Weekend Report: Chix Gets Married!

Welp it’s official - I’m in that 20-something phase when everyone starts to get married. Luckily I love weddings! (How could you not? Friends + love + dancing + cake = fun!)

The bride was my college friend/teammate, C--- aka Chix. Chix was the first runner I met at BU, and by random chance we lived across the hall from each other freshman year. After I stopped being shy-freshman intimidated by her running awesomeness, we became great friends! Almost every night, Chix, Jess, and I met in the dining hall “late-night” to drink diet soda and split a snack as a study break. And giggle excessively, and make guacamole, and talk about sandwiches, and a certain now-Mr. Chix’s legs!

Her wedding was my second visit to Fitchburg (I spent Thanksgiving with her family one year), and as expected, the Chix family delivered and Fitchburg did not disappoint!

Chix looked absolutely beautiful, and we danced like fools all night (it’s amazing how when you reconvene old friends and teammates we suddenly lose any acquired maturity  and regress to our 2005/6ish selves…sheesh).

(Yes, that is the bride crowd-surfing. Who says runners aren't fun?)

The day after the wedding was the most gorgeous Boston day ever! Jess, Erin, and I meandered around Coolidge Corner, then walked down to Newbury and Boylston Streets to do some shopping. (I got amazing sandals. They were expensive, but I walk 2-6 miles per day, so good sandals are a must.)

Jess's boyfriend Zac met us for dinner at Mr. Sushi in Coolidge Corner. Cheesy name, but amazing food! Erin, Jess, and I all ordered the Hai Dup Bap, a gi-normous bowl of delicious veggies (daikon, carrots, sprouts, cucumber, etc) topped with big chunks of sushi grade tuna, salmon, and roe. 

It comes with miso soup, brown rice and mix-in toppings. So. Good. (I wish the pictures could do it justice…but you’ll have to use your imagination.)

(Jess and Zac. This couple can eat.)

I arrived back in DC early Sunday, enough time to get my productive-face on and do some work/studying/pool running.


It was a great weekend - Congrats to the MAX to Chix and Mr. Chix!!!!

The Weekend Report: Dessert Party - Take 4!

We did it again. And it was glorious!

Just a little over a year ago, one of my fabulous friends came up with an idea that has been rocking our world ever since. Dessert Party. Why didn’t we think of this earlier? (Refer back to this post to learn the Dessert Party rules.)

Since that moment of staggering genius, we have now had 4 dessert parties. Four times we have exchanged countless emails planning our desserts. Four times we have gone into near-hysterics in excitement the night before. Four times we have donned our spandex in anticipation of the dessert food-baby to come. Four times we have loaded plate after plate with a variety of such sweet goodness seldom seen in one location. And four times we have laid on the floor, sugar-coma’ed to the max.

The first Dessert Party was for Erin (of the Cake Flavoring Oil) and Ellie's (of my beautiful blog banner) 21^st birthday.  Some people drink…we eat cake. Then I hosted one to celebrate my graduation. You may remember, back in October, I trekked to Boston for the sole purpose of eating absurd quantities of cake in honor of Jess’s birthday. And finally, as the year comes full-circle, I again traveled to Boston for Erin and Ellie’s birthday. Each Dessert Party has been unique (we don’t waste time with repeats)...and all have been awesome.

This time, I made German Chocolate Whoopie Pies (more on that tomorrow).

Jess made THE Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake (we have been ogling this recipe for months!)

Erin bought a cake from Sweet Cupcakes, and made a Sugar Cookie Cake.

What else? Well…

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Pecan Pie

Strawberry Cake

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Almond Butter Cookies

Brownies

As we lolled around the apartment, declaring that we couldn’t possibly fit in another bite…in walked a gorgeous orange cheesecake. OMG. I waited almost a half-hour…then went for it. I mean, how could I resist something so beautiful? And it was totally worth the border-line sugar-sickness. Mmmmmmmm.

Not that I usually advocate for gluttony…but we do work out a lot…and well, sometimes you just have to do it. As I’ve explained before: Dessert Party = no limits and no judgement! Yum!

