I go on to apologize to no one except the journal Gods for not having written in weeks because I have been soooooo busy with self-proclaimed “trivial relationship matters” such as why doesn’t he call me all the time and should we go to the mall together? (The rhetorical answer was an emphatic “No!” Reason being: not if he hasn’t called. Obviously.) Then a few dozen pages of what I can only assume was meant to be “poetry”.

Fast forward a few journals and I found another gem; a recipe for Nanaimo Bars I had made to thank my supervisors upon the completion of my first internship oh so many moons ago.

If you grew up in Canada or in the Pacific Northwest then you may be familiar with this confection which gets its name from a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia called – you guessed it – Nanaimo. (Pronounced Na-NYE-mo.)

Nanaimo as a place is honored in its baked good form with a triple layer concoction called the Nanaimo bar. The no-bake bar begins with a base made from melted butter, chocolate, crushed graham cracker crumbs, shredded coconut, and some variety of nut (I used almonds). All these glorious things are mixed together and pressed into the bottom of an 8×8 pan.

The middle layer is a custard-flavored buttercream and is what I think really makes these bars. You will want to slather it on just about everything especially those few graham crackers that you will have left over from the bottom layer. Just sayin’…

Then the whole pan is topped with a thin layer of chocolate. To set the cookie record straight, you have been warned about these. Nanaimo bars are not messing around or for the faint of heart.

Make a pan and spread the love with someone who hasn’t heard about the glory of these bars! Go forth and Nanaimo!

Nanaimo Bars
Makes 25 small bars

Adapted from the City of Nanaimo

For the bottom layer:
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) butter, melted
1/3 cup (35 grams) unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 sleeve (9 crackers or 145 grams) graham crackers, finely crushed (about 1 heaping cup)
1/2 cup (55 grams) almond meal (or very finely chopped almonds)
1 cup (95 grams) sweetened shredded coconut

For the middle layer:
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) butter, very soft
3 tablespoons (45 grams) custard pudding powder (or vanilla flavor)*
2 cups (200 grams) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon half-and-half or heavy cream, more as needed
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

For the top layer:
1 cup (180 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

Butter an 8×8 pan and line with foil. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the melted butter, cocoa, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Add the crushed graham crackers, almond meal and coconut and stir until combined. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. I used the bottom of a measuring spoon to make sure it was firmly pressed into the pan.

In a large bowl beat the butter, custard powder, and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add vanilla, salt and one tablespoon half-and-half. Beat for several minutes until smooth and spreadable, adding half-and-half one teaspoon at a time as needed. Spread evenly over the base layer.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate chips, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Pour over the top of the bars and use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate all the way to the edge.

Refrigerate for several hours until firm then slice into to squares. I found that “scoring” them about 10 minutes after the chocolate had set helped to cut clean lines after the chocolate has fully set. I used a sharp knife and a very gentle “sawing” motion to slice them into five equal bars and then into 25 smaller squares. Store bars in the refrigerator.

*Or for the even most authentic use Bird’s Custard Powder if you can find it!

All it took was one trip to the mall and we were pretty much instantly best friends. Over the years we have had a shared love of many things – namely flared jeans and a questionable taste (debatable!) in music and now that we are older and wiser our shared affection of things has grown to include good IPA and red lipstick and a high level of connoisseurship in the freshly-made buttery croissant department.

Given that croissants rank high on the meter of happy things about life, I knew that including them was a must when celebrating the dessert portion of her recent birthday. So I put my baking fairy hat on and spent a few weeks brainstorming how I could elevate the humble breakfast pastry into a festive birthday dessert.

My first idea was to buy a few dozen croissants and fashion them into a towering layer cake à la croquembouche but then I put myself in check. That would have been too crazy. I needed to scale it back a bit, so next I thought maybe the simpler route would be better.

Perhaps just one croissant with a festively appropriate candle in the middle but as I played that scenario over in my head, it seemed like it wouldn’t quite come off as funny as I wanted and could even maybe be a little lonely for that one poor croissant. That idea got scrapped.

I have never made croissants from scratch (they have long been on my list!) so I toyed with giving homemade croissant-making a go. Since it would be the first time obviously the gift would be that they would have been made in her honor but what kind of a present is that – like oh I wanted to try making croissants just this once and I know your love of croissants so…haaaappy birthday to YOU??!!?…

I finally settled on putting Seattle’s best croissants into cupcakes. All the beauty of the the breakfast pastry but in party-ready cupcake form. You can’t really go wrong with baking already baked butter and flour into almond-scented cupcakes and glazing them with chocolate ganache, but these little beauties were the perfect way to celebrate a birthday and fourteen years (and counting!) of friendship.

Chocolate-Glazed Croissant Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

For the croissant cupcakes:
1 cup (125 grams) flour
2/3 cup (135 grams) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (40 grams) butter, softened
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
two croissants, use the best quality you can find (day-old is fine and this a great way to use up any leftovers!)

For the chocolate glaze:
1 cup (175 grams) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter, softened
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (88 ml) half and half (or heavy cream)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar, optional
pinch of salt

Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 and line a muffin tin with 12 liners. Set aside. Cut off the crispy ends of the croissants (this will be your garnish!) and chop them very finely. Transfer to a little bowl and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining croissants (you should have about 2 cups when chopped) and set aside while you prepare the batter.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to fully incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles sand.

Measure the buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup, add the egg and extracts, and whisk well until smooth. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture – and using a rubber spatula and several quick strokes – stir to just combine. Fold in the chopped croissant pieces. Be careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool.

Make the glaze: In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk the powdered sugar (if using) into the half and half (or heavy cream) and heat until just warm and small bubbles are beginning to form around the edges of the pan. Pour the warm liquid over the chocolate mixture, set stand for a minute or two, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Spoon the glaze over the cupcakes and sprinkle each with a pinch of the reserved finely-chopped croissant.

Over the years I have been fortunate to receive bits of baking wisdom from everyone who I call family, especially the most immediate members – my mom and dad. They fall into two baking camps: the celebratory and the everyday.

My mom is the celebratory baker. She bakes for the holidays and has made her fair share of dazzling birthday layer cakes for festive family gatherings. I have learned the secrets to her cinnamon rolls that are reserved for celebratory brunches and I have watched her take almost every single one of her holiday linzer tortes out of the oven. She has demystified the process of anything that requires multiple steps to achieve baking bliss.

On the other hand, my dad is the every day baker. He makes scones and pancakes from scratch and whips up batches of Sunday afternoon chocolate chip cookies. He is also a wise man who has taught me the importance of a firm handshake and to always leave the house with a coat and whenever I find myself at home he manages to slip me a bit of cash on my way out the door “just in case.”

I have learned my fair share of life lessons over the years but I never did learn how to change a tire. I have only myself to blame for this major life oversight that happened during my teen years and can be explained by me being sixteen and an impatient adolescent. I was supposed to learn before getting my drivers license but somehow I succeeded in letting the rule slip through the cracks. Then I moved to New York and I managed to avoid the need to learn anything about driving all together!

The most important life lesson of them all is the afternoon ritual of an iced tea and a brownie. My dad and I are both fast talkers so over the years the phrase has lost all meaning as separate words and has just become one indistinguishable sound – anicedteaandabrownie – meant to signify that the sun has past noon in the sky and it is therefore an acceptable time for sugar and chocolate and iced tea.

It doesn’t take much to satisfy the craving but not just anything will do. There are anicedteaandabrownie requirements: the brownie must be dense and fudgy and homemade and cut small. The iced tea is always black and unsweetened and served with extra ice. These are the brownies that my dad and I grew up making on summer afternoons. They aren’t particularly fancy and unlike most of the things I make now they are not spiked with jazzy additions like bourbon or wine or toasted-salty-cardamom-cayenne-spiced-pecans.

But these straight-up classic brownies come together in a flash to give you more time for the important things, which is really what the afternoon ritual of anicedteaandabrownie is all about.

P.S. If the day happens to require something a tad stronger than unsweetened iced tea may I suggest this fabulous cocktail as a substitute.

Straight-up Classic (Bonus!) One Bowl Fudge Brownies
Makes 25 small squares

Inspired by my Dad (but adapted from the back of a Baker’s Chocolate box)

3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (110 grams) brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (62 grams) flour

Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter an 8×8 pan and line with two overlapping sheets of parchment paper. Butter the parchment and set aside.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt together the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth and completely melted. Turn off the heat and carefully remove the bowl (it will be hot!) from the pan of water and set it on a towel on your countertop.

Use a wooden spoon to stir in both sugars, then add the vanilla and salt and stir until combined. Add both eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Finally add the flour and stir vigorously until the batter is smooth and glossy.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. The brownies are done when a tester comes out with several crumbs attached (be sure to not overbake as a slightly underbaked brownie usually always wins). Let the brownies cool for several minutes then use the parchment to remove them from the pan. Slice n’ serve.

The inspiration for this tart comes from one of the best flavor combinations that exists – creamsicle – and you’d be hard pressed to find a better fit together than the orange and the vanilla bean. They are match made in culinary heaven.

I have talked before about citrus curd and despite having a less than desirable name, it is a technique to have in your baking arsenal. Pick a citrus flavor – the eggs and heat pretty much do all the work for you. Then when curd is paired with a super simple crust, this tart basically makes itself and your kitchen will turn into a Disney movie musical number. I am joking of course. Sort of.

