Peanut Butter Blondies with Chocolate Ganache

About a month ago, I saw these beautiful creations on the blog of TKTC. She had found them on the blog of my achy bakey heart (cutest name ever). I think I instantly started drooling as anything with peanut butter and chocolate is apt to make me do. I knew I had to make them, but I was waiting for the right occasion as I didn't really want to be sitting in my apartment with a platter full of peanut butter chocolate blondies and nobody to eat them with. Because, trust me, I would have eaten them. Luckily, the perfect occasion came along in the form of an invite to TKTC's house on Cape Cod.

TKTK and me, the only time we weren't stuffing sugar into our mouths.

Sara, friend and fellow peanut butter addict, came over to help me bake. The recipe was super easy and these things were seriously amazing. I think I'm an even bigger fan of peanut butter now...if that is even possible.

Start by putting parchment paper in your 13x9 baking pan and buttering it. Beat together the butter (2 sticks softened) and sugar (1 3/4 cups) until it's nice and fluffy. Then add and beat in the peanut butter (1 cup). I'm sure whatever kind you use will make your blondies taste a bit different. I used the cheap grocery store kind (equivalent to Jiffy or Skippy) and it worked well so I'm thinking you'll want to use some kind with salt in it.

Beat in the eggs (2), egg yolk (1), and vanilla (2 t). Then mix the flour (2 c) on low until it's combined. And mix in the chocolate chips (2 cups)! Spread the batter in the pan making sure it's super smooth and bake for about 45 minutes. That sounded like a way long time to me, but it really did need that long to turn a bit golden and cook through.

Now, you're supposed to let the blondie cool for about 1.5 hours, but Sara and I are incredibly impatient when it comes to baked goods, so we probably only gave it about 20 minutes (can you blame us??). We probably would have given it even less, except for the fact that we needed to make the ganache.

This was probably one of the easiest ganaches I've ever made and it came out really well. Just put the chocolate chips (1 1/2 c) in a heatproof bowl. Then put your heavy cream (1/2 c) in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let it stand for a minute. Whisk in the butter (1 T) and keep whisking until the chocolate is all melted and smooth.

Then spread the ganache on the blondies and let stand for about 15 minutes. It might help if you put them in the fridge too. Our ganache didn't quite harden on top, likely because the blondies were still hot when we poured the ganache on.

All I'm going to say is if you love peanut butter and chocolate, you really, really need to make these. Sara and tested them immediately when they were ready and were extremely happy with how they came out. And judging from the empty tupperware, it seemed like TKTC and family enjoyed them as well.

To be honest, I can't wait for the next event I'm going to where I can bake these again. And in the meantime I'm trying extremely hard not to make them before I actually have somewhere to bring them to. We'll see how long that lasts.

[Sues]

Cupcakes: Sweet Opens in Boston!

At last! Cupcakes in Boston!

You know you're in trouble when one of your best friends starts working at a brand new, absolutely amazing cupcake shop just a short walk away from you. I'm sure you can tell I have a slight obsession with cupcakes. And now this obsession has been taken to a whole new level.

I love Boston to death, but it has seriously lacked in the cupcake department. There's a couple of bakeries with great cupcakes, but really not any specialty cupcake shop right in the city. Until now. If you're in the Boston area, you really need to go to Sweet, the new cupcake shop on Mass Ave. in Boston's Backbay.

As if a new cupcake shop isn't exciting enough; one of We are Not Martha's favorite people is working there. Yesterday was Sara's first day working at Sweet, so of course I stopped in for a visit and a cupcake or two.

Just a few of the many beautiful cupcakes at Sweet.

My first thought upon walking in was that the shop is absolutely adorable. Fun pink and brown wallpaper adorns the tiny but comfortable shop; jars filled with candy and fresh, beautiful peonies decorate the counters; lush pink seating lines the walls; and a huge plasma TV plays girly movies. When you think about what a cupcake shop should look like, Sweet is pretty much exactly what you're thinking of.

Giant flower cupcake. I need one for my apartment

Pretty peonies and jars of candy also adorn the counters

Pretty pink seating looking out onto Mass Ave.