 

Cake of the Week: Mint Chocolate Pound-ish Cake

People go crazy for mint chocolate. Just think of all the candy devoted to this delicious duo: Junior Mints (my movie theater candy of choice, thanks to my dad), Andes Mints, Peppermint Patties. There’s also mint mochas (omg, yum!), mint chip ice cream, grasshopper pies, Thin Mints, brownies, cookies, mint mint mint mint!

So let me add just one more to your minty chocolatey arsenal – Mint Chocolate Pound-ish Cake.

This recipe turned out FABULOUSLY. Let me explain:

I started with the Chocolate Pound Cake recipe from my new book, All Cakes Considered. I’m sure the recipe is great as written (I have a lot of faith in all things NPR), but obviously I had to make some of my own adjustments. I wanted to cut down on some of the fat (the prescribed 1 stick butter plus 1 cup shortening seemed like just too much).

So I made a few adjustments, involving apple sauce and a bit of extra baking powder. The resulting cake was light, much more sponge/angel food cake-ish than pound cakey.

 And then of course, the minty goodness. You may remember that I received some fantastic peanut butter for my birthday…well let me tell you what else I got. Erin sent me five different cake flavoring oils! I’ve never even heard of these before, and I couldn’t find any recipes or instructions on how to use them. So I thought a simple chocolate cake would be the perfect template for my flavor experimentation. Just three small drops of mint chocolate flavoring oil was plenty for this entire cake. Any more would have been over-kill.

Topped with a light milk chocolate glaze, this cake is pretty darn perfect.

Also you may notice that my cake pictures look better than normal today. That is because after much swearing and frustration, I asked one of my roommates (who knows/cares much more about photography than me) to be my cake photographer. Because food photography is much harder than you think. Lighting and flash and colors. Ugh! I don't even want to go there. (Usually I take about 30 pictures, then go through and find the few that turned out ok by chance.) But these pictures are beautiful right? All hail the PhotoMan! Glory and riches and honor to him!

Here is the original recipe, with my changes highlighted in green.

Chocolate Pound Cake

Recipe by Melissa Gray in All Cakes Considered

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup shortening - I did 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce instead

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon baking powder - I did 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 large eggs

- Three drops mint chocolate cake flavoring oil (add just a bit, then mix it in and taste. Be careful, this is an instance when less is more! The flavors will intensify with baking.)

1. Position a rack so the cake will sit in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of your tube pan with parchment paper and spray the sides and bottom with baking spray. (I don't have a tube pan, so I just used a bundt cake pan.)

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, dry whisk the flour, sugar, and cocoa together.

3. Gradually add the butter, shortening (or applesauce), and milk and beat on medium speed until smooth.

4. Add the baking powder and salt, and beat until incorporated.

5. Still on medium speed, add the vanilla extract and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the flavoring oil to taste.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick or thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and flip it onto a rack or plate. Continue cooling the cake.

Glaze:

3 tablespoons butter

1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 cup milk

2 cups (maybe a little more) confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Soften butter. Beat ingredients together, adding milk until it reaches a consistency half-way between spreadable and drippy. 

Spoon over cooled cake. 

Even if you don't like mint chocolate, this cake is great! Make it just normal chocolate, or experiment with other flavorings (get excited, I have 4 more flavorings to try!). 

Boston Dessert Week: Rainbow Cake

Welcome to Day 2 of Boston Dessert Week. Get ready. Get set. 

Ta da! We did it. Just look at our Rainbow Cake!!!

WOW,  impressive right? This cake was a major group effort - I mean, a lot of anxiety went into making this cake as perfect as possible. 

The adventure started about two months ago, when I came across some unreal pictures on this blog. I want that! was all I could think. And my friends, Jess and Erin, felt the same. It immediately became their desktop wallpaper (Erin: "I seriously don't think I can look at this every day - it's killing me!") to tease them every time they opened their computers.

So what would be a good occasion for a project of such magnitude? We pondered this for a bit, and the answer soon came clear: Jess's birthday/Boston Dessert Party!!!

