I don’t often make chocolate chip cookies. I love them, but I’m pretty picky. There’s the kind I grew up with, the recipe that came from the back of the chocolate chip bag. I’d help my mom sift the flour (sifting, now there’s a trait I haven’t carried to adulthood) and stir the batter by hand. My favorite part,of course, was adding in the chocolate chips–many which were stuffed inside my cheeks instead of into the mixing bowl. I’ve made vegan chocolate chip cookies, a fantastic oatmeal version, and I tried a recipe that was very similar to the one I grew up with. I’m also pretty enamoured with this maple version. But I wanted to try something new and Ashley over at Not without Salt had the answer.

Let me introduce you to the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. Ever.

These don’t require extra egg yolks or a 36 hour unbearable wait in the fridge. No fussing about with special ingredients or complicated instructions. Ashley suggests using a good block of chocolate and then using a serrated knife to cut the chocolate (the very best you can afford) into chunks. I’m sure they’d be wonderful that way. But I went for ease and used very good chocolate chips. Traditional but no less wonderful. I also love nuts in my cookies, so I went ahead and used half a cup of sliced almonds (though chopped pecans or walnuts would be perfect too). And because I love a bit of salt to bring out the sweetness, half of the batch I sprinkled with some flakey salt. It was a good move. I recommend you do this too.

These aren’t quite like the cookies I remember as a kid. They’re better. A whole lot better. And I know my mom would approve, secret stashes of chocolate chips stuffed into cheeks and everything. Bake up a batch and send them to your mom.

elsewhere: Stop your boring meals – brighten them up with a sprinkling of za’atar. Don’t buy this condiment at the store, make it fresh and keep your meals exciting. Get the recipe over at Poppytalk.

the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever
(adapted from Not Without Salt)
1 c butter, room temperature
1/2 c white sugar
1 3/4 c light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 c semi sweet or bitter sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c sliced almonds (optional – if not using, replace with chocolate chips)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or fleur de sel (optional), for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, blending well before adding in the second egg. Add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate and the almonds (if using).

Using a tablespoon, roll into balls and place onto a prepared cookie sheet (I always line mine with silpat or parchment paper). Slightly flatten out the tops. If desired, sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt or fleur de sel.

Bake at 360F for 12 minutes until lightly golden but still a bit gooey on the inside. Cool on wire racks.

Possibly related posts:

• c is for cookie: killer chocolate chip cookies
• short and sweet: chocolate chip & ginger cookies

I love trying to recreate some of my favorite things from local shops and restaurants. I first tried my hand at the UBC cake from the Uprising Bakery. I think I did pretty well and that recipe has been the most popular recipe on this site for years. I’ve done a play on the Najib’s Special cauliflower dish from Nuba. Again, a success. And then there’s the Union Market, a small and long-time running local haunt that puts out some seriously delicious baked goods for all the neighbourhood to enjoy. I tried to recreate their cinnamon buns and while mine were delicious, they just weren’t built the same as the ones from the Union. It’s okay, I’ll still visit the market for their sweet buns. And their flakey and amazing croissants.

But the Union Market has another treat that I really, really love – their coconut chocolate macaroon bars. They’re dense, buttery and rich and chock full of chocolate and coconut. For me, coconut and chocolate is a pairing for the ages. You just can’t go wrong and these bars capture all that is right. So when I spotted a similar sounding recipe on Pinterest, I was interested. Very interested. Lucky for me, the results were perfectly similar.

I think the key to success is to use ribbon coconut (I’ve noticed this lately mentioned on blogs as “coconut chips”). The wide ribbons of coconut really add chew and texture where the shredded stuff just can’t keep up. It’s key, I think in re-creating these bars. Good chocolate is also highly desirable. I like the bitter-sweet stuff, but semi-sweet works well too.

