Bastille Day/Housewarming Parties/Birthday Baking Extravaganza

In honor of Bastille Day and my friends' housewaming (and birthday) I made a series of dishes. For Bastille Day, I attempted to make canales, which I had never tried before but just sounded too good to be true (and a little less dicey than other French pastries for your relatively inexperienced baking heroine to attempt). For Kelly, Sam, and Invisible Steve's housewarming/Kelly's birthday shindig I made my much requested oatmeal chocolate chip walnut cookies & rosemary spiced walnuts.


Canales:

I got this recipe by comparing recipes from 2 food blogs that I really enjoy -- Tartlette and Chocolate & Zucchini. To see their recipes, just click on the links.

This experiment was only partially successful. I took Clotilde's recipe from C&Z, but shortened the baking time and lowered the temp in an attempt to accommodate for my oven and muffin tin size.

My oven is a strange beast that runs super hot, consequently I have a thermometer inside and I regularly check the temp to prevent burning. I also usually adjust recipes by shortening the cooking time. However, one recipe said not to open the oven, and as I am unfamiliar with making canales I tried to adhere to the directions. I did open it on occasion (in order to ensure it was the right temp...or even vaguely close to the right temp), but the canales were still a more burnt than I would have liked. Tasty, but burnt. I think some more trial and error will be needed to sort out the baking specifications for canales in my oven.

I just didn't feel like they were good enough to bring w/ me to a party (sad!), so I put on my "J'aime Paris" t shirt instead. Nothing says libertie, egalitie, fraternitie quite like a tee from Old Navy. Damn I'm stylish.


My Much Requested Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies:

While I love these cookies too, frankly I am not entirely sure why it is such a big hit and folks keep requesting it. I make a lot other more interesting cookies, but this is the one people seem to really like and I can take zero credit for it. It's a really easy recipe adapted from the Betty Crocker cookbook my mom gave me when I left for college. I love oatmeal cookies, but I've never liked raisins, so I've always substituted chocolate chips (I prefer dark or bittersweet for this recipe). This may go without saying, but just in case it does not, always use high quality butter (unsalted) for baking (I prefer plugara, but sometimes buy whatever is on sale). It really makes a big difference. I also always use organic, free range eggs. Because I like chewy, just barely done cookies, I use baking sheets with pockets of air for baking. If you prefer crisper cookies, you'll want to use a different kind of baking sheet. Also, I always line the baking sheet with waxed paper b/c it helps puff up the cookies and makes for easier clean-up.

These cookies are good, in a homey, old-fashioned kind of way. There's a reason the good folks behind Betty Crocker gave this recipe their seal of approval. Given the popularity of the Betty recipes, it's entirely likely your mom or grandma (or dad or grandad) uses the exact same one.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

2/3 c granulated sugar
2/3 c brown sugar
1 c butter, softened
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 lg eggs
3 c old-fashioned oats (you can get these in any bulk section of a supermarket, do not use instant oatmeal)
1 c all-purpose flour
approx 1/2 - 2/3 bag chocolate chips, depending on your zeal
approx 1 c chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Beat all ingredients except oats, flour, chips & nuts in a large bowl. When well blended, stir in flour & oats w/ a spoon. Stir in chips & walnuts.
3. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the baking sheet.
4. Bake 9-11 min, or until just browned on top and when a toothpick can be removed cleanly.
5. Let sit for a few min, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely
   

Rosemary Spiced Walnuts:

I first made this recipe for Burt's going away bash. Her roommates, amazing foodies that they are, planned a whole menu and Kelly and I were enlisted as sous chefs for the occasion. I loved these walnuts, and since the recipe was really simple, I write it down when I got home. When I made it for Kelly's bday, the nuts were a lot spicier than I had remembered (but still tasty). I was at the bookstore today picking up some materials for my summer reading project (maybe more on that later...), so I thought I would check out the big Gourmet cookbook, which I covet but do not own, to check on the recipe. Sure enough, I inverted the proportions for 2 ingredients! Ah well...

Ingredients:

8 oz walnuts (approx 2 c)
2 1/2 Tbs butter
2 tsp rosemary (if using dried rosemary, crush w/ mortar & pestle, a step I totally forgot -- not a huge deal, but better not to have to pick out twiggy bits)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I used 1 tsp)
1 tsp salt (I used 1/2 tsp)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350F
   
2. Melt butter
3. Add spices to the butter
4. Toss walnuts to coat
5. Place on a single layer on a baking sheet (for this I used a heavier baking sheet and lined w/ heavy duty tin foil for easier clean up)
6. Bake for 10 min and let cool

In other news, in addition to my Paris tee (which has the Eiffel Tower on it), I also wore adorable silver shoes that just come to a point and have some folder fabric on the front that vaguely resembles a bow (but is not a proper bow, like on my Mother's Day B/W Bow Flats). I bought them a few weeks ago at Marshalls and had not had a chance to give them a spin. Comfy, cute, and silver -- what more could you ask for?

This was also my first opportunity to use my new cookie tin, which is painted gold and has a white crescent moon design on the lid. I found this, and a number of other goodies, at Salvation Army in Golden Valley. I had a great afternoon a few weekends back when I saw the Waitress and then purchased a number of 50 cent or 1 dollar tins that are just perfect for transporting baked goods. Obviously will still use the tupperware, but some occasions call for a bit more. Also got a turquoise belt for a dollar. Love the thrift.

In closing, as I was walking the 2 blocks from the apt to my friends' new place, I received a text asking "U coming?" Now, the real question is, was I missed, or was it the cookies people wanted? I think it was the cookies...

NFL + Suits = Score!

Very exciting news - the NFL is allowing coaches to wears suits to hometown games! For those without my strange preoccupation with sports fashion, this might not seem noteworthy; however the AP did pick it up:

The dress-up detente was the result of nearly three years of negotiations among Nolan, the league and Reebok. Though the league determines what apparel can be worn on the sideline, Reebok provides that clothing for coaches — from Bill Belichick's sleeveless sweatshirts to the black suit Nolan was allowed to wear in two games last season.

"As I mentioned before, I made this request out of the high amount of respect I have for the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers, my father and all of the former coaches who have worn suits," said Nolan, who's 11-20 in two seasons with the Niners.

Ever since he got the 49ers' top job in 2005, Nolan has sought permission to dress like his ex-coach father while projecting an image of authority. He got a trial run last year when both Nolan and Del Rio were allowed to suit up in coat-and-tie ensembles manufactured by Reebok during two home games.

But Nolan wanted to wear his old-school outfit at every home game. He saw the move as a tribute to the league's great coaches of the past — including his father, Dick, who coached the 49ers from 1968-75


Now, the rest of you may ask why this is news, or, at the very least, why exciting news? Well, first off, who doesn't love a man in a suit? (Assuming you go in for men, that is.) Then, there is the old school, throwback-ness of it. Its the football version of revisiting a classic. It's like when the Bills wear their throwback jerseys, your little heart just soars. Maybe that's just me...

For a moment, just picture Belichick. Ok, so I have a well-nurtured dislike of him brought on by bitter defeats, but the point stands - that ugly gray sweatshirt he wears is hideous! Let's take a look, shall we?








Although he might be the most egregious example, sadly, Belichick is not the only one trolling the sidelines in offensive outfits. Granted, plenty of other sports don't require their coaches to dress the part (see baseball), but it really can be a perk. I mean, do you remember Sidney Lowe and his red sportscoat during the ACC Tourney, what fun!









But I digress.

A few more things of note. The first is that while the NFL debated whether or not to allow suits, some Niners fans planned to wear their own as a sign of solidarity to their coach. Granted, it never came to that, but a bit of grassroots pressure never hurts.

Why all the fuss you ask? Because, first and foremost, the NFL is a business and they have a very nice deal with this small company you may have heard called Reebok. So Reebok will make these NFL-sanctioned suits. Because they make all NFL apparel.

Which, in turn, made me realize that Belichick's ensem was not homemade, not hastily cut up, but rather the result of careful design and planning at Reebok HQ. Were there multiple sketches and he picked his favorite? Speaking of, will Nolan & Del Rio be involved in the design process for their new, NFL & Reebok approved duds? Project Runway, season 4 challenge in the making! If they want an accent piece, like a fedora, will Reebok employ a special hatter or connect with a haberdasher, or will they use the same vendor that makes the rest of the NFL caps. The possibilities are endless...

Pirate Cupcakes

So...

I am soon to be unemployed, my mother may (or may not) be engaged, and I am 3 months into a baking bender. It seemed like a good time to enter the blogosphere. Or start journaling...but, it seems unlikely that mere paper will respond.

I spent the better part of last week sorting out how to make pirate-themed baked goods. After some trial and error (and failed shopping trips to Target, Party City, etc) I rejected my original plan of pirate cookies and embraced the idea of pirate cupcakes.

I bagged my original plan to make the batter and icing from scratch, and instead focused my energies on creating the pirate flags to adorn each adorable mini cupcake.


Step 1: Make cupcakes (I opted for Betty Crocker dark chocolate, on sale at Rainbow foods.)

Step 2: Frost cupakes (Betty again, of super fluffy fake vanilla variety)

Step 3: Adorn w/ flags

Step 3a: Purchase flag materials

• mini swords (cocktail variety) for use as flagpoles (as a bonus, the flags can double as toothpicks!)
• gaff tape (more precisely, I used black duct tape)
• assorted pirate stickers
  

Step3b: Rip approx 2 inch piece of tape and stick to sword, creating a black flag effect

Step3c: Apply desired pirate sticker to flag

Step 3d: Insert flag into cupcake


And voila, semi-homemade pirate treats.

Sadly, I neglected to take some photos of the cupcakes before we ate them. I do have some of the flags, as well as more flag-making supplies, so when the heat breaks I'll take some pics and post them.