Lovin' From the Oven

My Favorite Posts of 2010

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Happy New Year all! 2010 was a wonderful year, just like every year of life so far. Some highlights were going to New York with my DB, getting published in Australia, and having my first surgery (appendicitis)! I thought I’d do a recap of 2010 with my favorite post from each month. Here goes!

January: Everything Cookies. These hold a special place in my heart. This is the cookie that made me love hearty cookies.

February: Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake. I could eat the whole plate of these. Soft, fluffy, and cinnamon sugar. What can go wrong?

March: Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread. My favorite simple banana bread. I’ve tried TONS of recipes before and this one still stands strong.

April: Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies. I think this is one that you guys loved the most. A cookie inside of a cookie. Brilliant.

May: Alton Brown’s The Chewy. A versatile cookie base that goes well with any add-ins. The options are endless!

June: Brooklyn Blackout Cupcakes. Only a few ingredients with a knockout taste. Plus, every blog has to have cupcakes!
July: Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies. This one’s another crowd favorite. The best way of using up Nutella so far.

August: NY Style Crumb Cake. Something simple for the ones that like classics. The crumb topping alone is enough to make a man turn his head.
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September: Chocolate Pudding Cake. Every girl needs chocolate in her life. This will be sure to satisfy those cravings. You know what I’m talking about, ladies!

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October: Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake. I love all things cinnamon and sugar.

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November: Sour Cream Apple Bars. I guess we should probably add some fruit to this list and make it semi healthy.

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December: Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies. A more complex recipe for our over achievers. We have fruit on our list, let’s add some vegetables!
I hope everyone started off their year with a kick! Southern California decided to start off with snow for the first time since I was two. Believe me, we’re all still shocked. I spent the first day of 2011 with a mock bridal photoshoot! Here’s a little snippet:

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Shot by my dear friend, Drew. More pictures to come later on my style blog!

Day 8: Hot Cocoa Cookies

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Day 8 of my 12 days of cookies: Hot cocoa cookies! Yes, the exclamation point is completely necessary. My DB claims that these are the best cookies that I’ve made so far, but I’m convinced he’s just as in love with Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder as I am. They can make any cookie taste good. To me, they didn’t really taste like hot cocoa; they tasted more like a normal chocolate cookie, but no complaints here.
I cooked them for a bit longer than the recipe called for because mine didn’t look at all done at the 12 minute mark, which resulted in extra melted marshmallows. Oops. These were a pain to take off of the baking sheet once done, so I’d recommend using a Silpat or some parchment paper prior to tossing in the oven. I wish my cookies came out thicker and fluffier, but these will do for now.
Recently, I’ve been getting a ton of questions about the cameras I use, so here’s a little sneak peek for you. Plus, you’ll get to see how I shoot all of my food pictures! Nothing fancy… just a little bit of natural light and a stool to limit my shaky hands. I’m using a Nikon D40x and my DB took this picture using a Canon Rebel t2i.
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I also use a Nikon D80 and for my food review shots, I use my Canon S90, which comes with me everywhere I go. When I’m in the kitchen, you’ll always find me in an oversized sweater and sweats. Comfy bakers make the best desserts, don’t cha know.

This recipe comes from How Sweet It Is, which makes approximately 24 cookies.

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows

  1. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Stir in marshmallow fluff.
  2. Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove, and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to completely cool before removing. Patience! These cookies are very sticky!

Spotlight on my Pops: Banh Chung

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My pops usually makes a traditional Vietnamese cake for Chinese New Year, but he decided to make it out of the blue today. It’s called “banh chung,” and is made from layering sticky rice, mung bean, and seasoned pork. It’s a very lengthy process, taking just over twelve hours to assemble and cook. My dad decided to document the whole process this time, so I thought I’d share with all of you his hard work!
Here are all of the ingredients lined up, after the mung bean and rice have had plenty of time soaking in water.
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First, use your wooden square mold (which my dad built) as a guide to start lining your banana leaves.
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Layer the rice, then beans, then meat, then beans and rice again.
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Fold the banana leaves back over to secure everything together.
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and wrap with plenty of strings!
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Like this!:
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This is how they look prior to cooking:
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Wrap them in saran wrap and layer them in a huge pot.
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Fill the pot with water and cook for 6ish hours, making sure to keep the water level above the cakes!
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Take them out and let them cool for an hour or so.
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Cut and eat! Yum! (oh heyyyy Halloween candy on the counter)
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Dump the water out and clean the pot.
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Isn’t that amazing? I get so excited when my dad cooks these because it only happens once a year and they are DELICIOUS! Thought you guys would enjoy!

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