I could go on and on about my tart pan and I have a serious love for this piece in my collection of kitchenware. When you have a love as deep as I do for an 8-inch round pan with fluted edges and a removable bottom, then you need a go-to tart crust that will not fail you. The melted butter (note: brown butter is more than welcome in this situation as well) makes sure you never have to wait for a stick of butter to come to room temperature. It is also made in one bowl. And with one wooden spoon. Which means less dishes to wash and more time to spend eating slices of tart.

To make sure that the tart crust is evenly pressed into the pan, I always begin with the edges and then work my way to the bottom. Press walnut-sized balls of dough all around the edges then crumble the remaining dough evenly over the bottom. Press into a single layer, prick with a fork, and freeze.

After the crust has frozen, press a piece of foil as tightly as you can against the crust and bake. This is a easy kitchen hack to avoid the need for pie weights. Remove the foil, bake for a few more minutes, then add the tangerine curd and pop the tart back in the oven to set it up. You can serve this tart at room temperature but I prefer it chilled and with a tiny sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Now if you will please excuse me, it is time to get back to finding the matches for all those stray sandals that have been in serious hiding for the past six months!

Tangerine Tart with Vanilla Bean Shortbread Crust
Makes one 8-inch tart

For the shortbread crust:
1/4 cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
one vanilla bean, seeds scraped
one egg yolk
pinch of salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups (156 grams) flour

For the filling:
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (20 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (118 ml) freshly-squeezed tangerine juice (from about two medium tangerines)
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cold
juice from half a lemon
powdered sugar, for dusting

Make the crust: In a medium bowl stir together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, egg yolk, and salt until smooth. Add melted butter, mix until combined, then add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Don’t fret if it looks a little oily.

Press walnut-sized balls of dough evenly around the edges of an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom then crumble the remaining dough over the bottom of the pan, and use your fingers to press the dough into an even layer. Use a fork to lightly prick the dough (every few inches or so) and freeze for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the crust from the freezer and press a piece of foil very tightly up against the bottom and up the sides of the crust. This avoids the need for using pie weights! Yay! Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove foil and use a spoon to press back the dough if it has puffed up then continue to bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, make the filling: In a medium saucepan whisk together eggs, yolks, salt and sugar until smooth and slightly thickened. Whisk in the tangerine juice. Add the butter and set the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the butter has melted. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to stir until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, or about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the juice from half a lemon. Transfer the curd to a small bowl until the crust has finished baking.

Bring it all together: Remove the crust from the oven and pour the tangerine curd over the warm crust. Smooth the top and bake for 5 minutes to set the curd. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack until the tart comes to room temperature. Chill for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar, slice into small wedges and enjoy.

This weekend I spent approximately 95 minutes give-or-take in one of my most favorite stores looking at their collection of mini school supplies and wondering things like: Are mini scissors a necessity? Do I need this small roll of tape? In theory, probably not, but what is one supposed to use to close those tiny envelopes and note cards? Surely full-size tape will not do.

What makes mini things even better are sprinkles and I think everyone can agree that we all saw the funfetti craze coming from a mile away (because it is amazing, obviously). Funfetti as a flavor has taken over the Internet of late – funfetti pancakes, funfetti ice cream, funfetti chocolate bark – I can’t go on Pinterest without seeing some sort of funfetti baked good showing up in my feed.

Funfetti first came into my life as a cake box flavor way back in the day. It was the ultimate birthday party treat and you were lucky if you could convince your mom to buy the pinnacle of sprinkle success – funfetti cake, funfetti frosting (from a can) and extra sprinkles to go on top.

Well little did I know that any vanilla cake turns to funfetti with just a handful of my favorite thing: sprinkles.

Because the sprinkles in your baking cabinet are probably having a party right now, these cupcakes are a fitting way to announce an exciting shindig that will be happening soon. Wednesday, March 27 will be the next BAKINGMAKESFRIENDS event! Perhaps you came to the last one and had the best night of your life. If you are unfamiliar - premise is simple. Come to a bar and eat treats. Do you bake? Here is your next excuse to bust out your bundt and bring something! If not, then just come and hang out and we can all eat cupcakes together. I can’t wait to see y’all there.

Party-Sized Funfetti Cupcakes
Makes about 2 dozen mini cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups (187 grams) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 – 1/3 cup multi-colored sprinkles, plus more for decorating
1/2 cup (118 ml) milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
2 eggs, room temperature

For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) butter, softened
3 cups (300 grams) powdered sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 and line a mini cupcake with liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles. Measure out the milk into a liquid measuring cup and add the vanilla. Set both aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half the dry ingredients, then the milk/vanilla mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients. Be sure to not over mix.