The Union Market drizzles their bars with chocolate, but for me, that’s overkill. Too much sweetness. I like the plain jane approach – but trust me, there’s nothing plain about these squares. Nothing. I urge you to bake up a batch as soon as you can. I’m sure you’ll find yourself making these often – I’m already planning my next batch.

elsewhere: If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know that I’ve got a cabbage problem. I love it and eat it all the time. So I had to share my latest cabbage slaw obsession over at Poppytalk: Sunshine Citrus Slaw. It’s delicious and I’ve been eating it all week long. Enjoy!

union market coconut chocolate macaroon copycat bars
(adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker)
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
1 c brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ t vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 c unsweetened ribbon coconut  (aka coconut chips)
1 c semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour an 8″ square baking pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter with the sugar, egg and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour and salt and mix until combined. Stir in the coconut and chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden. Don’t overbake. Cool and then slice into squares.

Possibly related posts:

• last minute baking: holiday jewel bars
• it’s a cinch: oatmeal coconut pecan squares with chocolate chips

It’s been one of those weeks and it’s nice to have a cloudy Sunday morning to reflect back on things. There was a bit of big news: we bought a car. Now, for most people, it’s kind of a no-brainer to have a car. But I’ve never owned or really even wanted a car. We live pretty much in the centre of things and I love exploring on foot, by bike or even by bus. But now we own a 2005 silver little hatchback and it’s like our world has opened up exponentially. We can, at the drop of a hat, head out into the mountains for a hike or cross the border to visit friends. Freedom and cars always seemed like such an advertising ploy or a teenage fantasy, but it’s true! I didn’t think I’d be so much in love with the idea of car ownership, but I’m smitten. While I do have my license, I actually haven’t driven in 20 years, so I’ll need a bit of practice to brush up and get over my fears. After biking through traffic and scowling at cars who don’t pay attention to cyclists, I’ve got quite a bit of fear to get over. Baby steps and parking lot practice, here I come!

Then came Valentine’s Day and if you didn’t know it already, I’m a sucker for love. I don’t care that it’s a greeting card holiday one bit. I love pinks and reds and flowers (though tulips over roses, please). And I love fussing over my husband. I always make a card from scratch and this year I even made a little 8 song mix over at 8tracks that you are more than welcome to listen to. But it was our dinner that night that was so fantastic and perfect. There was a perfectly seasoned steak that I cooked in the oven at very low heat (200F) for 10 minutes per side before searing on the stove. Perfect medium-rare insides and a lovely crust outside. Yum. Oven roasted herbed potatoes that were crisp on the outside and soft and perfect inside. A raw mixed vegetable asian slaw and steamed brussels sprouts completed our plate. But it was dessert that gilded the lily.

My favorite brownie recipe plus a small scoop of buttermint ice cream put the biggest smile on Cornelius’ face. The thing is, I had spied the ice cream recipe quite a while ago on the kitchn, but I was put off by the addition of butter extract. Butter extract, really?? It sounded gross and I’m generally against single-use tools and ingredients. So I had pretty much made up my mind that I’d be giving this recipe a pass. But when I found myself in the baking section of my favorite kitchen shop the day before Valentine’s Day, I grabbed the little bottle of butter extract and that was it, buttermint ice cream, here I come.

The original recipe calls for turmeric to stain the ice cream yellow which sounded all fine and good. Except that I was making this for Valentine’s Day and I was jonesing for pink. Plus, it makes sense as it recalls the pastel buttermint candies that I loved as a kid with their pale pinks, greens and yellows. The recipe itself is super simple and I like that it doesn’t contain eggs. It does require a bit of cream cheese which adds to the creamy texture. It’s a good trick – the ice cream didn’t get rock hard after spending a couple days in the freezer which is a good thing. Another discovery was drizzling melted white chocolate (I used Callebault…the good stuff here) while the ice cream churned, adding thin shards of crispy chocolate ribbons throughout. Incredible! And because I was already preheating the oven at a low temperature (200F), I decided to melt the chocolate in a small cast iron pan in the oven. The chocolate melted perfectly and quickly….no fussing with a double boiler! Genius!

Yup, I’ll be making this again. Tinted pale green for St. Patrick’s Day? Why not!