I will admit, along the way I had my doubts about the feasibility of this project. I mean, it's pretty complex. And I don't even like frosting that much, so the actual eating of the cake was not my goal...But now I can say that I have made a rainbow cake, and thoroughly document the adventure. Check. Yeah, that's right, be impressed. 

As far as recommending this recipe - I can't say the cake actually tasted that awesome. The frosting is ridiculously buttery, and the cake gets overpowered. We made the coconut cake, unlike the Whisk Kid recipe, but it didn't taste very coconutty in this context. If you're going for deliciousness, this is not really the cake for you. There are many more yummy recipes out there. 

BUT wow-factor-wise, well, just look at it! Nuf said. 

Here's how it went down:

On Friday night, we made the cake. We didn't use cake flour...which retrospectively, I think was a mistake. 

There is a difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour, and it affects the ratios of your batter. We didn't use a scale to measure out our batter. We just divided it into bowls 1/4 cup at a time (so that they would be as even as possible). We used fancy food coloring, rather than your typical Easter-egg-dying variety, which I think was a good call. 

The Cake:

Southern Coconut Cake
Makes an 8-inch triple layer cake

For the cake:

• 5 large egg whites
• ½ cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 3 cups of cake flour
• 2 and 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter (8oz.) at warm room temperature
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 ½ cups of sweetened flaked coconut for garnishing cake

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Butter the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment circle and butter the circle.

Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk slightly. Add the ½ cup of milk and the vanilla and whisk to mix thoroughly; set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, beat dry ingredients well in order to break up any lumps. Add the butter and coconut milk on low speed and beat just to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.

Add the egg white mixture in 2 or 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Divide the batter among the pans.

Because the layers are so thin, they only need to cook for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them!

Disaster #1 occurred when we tried to get the cakes out of the pans. Because they're so thin and fragile, they totally split in half. As in, we ran a knife around the edge, tapped the bottom, lifted it up, and huge chunks of cake were stuck to the bottom of the pan! Oh no!!! (If you've ever had this happen, you know the feeling I'm talking about.)

Luckily, I had a GENIUS idea. Like seriously, one of the best ideas I've ever had. Rather than continuing to ruin our cakes as they came out of their pans, and then trying to patch them back together, we started cutting them in half before taking them out of the pans! This enabled us to get a spatula under the most fragile center of the cake, and gently lift them out one half at a time. Then the two pieces could be put back together. When you frost the cake, no one can tell the difference! 

YES! Crisis averted.

We then froze the layers overnight. 

The next day, we made the frosting. It was really really REALLY nerve-wracking. I've told you before that I really try to avoid recipes that involve melting sugar in any way. Also, if you don't have a big mixer this would be really hard. It took a long time to beat...holding a hand mixer for that long would be a major challenge...

This recipe recommends making the frosting in 2 batches, which we did. 

To fill and crumb coat:
9 egg whites
1 ¾ c sugar
4 sticks of butter, room temp
2 tsp lemon extract

To frost:
5 egg whites
1 c sugar
2 sticks butter, room temp
1 tsp lemon extract

Cook the egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it's completely smooth, it's done). Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp. Then, on a medium-slow speed, add the butter, waiting until each piece is completely

 incorporated before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer back to high speed and whip until it has come together, about five minutes. Add the extract, beat briefly and then use.

And a tip: if it curdles (aka, you're beating it for like 10 minutes, and it's not coming together, and then suddenly it starts looking like cottage cheese), 

1. Don't panic

2. Turn on your stove and heat the frosting over medium heat for like 20 seconds.

3. Return to the mixer and beat.

This isn't supposed to happen (meaning, ideally the frosting would come together on its own), but it happened to us both times. 

Also, you could probably half the second batch of frosting - we had a lot left over. The frosting does spread very easily. And because our layers were frozen, it set very nicely. 

But make sure that you serve the cake at room temperature, otherwise the frosting will just feel like you're eating butter. 

Our cake was a masterpiece. Very impressive-looking. So if you decide to make one yourself - good luck! Let me know how it goes!

The Weekend Report: Boston Dessert Week

Basically, my weekend can be summed up in one short sentence: I went to Boston and ate a LOT of dessert. 