Use a mini scoop (or two spoons) to fill the prepared cupcake tin. You want to fill the cups about two-thirds of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and mix well. Beat in the milk, a tablespoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable.

Generously spread the cupcakes with frosting and decorate with the remaining sprinkles.

 
BONUS: Oh hey, did you know that you can color your own sprinkles? Just shake white sprinkles together with the tiniest bit of food-safe petal dust (powdered food coloring) in a plastic bag. Voila!

This truffle is dessert simplicity at its best. Only three ingredients – pretzels, peanut butter, and chocolate – come together in a form so exquisite, it is the pinnacle of salty, sweet bliss.

Begin by crushing a few handfuls of pretzels. You can do this in a food processor but that is just another thing to clean. Instead, I busted out my rolling pin and crossed my fingers that my neighbors were not trying to sleep.

Next step: mix in peanut butter and roll into balls. Now things start to get difficult because you have all these peanut butter and pretzel centers that will you want to “sample” but resist. They turn into something even more magical when dipped in chocolate. Patience is a tricky friend.

Chop up some chocolate and melt it down. I used a 72% dark chocolate bar. Use a spoon to roll the center around in the melted chocolate until it is fully covered.

Then use a fork to lift out the covered ball and gently tap your fork against the side of the bowl to remove any extra chocolate.

Repeat. Repeat. Sample. Repeat.

Sprinkle each truffle with a pinch of flaky salt. This looks fancy but tastes even better. It is amazing what a pinch of salt will do yah.

When the chocolate has set, dress up each truffle in a tiny paper cup coat. This is the candy world equivalent of wearing black tie which is perfect because there happens to be fancy black tie party going on tomorrow in Los Angeles.

Are you going to an Oscars party tomorrow and need a classy but easy last-minute dessert?

I think you may have just found it.

Crushed Pretzel and Peanut Butter Truffles
Makes about 2 dozen small truffles

1 cup (80 grams) finely crushed salted pretzels (a few big handfuls will crush down to about a cup)
1/2 cup (125 grams) natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or smooth (whichever you prefer)
4 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
flaky salt for finishing, optional

There are two ways to approach this recipe, the short version and the long version.

Here is the short version: Mix the peanut butter and crushed pretzels together, chill, roll into small balls, dip in melted chocolate, and sprinkle with salt. “Test” at least seven and bring the leftovers to whichever party you are going to this weekend.

Here is the long version: In a medium bowl mix together the peanut butter and crushed pretzels until combined. Refrigerate the mixture until firm, least 30 minutes, and up to several days. When you are ready to shape into balls, line a baking sheet with parchment. Use a teaspoon to portion out the mixture and roll into balls. Refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes or until firm.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water. Place a wire rack over a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.

Working one ball at a time, drop a center into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to roll it around until it is covered in melted chocolate, then use a fork to lift it out and let the extra chocolate drip off. Place the coated ball on the rack while you dip the remaining balls. Repeat the dipping process until all the centers have been coated.

Use an offset spatula or spoon to gently transfer the balls from the rack onto the waxed paper-lined baking sheet. If you let the balls set up on the rack, the bottoms will stay behind when you try and remove them. Sadly, I know this from experience. Sprinkle each truffle with a pinch of flaky salt if using, and refrigerate for an hour or until the chocolate coating has set.

Place each truffle in a small candy cup because your mother was right when she said it is all in the presentation. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Oh hi there, dearest reader! It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to my favorite cookie. I am so glad that you two can finally meet! You may have gotten a glimpse of each other over the holidays, but I am happy that we can take a few minutes to really sit down and have a chat.

The story begins many moons ago, when I was younger and could not participate in any of the holiday activities that are “shaken up and poured over ice” which meant that all I could really look forward to were my Aunt Carole’s Sugar Cookies.

These cookies are included in a small group of food memories that remain consistent year after year. I don’t know why fake grape flavor does not translate as an appealing taste when one enters into adulthood but rarely does your favorite childhood candy grow up with you. The good news of this phenomenon is that the pendulum swings in the other direction as well. Example: I used to hate beer.

For years I would just show up and eat these cookies but when I was asked to contribute my favorite holiday recipe to Saveur’s Cookie Advent Calendar, a loud booming voice came out of nowhere and shouted: HEY YOU! DON’T BE A SILLY! AUNT CAROLE’S COOKIES! Only then did I realize that I had never even considered an attempt to witness their creation.

And so I did – this summer while I was in Seattle – on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year, which meant temperatures rose into the triple digits, and everyone in Seattle was cranky because they didn’t know what to do without their fleece jackets and the drizzle.