One more thing, today is this blog’s 7th birthday. Seven years of Everybody Likes Sandwiches! Not bad run, I think. I’ve learned a lot of new things here in this public space – about cooking and myself. Here’s to seven more years! Anyway, thank you so much for reading and commenting and sending me emails. I don’t think my life would be quite so awesome without this space for me to vent and share. I’m grateful.

elsewhere: Earlier this week at Poppytalk, I baked up a big dish of comfort. Creamy mac and cheese with cauliflower and chard. Delicious and simple. Go check out the recipe!

 savannah buttermint ice cream
(recipe adapted from the book Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home via the kitchn)

2 1/4 c whole milk
1 T plus 1 t cornstarch
3 T cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 t sea salt
2-4 drops red food colouring
1 c heavy cream
scant 2/3 c sugar
2 T light corn syrup
3 oz white chocolate, chopped
4-5 drops butter extract
4 to 5 drops pure peppermint extract

1. In a small bowl, use a fork to mix together 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. Set this aside. Whisk together the cream cheese, salt and food colouring together and set aside. In a large bowl or stock pot, fill with ice and cold water – set aside.

2. Combine the rest of the milk, along with the heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup into a medium sized sauce pot and bring to a boil. Let boil for 4 minutes then remove from heat. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and then bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for one minute and then remove from heat. Whisk in the cream cheese mixture and beat until well incorporated. Pour the mixture into a large ziplock bag, seal tightly and then dunk mixture into the bowl with the water and ice. Put in the fridge and chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

3. Melt white chocolate. I had the oven at 200F so I just melted it in the oven & it worked like a charm. Otherwise, use a microwave or use a bain-marie.

4. Pour ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and start churning. Add in drops of butter extract and peppermint. Taste and adjust, if needed. Slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate. Churn until the mixture gets thick and creamy. Pour ice cream into a lidded glass container and freeze for 4 hours.

Possibly related posts:

• coolio: coconut chocolate chunk ice cream + mexican chocolate ice cream
• 3 of my favorite words: bourbon ice cream

I’m wiping up the mud and debris left from January and welcoming February with open arms. January is a rough month. It starts out on a high, with resolutions and promises. But I dunno, something veers off. Maybe because 2 years ago on January 21st my mom died and that kind of is like a big kick in the gut to every January that comes after. So I’m going to declare February as my new slate! It’s a time when winter shakes off all of the big bad-ass-ness and fuzzy blossoms, sunshine and warm air start swirling around Vancouver. This month, we’ve had the windows open every day and it smells of springtime. Years ago, when my brother first came to visit me from Ontario, he came in February. He wore is heavy winter coat and toque as is the fashion out east. But as soon as he arrived, he ditched the cold weather gear and felt liberated in only a denim jacket and a colourful plaid scarf. Add in cherry blossoms, sun that warms the cheeks, and the smells of the earth coming back to life and you’ve got February.

And to celebrate, I’ve baked up some banana bread and trust me, it’s no ordinary loaf. I first made this in January when I had a friend over for tea. We needed tea and comfort and chocolate, because as I mentioned, you need all the help you can get during that dark month. This bread was just the ticket and it’s this bread that I want to share with you today.

Yup, that tasty loaf came from these fugly, brown bananas. Whenever we have bananas that start to get too spotty and soft, into the freezer they go. And when we’ve got a few rounded up, I start thinking banana bread. I’ve made a few in my day, but wanted to try something new. Chocolate chips were a given, but I decided to throw in some cocoa powder along with grated coconut into the mix. I also used some coconut-flavoured yogurt, but if you don’t have any on hand and wanted a bit more of a coconut kick, add in a 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract into your milk or yogurt mixture. Oh, and I added rum. I like rum. It goes well with bananas and chocolate. And January.

