Cookie Dough Brownies

About a week ago, I went on a double date with a friend and his girlfriend. It was great to see them both again. I hadn't seem the two of them for months, I want to say. Naturally, we caught up over Korean food (we do always seem to get Asian food). Since I hadn't baked anything for them recently, I figure I could make a whole batch this stuff and give some to the boyfriend and his coworkers. I tried a couple of bites and I was addicted. I cut them into bite sized portions to make it easier to store (because I apparently cannot cut straight) and I had 5 of them. RIGHT THERE.

They are really good. The cookie dough topping is great because it has no eggs in it, so anyone who is worried, no need to worry! Although the amount of chocolate chips said in the recipe was a bit ridiculous, I'm sure if I had actually added a cup of chocolate chips, the boyfriend's coworkers would have had sugar highs and lows. Probably not good for people who work in the hospital. All the boyfriend said was that the hospital how complain how I'm making them fat (their fault for eating them) and that it was too much sugar. I will agree, that was probably a little excessive, but I'm still going to make desserts. It's like a nice little thing to eat at work. I can't imagine college students complaining about free food.

I found the recipe while I was digging up recipes to pin on my board of things I want to bake. I've got some baking items, but also some cooking items. I've recently picked up cooking so eventually, I'll have post those things too!

Mini Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes [MSCC]

So yes, I've made many mini cheesecakes before, each of which have been super successful. This one, I didn't find as successful, but those people (Scott's coworkers) who have had it think that it's good. Okay, I guess so.

Creme Brulee

A couple years ago, I tried my hand at making creme brulee. My first chance was not the best attempt. The cream was good, but the burning of sugar on top was hard with a broiler. This time around, I invested in a creme brulee torch which I can torch other things too...like marshmallows at work for smores.

Anyways, it's Alton Brown's creme brulee recipe with double the amount of sugar. My neighbor Elan used to make my roommate and me creme brulees and once he made a half recipe, but forgot to halve the sugar and it was our favorite one. Therefore he kept making us those. Super easy to make, super delicious. To be honest, I like mine without the sugar topping. The creme is all I need.

Peanut Butter Butterscotch Cookies

So when I get super stressed out at work and don't want do anything except bake, I sometimes go looking for recipes. I know it's not the best thing to do, but 15 minutes and I'm back to work and much more concentrated. With stresses coming up soon with a whole bunch of deadlines, there will be a lot more baking on, unless I start having 12+ hour days again. Then it's just sleep when I get to my apartment.

Anyways, I promised that I would help a friend in any way that I could. Farah is a friend from high school. We met in sophomore year and to be honest we've never been super great friends, but we've always been there for the other person. We went to different colleges and have grown into our own. She has decided to be a producer for a great documentary coming out soon. I know this may mean nothing to you, but being an Asian American, I can see that her documentary meaning a lot to people who are in the same boat as I am.

I made some brownies and decided to decorate one with her logo, to the best of my abilities. It didn't turn out so well, but I'll do better next time. Actually, next time I would make sugar cookies and decorate using royal icing. Back to the cookies, they were super delicious. They were like peanut butter cookies and I added some butterscotch chips. The added chips gave the cookies a great dimension that I didn't think would be amazing.

Recipe:
(adapted from here)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6-ounce package) butterscotch morsels


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter. Beat with an electric hand mixer until fluffy.
Add the peanut butter, vanilla and egg, blend well. Add the flour, baking soda and salt to dough mixture and mix well.
With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in butterscotch chips. Take a tablespoon of dough and shape, with your hands.
Flatten the balls lightly with the fork in a crisscross pattern (like you would with a peanut butter cookie).
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove cookies from cookie sheet immediately and place on wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Brownie Hearts

Ever since the summer before my senior year in college, I was participating in Yelp! and writing reviews constantly. Ever since I made it to the elite club, I've met some amazing people so interested in food and everything related to food. One of those people is James. He decided to start a website dedicated to food called FoodSocialist. I'll be posting items up there that I make here too. The ones there will probably have the super nice pictures that he takes.

Anyways, I made these hearts because it's close to Valentines day and everyone gets into the lovey dovey spirit. The hearts, the red and pink, and LOOOOOOVE.

I figured that for my first post, I won't post something TOO complicated on there. Since I don't know what kind of people will be reading, I wanted to make sure it was easy enough for a first time baker. In addition, there will be posts about food in SF and the Bay Area, and hopefully someday all over the place. 

Recipe (from Joy of Baking):
5 ounces (about 3/4 cup and 1 Tablespoon) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a nonstick cooking spray) an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder and sugar . Next, whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, stir in the flour and salt.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a little batter and a few moist clumps clinging to it. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Use a cookie cutter and cut out hearts. You’ll have the corners to eat yourself! It’s a delicious recipe.

Chocolate Lava Muffins

Numero two of the romantic desserts together. Whenever we go and get dinner, I almost always order something with chocolate and if I see the chocolate lava cake, I always order it. It's bad, I know, but I enjoy the nice lush center and the cake-like outside. I've always wanted to make it myself, but just never had the nerve to really.

This recipe from Alton Brown was nice and fluffy and apparently the "right amount of sweetness" in a dessert for my boyfriend. To me, I wanted to add the ice cream to make it sweeter. This recipe was really easy to put together and even easier to bake. We made 1/4 of the recipe and ended up with 2 ramekins. We had one together the first night and the next night I had mine with vanilla ice cream and cherries.