The one and only Sara working her cupcake magic behind the counter

So, now you know the shop is incredible. What about the cupcakes, right? I'm not exaggerating when I say that the cupcakes are pretty close to perfection. I have to admit, I was a little bit nervous. I mean, not that I believe there's such a thing as a bad cupcake, but I've had plenty of cupcakes I've been pretty ehhh about. So the thought that Sweet's cupcakes may not make me giddy with cupcake love definitely crossed my mind. But luckily, my fears were not confirmed and Sweet left me incredibly happy and wanting more and more.

Of course, I had to taste a couple flavors. First, the cappuccino cupcake was the perfect consistency: light and fluffy with a deliciously dense frosting. With the smooth flavor of cinnamon, this cupcake went down easy (maybe a little too easy).

Full-size cappuccino cupcake

You know I always have to try the vanilla/vanilla cupcake everywhere I go. The vanilla/vanilla combination is basically the way in which I measure how good a shop's cupcakes actually are. Sweet passed the test on this one. Again, the cake was light and moist, but had the perfect amount of sweetness and vanilla flavoring. And the sweet vanilla frosting, while lighter than the cappuccino frosting, was full-flavored and fantastic. I would almost compare the taste to the frosting on a Party Favors cupcake, but definitely not as heavy. OK, so now I get why they call this place "Sweet."

The mini-size vanilla sweet cake

One of the best things about these cupcakes are their light fluffiness. They leave you feeling satisfied, but not disgustingly full. Of course, that also means you can probably eat quite a few of these cupcakes before you realize how many you've had.

Sweet sells their regular size cupcakes for $3.25 and their minis (for those of us who like to sample lots of flavors) for $2.25. Some people think they're a bit pricey, but when you taste them you really will see why. You can get an overly-processed, sickeningly sweet cupcake anywhere, but Sweet's cupcakes are all extremely fresh and natural tasting and worth every penny.

Other cupcake flavors at Sweet include lemon, organic karat, and dark chocolate; with many more flavors in the making. And while you're enjoying your cupcake, you can pick a cute little "pupcake" for your dog. There's also talk of having special "Vegan Wednesdays" in the future.

Oh, and I went back today. And I'm completely serious. I met up with some friends for lunch and knew they would love Sweet's cupcakes. I was right.

Sweet is going to be a very, very dangerous place for me. And once you go, it will be for you too.

Sweet
49 Massachusetts Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
617-247-CAKE

[Sues]

Back from San Fran!

Well... I've actually been back for a week, but I'm just now getting back to reality. Took some time. I love this city, not only for its breathtaking views, unique shops, and great restaurants but because this city can inspire you to be so creative. I've never collected a more attractive bunch of business cards on a trip ;)

One of the first full days in the city, while my bud was working, I explored the Marina and stumbled upon La Boulange cafe and bakery. I got a greattt cobb salad to-go so I could eat outside and enjoy the great weather.


1909 Union Street
415.440.4450

I continued my walk up Union Street and stopped in Mingle, a really cute boutique that had very friendly and helpful salespeople! I bought 2 eco friendly tote bags, one for myself, and one for my sister.
1815 Union Street
415.674.8811

One of my favorite stores on Union Street is Union Street Papery. Tons of custom stationary and invitations from some big names and local artists too. One of my favorites designers: eggpress! ahhh... simple and adorable!


2162 Union Street
415.563.0200

I got the chance to FINALLY meet Jon from 2guysuncorked, who just so happens to be a San Fran resident! He's one of my new favorite people :) We met up and went to Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, a lovely little wine bar in the Ferry Building downtown. It was slightly an older crowd, but it was great to meet Jon and introduce him to my San Fran buddy I was visiting! Now we just have to meet up with Ted and we'll be good to go :)



Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
One Ferry Building: Shp 23
415.391.9400

We didn't get a chance to make it to Kara's Cupcakes but all of my wandering around led me to That Takes The Cake , a fairly new, very small but adorable cupcake shop. I got the "orange zinger" cupcake for myself and an "opposites attract" for the bud. Check out the menu. Delicious. And the girl who worked at the counter was a sweetheart! Hooray for good food and nice people :)



2271 Union Street
415.567.8050

I was also very lucky to head up to wine country. It's safe to say if I ever hit the jackpot, I'm heading to Sonoma for a second house. I took tons of pictures but they don't even do the place justice. On our way up we saw a winery/gallery/garden called Cornerstone Gardens. We didn't really know what to expect but we wound up staying there for hours. We had a blast walking around all of the gardens and viewing the public art. There is also a salvage yard filled with some great finds! I was tempted to have some stuff shipped back to Boston, but really... I have no where to put it.

