Holiday Catch-up

First thing's first -- I'm HOME! After many long hours of traveling, I returned to the United States on December 19th early, early in the morning, and have been in the midst of a baking frenzy ever since. Between running errands and enjoying the holidays with family, I've squeezed in as many recipes as possible -- cakes and custards and tarts, cookies and brownies and barks -- and the results have been exciting! I haven't even resorted to any of my regular go-to's, I've branched out in new and different directions, and the majority of the outcomes have been delicious! I've never been so in love with baking -- it's as if I can never get enough.

In December, I also became a member of the Daring Bakers Kitchen (a move that is, I hope, a further testament to my baking devotion), and while I completed the December Gingerbread House Challenge (see photos above, left, below), I was so busy that I never got around the posting the results! Fortunately, I completed the January challenge yesterday, which proved to be one of the tastiest treats I've made  since coming home, so I'm already doing better this month. I can't wait for my first official post.


Now, for the rest of my most recent baking endeavors! I've done my best to document everything with photos, thought here are a few things not represented here -- sometimes I get swept up in the excitement and forget to snap a photo, or my baking efforts are eaten before I can even reach for my camera! But what I've shot, I've posted, so lets get to it. To the right are some tasty Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies, courtesy of Gourmet Magazine (still can't believe it's gone!). They were easy to make, and easy to eat -- light and fluffy, not rich and dense as is often my preference. Not my favorite, but certainly not a slouch, and they are better after a day of hanging out in the fridge (wrapped tightly in plastic, please!)

Here, with a very festive Gingerbread House backdrop, we have some easy and delicious Triple-Chocolate Cookies ' Cream Peppermint Bark (from the blog Baking Bites). While melting and cooling each individual layer of bark takes a bit of time, it's really quite simple, and the outcome is impressive to look at, and even better to eat. I made it as a gift, but we kept a few pieces for my family to try, and I think i caught everyone knawing on it at least once between meals -- it's quite addictive. I think what makes it really great are the crumbled Trader Joe's Peppermint Oreos crumbled all over the top -- just a hint of mint balances the smooth creaminess of the three types of chocolate. Yum!

Next up: Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse. I've been eating this stuff for as long as I can remember, and it's an absolute treat -- there are few desserts I cherish more than this one, and for good reason. Throughout my childhood, my gourmet cook uncle would make it each New Years Eve, but he passed away a couple of years ago, so I took over responsibility of the mousse-making. It's a tedious process, but it's WELL worth it. This mousse contains no cream, just eggs and chocolate (and a special secret ingredient!), and for those willing to take the time, it is a dessert not to be missed! (You can find copies of this recipe all over the internet, though I use her original cookbook.)

So at this point, I'm sure you're drooling over all of these DECADENT recipes (that's supposed to be funny -- I am, after all, just starting to get my feet wet in the blogging world!), so here's something to break up the monotony, a non-food interjection! I know this is a baking blog, but this must be done. This was the first Christmas I was lucky enough to spend with my boyfriend A, and since he was a special guest in the house, my parents gave him a stocking too! We hung them up on the mantle together to document our first Christmas, and here they are! Inside mine: a silpat (!), a set of red baking bowls, mini spice canisters, a ceramic knife, and a whole bunch of other exciting gadgets. I often wonder what other people my age would think of the gifts I receive, but I can think of nothing better.

Back to food! These little beauties are Mini Ginger Cookie Sandwiches with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (from another blog, Eat Make Read), and they were spectacular (A ate about 5 of the cookies BEFORE we made sandwiches of them, and then a couple sandwiches after...). We made them as a pre-Christmas treat, and they were so tasty! The recipe was straight-forward and simple to follow, and the end result looked exactly like the cookies posted on the original recipe! I love when that happens :)

This wonderful cake, from the blog Smitten Kitchen (a personal favorite of mine!) was beautiful AND delicious -- the best kind of recipe. I didn't have the proper-sized cake pan, so I made one big one and one little one, and they both came out great. One recommendation for anyone looking to try it: don't over-do it with the apples! I found that with the bigger cake, when I used too many apples some batter got stuck between them, and it didn't bake fully in the center -- even with a lot of additional baking time. The little guy came out perfectly, but I think if I'd spaced the apples a bit better, and used a few less, it'd have been just right. But who can really blame me for an apple overdose, right?

We're nearly at the end, I promise! I guess this is what happens when you don't blog for several months at a time, or probably more like what happens when you're deprived of a kitchen and utensils for FOUR months! I can't say that I mind all of the baking I've been doing (I actually love it -- live for it), though I'm sure my family doesn't completely appreciate the fact that I've been serving up plate-fuls of extra calories that were absent when I wasn't around.

Anyway, onwards! These are some ABSOLUTELY delicious Cream Cheese Brownies, also courtesy of Gourmet. I made them just before New Years, and then again a couple of days later! They are a breeze to make, and the flavor is wonderful. I read a lot of reader reviews beforehand, so I tweaked the recipe the first time I made them, and even more the second time, and they were even better. I added 2.5 ounces of chocolate, and a teaspoon of granulated coffee, which added the perfect amount of depth and intensity, which I thought the recipe was lacking at first. You can cut the sugar to 3/4 cup to make-up for the added sugar in the chocolate (I used 71% bittersweet from Trader Joes). Definitely recommended!

Two last quick things: 1.) After I'd left for Australia, I asked A, who is a Doctor of Mixology (his very official title), to create a cocktail tailored to me. When I got home, he made me the 'Ochenta y Ocho', and it was delicious! I can't divulge the recipe here because it's top secret, but I can tell you that it's fabulous. I've only had it once since, but I look forward to having it again and again.

2.) Calamari and Onion Rings! A had intended to bring calamari to our house for Christmas but he left it at his house, so we had the treat of making (and EATING) it last week. Since we were frying, we decided to make onion rings too, and they were SO good. I'd never deep fried anything on a stovetop before, but I was more than pleased with the results! The calamari was a bit bland, so if I make it again I'll either marinate it beforehand in something flavorful (we used buttermilk this time), or add something exciting to the breading.

That's about all for now! Thank GOODNESS, even I was getting tired! But I'm hoping that with my utensils within reach, and a working oven at my disposal, these posts will finally become more frequent! I graduate in a few months, and after that I'm hoping to start earning enough money to open my bakery, so I've got to keep baking to keep the dream within reach!

Until next time, happy baking!