HELP!

I totally screwed up my blog!! I hate these new blogger layouts. I was just playing around and accidently removed my whole layout and can't get it back. Please help!!!!

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I just had to roll with the punches. Had a little bit of fun trying to liven up the new templates but will miss my old one too :( On the up side, I learned how to make my pictures larger, YAY!

Raspberry Cream Pie Macarons

I have had MANY trials and tribulations with the famed and glorious French macaron. I've even had success, but that was probably some anomaly blessed upon me by the French macaron gods. Ever since that success, I've failed more times than I can count. I ultimately gave up for a while, not because I didn't think I could eventually master the thing, but because I was sick of throwing food out; it made me so sad!

Well, it's been quite a while now and I felt that I had taken a break for long enough. I absolutely love French macarons. I try to eat them whenever I can since they are kind of hard to come by. It just makes sense that I would make them on my own. And that I did! I found a recipe that worked for me even though... well, it really shouldn't have worked at all. I did ALL the wrong things: didn't age the egg whites, didn't use parchment paper and used greased foil instead (I'm sure the purists are planning to tar and feather me in the near future)!

Ah, but who the heck cares when you've got these beautiful, utterly-freaking-delicious-magical-supreme beauties to chomp on?!?!?! Seriously I am SOOOO proud of myself. They didn't come out perfect, mind you, but the taste was phenomenal. The macarons themselves were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Would you believe the greased foil actually worked too? My macarons had perfect shiny, untouched bottoms and... wait for it... wait a little more... okay fine... FEET. They had feet, the macaron gold standard.

The choice of fillings was of course, my favorite custard everrrrrrr. Please see my archives for the MANY uses of this famed custard, as the list is so long now. Perfectly creamy custard paired with perfectly tart raspberries. Really, I think I have died and gone to heaven...

Look ma - I got feet! Whoooopie!

Raspberry Cream Pie Macarons

Yields: 2 dozen macarons

Adapted from this recipe.

For the macarons:

1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tbsn.

1/2 cup almond powder or meal + 1 tbsn.

2 large egg whites, room temperature

5 tbsn. granulated sugar

red food coloring, about 5 drops

For the custard:

1 small box of instant vanilla pudding

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 clam shell of raspberries, washed, dried, and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Have a pastry bad with a plain tip (about 1/2 inch) ready. In a blender or food processor, grind together the powdered sugar and almond powder/ meal to make sure there are no lumps. Add the red food coloring into the granulated sugar and mix until combined. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the dyed sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes. Carefully fold in the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is smooth and there are no streaks of egg whites, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (the batter should resemble thick magma/ lava). Pipe the batter on the prepared baking sheet in 1 inch circles (about 1 tbsn. each), evenly spaced 1 inch apart. Tap the baking sheet a few times on the counter to flatten the macarons. Let them sit in the open air for about 30 minutes then bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Let cool completely before removing them.

To make the custard, whip everything together until it is well combined and begins to thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to cool and thicken some more until ready for use. To assemble, organize the macarons into similar sized pairs. Use a piping bag or a spoon to put some custard on one side of the macaron pair. Top it with some halved raspberries and smoosh (if that's a technical term) lightly with the other pair.

Tailored Tuesdays

I don't know why, but in the middle of summer, it's been gloomy and rainy. Not going to lie - I love it. And this is how I would dress accordingly:

1. Valentino "Jersey crepe ruffle jacket"

2. Tucker "Crepe de chine silk belted dress"

3. Antik Batik "Bongo fringed leather bag"

4. Antik Batik "Bongo beaded sandals"

5. Halleh "18-karat gold pillow earrings"

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Panko Mozzarella Sticks

So, here's another Pioneer Woman recipe. Fried, panko-covered, ooey-gooey mozzarella sticks. Yes. I did it, I made them. I had a craving, I gave in and now I have a smile on my face. A big smile because it was delicious, which is no surprise because after all, it IS a Pioneer Woman recipe.

Anyways this recipe is super easy. I actually didn't even really follow the recipe, and used it more as a guideline. I just felt like a little snack so I made a teeny portion for myself, eyeing everything. I literally whipped this up in less than 15 minutes. So if you're ever craving something salty, cheesy and yummy, this is it. I enjoyed mine with some of my homemade Korean-Mexican hot sauce hybrid because I didn't have marinara on hand, and let me tell you, it was pretty delicious.

Panko Mozzarella Sticks

Yields: 8 servings

Adapted from here.

16 pieces string cheese, removed from wrappers

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

3 tbsn. milk

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 tbsn. dried parsley flakes (I used 2 tbsn. of fresh)

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

Canola oil, for frying

Slice the string cheese in half (I sliced them in four for bite-sized pieces). Place the flour in a small bowl. In another separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the parsley, salt, pepper and garlic, stir to combine. In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs with the milk to combine. To assemble, one by one, dust the cheese in the flour, tapping the excess off. Next, dip the cheese in the egg mixture, covering completely. Then lastly, roll the cheese in the panko crumb mixture. Gently remove and place on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in a freezer for 20 - 30 minutes to flash freeze sticks.

To cook, fill a medium saucepan with the canola oil until it reaches a height of about 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. When hot, add the mozzarella sticks, 8 pieces at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow the cheese to bubble and leak. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Enjoy!

The Donut Man {Glendora, CA}

The Donut Man is one of those places that you hear of, either through word of mouth or through the portals of television or the world wide web. It's viral, spreads immediately and quickly, because well, it's that good.

The moment you step up to the window, your heart flutters as you see the rows upon rows of strawberry stuffed donuts. These donuts are the kind of creations that people travel far and wide for. They are seasonally available, and they also offer peach donuts when the season arrives.

Basically, these strawberry donuts are as close to perfection as it comes. The light yeasted donuts are stuffed to the brim with glazed, whole strawberries. You'd think that you'd die from overkill but they really took the time to figure out how many strawberries, how much sugar, and how much glaze to use so that it doesn't overwhelm you and isn't too overly sweet.
My second favorite though, has to be the Bavarian cream. I love, love, love, die for custard. If it's on the menu, I have to get it. This donut was literally stuffed with smooth Bavarian cream and then topped with some chocolate glaze... oh my goodness.

Other options, just as cute:

We also tried the apple fritter, which was ginormous! It was also super hearty, filled with large chunks of apple and raisins. Although this was good, I don't think anything can quite compare to Bob's apple fritters.

Yelp

Europane {Pasadena, CA}

Ah! The Best Thing I Ever Ate is like my foodie guide to good eats. Whenever they mention a place that I can actually go to, I set my sites and try to accomplish them as soon as possible!

The show featured the egg salad sandwich, shown above. It's special because it's made of soft boiled eggs rather than hard boiled eggs making it incredibly creamy and lush. It's served open-faced with mixed greens and a sun-dried tomato spread. Topped with some Tapatio or Tabasco and you've got the best egg salad sandwich ever.

The meatloaf sandwich though, was also really spectacular. Lots of flavor, meaty, and filling!

We decided to finish our meal with some French macarons, which if ever I see available, I have to immediately get. These were nice and large and were good, especially the sea salt caramel, my favorite of the varieties. But sadly, nothing quite compares to Paulette's macarons.

Yelp

Lola Gaspar {Santa Ana, CA}

Lola was a pure Yelp find. It was raved about numerous times so eventually I knew I'd have to try it. My friends and I headed here for happy hour to order some drinks and snacks. The food, overall was nothing spectacular except for the delicious niblets below. The drinks, also were average. I actually thought the margarita was disgusting though.

For their happy hour, I opted for the sangria. Though my friend didn't really like their version, I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn't too sweet and was refreshing on a summer day.
My ultimate favorite was the bacon wrapped, blue cheese stuffed, dates! I'd never had dates before, especially like this. These were tangy from the blue cheese, sweet and chewy from the dates and crispy and salty from the bacon. I wish there were like 20 on the plate instead of the measly 5!

Yelp

Website

Summer in a Cup (Blueberry Green Tea)

Tea is quite possibly one of my favorite things on this earth. I love it hot or cold, but in the summer when the sun is beating on your back and glaring in your eyes, iced tea can be the most perfect thing you ever asked for. Especially the one I have down below!

Usually, I prefer my tea unsweetened but there's a certain kind of 'Asian style' tea that I just obsess over. It's super popular here in the southern parts of California and is filled with all kinds of treats such as chopped fruit and chewy tapioca balls (aka boba). I LOVE boba; it's chewy and like candy in your drink! Some people, I know, find the texture quite odd but if you haven't tried it before, give it a chance and you might find a new obsession.

This tea is perfection. It's like the tea I can find at my local Asian milk tea shops but now I can have it anytime I want it. The recipe is simple enough and it's really just a matter of assembling everything together. And if you don't like boba, or can't find the ingredients, the blueberry iced tea without the optional add ins are more than enough to keep your thirst quenched! Mmmmm summer and a glass of ice cold tea; it really doesn't get better than this.

Blueberry Green Tea with Add Ins (Asian style or not)

Yields: 6 - 8 servings

Syrup recipe from here.

For the syrup:

1 cup blueberries

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

6 cups water

3 - 4 tbsn. or 3 - 4 tea bags of green tea (I used peach green tea!)

1 package of large tapioca pearls/ boba (optional)

1/2 can of canned lychees, chopped (optional)

1/2 jar of coconut jelly or nata de coco, chopped (optional)

To make the syrup, add the blueberries, water and sugar into a large saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Boil until the blueberries burst and release their juices. Remove from heat. Use a spatula to slightly crush the berries against the sides of the pan. Strain the berries from the syrup with a colander.

You can brew the tea in two ways: hot or cold. To brew it hot, bring the water to just under a boil. Add the tea/ tea bags and let steep for 3 - 5 minutes, then cool in refrigerator until completely cooled. To brew cold, combine the water and the tea/ tea bags and let steep in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (you don't have to worry about over steeping with cold brewing).

Prepare the tapioca pearls/ boba according to the package, then drain and set aside. To assemble, add enough of the blueberry simple syrup to the green tea until it is is just sweet enough and has enough berry flavor to your taste. If you want it 'Asian style', to assemble the individual drinks, add 2 tbsn. of boba, 2 tbsn. of chopped lychee, and 2 tbsn. of chopped coconut jelly into each serving glass. Add some ice, then top with the blueberry green tea. Drink with a large 'boba' straw!

Tailored Tuedays

Wonderfully classy.

1. Oscar de la Renta "Cashmere crochet cardigan"

2. Oscar de la Renta "Cotton strapless dress"

3. Christian Louboutin "Spartenvol strass 100 sandals"

4. Oscar de la Renta "Double buckle belt"

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

I think peaches have to be the ultimate summer fruit. Every time I think of a sweet, juicy, fuzzy peach it makes me think of sunshine, rainbows and happy, carefree days. These cupcakes live up to the same standards as the peaches they were made from, and are jam-packed with all kinds of tastiness.

Once I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I bookmarked it immediately. First of all, peach cupcakes? Sold. It had me at hello. Plus, cream cheese frosting with brown sugar in it?! I had never heard of such a thing, but since brown sugar is one of my first loves, I knew it had to be one of the best things on the planet, and guess what? It was.

These cupcakes are beyond amazing. The cake is nice and moist and has great flavor while the frosting is seriously out of this world, especially if you have a hankering for brown sugar. The only strife I have is probably that the peach flavor isn't prominent enough. Actually, my friends said if they didn't already know it was peach they wouldn't have guessed it but that they were so delicious anyway, they could care less. I think that's a win if I ever did see one.

Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

Yields: 12 - 14 cupcakes

Original recipe here.

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of nutmeg

6 tbsn. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar

1/4 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cups buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt

2 medium peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped small-sh

For the frosting:

3/4 cups light brown sugar

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, scraping down the sides and bottom after added. Then add the vanilla, and gently mix in the buttermilk/ sour cream/ yogurt. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tin, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and vanilla, beat until frosting is smooth and light. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator until it thickens up a bit, about 30 minutes, then spread or dollop onto the cooled cupcakes.