I have a theory about figuring out what I want in life. There have been moments lately when I’ve thrown up my hands and declared to anyone who will listen that I just don’t know what I want to do. But, then it hit me. If I’m willing to stay [...]]]>

I have a theory about figuring out what I want in life. There have been moments lately when I’ve thrown up my hands and declared to anyone who will listen that I just don’t know what I want to do. But, then it hit me. If I’m willing to stay up all night and do it. If I can’t think of anything else.

If I wake up excited. If the ideas are sometimes (not always) effortless. If  it doesn’t seem, not at all, like work. Then I probably found it. And not at all surprising, it was there all along, patiently waiting for me to get on board.

Writing, baking, blogging, photographing, designing, creating, teaching and coming up with content is what I want to do. Lately it’s consuming my every waking minute. It’s making my life better and my days a little richer. I’ve dabbled before, afraid to get too deep, afraid I wasn’t good enough. And then I decided that I was good enough and worth the effort to learn and get better. Worth the effort to push harder. And it’s weird when something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie can inspire and ignite the spark. It’s there, it was just a little buried, becoming too jaded and cynical, but I never lost it. The missing link is that before I wasn’t doing it for myself and on my own terms.

Sometimes learning can be frustrating, especially when the process is public. And now I realize that I was never really trying.    I don’t know what opportunities any of this will bring, if any at all, but I’m trusting myself and the process enough to do it better than I ever have.

These cookies take no time at all to put together. They fluff up a little, stay chewy and silky in the middle, and then fall down to create picturesque hills and valleys. The toffee is essential and next time, I will use more toffee and less chocolate. And because I know there will be a next time, I will also add toasted pecans instead of walnuts.

Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from the Ghiardelli Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe)

Ingredients:

2.25 C. unbleached flour, 1 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt, 2 sticks softened butter, 1/4 C. half and half (omit if using two eggs instead of one jumbo egg) .75 C. sugar, .75 C. brown sugar, 2 t. vanilla extract, 1 (jumbo egg, or two large eggs), 2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 C. toffee bits, 1 C. walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a stand mixer or by hand beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add vanilla, egg (s), and half and half until incorporated.

Gradually add dry ingredients into the creamy mixture. Add chocolate chips, toffee bits and walnuts. Drop by tablespoons onto parchment paper or a non-stick oven mat. Bake for 9-11 minutes.

I’m finding it absolutely neccessary to bake all the recipes I’ve been hoarding in my bookmarks over the past year. These cookies from  Brown Eyed Baker do not disappoint, but I’m biased because I will bake anything she tells me to. The peanut butter is not overwhelming in this recipe, which I like, especially when chocolate is [...]]]>

I’m finding it absolutely neccessary to bake all the recipes I’ve been hoarding in my bookmarks over the past year. These cookies from  Brown Eyed Baker do not disappoint, but I’m biased because I will bake anything she tells me to. The peanut butter is not overwhelming in this recipe, which I like, especially when chocolate is present. I used my little cookie ball scoop which resulted in these nice rounded mounds that are a touch brown on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside.

I used mini-chips  because they were the only chips at the store without soy lecithin.

Unfortunately, these cookies are all gone, no thanks to Josh who said they were calling to him and was forced to eat them while I slept soundly on the couch.

Here’s what you need:

Yes, this is it. Honestly it’s hard to go [...]]]> I can hardly call this a recipe because they’re so easy to put together. These chocolate hazelnut bites can be assembled in less than 5 minutes and cost around $4 to make. Not only are the impressive looking, but they’re delicious.

Here’s what you need:

Yes, this is it. Honestly it’s hard to go wrong when Nutella is involved, no? I love to bake, but occasionally we all need something to bring to a party or gathering that is easy. I love how versatile these phyllo cups are. You can fill them with pratically anything and I’m convinced they will be delicious.

Fill you cups with a heaping teaspoon of Nutella.

Arrange on a white platter. I love my collection of white dishes, they make everything look better.

Top with slivered almonds or hazelnuts it you’re lucky enough to find some. Viola! Easy, impressive, inexpensive dessert for the holidays!

Variations:

Drizzle tops with white chocolate, or caramel.

