Food : Chocolate Chip Cookies

What better way to spend a Sunday that baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies from scratch? That's just what I did this morning with my brother's girlfriend. I'm a veteran baker in the cookie realm (well over a decade already) so I can almost bake these with my eyes closed*. This is one recipe I won't be sharing (sorry!) but here are a few tips on getting delicious cookies from any recipe you choose.

• Use Your Ears: When creaming sugar and butter make sure to work it until the sugar's mostly dissolved. You'll know you're there when you can't hear the scraping of the sugar against the bowl.
• No Such Thing As Enough Chocolate: 'Nuff said. (Though don't go crazy exaggerated, make sure there's still more batter than chips!)
• Raw is Good: Bring the cookies out when they're not quite done if you like your cookies slightly chewy. The heat left over in the cookie and from the pan will cook it the rest of the way.

*This would be a stupid move. Cookie sheets get hot. I'm not liable if you think this would be a bright idea.

Recipes : Makin' Whoopie

I just bought the book Whoopie Pies. I'm ridiculously excited to get it, maybe a little too excited. I've never made whoopie pies before, and the thought of pillowy chocolate cake with slightly sticky marshmallow filling is making my mouth water. Yum.

Doesn't this make you want to bake?

[image via arnold inuyaki]

Food : Coconut Mango Rice Pudding Pops

When I came across this post on Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn my mouth watered, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Coconut and Mango Rice Pudding Pops
Makes 12 3-ounce popsicles. Adapted from Saveur.

One 15-ounce can coconut milk, shaken
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 cup short-grain or arborio rice
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large ripe mangos

Whisk the coconut milk and whole milk together in a 4-quart (or larger) saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and stir in. Stir in the rice, and bring the whole mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, water, vanilla extract, and salt. Peel the mango and chop into 1/2-inch cubes. Fold the mango into the rice mixture.

Transfer the rice and mango mixture to twelve 3-ounce ice-pop molds. Insert sticks and freeze until solid — 3 to 4 hours.

To release the pops from the molds, run the molds briefly under warm water.




[images from thekitchn]