Lazy Saturday Morning Breakfast

I woke up Saturday morning exhausted, thus avoiding my laundry. So, I baked. These little buggers made for a VERY delicious breakfast! In fact, I think they made a better Sunday breakfast after having sat for a day. These are pretty sweet and could probably be dessert, but if you know me at all, you know that is how I roll morning, noon and night!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Scones
adapted from Annie Eats

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg

For egg wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and raspberries. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, vanilla and egg. Add to the flour mixture until just combined.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed the dough before shaping into a 7 inch circle. Cut dough into 8 triangles and transfer to the baking sheet. Make the egg wash by combining the egg and buttermilk and brush onto the tops of the scones. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Tony Time!

This past Sunday was Tony Awards Sunday...kind of like the Superbowl for theater geeks such as myself. Anyways, I went to a friends' apartment to watch the Tony's with some friends and then got to go to the Billy Elliot (who won best new musical this year) Tony after party, thanks to my friend, Annie. Check out the picture at the bottom of this post of me with a Tony Award. Yeah, I'm pretty badass.

Onward to the food! For the actual viewing party I went to, I brought chocolate truffles. Ask anyone who saw me last week and they will tell you that I was unnecessarily stressed about what to bring. I wanted it to be elegant because, duh, its a Tony party but it had to be easy to transport because I was coming from rehearsal. Needless to say, I think it was Saturday morning before I figured out what I was going to make. I found the recipe for these inside a Philadelphia cream cheese box. They turned out VERY delicious but I did have to be careful to keep them in the freezer/refrigerator so they wouldn't melt. I just doused these in chocolate, but you could also roll them in cocoa powder, or in chopped nuts after the chocolate. I think next time I will add a small drizzle of white chocolate to the tops of them. B-E-A-U-tiful!

PHILADELPHIA Simply Sensational Truffles

2 1/2 Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, divided
1 pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

Melt 8 chocolate squares as directed on package. Beat cream cheese with a mixer until creamy and then blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

Shape into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

Melt remaining chocolate. Dip truffles into chocolate and then return to baking sheet. Decorate and then keep refrigerated until served.

Happy Birthday, Cupcakes and Sexy Polar Bears, Oh My!

My friend Liz's birthday party was Saturday night, so, as per usual, shenanigans ensued. For blog purposes, shenanigans consisted of some crazy-good red velvet cupcakes for my favorite posse, also known as the Sexy Polar Bears. Yeah, we're that cool! To top off the coolness, I brought these cupcakes to our favorite margarita-spot that sits outside on a plaza in Midtown. What is better than friends, cupcakes and margaritas?!

On another note, I really don't get the whole insanity surrounding red velvet cake. In essence, it is just cake with red food coloring. If I played by these rules, I could just dye cake green and call it green-silk cake, right?! No? Fine.

These turned out yummy, nonetheless. By the end of the night, with a few cupcakes left, the wait staff was all surrounding our table begging for a cupcake. This was good news for all my margarita-consuming friends! I used a red velvet cake recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen for the cake, and then topped it with a Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Ganache Drizzle I found on Joy the Baker's Blog. Woah, Nellie! (Or Liz, cause it was her birthday =))

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoon red food coloring
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt together in a bowl.

Combine oil and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. Slowly add the food coloring followed by the vanilla. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk until all added and combined.

Combine the baking soda and vinegar and then add to the mixture. Pour into muffin cups, about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
From Joy the Baker

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk

Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Add the brown sugar, salt and vanilla and mix well. Add powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time until the frosting is the consistency you desire. Add milk to create correct consistency as well. Decorate cupcakes with frosting however you wish to!

Chocolate Ganache
From Joy the Baker

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat chocolate chips carefully in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Pour cream over chocolate and let stand for one minute before stirring to combine. Drizzle over cupcakes.

Delicious...so say the Sexy Polar Bears:

The Weather is Heating Up!

Which means it is ice cream time! I love ice cream so much. That really didn't get across my love for ice cream enough, but it's hard to do in words. It is just so delicious and smooth going down and comes in so many flavors! I'm getting excited just thinking about all the ice cream that is yet to be eaten this summer!

I had several bananas I had to get rid of, and as per usual, I had to make things difficult and wouldn't accept simply making banana bread. Ok, it's not like ice cream is any more difficult than banana bread, but whatever! It was a stroke of something new for me!

I kind of just threw some ingredients in a bowl, mixed it together, threw it in the ice cream maker and presto! Chango! It became ice cream. Or I guess frozen yogurt to be more exact. Yum!

Banana Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

1 1/2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
dash of lemon juice

Mix everything together and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

I'm Alive! And Bringing Deliciousness to Your Computer Screen

I have been so MIA on you little bloggie! And I'm so sorry! In my defense, I closed a show, got sick and then started rehearsals for something else. I know. No excuses. I'm back, though! And look at the deliciousness I have to impart on you!

I have been craving Rice Krispy Treats lately, and I had vaguely remembered a jazzed-up Rice Krispy recipe on Joy the Baker's blog. By jazzed-up, I mean these treats had jazz hands aplenty! Indeed. I found it. And made it. And ate too much of it. And gave myself a tummy-ache. In short, these bars are rice krispy treats topped with peanut butter and then chocolate fudge. Rediculous? Duh!

PS: Spice is MIA as usual as well, but I have to say she has made some amazing things lately. S'mores cupcakes and homemade meatballs to name a few. If only I could get her to post them....

Rice Krispy Bars with Jazz Hands
from Joy the Baker

Rice Krispy Treats
3 tablespoons butter
1 10-oz package marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispy Cereal

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and add cereal. Stir until combined. Press into a 13 by 9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Peanut Butter Fudge
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave again for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and stir. Pour over the rice krispies and spread evenly.

Chocolate Fudge
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan and heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips and vanilla. Pour over peanut butter fudge and spread evenly. Place entire dish in fridge to cool and harden.