February has only begun and there’s already some exciting news to share. I’m beyond thrilled to mention that this blog has been nominated for a Bloggie which is a huge (!!!) weblog award. I’d sure appreciate it if you could head on over and vote for Everybody Likes Sandwiches as Best Canadian Blog. As well, you can check out a whole host of other awesome blogs that have been nominated.

elsewhere: Got a hankering for soup? Look no further because the smokey southwestern apple & squash soup I had last week was so freakin’ tasty!!! (It deserves every. single. exclaimation. point.) You can get the recipe on Poppytalk.

cocoa-coconut banana bread
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c vegan margarine
3 ripe bananas, mashed – about 1 cups worth
1 T rum (or use vanilla extract)
1 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 c coconut-flavoured yogurt or vegan yogurt or 1/3 c soy/almond/coconut milk* + 1 tsp vinegar
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/4 c walnuts, chopped
1/4 c unsweetened grated coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease loaf pan with margarine & dust with flour. Set aside.

Cream together the sugar and margarine until fluffy. Add in mashed bananas and rum and blend well.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Pour half of the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir until combined. Add in the milk or yogurt mixture and combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, coconut & walnuts. Spoon batter (don’t worry, it will be thick) into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about one hour and 10 minutes.

* If you use coconut milk, don’t use the stuff from the can – instead use the carton kind which is more like milk.

Possibly related posts:

• banana espresso chocolate chip bread
• the big bad banana: jacked-up banana bread

I’ve never encountered a jewel bar until I spent my first Christmas with Cornelius’ parents. A jewel bar seems innocent enough: a shortbread bottom topped with chocolate chips, salted mixed nuts….until you get to those blasted glacé cherries. You see, I’ve always viewed those candied cherries as an abomination upon the world of desserts. They always seem to appear when you least expect them, hiding in a hot cross bun or ruining a perfectly lovely shortbread cookie. So when I was offered a plate of baked goods from the people that would one day be my in-laws, I didn’t want to be rude. I picked up the jewel bar and once I bit into it, I was sold. Hideous cherries, be damned! I became smitten with these jewel bars that probably started their life as a recipe found on a package of chocolate chips.

These bars have that great sweet-salty thing going on because of the nuts and I think that’s why I love these so much! And now that I’m no longer giving glacé cherries the evil eye, I can appreciate how they certainly liven up the dish with their festive colour. Plus, they do add a flavour that really works here. Really! But the most perfect thing about these jewel bars is that they are one of the simplest desserts to make. They’re a cinch to whip up when company comes a-calling or for giving as a last-minute gift.

Thanks for visiting here during these busy times and I want to extend a warm and happy Christmas filled with peace & joy! Happy happy holidays!

holiday jewel bars
1 1/2 c flour
1 c brown sugar
1 c butter (cool, but not hard)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 c salted mixed nuts
1 1/2 c halved candied cherries
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour with half of the brown sugar and mix well. Cut in the butter and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture to form coarse crumbs. Press into a 9″x12″ pan and bake for 10 – 12 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the egg with the salt and the rest of the brown sugar. Stir in the nuts, cherries and chocolate chips until everything is well coated with the egg mixture. Spoon this evenly over the shortbread layer and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool and cut into 2″ squares.

Possibly related posts:

• neighbourhood loving: union market chocolate macaroon copycat bars
• holiday baking & gift ideas

Despite having eaten only one banana in my entire life (I was nine when my life-long hate started), I do tend to get a bit gooey for banana bread. While my husband might keep the banana brokers in business, he often buys more than he can chew at once. The ones he doesn’t manage to stuff into his maw before they turn brown end up inour freezer where they shrivel, turn black and get baked into banana bread. Not a bad life-cycle, I think. One of the most repeated recipes in my kitchen is this wonderful cinnamon and chocolate banana bread but sometimes one needs to shake it up a little.

This banana bread is a delicious one and it has a wonderful pedigree – it comes from the Baked cookbook which has given my kitchen so much wonderful baked bounty in the past. This recipe is no exception. The original recipe makes muffins but I decided to go with a loaf pan instead. Also, the recipe easily doubles and freezes well in case you want to get all your baking done at once.

