Lovin' From the Oven

Guittard’s Polka Dot Cookies

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Superbowl schmooperbowl. Football never really interested me, but how could I pass up the event of getting together and eating buffalo wings, 7 layer dip, and some barbeque? I couldn’t! Everyone knows that I’m a sucker for guacamole. I was at Cost Plus Word Market yesterday, one of my new found favorite stores, and came across Guittard’s mint chocolate chips! I’ve been looking for mint chocolate chips for quite some time now, and was ecstatic to come across them. I immediately bought a bag and made the recipe on the back to bring with me to a superbowl party today.

These cookies were soft, chewy, and mint/chocolatey. To be completely honest, I’m not really a fan of these mint chips after trying them and baking with them; I’d much prefer working with a bag of Andes mint. I do like that this recipe uses the same method of making the chocolate cookie as my favorite Andes mint cookies do, though. These cookies were good, but not GREAT, despite what the boys at the superbowl party said (they raved how they were better than Girl Scout thin mints). In my opinion, I’d take a thin mint over this cookie anyday. Mmmmm.. girl scout cookies.. Too bad they only sell ’em a couple months of the year AND they’ve downsized all their boxes. Worst ever.

2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (do not sift)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups (12 oz) Guittard Green Mint Chips

Preheat oven to 350F

In top of double boiler over low heat, melt semi-sweet chips and butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light. Blend in melted chocolate, then dry ingredients. Stir in green mint chips and chill for 10-15 minutes or until stiff. Drop by well-round teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes, cookies will be soft in centers but will harden as they cool.

Microwave instructions: Heat semisweet chips in a small bowl at medium power (50% or level 5) for 2-3 minutes, stirring well after each minute until smooth.

Apple Crisp

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I was tagged a couple of days ago by fellow blogger Hilary to write six random things about myself, so here’s your chance to get to know a little more about me..

  1. One of my guilty pleasures is bad horror films.. no matter how bad they are. For example, I just saw “The Ruins” a couple weeks ago and it was one of the worst movies ever made and a complete waste of my time to watch, but I secretly loved it. I can’t get myself to stop watching these stupid horror films and have even found a partner to watch them with, my friend Jimmy! We always go with each other to watch scary movies because no one else will come with us. Maybe there’s a reason why no one else wants to watch these movies… Oh well. “My Bloody Valentine,” anyone?
  2. You’d never guess it but I’m 1/8th, give or take a little, Moroccan (or some part of Africa)! It comes from my dad’s side of the family. He doesn’t know much about his family tree past his parents; he just knows that there is African descent in his blood. Proof? My older sister was born with an afro and has ridiculously naturally curly hair. Think about it… an Asian with naturally curly hair?! What??
  3. I have this weakness for puppies. Particularly German shepherds. I can NOT wait until the day comes that I will be able to have my own! They are just about the most precious things on Earth (besides baby tigers). Every time I see one, I go into complete awe. My boyfriend even tells me that I have a “German shepherd face” that I do, and he can instantly tell whether I’m looking at a German shepherd or not by simply observing my facial expression.
  4. All of my friends consider me a grandma, even though I’m only 21. Why? It’s because of my hobbies. I was never a fan of the “partying” life and the whole clubbing scene just wasn’t my cup of tea. I don’t drink, party, or go clubbing… what kind of young’n am I, right?!? Well, I’m the kind that love love loves scrapbooking, painting, sketching, quilting, and baking… hobbies that are considered “grandma-ish.” I taught myself how to stencil & know how to make a mean cross stitching piece. Instead of getting trashed every night like most people my age, I’d much prefer a night in, cuddled up in blankets with some hot chocolate & a movie.
  5. I rarely eat what I bake. As a matter of fact, I eat a TON of dessert and sugar on a daily basis (trust me; I think every meal of the day should have dessert afterwards)… with 99% of it being baked by someone else. When I crave something, my craving can only be satisfied if the dessert is made by someone else. Things just taste ten times better when someone else makes it. You don’t agree? Example: You come home from school and make a sandwich for yourself. Meh.. just ok. But when your mom makes you one, it tastes ten times better even though the sandwich has the EXACT SAME ingredients. Yeah, I thought so.
  6. I adore kids and can’t wait to have my own. I think their energy and carefreeness is always such a joy to be around. They will tell you exactly what’s on their mind, with no hesitation. I love that. I worked with kids for over five years at the Boys & Girls Club and couldn’t have asked fora better first job. The kids brightened my day, every day. On the other end of spectrum, I also adore elderly people. Actually, I’m quite known for it with my friends. On my last birthday, two of my friends got me cards with elderly people on it just because I would think it’s so precious… and I did. Elderly people have so much more experience in life than I do, and I love listening to all their stories. What really gets me is elderly couples, because I hope I’ll be lucky enough to be in their shoes one day.