But, since telling the short version of a story is not exactly my style...this week is now officially, dun-dun-dun-ta-tummmmm...

Boston Dessert Week! 

(Much like New York Fashion Week - but better) and I will be blogging about all things Boston and dessert-related for the next few days (at least!). 

The only person who may not be happy about Boston Dessert Week is my dad (him: You write about food too much. Why would I want to read about food of no one's going to make it for me? Me: Why wouldn't you??) But rest assured Daddy-o, I will be including some running posts this week as well!

If you think I am obsessed with desserts, you should meet my friends Jess and Erin. These girls are impressive - they put my love of all things sweet to shame. They are frosting queens.

 Cupcake blog-reading literary experts. Is there a tasting event in the city 3 months from now? They will know about it. New cake book coming out? They will be on the pre-ordering list. And most importantly, when their good friend (yours truly) drives 9 hours from DC, they will be there next to me: planning, baking, and enjoying an all-out dessertfest to the max!!!

Here is an excerpt from the invite:

I fancy any occasion for friends to bake me cakes and eat copious amounts of buttercream alongside me. Touch bellies with the birthday girl on Saturday October 24 and dig into dessert until those bellies burst. A show-stopping rainbow layer cake via Erin and Mollie will serve as the centerpiece, but don't worry--there will be more than enough sweet treats to make your teeth hang on for dear life. If you even try and show up without a baked good in tow, get out of my face. The more desserts the merrier! Sign up below with what you plan to bake/buy (if bought, it better be worth my while) and get excited frosting fiends, cupcake cravers and layer cake lushes--it's my 24th birthday!

And let me tell you, we do things right. We've been sending frantic emails since September - selecting the perfect recipes to compliment one anothers' dishes, and ensure that the party's dessert selection is balanced and awesome! (And when I say "balanced," I'm talking about chocolate to frosting to vanilla to ice cream to condiments ratios...nothing even remotely relating to health!) 

As party-time approaches, you can gauge our excitement by our volume. We get louder and louder, more and more high-pitched, as the desserts get closer and closer to ready-for-consumption! (As a general rule, I really hate shrieking girls, but I find that in the presence of 12 different desserts - all destined for my tummy - I truly can't help myself!)

Ohmygod, what if we don't have enough! I hope everyone comes! I hope everyone likes what we made! What if the cake doesn't work! I'm so anxious right now!!!

But obviously, people came. And how could a party centered around dessert-eating not be awesome? I mean really, if no one but me, Jess, and Erin showed up, that would have been enough - we talk at 90mph and eat desserts at a similar pace!

This week I will blog about a different dessert every day. But to give you an idea of what we had (try not to keel over and die with jealousy/thought-induced sugar coma):

- Rainbow cake

- Pumpkin chocolate pie

- Oreo cupcakes

- Rocotta-pear pancakes

- Caramel corn

- Ice cream pie with pretzel crust

- Pecan brownies

- Pumpkin cream cheese condiment

- Oatmeal raisin pumpkin cookie cake

- Rainbow chip cookies

- Graham cracker peanut butter balls

- Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting

If you think you might want to replicate our EXTRAVAGANZA, here are the rules:

- Only invite people who like desserts (last year at a dessert party - haha, yes, we've now had 3! - my roommate kept "joking" 

about bringing a pizza or something like that. 

Um...not funny, get out of my face.)

- Everyone who comes needs to bring something delicious. 

- Just a personal preference/life-rule: no pants, no problems. I recommend leggings and a loose-fitting shirt.

- No limits and no judgement.

- Enjoy!!! 

I  recommend eating something light and salty pre-desserts. Otherwise you run the risk of OD-ing on sugar too early in the evening (ask Erin!). Make sure you check back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day for more dessert awesomeness!!!

Emails of Food + Coconut Curry Chocolate

I have been a bottomless pit this week. As in, all I do is eat, and I just want to keep eating!!! This "need" for desserts has severely influenced my week's correspondence. Grand total, about 20 emails pertaining to desserts per day between myself and two of my dessert-loving friends. 

