{Peppermint Crinkles}

Although the season of peppermint has come to an end (well, for normal people. I plan to still order americanos with peppermint until atleast march), I had to share this recipe for peppermint crinkle cookies my mom & I made over the holiday break. Just in case there are any of you out there who are not ready to say goodbye to pepperminty goodness...or christmas for that matter.

Crinkle cookies always remind me of my mom. I think she told me once that she loved them as a child, and I remember baking them for the first time with her when I was young. I love the way the cookies look, all individual and unique, like snowflakes.

{sugar & eggs}

{melted chocolate}

{combined wet}

{combined with dry}

Painstakingly, this dough needs to be refrigerated for atleast a couple hours, but we let it sit over night. The peppermint extract & chocolate needed a little extra time to party together, before making the fun little balls into cookies. It is so worth the wait, the flavor was incredible when these were done!

A coat of granulated sugar and a heavy coat of confectioners sugar on the little balls make the cracking nice and obvious. Beware, the dough is sticky and this part gets kind of messy. Which is why my mom got the task of rolling the balls! I stuck to the sugar coating.

Aren't they just the loveliest? I packaged most of the cookies up and gave them out as gifts, which seemed to be a big hit! 

Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

adapted from Bakers Royale

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 3/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm, not hot
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons of peppermint extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.

- Beat together 2 1/2 cups of the sugar, the oil, butter and corn syrup to blend. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Beat in the melted chocolate.

- Add the flour mixture and beat in on low speed.

- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

- Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line bakesheet with parchment.

- Roll the dough into 3 inch balls. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners’ sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball lightly in granulated sugar first, then very heavily in confectioners’ sugar.

- Arrange cookies 2 inches apart. For a chewier cookie, bake 10-12 minutes. Bake one sheet at a time.

{Dessert Addict}

Most people have a stopping point, where their brain or stomach lets them know they've officially overdosed on sweets and they need to stop. My brain & stomach do not. Which means when I'm brought to amazing restaurants like Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego, my brain will force me to daydream about that place for weeks after. Seriously, I need a trip back! 

Our good friends Sarah & Damian had been to the restaurant before, and recommended we go back for birthday celebrating after the football game. Sarah is well aware of my chocolate addiction, and could not have picked a better place to go!

The downside to this fantastic restaurant is the wait time for dinner. I think we waited a little over an hour to be seated, which would have been fine if they didn't make you stare at glass case after glass case of dreamy looking desserts. They even have a register at the front if you need a treat to snack on while you wait.

We were finally seated before anyone of us freaked out from hunger or caved from temptation. I didn't get a good shot of the dining room since it's all lit pretty dimly, but it's filled with modern-ish looking furniture on the inside with high & low tables, booths and a beautiful patio.

We ordered a few different appetizers & paninis and an amazing grilled cheese sandwich with caramelized onions. The bread was a little to thin/crispy for my liking, but all the ingredients were amazingly fresh and flavorful. We ate until we were stuffed but managed to save room for the most incredible (dare I say...extraordinary?) chocolate cake I've ever ever had. Ever.

Not real.

We also ordered the berry bread pudding, which completely changed my outlook on bread puddings. I didn't use to like them and now I do. But I'm insisting on gold leaf to top the dessert from now on.

Chris & I managed to pull ourselves out of food comas to go out that night, while S & D headed back home. It was so nice to have them drive all the way out to hang out while we were in town, and I'm excited for the next time we all get to see each other!

{Weekend Shots & Chocolate Chip Cookies}

This past Friday night, Saturday & Sunday I mastered the art of the perfect weekend ratio. I ran errands, stayed out late, caught up on sleep, cleaned, worked on the apartment & had a lot of fun!

Some snaps:

 I am a hot coffee drinker. I've hated iced coffee for as long as I can remember. After suffering through last summer in Arizona drinking hot drip coffee & americanos and trying to smile through the beads of sweat, I've decided to make the jump. Starting over the weekend. 

Fruit & more fruit. 

Strawberries in my oatmeal & sliced fresh pineapple for easy lunch assembly.

Also, I'm totally a sucker for baking requests. Chris & Brandon asked me to make chocolate chip cookies, and even offered to buy the ingredients! I just couldn't refuse. PLUS this gave me the opportunity to try the cookies with powdered pudding, instead of the pudding cups. I used this recipe.

Mmm. It also gave me an opportunity to test out my new handy cookie scooper! Every cookie was perfect sized. Seriously, I've never been so impressed. No wonder Martha uses one too. 

To settle the powdered pudding vs. pudding pudding debate... my vote goes with powdered!

The cookies were fluffy and chewy, even more so than the oatmeal chocolate chip ones. 

Now I'll just have to try it out on the oatmeal version to make sure that it actually is the best way to go. 