Whip cream cheese (room temperature) with the Nutella for a cheesecake-ish dessert.

Whip sweetened heavy cream, fold into Nutella for a mousse-like texture.

Or top with twists of orange rind.

Around my 12th birthday I went to Hawaii with my mom, sister, aunt, great aunts and uncle. More specifically Maui and Oahu. I remember the white beaches, vocanos, the pink hotel we stayed in, and macadamia nuts. I  remember my mom developing a slight obsessed with macadamia nuts and all things Hawaii after this [...]]]>

Around my 12th birthday I went to Hawaii with my mom, sister, aunt, great aunts and uncle. More specifically Maui and Oahu. I remember the white beaches, vocanos, the pink hotel we stayed in, and macadamia nuts. I  remember my mom developing a slight obsessed with macadamia nuts and all things Hawaii after this trip. She still wears her bright purple “Hawaii” sun visor  15 years later.

Every time I go to the store I cannot pass the bright tourquoise packaging of these nuts without thinking of our trip to Hawaii. My awkwardness, my teenage sister crying for her boyfriend, and my mom eating chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Oh, and Don Ho sang happy birthday to me. At least that’s how I remember it.

Baking chocolate chips cookies wasn’t enough, I needed them to be special, soft, gooey and crunchy around the edges. They needed to remain soft after cooling. I also wanted them to slowly deflate right after being pulled from the oven. That deflating process gives them the signature rippled chocolate chip cookie-look. The one that lets you know this  is going to be good.

I adapted this recipe from Dorie Greenspans World Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Island Cookies

• 2 C. all-purpose flour
• 1 t sea salt
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1 C unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 1/3 C light brown sugar
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 12 oz. milk chocolate morsels
• 1 C chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 C flaked coconut (I used unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small mixing bowl wisk flour, sea salt, baking soda. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or by hand) whip butter, sugar and brown sugar. Slowly add eggs and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture. Add chocolate, macadamia nuts and coconut. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment paper and bake for 11 minutes. Allow to cool for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Freezer tip: Dough can be frozen in ball form for up to a month.

This recipe has been on my mind for a week now and with the holiday baking marathon coming up I decided to get a head-start on things and bring this idea to life. Of course, I’m not the first to think “I love cheesecake! I love pecan pie! why not combine the two!? but [...]]]>

This recipe has been on my mind for a week now and with the holiday baking marathon coming up I decided to get a head-start on things and bring this idea to life. Of course, I’m not the first to think “I love cheesecake! I love pecan pie! why not combine the two!? but here is my version.

This also happily goes along with the 20+oz. of cream cheese I bought during Thanksgiving week for $9. What was I thinking? I can’t pass-up a deal. It was Amish cream cheese!

The result? Creamy, gooey, nutty, and sweet. They don’t taste like cheese cake or pecan pie, but more like a happy marriage of the two. They blend together uniquely. The pecan pie sank to the bottom of the bar and met up with the crust making a gooey layer that is almost like caramel in taste. The next layer is full-on cream cheese with the flavor and happiness of pecan pie. The pecan’s stayed right on top to form a crust.

This recipe makes a lot, about 24 servings depending on how greedy you are. I fully intend to freeze most of them tonight as to avoid eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday this week. I’ll let you know how that goes.

The recipe:

Ingredients:

crust:

2 1/2 – 3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 C melted butter

1 t pure vanilla extract

1 T brown sugar

1/2 t sea salt

cheesecake layer:

12 oz. cream cheese (room temp)

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 C sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

2 T half and half (you can use milk or cream)

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

pecan pie:

4 eggs

1 1/2 C corn syrup

1/2 C melted butter

1 t vanilla extract

1 C pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper.

Combine all crust ingredients and push into the the bottom of the pan with your hands. Bake for 6 minutes.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, half and half, and vanilla until smooth and there are no lumps. Add sugar and brown sugar until smooth.

Pour cream cheese batter onto a slightly cooled crust.

In another bowl, beat eggs. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour mixture slowly over cheesecake mixture. Tap the pan slightly.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until no longer giggly. Let cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate for at least one hour.