As in, this was my email on Wednesday morning:

Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 11:29 AM


To: Ellie, Jess, Jean, Erin

Subject: recipes I want



Hi!
Its only 11:30, and I've already managed to completely hungrify myself.
I'm so bored at work, I've completely lost the ability to distinguish
the line between boredom and hunger.



Ellie - sorry not to get back to you!!! How was the fluff fest??? And
apple picking? You should make these cupcakes:
http://www.sophistimom.com/bake-sale-week-caramel-apple-cupcakes-with-ma
ple-cream-cheese-frosting/



http://www.sophistimom.com/bake-sale-week-raspberry-lemonade-bars/



http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1LYxpR/picky-palate.com/2009/09/24/the-mot
her-load-layered-cookie-bars//



Miss you all!!!



-Mollie


Which was then responded to in triplicate (or maybe quadruplicate - is that a word?). Multiple times throughout the day. Basically, go "Reply All"!!!

2009/9/30 

From: Jess

Subject: Re: recipes I want

My recap of my dessert event should be up
today I think so I can send it to you. sidenote, for the dessert party I
am ALL SET TO MAKE THE PB DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE, but I just wanna throw
something oreo/cookies and cream out there??? Like a cupcake obvi, but I
just want your thoughts....? I made pumpkin
cupcakes last night and will make cc frosting tonight for a bake sale
tomorrow at work...then my mom and I are gonna make a cheesecake
tomorrow night and she's going to come to my office on Friday and give
it to people haha! We are weird! But tasty!

From: erin

Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 3:20 PM


Subject: Re: recipes I want

...Just baked a buttermilk cake w/strawberries for my manager.. am going to make white chocolate ganache for it tom and then give it to him on fri... hopefully it turns out gooooooooood... though judging by the batter that won't be a problem!



Back to me:

From: Mollie

Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 3:05 PM

Subject: more...

http://www.sophistimom.com/heart-shaped-german-chocolate-cheesecake/#more-1415 

http://www.sophistimom.com/fudgy-cream-cheese-brownies/ 

http://www.sophistimom.com/bake-sale-magic-smores/ 

And then Jess clearly spend some serious time with the Google Machine and the phrase "Oreo Cupcakes"

From: Jess > Subject: oreo cupcake options 

> Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2009, 11:35 AM

 > http://mybakingheart.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/oreo-cupcakes/ 

> (I'm coolwith oreo whipped cream, but Erin...?) >

 > http://domesticpursuits.com/2009/04/21/oreo-cupcakes/  > (maybe with an altered frosting aka I don't want to use shortening if need be) >

 > http://heatherdrive.blogspot.com/2009/01/oreo-cupcakes.html  > (I like this one as it says shortening OR butter for the frosting...) > 

> http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2009/02/oreo-cupcakes-with-built-in-cup-for.html  (so this cake recipe and then oreo cream cheese frosting?) 

>

> SEND ME IDEAS!

And the conclusion of our exchange:

From: Jess

RE: recipes I want

Wednesday, September 30, 2009 2:31 PM

a.)     YUM http://www.cakespy.com/2009/09/disappearing-act-houdini-bars.html

b.)     We are all retarded.

I laughed out loud over that one! Because we are absolutely ridiculous. In the best way possible. 

So I just thought I'd share that day-o-emails with you all! Obviously, if you ever need a recipe, or any baking inspiration, we are willing and able to help you out!

I blogged last week about a Bacon Dark Chocolate Bar Boss #2 had given me (the verdict? YUM!). Here's another bizarre chocolate flavor for you: Coconut Curry Milk Chocolate. 

Surprisingly (or maybe not), the Coconut Curry was much weirder than the bacon-flavored chocolate. Some office comments include: Interesting...That's just wrong...Disgusting.

 But I kind of liked it. I mean, I really love curry, and spicy chocolate is good (anyone seen/read Chocolat?). My biggest issue was that there was shredded coconut in the bar, which interrupted the potential yummy-chocolatey-smootheness that I associate with milk chocolate. 

So maybe buy a mini-bar of this one to try it out (if you're feeling like a chocolate-adventure). 

With that, I bid you a good weekend...and happy eating!