[salvage yard: "A" for Adams... I think I kind of need this]

[Garden Play, by Topher Delaney]

[Daisy Border, by Ken Smith]

[Blue Tree, by Claude Cormier]

[Huge Blue Chair... "Jumping" Picture!]

I could post about this place forever because I loved it that much.

23570 Hwy. 121
Sonoma, CA
703.933.3010

Another favorite of mine is for sure Boudin Bakery at Fisherman's Wharf. The bud got a Boudin chili bowl (yum) and I obviously got a salmon club on Boudin sourdough (why wouldn't I?).


We checked out the sea lions on the pier before we ate... I think I fell in love with them... it was hilarious watching them push each other off:



My favorite, favorite, favorite place is Northpoint Coffee Company in Sausalito (if I hit the jackpot again I'd buy a third home here!) I fell in love with this quaint coffee house when I went out to Sausalito in October and it was such a rainy, dreary, gross day and I warmed up with a cup of their Mexican hot chocolate. To die for. This time around, the weather was 1,000 times better and the hot chocolate tasted justttt how I remembered, if not better with a view like this.

1250 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA
415.331.8777

There are so many reasons to love Northern California... I'm sure I'm missing a million :)

I'll be posting more scenic pictures on my design blog too, so keep an eye out!

[Chels]

New Foodie Website: Zeer

I love discovering new websites that are fun and helpful in everyday life. Zeer is a brand-new website (based out of Boston!) that features consumer reviews of food. As in, basically every product you can buy at the grocery store is on this website. It's the kind of website that makes you say, "why didn't anyone think of this before??"

Since they're just getting started, the products don't have tons of reviews (most none at all), but eventually, this site is going to be an amazing database. You can use it to see what people are saying about new (and old) products, find out what products people are enjoying (and can't stand), and get all kinds of nutritional information. I guess you could think of it like a Yelp for groceries. I'm obviously big on trying new foods and I'm psyched that now I can see what other people are saying before I buy.

According to the Zeer team:

Today, modern technology has given you hundreds of thousands of food and beverage products. While having an abundance of choices can be nice, it's still hard to discover what's best after figuring in all of your needs plus seemingly endless amounts of information. When faced with so many details, it's easy to feel completely overwhelmed and unorganized.

Imagine instead that you could whittle the world down to a store section build just for you, with all of your friends hanging out, experts available to answer your questions, and all of the products you like and need in one place.

I've played with the site a bit and written a bunch of reviews and I definitely see its potential. So go check it out and "friend" me. Yes, there's a social networking aspect to the site; why wouldn't there be, right? Let me know what you think of it and if you can see yourself using Zeer as a food reference in the future.

[Sues]

Made from Scratch Funfetti Cupcakes

Remember back in elementary school when everyone would bring in cupcakes on their birthday? How psyched were you when a kid brought in funfetti cupcakes? They were THE BEST. My friends and I still make and eat them on occasion. But I'm pretty anti- cooking from a box when doing it from scratch is so easy, so I decided to try and make my own funfetti cupcakes. I was going to a little gathering for the birthdays of two of my friends, and I decided it was the perfect occasion to make them, considering I've been friends with both birthday girls since elementary school.

I loosely followed a recipe I found on Baking Bites, making a few changes of my own. First whisk together the milk (1/2 C), egg whites (3 large), vanilla extract, and almond extract together. I find almond extract a bit overpowering, so I used the full 1/4 t the recipe called for, but then used a lot more than the 1 t of vanilla extract it called for. I'm a big vanilla extract fan!