We have science to thank for the fact that butter melts extremely easily when the ambient temperature is 115 degrees and the last thing either of us wanted to do was turn on the oven, but we pushed onwards and I quickly realized that I owe my aunt a whole lot of favors for her agreeing to the situation.

Because it was not a normal time of year to be making cookies, my aunt provided helpful commentary as to what I should expect from a more traditional cookie-making experience. Most of these statements began with “usually.” As in, “Usually…it is not as hot as the Devil’s tongue outside so I put my cookie sheets out on the deck to cool between batches…,” “Usually…this is the time when I realize that I haven’t wrapped any presents and your mom is calling to tell me that your family is headed over for Christmas dinner…,” “Usually…this is when I am on batch number six and about the time that I have a tiny holiday bourbon…,” “Usually…it is not this dang hot out…!”

The lesson here is that it doesn’t matter if it is sweltering in August or a frosty February afternoon that calls for a few dozen tiny hearts – this recipe is sugar cookie perfection.

But here is the deal: if you make these you must use margarine. I know. I was freaked out too when I found out that it was the sneaky ingredient in my beloved cookies. My aunt told me as nicely as possible that I could not substitute butter because it is what keeps the cookies soft and while I continued to whine, she busted out the Gold n’Soft. Also be sure to watch these cookies carefully and do not over bake them. The lemon extract and the almond extract are a bit of an investment but I promise they are worth it because the combo is what makes these cookies extra special. Another trick: my aunt frosts her cookies from a small bowl of frosting that has been heated in the microwave for 5 -7 seconds. Not only does the frosting go on extra smooth, as it hardens it creates a slightly crisp shell that is the perfect match for the soft cookie below.

And finally on to the real good stuff! You know that I have a lot of love for these cookies but I also have a lot of love you and I thought what better way to celebrate ALL THE LOVE (and Valentine’s Day) then with FREE STUFF THAT IS HEART SHAPED. [heart emoticon] [heart emoticon] [smiley face]

Happy Valentine’s Day y’all! The love-themed box includes:

• a Valentine’s Multipack from Tattly (or the most awesome temporary tattoos ever)
• twelve heart-shaped note cards (in blush pink!) + envelopes (for all your secret love note needs)
• an amazing selection of my new favorite chocolate from Videri Chocolate Factory (pink peppercorn chocolate anyone?)
• Meringue (which is a lovely cookbook dedicated to all things involving sugar and egg whites)
• The Best of Martha Stewart: Cakes and Cupcakes (this special issue is AMAZEBALLS. For serious.)
• one Best-Ever Cupcake Icing Kit™ + a HUGE selection of cupcake liners from Bake It Pretty (which is one of my favorite online destinations and will satisfy all your baking needs)
• your very own heart-shaped cookie cutter + tiny heart sprinkles (!!!!)

**All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment on this post.**

Let me know if you are baking for Valentine’s Day. Or what you are doing to celebrate. Or what you wish you were doing.

You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook and say hi in the comments to enter the giveaway!

The comments will close on Friday, February 8th at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Good luck!

Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies with Almond Icing
Makes about 4 dozen

Adapted from my Aunt Carole via Saveur

For the lemon sugar cookies:
2 1/2 cups (312 grams) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) butter, softened
1/2 cup (110 grams) soft margarine (my aunt uses Gold n’Soft)
1 1/2 cups (185 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

For the almond frosting:
5 tablespoons (70 grams) butter, very soft
2 tablespoons (30 ml) half and half or heavy cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (220 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

Sprinkles and food coloring, for decorating

Make the dough: In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl use a hand mixer to beat together butter, margarine, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add egg, yolk, and both extracts and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape into two disks. Wrap each half in several layers of plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick. Dip a 2-inch cookie cutter into flour and stamp out as many cookies as possible. Reroll the scraps as necessary. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until the edges are just barely golden. Do not over bake. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Make the frosting and decorate the cookies: Combine butter, half and half (or cream), both extracts, and salt in a medium bowl, and beat until smooth, then add sugar and mix until smooth and spreadable. Generously spread each cookie with frosting and decorate with sprinkles.

To make the graduated colors: I first divided my cookies into four batches then frosted one quarter with plain white frosting. Then I dipped a toothpick into electric pink gel paste food coloring and added just the tiniest amount of pink (I am talking the smallest amount of color!) and frosted another quarter batch. Then – you get the idea – I added even a bit more color and frosted the third quarter. Finally, I added the MOST coloring and frosted the remaining cookies.

