Be Happy

The last few weeks have been a crazy, hectic whirlwind of classes, work, baking and so many other things I don't even know where to start. It's so busy that I think I need one of those handy-dandy planners that has your COMPLETE day planned out, from waking up to eating dinner. Something like, "8:00a.m.-wake up, 8:30a.m.-breakfast, 9:00a.m.-class, 11:00a.m-tutoring session, 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.-work, etc, etc...."
You get the idea.
My weeks are draining, physically (I haven't been able to find time to run/bike) and emotionally (laughing, crying, I've done it all).
But you know what? I love it. I love where I'm at. I love being ridiculously busy with school and work. I love (most) of my classes. I love my job and the people I work with. I love my new house. I love baking in my new oven. I love that I stayed up til 5:ooa.m. this morning (yes, I am draggingggg) talking about faith and all the things life throws at us. I love that these sometimes frustrating, tiring, tiny things make me happy. I love being happy.

This recipe will most definitely make you happy. If an Almond Joy was in bread form, this is exactly what it would taste like. I made it a few weeks ago and baked it in a loaf pan, therefore making it kind of a quick bread?
This second time around I used muffin pans. So it was like a muffin? I honestly have no clue what to call it. Muffins? Cupcakes? Quick bread? Candycakes? Whatever it is it's delicious. So delicious my brother will snarf down about 3 in one setting and make my friend sigh after taking one bite. Yes, that good. It has the texture of a muffin, but tastes like a piece of cake. So you could disguise it as "breakfast." I know, SUPER idea.
Now, how can I do this with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? Hmmm....
Almond Joy "Muffins"
adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
makes about 2 dozen

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
¾ cup canola oil
¼ cup melted unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweetened coconut
½ cup raw almonds, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine the first 6 ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, sift and combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Starting with the flour mixture alternate flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk and flour…in that order. Mix until just combined.
Fold in coconut, chocolate chips and almonds.
Pour into muffin pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on rack to dry. While muffins are still warm, poke several holes in the top of the muffins with a wooden skewers. Drizzle Coconut Glaze(recipe follows) into the holes. Finish glazing muffins by taking a pastry brush and brushing on remaining glaze(as much or as little as you would like). When muffins are completely cool, drizzle chocolate ganache over the tops.

Coconut Glaze

1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 tsp coconut extract

Place ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about a minute. Turn heat off but leave saucepan on burner. Glaze muffins as instructed above.

Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup heavy cream

Place chocolate into a bowl. Place cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Once cream has boiled pour over chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes.
Stir with whisk until smooth and glossy.

School, blah.

Lots of goodies to come...this thing called "school" just started up and is already cutting into my baking/blogging time. Grrr....

Settling (Battling) in a New Kitchen

So I moved into a new house and I finally feel settled. It only took a few weeks, multiple trips to Wal-Mart, serious cleaning and days where my only means of food were bottles of V8. But, alas, I have a clean, comfy, homey room. With this move I have also inherited a new kitchen. It's taking time for me to get oriented in this kitchen. Isn't it always weird trying to cook or bake in a new kitchen? You feel so out of your element.
"Where's the whisk? Egg-beaters? Measuring cups?!"
It's downright frustrating at times. That's how I felt all day yesterday. I decided to break in the kitchen with baking some Snickerdoodles. A basic cookie recipe, right? Of course, but when I couldn't find the egg-beaters for nearly half an hour, I was ready to give up. Oh, but it doesn't stop there. Then came the oven. The kitchen got an new oven last week (it desperately needed a new one) and I was sooo stoked when I found out. Well, this oven and I already have issues. Every time, every, stinkin' time I went to reset the timer for a new batch of cookies I had to reset the heating on the oven. Really?! I know, I know, I should just look at the user's manual, but it's a freakin' oven! How hard should that be?!
I finished baking the cookies and picked one up in frustration. I bit into the warm cookie and a sweet peace came over me.

My battle with the new kitchen made me forget why I love to bake. The end result, the delicious outcome. Something I can give to people and watch them enjoy.
This kitchen and I are going to have some time getting use to each other, but it'll work out. Maybe give couples' counseling a try?


Snickerdoodles
adapted from allrecipes.com
makes about 3 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Well, I Never Been to Spain

My best friend, KP, got back from an internship in Barcelona, Spain a few weeks ago. It was her first trip out of the country and she went all by herself. She stayed with a very "unique" family, worked at an awesome job with awesome people, improved her Spanish-speaking skills (Senora Hedges would be proud) and ate Spanish cuisine (though whenever we talked she always said she missed "her" food). Two months flew by and it was time for her to come back to the states!
My other best friend, Carissa, went with me to pick her up at the airport.

It was a surprise, kinda. We made her signs.
And apparently the translation of one was off, way off.

But she loved it anyway.

This trip was such an eye-opener for her. When she got back I could tell she wasn't the same girl that left two months ago. She had this glow about her and a new outlook on life. I keep telling her that this trip was such a good thing for her. She experienced so much and learned a lot about herself, a la Eat, Pray, Love, perhaps? :)
Like I said she missed "her" food, so I decided to make her one of her favorite things in the whole wide world, Fruit Pizza. She has stated multiple times, she wants this for her wedding cake, er, wedding pizza? I'm still not sure how that will work, but we'll figure it out, KP. ;)
I can honestly say that I don't know how or where I picked up this recipe. I've been making this dessert for years, so long in fact that I used this recipe for my demonstration speech in my high school speech class. The great thing about this pizza is that you can change things up and it will be delicious no matter what. You can try a chocolate chip cookie crust with a peanut butter cream cheese filling or a snickerdoodle crust with cinnamon cream cheese filling. The possibilities are endless. But if I know KP she would say poo-poo and stick with the good ol' sugar cookie recipe.

Fruit Pizza

1 roll sugar cookie dough

2 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

3/4 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

assorted cut-up fruits (I always use blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple)

Press cookie dough on pizza plate, covering the whole plate. Prick the crust with a fork multiple times. Bake crust at 350 degrees, 8-10 minutes. Allow crust to completely cool. Beat cream
cheese and powdered sugar, until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add more sugar if you'd like. Spread filling over cooled crust. Decorate pizza with assorted fruits. This is best served cold, but if your friends and family are like mine, it won't even make it there. :)