And there you have it.. that sums up some random facts about me! Now moving on to the real reason I blogged.. apple crisp! This one didn’t really tickle my fancy, but that’s because I forgot to add the water 🙁 It turned out way too sweet for me, but I’m willing to give it another shot and do it right next time! Apple crisp is so simple, I don’t know how I managed to mess this one up. I was too distracted with family, I guess!

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 4 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. Press half the oat mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with sliced apples.
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine white sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla. Cook, stirring, until thick and clear, 10 minutes. Pour over apples. Cover apples with remaining crumble mixture.
  4. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes With Marshmallow Frosting

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I’ve been craving chocolate cake for the past week or so, but I’ve been either too busy or too sick to make it. I’m not gonna lie, I usually make my cakes/cupcakes from boxed mixes because I think they always turn out ten times better than when I make it from scratch. Boxed mixes are always perfectly moist and come out beautifully every time… You just can’t mess them up– They’re so easy! PLUS, you don’t have to worry about washing so many dishes!

Last night, I was so close to making my own chocolate cake from scratch, but I didn’t have all the ingredients to make the frosting. We all know you can’t make a chocolate cake without the chocolate frosting.. so off to the grocery store it was. Now, by the time I actually got dressed and into the car, I was just not feeling up to par and wasn’t in the healthiest mood to be baking a cake. That’s when my boyfriend (bless his heart) told me that he would make me red velvet cupcakes and even frost them for me! Granted they were both going to be cupcakes made from a boxed mix and frosting from a can, I was ecstatic that he would do all that for me. For those of you that are unaware, my boyfriend is not exactly the best person in the kitchen. Let’s just say that he tried to heat up “microwave chicken” once and forgot to puncture holes AND cover the plate with a paper towel, despite the clear directions on the side of the box.

Anyways, I’m walking through the baking aisle and thought to myself.. it’s already nearly midnight; I didn’t want my boyfriend to make a mess in the kitchen and go through all the trouble for me just so I can get a piece of chocolate cake. I opted for the Betty Crocker Warm Delights in Molten Caramel Cake with some cookie dough ice cream on top, instead. It only takes a minute and 15 seconds to make and it’s the perfect amount to satisfy my craving.. or so I thought. I woke up the next morning feeling ten times better with the same urge to bake a chocolate cake. Thank goodness I did! These cupcakes were magnificent!

This recipe is from Jennifer of Seattle’s Trophy Cupcakes. If you’ve never had a cupcake from there, then you haven’t lived. Seriously. I went to Seattle for my cousin’s wedding last summer, and their wedding cake was made up of Trophy’s Cupcakes. They are BY FAR the BEST cupcakes I’ve never had. Better than those Sprinkles & Crumbs cupcakes found here in LA. The red velvet was to die for, and I ate at least six different kinds of cupcakes from there when I went. Each one was just as delectable as the next. I’m still dying to try the Chai one (Chai tea lattes are my all time favorite drink and I love Chai EVERYTHING), but they didn’t have it on the days that I went. 🙁

I had a bunch of my family over tonight to celebrate Chinese New Year a bit early, and by the end of the night, there were only 6 cupcakes left from the original 24 that I baked plus a mini cake. Everyone loved them– Even my dad, who doesn’t normally like super sweet desserts. I’d use this recipe over and over again! Now if only Jennifer from Trophy’s can release their red velvet recipe….

  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • Marshmallow Frosting (See recipe below)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
  2. Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.
  4. Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.
  5. Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.
  6. Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.
  7. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip (such as Ateco #867 or Ateco #809). Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

Marshmallow Frosting

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

My Notes: I followed the recipe to the T and it turned out beautifully. The batter might seem a bit thin, but that’s how it’s supposed to be! It turned out for a super moist cupcake. I didn’t have that many graham crackers, so I wasn’t able to sprinkle the top with it. I’m sure it didn’t make much of a difference, but I’ll make sure to have more on hand the next time I make these. I also had a TON of batter leftover and was able to bake a mini cake, so you can line some more muffin tins and make more cupcakes instead (there was enough to probably make at least 6 more cupcakes). The frosting was just AMAZING. Seriously. AMAZING.

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