Buh-buh-buh Blackberry Pie!

Whoa - talk about a neglected blog. But, interspace followers, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't really been doing any baking either.

This past Sunday changed all of that when I baked my FIRST pie crust without the helping hands of my mom. A flaky crust, blackberry filling and lots of compliments all around means I guess I did a good job.

The crust was crazy simple, and I only refrigerated it for about two and a half hours (which was almost a little long). I split it apart and used two-thirds of the down for the bottom and one-third for the lattice work on top.

The pie itself was also super easy, and I even used frozen blackberries. I was a little afraid they would be flavorless, but none of my taste testers could even tell :)

This blog might see quite a bit more action in the coming weeks/months as my roommate's friend runs a coffee shop and he's looking for people to bake goodies for customers. But freelancing, nannying, applying for Teach For America and now volunteering for the Sustainable Food Center might be enough for my plate right now.

Happy baking!

Granola Goodness

So my new full-time writing job means less time for blogging.... and even fewer spare moments for baking. But, a 45-minute commute also means I want a breakfast that I can take with me. And that's where my newest baking adventure was born - homemade granola bars!

After doing just a brief world wide web search, I narrowed it down to three recipes. The first one I tried two weeks ago, but unfortunately didn't take pictures of. The bars turned out great (they tasted more like dessert than breakfast), but they didn't keep me as full as I would have liked. They were also pretty crumbly, something I attribute to my use of Chex cereal. The recipe can be found here - an excellent, healthy treat for peanut butter lovers :)And the use-any-cereal step means that their are infinite variations on this simple recipe.

This week, I moved on to my next recipe. With more flax seed (I used it instead of the called for wheat germ) and no peanut butter, I hope these will prove healthier and more filling. I haven't breakfast-tested them yet, but the sample taste proved promising. I like that these bars have more fruit (which is purely based on my trying to finish off the bag).

Tip: nuts and dried fruit can be on the more expensive side, and since this endeavor was mostly taken on to save money, that was a bit of a bummer. To save the dough, I bought a bag of mixed nuts and dried fruit for $4. In the first recipe I was able to keep them mixed, and in the second I had to separate them, but it really wasn't a pain. Definitely worth the $4-$5 it saved me!

The next recipe I try will be this one, but that won't be for a few weeks (off to NYC Feb. 17!). Care to try it and report back?

Does anyone have any granola bar recipes they've tried and loved? I'm particularly into ones that have common ingredients (again, for saving the green), but I'm sure there are some great variations with unique ingredients.

Happy baking!

Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins

Hello all! This is the first Austin-based post! After taking a month (and change) to settle in, I'm back on the baking bandwagon. What better way to win the hearts (and stomachs) of some co-workers than by bringing in sweet treats?

Pumpkin-inspired deliciousness is the best part of fall, so I was eager to try a new recipe with some old favorites: chocolate and pumpkin (and the organic stuff was cheaper than the regular!).

I stumbled upon this recipe from a blog I've used before, the pioneer woman. She updates more often than me (though I'm going to work on that...) and has some great recipes.

The muffins were just as easy as they sound, and my new roommate's kitchen aid mixer made the job easier than pumpkin pie. One amendment: instead of doing the whole "add half the chocolate chips, then top with the other half" gig, just roll as many chocolate chips as you desire in about a 1/2 a cup of flour. Then dump the lot into a collander or sifter and sift the flour into the trash. Coating any ingredient will prevent it from falling to the bottom of a cake-y creation (muffin, cupcake, cake, etc.).

Oh, and thanks to the new laptop and its webcam(my mac of 5 years had a swift death just 20 minutes before I had to do an interview...), I'll be able to provide more photos!

Happy baking!

Chocolate bday mousse!

So it has been brought to my attention that I've been a little lazy with the blog posting. I guess the fact that my last post was 4 months ago kinda answers that question. But with two vacations, four birthdays (including my own), a sibling graduation AND preparing to move at the beginning of August, I've been pretty busy. Oh, and don't forget that I work for two families, as well as freelance. But, on to the business at hand...

This past Saturday, my family celebrated my sister's 28th bday and I was in charge of dessert. Thought it wasn't a surprise (my sister helped me plan it), she and the rest of the family loved it! I made the chocolate mousse from the back of the Jello sugar free chocolate pudding box (recipe below). From there it was a 6 step process:

1) Crack a butter cookie into two or three pieces and place a the bottom of a glass (I used martini glasses because they were on hand and prettier, but unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo).
2) Put two to three heaping tablespoons of mousse on top of crackers.
3) Next, place a dollop of whipped cream or cool whip on top.
4) Sprinkle crushed butter cookie crumbs over top.
5) Grate chocolate shavings over it (I used dark, as requested).
6) Place four or five berries around the edge (I used raspberries and blackberries).

It was delicious!

Jello Chocolate Mousse Recipe

1 box of Jello Sugar Free Instant Chocolate Pudding
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 squares of baking chocolate
1/2 cup cool whip

Place baking chocolate and 1 cup milk in a large bowl, and microwave for 2 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Add pudding packet and remainder of milk, and beat for two minutes. Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes to cool. Mix in cool whip just before serving.

Happy baking!

Whipped up in minutes....

I love potlucks. Hosting them, attending them or even just hearing about a great, plentiful potluck makes me happy. Last-minute invites can pose a bit of a problem, but trying to come up with something yummy sans a trip to the store is one of my favorite challenges.

Yesterday my roommates and I were invited to a friend's house for another fantastic feast. And just as I was thinking of when I would make it to the store around my work schedule, I remembered: I have a can of Pillsbury crescent rolls in my fridge! Note: After this little baking success, I will be keeping a can of these on hand like flour and water.

So I thought through my other ingredients and came up with: Mini Apple Turnovers Drizzled with Chocolate. Unfortunately I don't have a photo, but my finger-licking friends can vouch for the deliciousness that were these pastries. I simply chopped up a red apple, then sliced each crescent dough triangle in half. I spread a small amount of butter on the inside of the dough, drop a teaspoon full of chopped apple on it and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Then I folded the two corners over and followed the baking directions from the can. I let the mini-turnovers cool just a bit, then I drizzled about two or three tablespoons of melted chocolate chips over them. Warm and doughy, with a slight hint of chocolate and a crunch from the apple (not entirely melted)= very good!

This recipe could certainly be altered-- put pretty much ANYTHING inside a crescent roll and you're bound to get compliments.

Happy baking!

Not-so-sweet treat, but just as delish

Though this blog is mostly devoted to the lovely world of baking, I will from time to time actually cook. That being said, I want to share with all of you intertron-fans my savory successes as well!

The other night I made a chicken and dumpling recipe that was the easiest AND most home-y, warms-the-soul-on-a-cold-night meal I'm made in a long time. The recipe can be found here, though I only used the dumpling portion. My friend and I shredded a small, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store. We also added green beans (there has to be SOMETHING healthy going on here...).

Might I add, the most fun part of this meal (besides the eating and the tons of leftovers) was slicing the dough with a pizza cutter.

Any other great variations on chicken and dumplings?

Valentine's Day portraits!

Here's just a sampling of the adorableness....