Chocolate and espresso? Oh yeah! This is a great banana bread to wake up to in the morning as it pairs so nicely with a good hot coffee. If you are a walnut-hater (and a surprising amount of you are), then just replace the walnuts with more chocolate chips and you can’t go wrong.

banana espresso chocolate chip bread
(adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
1 1/2 c mashed, ripe bananas (about 4)
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t instant espresso powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour one loaf tin and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk and egg. In another bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips & walnuts.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in a pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Possibly related posts:

• lookie lookie: chocolate chip banana bread with ginger
• 3 brown bananas: vegan cocoa-coconut banana bread

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of an egg cream. I mean, it’s a total misnomer since there is no egg or cream involved, but when I was little just the thought of a drink with eggs was not refreshing sounding at all. I threw up a little in my mouth whenever my brother would order an Orange Julius at the mall and an egg cream just sounded way worse to my 10 year old ears. Fast forward to last summer when I found myself with a bottle of chocolate syrup and cans of club soda. Hello, chocolate egg cream!

Really, it couldn’t be simpler – and it shouldn’t affect your gag reflex one bit. One, you need chocolate syrup. Traditionalists would say you NEED to use Fox’s U-BET chocolate syrup, but I found Smuckers to be just dandy. A homemade chocolate syrup would be great too! Two, you need milk. Milk should be cold, ice cold because warm milk is just gross and the opposite of refreshing. I’m sure if you wanted this to be dairy free you could try this with soy, rice or almond milk. If you do try it vegan, let me know how it goes! And the third requirement, seltzer water – but club soda will work in a pinch. If you were old-fashioned, you’d use one of those Mad Men era pressurized seltzer canisters, but a can of club soda still makes a fine, fine drink. Just give everything a big stir at the end and watch out so that it doesn’t over flow because this stuff can bubble up quickly! Now, if you want more of an adult beverage, throwing in an ounce of bourbon wouldn’t be out of line (see the kitchn for a chocolate milk bourbon version).

Now, the real reason I’m talking about Brooklyn egg creams is to ply you with a treat so you could help me with NYC tips! I’ll be in Brooklyn for 3 weeks this month and I need all the recommendations I can get. I can tell you that I’m well versed in NYC history after watching the 16 hour long New York documentary by Rick Burns but I need to know about all the other stuff. Like where’s the best happy hour? The best brunch? The best coffee? The best brew pub? The best IPA? The best burger? The best slice? The best healthy food? And because I like to travel on the cheap, these recommendations shouldn’t be fancy or hella-expensive – we are cheap, afterall. We’re planning on doing a lot of picnic-ing since that’s one way to cut down costs, so any well-stocked and well-priced grocery stores or food emporiums that I should know about, please let me know. And because NYC isn’t just about the food (no, really) I do plan on doing some sight-seeing too. We want to explore some of the outer boroughs. The Tenement Museum will be visited. As will the MOMA. And I’d love your recs for any cool music venues, photography/art galleries and spaces, cool walks and that kind of thing. Anything that is a touristy-must do?? Is the top of the Empire State Building worth it? We’ve never been before and it’s kind of like a dream to spend 3 weeks exploring and getting inspired. So please send me your comments and emails! I’d love to hear your must-do New York City tips!

elsewhere: Over at Poppytalk check out my Root and Ginger post for the perfect summer tipple.

brooklyn chocolate egg cream for 2
chocolate syrup
cold cold milk (not a typo, make sure that milk is cold!)
1 can of club soda or a bottle of seltzer water (open only when ready to pour)

1. Pour about 1 inch of chocolate syrup in the bottom of two pint glasses. If the pint glasses are chilled, that’s even better!

2. Pour about 2 inches of milk over top.

3. Top up with club soda, half a can for each glass – pour slowly because this stuff will really start to foam up! Stir with a long spoon and drink up!

Possibly related posts:

• coolio: coconut chocolate chunk ice cream + mexican chocolate ice cream
• rhubarb-limeade fizz & a nyc rundown

I tend to get a little excited about birthdays. I love making cakes for my loved ones and friends and when it comes to my birthday, I love to make myself a cake too. Last year I baked two cakes for my birthday. The previous year I baked the fantastic Winning Hearts and Minds cake from Orangette. The year before that I made two kinds of cupcakes for a karaoke and shuffleboard party at the local legion (which I transported there via bike). And before that I made a yellow cake layered with lemon curd and drizzled with dark chocolate ganache. Really, if it’s not obvious already, I have no problem baking for myself. Not at all.