In another bowl, combine the flour (1 1/4 C ), sugar (1 C), salt (1/2 t), and baking powder (2 t). Cut in the butter (6 T) at a low speed until the mixture is coarse. Add the milk mixture and beat at a medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes or so. Then stir in the sprinkles (2 T). Important note: If you use the little round sprinkles, the colors will likely bleed into the mixture. It's best to use the long sprinkles, or what we here in New England call jimmies.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Now you're ready to make the frosting. I didn't have a metal bowl like the recipe said to use, so I used a saucepan. Stir together the sugar (1 1/2 C), egg whites (2 large), water (1/3 C), light corn syrup (2 t), and cream of tartar (1/4). Put whatever bowl or pot you used over another saucepan filled with simmering water, but don't let the pan on top touch the water. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture "resembles soft marshmallow fluff" and then on high until it's nice and thick.

Take bowl off the heat and add vanilla extract (1 t, but I added more!) and beat another 5 minutes, until the mixture is cool.

Frost the cupcakes and add more sprinkles. This time, I used the round ones.

I popped them in my cupcake carrier, whipped up a few more treats, and went off to the party.

They ended up looking adorable and tasting delicious, though not quite like the original from-the-box funfetti. I really liked the marshmallow-like frosting and will definitely be using that recipe in the future. They really do look like the perfect birthday cupcake!

The girls enjoying the birthday celebration pre-going out!

[Sues]

You Need to Go to: BerryLine

I have one very important piece of advice for you. If you're in Boston, run to Harvard Square. Or whatever, you can walk; that's what Sara and I did today (LONG walk!). Or you can even take public transportation. Just yourself there and to 1 Arrow Street as soon as possible.

Why? To get to BerryLine. BerryLine is officially my new favorite place. It's a frozen yogurt place, but you know how most frozen yogurt tastes pretty much like ice cream? This actually tastes like real yogurt. Amazingly good, creamy yogurt. Of course, the best part is the toppings. They offer tons of different fruits, candies, cereals (Fruity Pebbles!), etc.

Or maybe the best part is that the yogurt has 25 calories/oz. So a small yogurt has 125 calories. A medium, 200. Wow. I'm seriously in love.

Finally. BerryLine is Boston's answer to PinkBerry. Now if only there were one just a little bit closer to my apartment, I think I might move in.

Sorry, we couldn't really wait to take pictures before we started eating!

[Sues]

San Francisco bound...

I'm off to San Francisco today :) The GPS is packed and I'm hoping to do lots of exploring around Northern California so I can bring back some goodies. One place I'm super excited to check out is Kara's Cupcakes. Check out the flavors... That alone could be worth the trip!

Can't wait to report back :)

In the meantime, some pictures from my last trip...

[Chels]

Greek-Stuffed Chicken

While shopping in Trader Joe's with my mom the other day, I decided that I wanted to make Greek chicken. So I figured I'd buy all the ingredients and find a recipe when I got home. But when I got home, I couldn't find a recipe that made me happy, so I decided to just make something up on my own with the ingredients I had. And I made Greek-stuffed chicken.

I basically threw all my ingredients in a bowl. They included:

• half of a red onion, chopped
• a bunch of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• a lot of feta cheese, crumbled
• a bunch of kalamata olives, halved
• a huge handful of parsley, chopped
• a splash of balsamic vinaigrette
• some pepper

So scientific, right? But I was just experimenting and I figured I'd throw it all in a bowl and mix it up.


Then I cut slits into the chicken breasts and stuffed them full of the mixture. I put A LOT of the mixture in the chicken because I wanted to, but you can do as much or as little as you'd like.

Then I put the chicken on a pan covered with foil and baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes.

I made a little spinach salad with some fresh tomatoes and served it. I probably could have cooked the chicken for a bit less time, but I really liked how some of the filling got a little crispy. And the chicken was still nice and tender.

The only thing I didn't like is that I used reduced-fat feta, which, while it tasted just as good as the regular, it was extra super salty. I didn't add any extra salt to the meal, but I wish the feta had just a little less. But overall, everything went really well together. Opa!

[Sues]