Surprise!

I arrived home to a large box at my door step and quickly read the words Williams-Sonoma on the package label. A girl knows when she has made a purchase from this wondrous place so I immediately knew that my Momma had sent me a surprise! Upon opening my box, I discovered this gorgeous apple green Le Creuset pot.

Make no mistake, I adore this new addition in my kitchen but what I really love that is that my parents took the time to send me a little extra something special. The thought behind the gift, the phone call just to say hi or a note in the mail is really what generates the excitement because we all want to be thought of and loved in a little extra special way. For all of the busy bees, like myself, out there - Take 5 and let someone know that you are loving them!

Thanks Momma & Doug - I cannot wait to get cooking!

Chocolate Souffle

One of my "go to" movies is Because I Said So starring Mandy Moore and Diane Keaton. Mandy Moore plays a character named Millie whose mother is determined to find her daughter a life partner. Millie is one dating disaster after the other who throws herself into her rocking catering company - someone many of us ladies can relate to. The movie is a sweet portrait of an experience many women go through today and yes, there is a happy ending. One of my favorite features of the is that there is lots of delicious baking but one dish is front and center - the Chocolate Souffle! One afternoon I popped in this favorite movie while reading my Cooking Light magazine and inside was a Double Chocolate Souffle with Warm Fudge Sauce so I considered it fate that I must make this delicious treat.

Some of my fellow foodies made me a little nervous to attempt this dish but I found it to be simple and best of all, delicious!

Recipe from Cooking Light, December 2009


Souffle:
Cooking Spray
1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, divided
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (Suggestion: I prefer unbleached flour)
3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cups of fat free milk (Note: I used 2%)
3 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 large egg whites (Suggestion: instead of letting the yolks go to waste, save them to make a breakfast scramble)



Sauce:
1 tablespoon of butter
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup of fat free milk
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped


Yields 6 servings (Serving is 1 souffle and about 2 tablespoons of sauce)

315 calories & 9g of Fat per serving

NOTE: I halved the recipe to only make 3 souffles.


Directions:

1. Place oven rack at lowest setting. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Lightly coat 6 ramekins with cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle with sugar, rotating to evenly distribute on sides.


3. Combine 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, coca, and salt in medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add in 1 1/4 cups of milk, stirring with a whisk. (Note: Be sure to mix in all those bits of flour and the edges of the pan where the batter will gather) Bring to a boil and continue stirring for about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add 3 ounces of chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth and then transfer to bowl to cool. Let mixture set until it reaches room temperature (about 5-10 minutes). Then stir in vanilla and egg yolk.
















4. Beat egg whites on high until stiff peak forms, careful not to over mix. Gently fold in egg whites into mixture until incorporated. (Note: Do not stir as the egg whites will lose their fluffiness)


5. Spoon mixture into ramekins. Sharply tap on counter 2 or 3 times to level. Place ramekins on cookie sheet and place into oven. Without removing souffles, immediately reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes (Note: mine took about 30 minutes) To Test, place a wooden stick in the side of souffle and if it comes out clean, its done.




To Prepare Sauce:

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium to high heat. Add sugar, cocoa, flour and mix well with a whisk. Gradually add in milk. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook for 1 minute or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Serve warm with souffles.

Cupcake Wars

My love affair with cupcakes began about three years ago when my friends Melissa and Derek were getting married. In our search for that "little something extra" to add to their reception, we discovered that cupcake towers were becoming the rage and we certainly were not going to miss the boat. After their nuptials, I slipped into Red Velvet heaven... I have been a loyal consumer of this goodness every since.

This Sunday The Food Network will debut a new show entitled Cupcake Wars at 10/9c. Being the avid cupcake lover that I am, I can hardly wait to see what deliciousness awaits me. Talents from all across the country will be featured on the show as they compete for the chance to win $10,000. I'm looking forward to new recipes and learning some tricks of the trade!

In honor of this joyous occasion, I will share some of my favorite treats from cupcake bakeries I have visited.

Molly's Cupcakes (Chicago, IL)

This sweet spot is equipped with the most delicious treats tucked away in a charming cafe. Patrons can enjoy their treats while sitting in porch-style swings at the bar with a perfectly delicious cup of coffee. While I was there I enjoyed three (don't judge) amazing cupcakes - the ever faithful Red Velvet, Peanut Butter Nutella (PB, Chocolate, & Hazelnut...stop yourself), and a Blueberry/Lemon cheesecake-ish one. Needless to say, it was a hit with my sweet tooth! I enjoyed every minute of this adventure with my best gals and fellow cupcake devotees, Morgan and Melissa

Cupcake (Charleston, SC)

This was my very first experience with a cupcake-exclusive bakery and boy did I love every minute of it! Three seems to be my magical number because I also enjoyed three delicious treats here as well - Red velvet, Pumpkin with Cinnamon Swirl icing (a little bite of heaven), and Carrot Cake. I even purchased this adorable t-shirt for Madi Kate because, well, it was necessary. Can you see those delicious treats behind me?

Bliss Cupcake Cafe (Fayetteville, AR)

Thanks to Tammy and Erica, I was able to enjoy a delicious pumpkin spiced cupcake from this lovely bakery that just opened in Fayetteville... It was amazing!

Cami Cakes (Jacksonville, FL)

Lauralee, Ella, and I ventured to the mall after Ella's first Christmas to get her little ears pierced. A little scarred from the experience (Ella didn't really love it) we concluded that we could recuperate by enjoying a little treat. Lauralee enjoyed the Classic Cami while I returned to my faithful Red Velvet. The pain of the ear piercing lasted only a second but enjoying this little treat with one of my favorite women and her daughter remains one of my favorite days!

Bakeries on my "to enjoy" list: Sprinkles, The Original Magnolia Bakery in NYC, and Hello Cupcake! and Georgetown Cupcake in Washington, DC

Happy Baking!

"anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit"