Last weekend my girlfriends and I decided to do a potluck brunch at my friend’s apartment. We always like to do brunches at nice places, but we thought it would be a fun and different experience to make brunch ourselves.  I decided to make these cranberry orange scones, and boy were they a hit! My roommate Svetlana had five scones throughout brunch, and everyone could not stop raving about them. Once again, a very simple recipe, but very delicious!

The scones were a delicious part of a brunch of eggs, fruit, espresso, and mimosas!

The lighting is a bit off, but not too bad for an iphone4 picture!

Cranberry Orange Scones

Yields about 16 scones

Ingredients:

• 4 cups plus 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
• In a large bowl, mix together the 4 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest
• Mix in the diced butter until the butter is the size of small peas
• Combine the eggs and heavy cream and slowly pour into the flour mixture
• Mix with your hands until just blended
• Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup flour and add to the dough. Do not over-mix the dough
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a circle about 7 or 8 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the dough in half and then in half again and then again into six pie-shaped wedges.
• Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked (a toothpick comes out clean)
• Allow the scones to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones

Happy New Year!

This is actually a joint post – my friend Lillian is staying with me for a few days from Singapore, and we are definitely on a baking adventure. Our first creation was the peppermint bark. I first made peppermint bark last week with just white chocolate, but she introduced me to the idea of using both dark chocolate and white chocolate. She says that she loves the peppermint bark that Williams Sonoma sells that uses both types, so we had to try making our own. Everyone who has tried it so far says they taste great, and Lillian says that she’ll never buy peppermint bark again because they are so easy to make!

You can use either peppermint candy or candy canes. We had about half a bag of individually wrapped peppermint candies left over from our holiday party a few weeks ago, so I unwrapped about two handfuls of them. Put them in a ziploc bag, seal the bag, and bang away! I used a pan first to crush these candies, but Lillian came up with a better idea to use the rolling pin!

We mixed a handful of the crushed peppermint candies into the top layer of white chocolate, and then sprinkled another handful right on top.

You can use white chocolate only or dark chocolate only with the peppermint, but the double layer gives it more depth and more flavor.

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

1/2 of 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 of 12 oz. bag of white chocolate chips

about 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint candy

Directions:

• Place peppermint candy into plastic ziploc bag and crush using either a frying pan or a rolling pin
• Melt dark chocolate using a double boiler (place bowl over sauce pan of boiling hot water)
• Line 9×9 cake pan with foil and pour melted chocolate into pan. Place into freezer until hardened, about 15 minutes
• Melt the white chocolate using a double boiler. Add a handful of the crushed peppermint and mix into the melted white chocolate. (Be sure to start melting the white chocolate only after the dark chocolate layer is hardened. We had some trouble with melting the white chocolate too soon before the dark chocolate was ready and the white chocolate lost its smooth consistency when we tried to remelt it.)
• Pour the melted white chocolate on top of the dark chocolate layer. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on top.
• Freeze until hardened, about another 15 minutes.
• Break into pieces. You can use a knife, but we found it easiest to whack it with the rolling pin again like a piñata!

Merry Christmas!

I’ve been home in Jersey hanging out with my mom for the past few days, enjoying lots of mother-daughter time. Last night we ate our Christmas Eve dinner out at Marea (which was delicious), so today we decided to stay in. As I was menu planning, I obviously had to incorporate some type of dessert. However, the apartment had no baking supplies! No flour, no measuring spoons, no measuring cups, no baking soda, etc. etc. The only thing I found was a disposable lasagna pan, which could be substituted for a baking pan. So I had to think of a dessert where I didn’t need any baking tools, and I came up with Rice Krispie treats – a very easy recipe that doesn’t even need to be baked. These Rice Krispie treats were extremely easy to make, and I added a little twist by adding some peanut butter. And the best part of it all was that we had a blast decorating these treats together!

The recipe starts with melting some butter in a large saucepan, and then dumping in a bag of marshmallows. Remember to continue stirring so it doesn’t burn!

Make sure the rice crispies cool and harden before cutting. It makes it easier to cut evenly. Although it’s always fun to sneak a few bites in while it’s warm and gooey!

We had some fun decorating by using makeshift pastry bags. All we did was put a few spoonfuls of cake frosting into ziploc bags and snipping off a corner of the bag. We just got vanilla cake frosting, and then added some red and green food coloring. My mom’s nickname for me is YaYa, so this is her decorated Rice Krispie treat. I decorated the ones below. This was my first time decorating any type of pastry. Not horrible, but hopefully practice will make perfect and I’ll get better with time!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 10 oz. package marshmallows (about 40)

1/2 cup peanut butter (I like Skippy Natural Creamy)

6 cup Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

• In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
• Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in peanut butter.
• Add cereal and stir until evenly coated.
• Put mixture into a 13x9x2 baking pan coated with cooking spray and even press into pan.
• Cool and cut into desired shapes (typically 2 inch squares, or I cut mine into 4×2 rectangles)

Last night my roommates and I had our annual holiday party. Every year since my roommate Cici and I moved to Manhattan from Philly in the summer of 2008, we’ve loved hosting parties, and every December we’ve thrown a big bash to celebrate the holidays. Last year we were joined by a new roommate Svetlana as we moved into a slightly bigger apartment, which just meant that the tradition has continued with more decorations, more guests, and more hilarity.

I got a request to bake my WCMN cookies for our holiday party, which I thought was a great idea. But I also wanted to change things up a bit. So in addition to the WCMN cookies, I decided to bake America’s favorite cookie, the Chocolate Chip Cookie, too. And both cookies were major hits at the party! I didn’t get enough compliments about how they were so delicious, soft, and moist. I made over 60 cookies, and they were gone in a few short hours. People kept asking for more cookies, but I definitely was not going to continue baking in my red dress! (Plus, I was too busy passing out jello shots!)

These chocolate chip cookies follow the same recipe as my WCMN recipe, but I just added semi-sweet chocolate chips and a little bit of pecans (which is completely optional) instead of white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

I had a big tray of cookies, alternating rows of white chocolate macadamia and chocolate chip pecan cookies.

I put the tray in the middle of the beer pong table, and the spectators were eating them while watching the games, and players were grabbing those cookies in between shots.

And just for kicks, I wanted to show everyone just one example of how hard we worked on our apartment for this party. We hung ornaments from the ceiling, hung lights, and wrapped garland around everything we could put our hands on.

Check out our beautiful Christmas tree! Growing up my family loved to travel during the holidays, so there weren’t many years that we actually even put up a tree. And when we did, my dad just took out the fake one that we stored in the basement. So it was so exciting for me that this year I got to pick out a real tree for our apartment! I don’t love how the pine needles fall everywhere, but it makes the apartment smell wonderful!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional – if not using, then just add 1 cup of the chocolate chips)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• In a large bowl, combine the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Mix well until smooth
• Beat in the egg and the mix in the vanilla extract
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the creamed mixture
• Mix in the chocolate chips and pecans, if using
• Set bowl into refrigerator for 10 minutes to let the dough set
• After 10 minutes, make small patties out of the dough and set them onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
• Bake for 10 minutes, and then let cool for 20 minutes.
• Make sure to take out the cookies around 10 minutes, 12 minutes max. The cookies should look a bit undercooked, but it’s fine. They will set while cooling, and this strategy makes the cookies softer and chewier.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are my favorite cookies. As a little girl, I would beg my mom to go to Mrs. Fields at the mall and I’d always get the white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. They were so chewy and rich, and just so delectable. So here’s my own version of the WCMN cookie. These cookies are extremely easy to make, and you can also put your own spin to them. I’ve made these cookies with dried cranberries and my roommate Svet likes them with sour cherries.

I actually made cookies twice this weekend. The stacked cookies photo is from my first try yesterday, when I made the cookies smaller and I also left them in the oven for longer than I should have. They were still delicious, but I decided to try again today. I made the cookie dough flatter and bigger, and I took them out of the oven after exactly 10 minutes. And practice definitely makes perfect, because the second batch turned out great- soft and chewy, just how I like them.

My first batch from yesterday - smaller, thicker, and a bit brown in the edges. Still delicious!

The second batch of the WCMN cookie were much better - larger and softer!

My second batch of cookies turned out to be bigger, because I made them more into patty-like shapes, versus just plopping small mounds onto the baking sheet as I did in my first  batch. Also, I definitely recommended salted macadamia nuts versus non-salted. The added saltiness balances the sweetness of the white chocolate chips that makes the cookie more flavorful.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted macadamia nuts

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• In a large bowl, combine the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Mix well until smooth
• Beat in the egg and the mix in the vanilla extract
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the creamed mixture
• Mix in the white chocolate chips and the macadamia nuts
• Set bowl into refrigerator for 10 minutes to let the dough set
• After 10 minutes, make small patties out of the dough and set them onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
• Bake for 10 minutes, and then let cool for 20 minutes.
• Make sure to take out the cookies around 10 minutes, 12 minutes max. The cookies should look a bit undercooked, but it’s fine. They will set while cooling, and this strategy makes the cookies softer and chewier.

My favorite types of desserts are baked apple desserts. Just something about the simple sweetness of the warm apples is so comforting. I think my love for apple desserts started when I was a little girl, when my mom would take me and my brother to McDonalds as a treat once in a while. I didn’t mind not always getting the fries or the chicken nuggets, but I always had to order the fish filet as my main meal, and I HAD to get the apple pie for dessert. I thought it was the best thing ever back then. And I still do. Once in a while at an airport or whenever I get apple pie cravings on the go, I duck into a McDonalds and order the apple pie – and most of the time it’s 2 for $1! What a heavenly surprise.

I have no idea what McDonald’s puts in their apple pie, so I feel much less guilty when I make my own and I know exactly what I’m eating – much healthier this way. I’ve yet to adventure into the pie world (that will come soon!), but I love making apple crisp. They are so simple to make and so delicious, especially with some vanilla ice cream!

I love adding pecans in both the filling and the topping – it gives it a bit of crunch.

I filled the ramekins pretty high with apple pieces and sprinkled them with the topping. You can do whatever you want depending on how much topping you want. If you want more, just fill the ramekins with less filling and cover it all with the topping.

The apple crisp just out of the oven – looks and smells so delicious!

I took the apple crisp out of a ramekin and just put it on a plate. Equally delicious.

Even more delicious with vanilla ice cream! My favorite is Haagen Dazs Five Ingredient Vanilla Bean ice cream. Ohh la la.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

Filling:

4 Granny Smith apples

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp kosher salt

6 tsp cold unsalted butter, cut up into small pieces

1/3 cup quick cooking oats

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

• Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl, and then place into 6 ramekins
• Place all of the topping ingredients into a medium bowl and mix with your hands until crumbly and the mixture forms pea-sized lumps. Sprinkle on top of the filling
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Timing can change depending on your oven, so make sure the apples are tender, not mushy and not too crisp.
• Cool about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

So last week’s rain bran muffins were a hit with my roommate Svetlana. However, my other roomie Cici said that they “tasted too healthy”. That got me determined to make her a sinful dessert that would knock her socks off. Cici loves Oreo cookies and she loves cheesecake, so I decided to make her an Oreo cheesecake. And I’m happy that I did! Not only did Cici love it, so did I. And I don’t even like chocolate (blasphemous for an aspiring baker…I know…I’m working on it)! We had some friends over tonight to watch football (can’t believe the Giant’s lost), and these were a huge hit with the crowd. So I may not be grabbing these each morning as I did with the muffins, but these sure are a delicious treat to satisfy my sweet tooth. And maybe Cici will post a good comment about these now!

This looks like dirt, but it definitely didn’t taste like it. These Oreo cookies blended really well in the food processor, and I used them for the crust, the filling, and the topping.

I just sprinkled some of the buttery Oreo crumble mixture on top of the filling before popping the pan into the oven.

Oreo Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 packages (16.6 oz) Oreo cookies

5/8 stick of unsalted butter (melted)

2 packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (8 oz. each), softened – I left them out in room temperature for about 1/2 hour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup Breakstone’s Sour Cream

2 eggs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• Line small baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. This allows for easy picking up once the cheesecake is cooled.
• Process 35 Oreo cookies in food processor until finely ground. Add in butter and mix well. Use about half of the mixture and press into bottom of a 9×9 pan.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream, mix well.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating the mixture well after each egg is added.
• Use about half of the remaining Oreo mixture and blend into filling.
• Pour over crust, and top with the remaining Oreo mixture.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until center is almost, but not completely, set. The cheesecake will set while cooling.
• Cool until room temperature, and then refrigerate for about 3-4 hours.

I love breakfast foods. Give me pancakes, french toast, and egg benedict anytime of day. But these pose two problems – 1. Those aren’t the healthiest breakfast foods, and 2. It’s way too time-consuming to prepare before work in the mornings. I usually try to eat either cereal, yogurt, or the dreaded oatmeal. Or what I do most days is I opt for breakfast bars. Which is why I was excited to try making these banana bran muffins. They’re a healthy breakfast option, and it’s a great grab-and-go food for busy mornings. These muffins taste healthy, moist, and the molasses makes them not too sweet. My roommate Svetlana says these muffins taste even better than the banana bran muffins she’s tried at Whole Foods! This is a super easy recipe that I adopted from Barefoot Contessa.

The buttermilk really makes these muffins moist

Banana Bran Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup unprocessed wheat bran

1 cup buttermilk (shake the carton before using)

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature (I microwaved the butter for about 20 seconds)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

2 large eggs (preferably natural and organic)

6 tablespoons organic molasses

1 tsp grated orange zest

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup diced bananas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners into muffin tin.
• Combine the bran and buttermilk and set aside. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs into the bowl, mixing the batter each egg is placed in the bowl.
• Add the molasses, orange zest, and vanilla extract and mix. Then add the wheat bran/buttermilk mixture and mix on low.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Fold in the raisins, bananas, and walnuts.
• With a large spoon, fill the muffin cups to the top and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the middle of the muffins comes out clean.