It’s usually a big decision on what kind of cake to make. I cast my net wide and then narrow down the choices until I’ve found something perfect. This year, however, I had it all figured out. The week before my birthday, Cornelius and I went out for dinner at a local diner – the kind of diner with formica countertops, comfy booths and where you probably should order pie, except we never do. So as we walked to the cashier to pay our bill, I saw the most wonderful looking chocolate cake in the display case. The cake was skyscraper high and covered in the fluffiest white frosting. I kicked myself for days for not ordering that chocolate cake. My cake fate was sealed. One chocolate cake coming up!

Chocolate cakes can be tricky. Sometimes they’re dry or just not very special tasting. I wanted a cake with a wow factor and luckily, I had one cake bookmarked for years that I was eager to try. The black magic cake by Hershey’s always seemed to get rave reviews and the truth of it is, I liked the name. Not to mention that the recipe is as easy as….cake. I think the key to the magic is the coffee as it helps to deepen the chocolate flavour. I made sure to make mine extra strong and used instant Italian espresso powder – 3 teaspoons to one cup of boiling water. I dunno if that was the trick, but this cake was amazingly flavourful and moist. This is, in my mind, the most perfect chocolate cake!

As for decorating, I usually keep things simple. But this year, I was kind of smitten with ruffles. I hate ruffles on dresses and blouses, but I do love them on cakes. Sweetapolita had a gorgeous one and then Thus Bakes Zarathustra made it look simple – just some zig-zags. I could do that! Unfortunately, you need a proper cake decorating tip and because I have a pathetic collection of 4 tips found at a garage sale, I didn’t have the proper one. But, I was eager and didn’t let it stop me. I was gonna make a pretty cake or a pretty ugly cake – I was willing to take either option. Unfortunately, it was the latter and looked more like noodles than ruffles, but I was okay with that. The frosting? Just a simple vanilla buttercream with real vanilla. It was buttery and sweet and with the chocolate cake tasted like a giant Oreo cookie in the best possible way. I loved it and so did all my friends who happily ate up their slice.

elsewhere: Maybe you don’t want to think about cake (you’re crazy). Maybe you’re concentrating on dinner, if so, head to Poppytalk and check out my steamed fish with kale. It’s healthy and delicious and it makes it easy to have cake for dessert. You know, if you really do want cake.

black magic layer cake with vanilla bean buttercream
(adapted from Hershey’s)
2 c white sugar
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 large eggs
1 c buttermilk
1 c strong black coffee (or 3 t of instant espresso in 1 c boiling water)
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375F. Butter and flour two eight-inch cake pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar through to the salt. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry and mix well with a stand mixer or a wooden spoon. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

vanilla bean buttercream
3 c icing/confectioners sugar
3/4 c soft butter
1/4 c cream cheese
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 t kosher salt
1 t vanilla

Mix the sugar with the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy. Cut the vanilla bean in half, length-wise and scrape the seeds into the frosting. Add in the salt and vanilla and beat until well mixed.

When cake is completely cool, you can start frosting the cake. If your cake is a bit domed on top, you can slice it off using a serrated knife so you have a nice even top. Luckily my cake wasn’t domed so I was able to spread the frosting on one cake before placing the second cake on top. I then used a thin layer of frosting to do the whole cake (called a crumb layer – because here is where you’ll catch any stray crumbs). Then frost and decorate the whole cake however you choose.

Possibly related posts:

• belated birthday fun times: the white out cake
• happy new years: glazed chocolate cake with sprinkles

If you’re wondering how a cookie mostly composed mostly of chocolate would turn out, have no fear because this cookie is pretty much perfect. It is made up mostly of bittersweet chocolate and I’d be sure to use up your good stash: Green & Blacks, Callebault, Ghirardelli. Chocolate is melted into the batter and then there’s extra chunks to be added before baking. If you think there’s no such thing as too much chocolate, then these cookies are your dream come true. There’s also a tiny bit of flour for stability and there’s lots of nuts (hazelnuts and almonds are excellent choices) for texture and crunch.