Finally, the BEST part of my weekend - 

Chris & I hung up my painting!

Now I just need to figure out how to dispel the constant anxiety over it ripping out of my wall/falling/wire snapping/ruining. 

It is scaring the crap out of me.

{Flourless}

I've never made a gluten free dessert before,

but when my friend Bianca was in town for a visit from San Diego I decided to take a stab at it. 

{Flourless Chocolate Cake}

For her last night in Phoenix, we planned a big dinner celebration with me, her, her brother (who is a student at ASU), Chris & his best friend, Brandon. 

I have to admit that I think I make have messed the recipe up. 

The chocolate melted beautifully smooth and glossy, 

the ingredients were measured correctly, 

& everything was looking great!

The end result was a gooey delicious brownie looking cake, that looked completely different than any other flourless chocolate cake I've ever seen. The meringue crust cracked with the lightest of tap, and the batter below stayed hot.

Paired a la mode with some french vanilla bean ice cream,

its less attractive appearance didn't stop anyone from digging in!

& my apartment smelled like warm fresh brownies all night.

Which was awesome.

{Christmas Crack}

There is something about peppermint bark at the holidays that makes you want to forfeit all your sensible knowledge of nutritional facts, balanced meal plans and gorge yourself with as much of the treat as you can. Well, maybe that is just me but I swear this stuff is addicting. It is so easy to make, which is terrible news for my attempt at healthy eating. 

Calories don't count at Christmas time, right?

{candy canes}

No skimping on ingredients. The better the chocolate & candy canes, the better the Christmas crack. 

 {chocolate chips}

I am a big fan of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate works just as well.

To temper the chocolate, melt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. 

You will know it is done when the chocolate starts to get shiny.

Make sure you do not get any water into the bowl, it will ruin the chocolate!

Pour onto a tinfoil lined baking sheet & place in the fridge to set.

{white chocolate chips}

Melt the white chocolate chips the same way you did the dark chocolate.

When the chips are almost completely melted, mix in peppermint extract.

I always pour in little bits at a time, tasting as I go to make sure it is the right amount.

Once there is enough, add 1 candy cane that has been crushed into a fine dust. 

Mmmmm.

Immediately pour over the dark chocolate, spreading evenly.

Beware -- if you don't work quickly, the warm white chocolate will melt the chocolate underneath, and start to make a marble effect...bad!

Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top & press in to stick.

Smaller chunks are better, but you still want to be able to see the color.

Allow it to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours, before you can take it out to break into pieces.

The chocolate should still be somewhat moldable.

You will know when it is ready, it will still bend a little then snap. 

I usually use a knife or fork, my fingers get too hot and tend to melt the chocolate!

Is it cocky to say I could give William Sonoma a run for its money?

I think not.

{christmas crack in all its glory}

Christmas Countdown: 3 days!

{chocolate for breakfast}

As if I needed an excuse.


I was feeling the itch to bake again, and after seeing this recipe on Foodgawker (my favorite website for ideas), I knew I had to try it!


I have never had biscotti before. Every cookbook, cafe, and bakery I have ever come across has put nuts in their recipe, and unfortunately I am terribly allergic!


Martha has done it again. You all know how I feel about chocolate, and these were so delicious!


If I were a lady, this is what I would eat and drink off of. Tea cup, dainty bites, pinky upwards, etc.


Much more realistic. Coffee for two, and endless biscotti!

-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking sheet
-2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 cup sugar
-2 large eggs
-1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a baking sheet; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour mixture, and stir to form a stiff dough. Stir in pistachios and chocolate chips.
3.Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet; form into a slightly flattened log, about 12 by 4 inches. Bake until slightly firm, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
4.On a cutting board, using a sharp serrated knife, cut biscotti diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet, and bake until crisp but still slightly soft in the center, about 8 minutes.

{so ugly, so delicious}

Normally when I bake, appearance is key. People dive into dessert much faster when it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Especially if you can taste the rich, sweet, and sinful flavors by just looking at it.

These cupcakes were not the case. I also used a box cake, which always causes bakers guilt. Normally two wrong do not make a right...

I was horribly mislead.

These cupcakes WERE SO GOOD. Duncan Hines Devils Food, you are a masterpiece. A sparkly gem in the rocky abyss that is the dessert mix aisle.

I am not one to stock up on non-refrigerated frosting (not usually tasty, rather make my own) but when I found my shelf bare of any meltable chocolate, I decided to try something new. Caramel sounded so delicious.

So I did it. Caramel...yum. Cupcakes....yum. Caramel+Cupcakes=YUM. As I unveil the less than pretty mini cakes, just know that they lasted about 2 minutes in a room full of people. I have never seen so much caramel flying around the room, and I don't even think they minded.


Duncan Hines Devil's Food...follow box directions

Caramel Sauce recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Book.

2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream