OMG, I do exist!

Let me start by saying Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Chinese New Year, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Friday the 13th, Happy MLK Day, Happy Groundhog Day..... and Happy Opposite Day (It's a real day.)

Yep.... It's been awhile. 

I have been living my worst nightmare for the past few months. This nightmare is called South Beach Diet.... and yes.... it's as bad as it sounds. I have said goodbye to bread, pasta, cake, bagels, pizza fruit, carrots, and worst of all, WINE. But, I have also said farewell to 15 pounds and 2 pants sizes, so I really can't complain that much...neither can my fiancé. 

So, here is my latest excuse as to why I have dropped of the face of the blogging universe:

The downside to any diet (besides the torture and cold sweats that come along with painful carb craving headaches) is really boring food.... I feel like my life has been wrapped in iceberg lettuce instead of spread lovingly between two fresh pieces of homemade sourdough bread. I mean... whats the point of blogging about chicken and veggies every night? 

However, I have recently come to the conclusion that just because I have to suffer through starvation to look like a super hot bride, does not mean that you, my 14 readers, also have to endure this misery. Yup, admit it.... the last two months have sucked without my Facebook wall being plastered with my latest food ramblings. 

To make this AMAZING blogging comeback that you are about to experience, I had the pleasure of shooting my afternoon baking with the wonderful Edward Scott..... (he is also shooting our wedding!!) 

Note: No matter how strict you have been dieting.... if there is cooking dough in your presence it is ALWAYS ok to eat it. 

The perfect milk dunking chocolate chip cookie

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Beat egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until light and creamy. 

Combine the remaining dry ingredients and the melted butter in a separate bowl. 

Combine both mixtures together. Mix well. Add the chocolate chips. 

Scoop dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper using a tablespoon scoop.

Bake cookies in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Pour a tall glass of milk and enjoy. 

Coming soon.... braised beef short ribs and buttermilk roasted chicken. I am going to blow your mind with my blogging dedication.... and my cooking :)

Recipe from SmittenKitchen.com

Kitchen Must Haves

I am going to start posting kitchen gadgets and ingredients that you need in your kitchen. Not things that I just think you need.... you actually really need these things.

Hopefully I will do better with my "Must Haves" than I did with my "Sunday Morning" breakfast posts.

soooo vanilla.

What.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Products. I have Powder, Beans, Paste, and Extract. Love. 

Where.

Whole Foods, Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma

Why.

Mmmmmm.

PS. You also need a subscription to Bon Appetite Magazine (as seen in the background.) And if you haven't already- you need to go buy Gwenyth's issue because she is perfect and it is amazing. (Thank you Rachel Hoffman for the last two years of my subscription.....I finally just got my own. xx)

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

Today my baking teacher threw around the word "PERFECTION."
I baked perfect, melt in your mouth, chewy, yet crumbly peanut butter cookies.
I mean..... to die for peanut butter cookies.

"I just made your day didn't I? You are just like me."
My baking teacher then seriously called me out on my proud case of OCD.
I love her.

Note: My other baking instructor is a man with an accent so thick he sounds like you should be watching him make baguettes on a street corner in France.

This class may be my version of heaven.

I love this class. 

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

6 oz butter

4 oz brown sugar

4 oz granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 oz peanut butter

2 oz of eggs (1 egg)

1 teaspoon vanilla 

8 oz pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

I never use my kitchen aid mixer at home because I think it is a huge pain in the ass to clean and I kind of enjoy doing everything by hand. I literally bought the stupid thing to put on the counter, look pretty, and remind everyone that I can probably bake way better cookies than them. 

However, we did use mixers in class today, so if you have one you can use it.... I guess. 

Cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and salt. 

Combine eggs and vanilla. Fold into butter mixture. Make sure that you do not over mix or your cookies will end up super flat. 

Sift together dry ingredients and slowly add them to the butter mixture until evenly combined and smooth. 

Form 1 oz balls of dough and place evenly on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I SWEAR by parchment paper. It doesn't make your cookies greasy on the bottom and it keeps them from sticking. Foil works well also.

Using a fork, create a cross pattern on top of each cookie. I dipped my fork in sugar before doing this to give them a little glisten. 

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden around the edges.