Nitty gritty. One winner will be selected. The giveaway is open to U.S. and International readers. Please leave a valid email address and I will contact the winner to coordinate shipping details. This giveaway has been generously sponsored by Videri Chocolate Factory, Gibbs Smith, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., Bake It Pretty, and butter me up, Brooklyn!. One entry (comment) per person please. The comments will close on Friday, February 8th at 11:59 p.m. (EST). The winner will be contacted and announced on Saturday, February 9th by 11:59 p.m. (EST). The winner will be randomly selected through blog magic. 

It just so happens that The Day Of Snacks And Chicken Wings (known colloquially as The Super Bowl) is quickly approaching. Last year I made pretz-ales which is just a jazzy name for soft pretzels made with beer and definitely hit the mark for some serious snack-age. But this year I thought it would be fitting to honor the other half of the classic holiday du sport: Buffalo wing sauce.

I was curious about the history of this sauce so I hopped on a little thing called the World Wide Web and found out some facts. First: the sauce is named for Buffalo, as in the city in upstate New York and not buffalo, as in the animal that enjoys roaming around homes somewhere in Kansas. Second: there is not just one confirmed tale about how the chicken wing came to be a sensation. Wikipedia (where else would I get my information on hot sauce/other stuff that falls into this general random category?) lists SIX stories about who came up with the sports bar snack. I mean come on, six stories means that no one knows anything and everyone should just throw in an hypothesis or three on how the chicken wing came to be. Is anyone reading from this Buffalo, New York and have any secret information they would be willing to share?

I should say what we do know is that Buffalo sauce tastes amazing and should be used in more things, especially if those things happen to be hummus. Hummus is an beautiful thang. Not only is it an excellent vehicle for Buffalo wing sauce but a can of chickpeas costs less than a dollar. Bonus: chickpeas are good for you which means this is a healthy Super Bowl snack! I know! Healthy? Super Bowl? Those things don’t normally go together so I won’t be offended if you need to pretend that this is a deep fried nacho recipe.

While I love drinking beer and snacking, you may also know that I have about as much interest in sports as McKayla Maroney had with the Olympics this summer. But when the Seahawks made it to the playoffs this year I jumped on the 12th MAN bandwagon, mostly to have an excuse to consume chicken tenders on Sunday afternoons and to support my hometown of Seattle. I even bought a t-shirt (on super-extra-bonus-50%-off-final sale) which everyone knows is really all it takes to make fandom official. So when kickoff goes down on Sunday I may not have that much invested but you can count me in for wearing my t-shirt and rooting for sports, er, I mean GO SNACKS!

Hummus à la Buffalo Wing Sauce
Makes about 2 cups but can easily be doubled (or tripled)

Adapted from the Food Network

one 15-ounce can (about 1 1/2 cups or 425 grams) of canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed, 1/4 cup liquid reserved
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from about 1/2 a lemon
3/4 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce, plus more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
olive oil, for drizzling

Set aside a few chickpeas as a garnish. In a food processor puree all the ingredients together – except for the reserved liquid – until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in about half of the liquid and process until incorporated. Keep adding liquid, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency of hummus. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of paprika, and the whole chickpeas that you set aside earlier.

Suggestions for serving include: carrot sticks, celery sticks, pita bread triangles, pretzels, crackers, or whatever else you have within your snack reach.

It is mildly embarrassing to admit my childhood love of The Little Mermaid and I would like to come clean with the fact that there were one too many years of enthusiasm for this video. I didn’t care about much back then but I definitely wanted to live in a secret magical waterland and have my best friend-slash-life advisor be a reggae-loving crustacean. Obviously I could have gone without the terrifyingly mean seawitch but hey, the good comes with the bad.

I am pretty sure that two large factors contributed to this obsession: one was that I was enrolled in swimming lessons and two was that these were the years that my uncle was in a steel drum band so anytime I accompanied my parents to a gig it was like experiencing a real-life under the sea concert with Sebastian.

Because I’m not yet on the kid birthday party circuit, celebratory get-togethers and gatherings of my peers are mostly devoid of layer cakes having been almost replaced by their second cousin once removed, the cupcake. This inspired me to create a layer cake with a grown-up palate which means I felt it obligatory to include two of my favorite ingredients - brown butter and bourbon. I have said it once and I will say it again, brown butter is your best friend in the kitchen. It is such a simple technique and provides depth and flavor to everything. It is butter but better. It is like the updated version of butter. It is Butter 2.0.

Making a layer cake should not be a cause for panic – it is just cake after all! – but just in case, I put together a little tutorial on how to frost a layer cake. So whip up a pan of brown butter, take a sip of bourbon to quell your fears, rummage around in your odds-n-ends drawer for your offset spatula and get down to business. It is layer cake makin’ time.

