriously suck at that. I just can’t give up sweets for the life of me. How can anyone do that when you’ve got brownies like this in the kitchen? Not me.

Oh dear lord. These brownies are yummalicious. They’re dense, chewy, and have the perfect blend of dulce de leche to kick it up a notch. I can eat dulce de leche by the spoonful, you know. The added walnuts make the brownies dangerously close to tasting like fudge, but I’m not complaining. I cut them into itty bitty bite size strips so you don’t feel as bad eating ten. The Dutch-process cocoa powder is a must for brownies, in my opinion.
Thank you David Lebovitz for introducing this goodness to me (who adapted it from The Sweet Life in Paris).

  • 1/2 cup salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (140g) flour
  • optional: 1 cup (100 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup Dulce de Leche (or Cajeta)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C).
  2. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
  3. Melt the butter and chocolate pieces together in a medium saucepan until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. Mix in the nuts, if using.
  4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then swirl through it with a knife. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Slightly marble the dulce de leche with a knife.
  6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

P.S. Sorry for the delay, FAQ post coming up later this week!

Categories