The first time I tried these was when someone at my YA book club brought them as a snack. They were an instant hit and everyone wanted the recipe. I made a batch immediately and for comparison’s sake, I used plain old Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate since that’s what I had on hand. The difference was clear. While I wouldn’t kick the Hershey version out of bed, the cookies made with the superior bittersweet chocolate were the clear winners.

As an added bonus, these cookies are really easy to make. So if you’re looking for an instant pick-me-up or something special for your sweet Valentine, give this recipe a try.

Oh, and I’m super thrilled and excited because this blog has been nominated Best Canadian Blog at the 2011 Bloggies!! I’d be so happy if you’d all send in your votes for me! Thanks!

elsewhere: Want to start your morning with crunchy granola tinted with orange, black pepper and cardamom? Head over to Poppytalk for the recipe. Or jump start your meals with some African spice and give harissa a try – find out more over at ReadyMade.

bittersweet chocolate cookies
(adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich)
1/4 c flour
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate (the really good stuff)
2 T butter
2 large eggs
1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
6 oz dark chocolate chunks (again, don’t skimp on quality)
2 c roughly chopped nuts – large chunks preferred (hazelnuts, or almonds)

Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together the flour baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt together the butter and bittersweet chocolate. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together. When the chocolate has melted, briskly whisk in a small amount of the chocolate into the egg mixture and slowly add in the remaining chocolate while whisking. Stir in the flour mixture and then the chocolate chunks and nuts.

Drop cookies by the heaping teaspoon onto a prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-14 minutes and cool on rack. Makes 24 cookies.

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That cute lil’ vintage ornament is sitting on our very silver tinsel tree decorated with a host of other vintage ornaments and sparkling pink lights. My favorite fancy pine candle is lit and spreading that “real” balsam pine smell throughout the room. Presents have all been wrapped up with silver paper and pretty bows and there’s a large bottle of amaretto in our liquor cabinet (essential for my favorite holiday drink: the amaretto sour). Rum cookies have been baked (recipe to come), coconut chocolate almond bites shipped, chocolate nut & fruit bark has been given away to friends, and my favorite holiday movie has been watched. Christmas is almost here!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions to make is candy cane bark. White chocolate + candy canes is a cinch to make, very festive-looking and it’s always appreciated. This year, I decided to shake things up a bit after seeing Shutterbean‘s candy cane bark. The addition of rice krispies makes this into a festive Crunch bar and adds an unexpected texture. It also helps to cut the sweetness just a tad, which is always welcome this time of year. Tracy added the candy canes last and pressed them into the chocolate. Not me. I just stirred everything in all higgledy piggledy because I figured the mish mash would work well. I loved it and this will be my new holiday favorite. Hooray!

tip: This year I discovered THE BEST way of crushing up the candy canes. Add the candy canes (unwrapped) into a closed ziplock bag. Now, double bag it. Then place a folded tea towel on a wood table or chair and place the bag of candy on top. Put another folded tea towel over the candy bag. Use a heavy rolling pin (wood works fine) and bash the living day lights out of the candy. Smushed to smithereens without shredding the bag and getting candy everywhere! Perfect. Now only if I could easily find red and white candy canes in Vancouver as opposed to the green-red-white ones that seem to be everywhere, I’d be one happy lady. What gives, Vancouver?

Have a great holiday! Enjoy traditions new and old. Merry Christmas!

candy cane crisp bark
(adapted from Shutterbean)
500g white chocolate (I used Callebaut – the good stuff)
12 crushed candy canes
2 c rice krispies

Prep a cookie sheet with waxed paper or silpat.

Using a bain marie or double boiler, melt the white chocolate being careful to not get any water in the pot (this can seize the chocolate which is a bad, bad thing). When the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and add in candy canes and rice krispies. Stir until combined and then pour onto prepared cookie sheet. Refrigerate until hardened, about 1 hour. Break apart into shards.

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• minty fresh: candy cane chocolate bark
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