P.S. I think of this cake as a sort of “everyday layer cake” (if there is such a thing [there is in my world at least!]) but if an 8″- or 9″-inch cake is too large and intimidating then this would be a fabulous recipe to cut in half and test out your set of 6″-inch cake pans. You got some as a holiday present, right?

P.P.S. Do you follow BMUB on Facebook or Twitter? There just may be a Valentine’s Day-themed giveaway coming up and you will be the first to know when to enter to win some “sweet” prezzies! Yay for heart-shaped everything!

Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Layer Cake
Makes two 8-inch layers

3 1/2 cups (407 grams) cake flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups (350 grams) sugar
4 eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, melt one stick (1/2 cup or 113 grams) of butter, stirring constantly until it begins to foam. Continue to cook and stir until the foam subsides and milk solids begin to form on the bottom of the pan. Keep a close eye on the pan and turn down the heat if things start to get too toasty. When the butter has deepened in color and smells wonderfully nutty, turn off the heat and pour the butter into a small freezer-safe bowl. You should have about 1/3 cup or 90 grams of brown butter. Freeze for about 15 minutes or until the edges of the butter start to solidify. I set a timer so I wouldn’t forget about it hanging out in the freezer! Also just in case – a visual tutorial on how to brown butter.

While the butter is chilling, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a liquid measuring cup stir together milk, vanilla extract and the vanilla seeds. Set both aside.

Beat the remaining stick of butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the chilled brown butter, being sure to scrape the bowl so all the toasty bits of flavor that tend to settle to the bottom are included, and beat until incorporated. Add sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients and the vanilla/milk mixture in three alternating additions, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as necessary. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and carefully but firmly tap each pan on your counter top. This makes sure that there are as few air bubbles as possible as the cake bakes.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When your cake is fully cooled, frost with one batch of bourbon buttercream (recipe below).

Alternatively, you can tightly wrap the cakes in several layers of plastic and refrigerate overnight or you can freeze them for even longer (as in several weeks or even months). If you go the frozen-cake route, just be sure to let the wrapped layers defrost in the fridge the night before you want to frost your cake. Also, if your cake layers are a bit on the dry side due to their time in the fridge or freezer, an easy way to get them back to being jazzy is to lightly brush them with a mixture that is equal parts water and bourbon (or other booze of your choice). You don’t want to soak the layers but the liquid will freshen them up and help to make sure that your cake is extra delicious.

Wondering what to do next? Need a crash course in cake-decorating? Check out this related post on how to frost a layer cake!

*Don’t have cake flour on hand? Make your own by sifting together 3 cups + 1 tablespoon (385 grams) all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons (58 grams) cornstarch and voilà you have 3 1/2 cups of homemade cake flour!

Bourbon Buttercream
Makes about 5 cups

2 cups (4 sticks or 452 grams) unsalted butter, softened
6 cups (600 grams) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) bourbon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. I usually do this over the sink because A. I have a tiny counter top and B. I tend to get powdered sugar everywhere so this makes clean up just a little bit easier.

Beat butter in a large bowl (and I mean large! Five cups of frosting ends up being a lot in the end so use your biggest bowl!) until light and creamy, or about two minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the bourbon, vanilla and salt and beat until smooth and spreadable, or about one minute more.

Frosting these types of cakes can be stressful because they are usually made for an important type of event that only celebrating with a multi-layer cake can provide. While yes, it is true that you can achieve the same general function with a butter knife and a plate because in essence “how to frost a layer cake” translates to slathering frosting between layers of baked butter and flour but there are a few tricks that will make your cake look super fancy for super little effort. Let’s get started!

How To Frost A Layer Cake!

Select your tools. As any building contractor will tell you, the final outcome of your project is greatly enhanced with the correct tool. Same goes with cake decorating. These are the objects that I find the most helpful and essential in the process of layer cake-decorating: a cardboard cake round, the bottom of a removable tart pan, a cake stand, an offset spatula, a sharp serrated knife, a pastry bag fitted with a #12 tip, and a pastry scraper.

Prepare your base. This cake stand is where we are going to build our cake. I cut my cake board the exact same size as my cake so that it would not show. If you aren’t transporting your cake, you don’t really need a board but it helps to give the cake a base if you happen to need to move it, or if your cake won’t fit into your fridge on the stand. Begin by making a few tape loops and securing the cardboard base to the stand, then put a small dab of frosting on the board (or cake stand base) which makes sure that your cake won’t slip around. Cut a few strips of parchment or waxed paper and place them underneath the cake board. This will make sure that your cake plate stays clean!

Cut your cake. It is easiest if you begin with cake that has been fully chilled because it makes the cake easier to work with. Do not try to frost a warm cake. This will end in a disaster. I’m not trying to be dramatic but it is the truth. A chilled cake also helps in terms of timing. I baked my cake the night before, wrapped it well in plastic then chilled the layers in the fridge overnight. If your cake baked up with a domed-shaped top then this is the time to trim off any “dome-age” to make sure that you will have even, flat layers of cake in each slice. Mine ended up pretty flat so I didn’t bother trimming the tops. In this tutorial we are making a four layer cake. To cut each layer in half, hold the top of cake with one hand and with the other hand rotate the cake while gently using a serrated knife to cut each cake round into two layers. In the end you should have four thin layers of cake. Next use the bottom of a removable tart pan to transfer the first layer to the cake plate. You want to put this layer on the cake stand cut-side down.

Frost the first layer. I used about a third of a cup of frosting between each layer. I like a cake on the thinly-frosted side but use as much as your heart desires. The only important thing is that you use the same amount of frosting between each layer so that you end up with an evenly frosted cake in the end. Use your offset spatula to spread your frosting all the way to the edges of the cake. Another trick: designate a spatula and a spoon for your bowl of frosting and use them to transfer frosting from the bowl to the cake. You don’t want to use your offset spatula in the bowl of clean frosting because you will inevitably get crumbs in it and our goal with this task is to have crumb-free frosting.

Repeat with remaining layers. Cake, frosting, cake, frosting. You know the drill. Just be sure that the cut-side down of cake goes on top of the frosting and that your last layer has the bottom facing upwards. This makes sure that – you guessed it – there are as little crumbs as possible and the top of the cake is as smooth of a surface as possible.

Apply the crumb coat. Apply a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of your cake. It is okay for the cake to show through, you just want to seal in any crumbs so they won’t show in the final top coat.

Chill for 30 minutes. This sets your crumb coat. Your cake is done chilling when a lightly-pressed finger comes away clean. If your frosting is still a little sticky – keep on chillin’.

Apply outer layer of frosting. Everyone has their own way of doing cake frosting, and this is my technique to make sure my final layer is evenly applied. I spread frosting every few inches all the way around the cake and the top then use my offset spatula to smooth them all together. I find I must pace myself with the frosting applications otherwise I will end up with one side that is frosting heavy and another that looks a little wimpy and sad.

Generously frosted! Looking good. We are almost to the fun part – sprinkles. Be generous with this layer since you will scrape off a bit when you are doing the final smoothing.

Smooth everything out. Holding the scraper with one hand and rotating the cake with the other, use the smooth edge of the scraper to evenly spread the outer layer of frosting all the way around the cake, scraping off any extra frosting as you go. When you are done with the sides, smooth the top of the cake. Repeat with a light hand until your desired level of smoothness is achieved.

Take a moment and admire your cake. You are almost there. And then get excited because you are going to get to actually consume this thing of beauty.

Smooth everything out. Round two. Fill a tall glass with warm water and have a few layers of paper towel nearby. Dip your spatula in the water, shake off the extra, and smooth the tops and sides of the cake, re-dipping as necessary. You do not want the spatula to be super wet but just a hint of water helps to smooth out the final outer layer of frosting.

Fill a pastry bag. I reserved about 3/4 cup of frosting for extra decorating. For a tutorial in filling and using a pastry bag, check out this helpful video.

Decorate with frosting. Pipe small dots around the base and/or the top of the cake. This hides any imperfections and gives your cake that professional edge. I dipped my finger in water and lightly patted the pointy tops down so that they would be little rounds instead of having frosting hats.

Sprinkles. For making everything better in a way that only sprinkles can. Sprinkle them over the top while the frosting is still slightly wet so they stay put.

Ta-da! YOU DID IT! Behold your perfectly frosted layer cake. I don’t know about you, but this cake is definitely ready to get its party pants on.

The moment of truth. Cutting into a layer cake is always an emotional mix of both thrill and terror. I am happy to report that there were only good vibes going on in this picture.

Baker’s reward. It is a known fact that the first slice goes to either the birthday person or the baker, whichever is applicable to the specific situation at hand. Congratulations! Now go forth and cake decorate!

 
A few helpful links:

• Answers the question: how much frosting do I need for my cake? Also another version but with baking times included.
• How to store your cake for maximum deliciousness.
• Pastry boxes. Worth the small investment because they make traveling with a cake about 179% more enjoyable, even if you have to take your cake on the subway or other mode of public transport. Whomever’s birthday party you are attending will appreciate your extreme dedication to cake travel. They may even buy you a beer for your efforts.
• Want to get super extra fancy-pants ? Learn how to make a frosting rose with this little video tutorial.

And lastly, a behind-the-scenes peek at my high-tech photography studio.