Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Good people deserve good things. Bad people, well their time comes. But for the good people in my life, I’ve made these delicious chocolate white chocolate chip cookies. And the bad people….they go cookie-less.
I have some really good people in my life these days. My coworkers are good people. They work hard, they help each other out, and celebrate each others’ successes. Tomorrow we’ll be celebrating that one of our coworkers is getting married. Best wishes Mary! My friend Karla is a good person. She’s going to host me this weekend in New Jersey so I can meet her two beautiful babies Whit and Hazel. And my friend Casey, well she’s also a good person. Because she’s going to watch my pup Rugby this weekend for me while I’m away. And all these people will get the pleasure of enjoying these cookies tomorrow.
And the bad people. Well they get punished for stealing my extra cookie sheet by not getting any cookies.
These cookies are simple and delicious. And when they come out of the oven all warm and gooey… YUM. So let’s take a cookie, and cheers to the good people in our lives. And let the bad people go hungry. Read more…
Peanut Butter Mud Bars
This blog is the internet’s best kept secret. With a viewership of about….2 (thanks Mom and Dad!), it doesn’t get much traffic and I don’t talk about it very often. Whenever I do bring it up, friends/family/coworkers tend to respond “You have a blog?!”
I recently mentioned the blog to a few coworkers, who immediately inquired as to why I had yet to bring anything in to the office. So, I took requests and was given the general instruction to make something with peanut butter and chocolate.
One of my go-to cookbooks is from my favorite NYC bakery, Buttercup Bakery. With a peanut butter-chocolate mission in mind, I scanned through the cookbook this afternoon and came across these Peanut Butter Mud Bars. And fortunately, I had all the right ingredients already in house, which is my idea of the perfect recipe. These came together pretty quickly, and I couldn’t resist taste-testing one while it was still hot from the oven. Once they cooled though, they cut beautifully and are now packaged up in parchment paper and baggies to bring to the office tomorrow. Hopefully my colleagues enjoy them as much as I did– although I guess if they do, I might be getting more frequent requests…. Read more…
Baking YaYa Bait: Double Citrus Tart
Since my family has ditched me to live west of the Mississippi, I’m often left to my own devices for holidays. Fortunately I have some great friends here in Boston who consistently welcome me into their families’ homes. This Easter I had the pleasure of joining my friend Casey and her aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandmother at their home in Boxford, MA.
Casey has told me a lot about her grandmother, who she calls Yaya. YaYa is Albanian and quite the character. An example: she showed up to Easter dinner with a sick tan (she had just gotten back from Florida) and a Styrofoam container full of friend chicken wings she had brought from church leftovers.
On Saturday before Easter, Casey and I spent most of the afternoon drinking wine (and more wine, and more wine) while I baked this tart to bring to Easter dinner. I considered making a Easter bunny shaped cake like my mom did for my 1st birthday. It must have been delicious–look at the determination in my eyes (if you can find them behind my chubby cheeks)…
Casey felt confident that YaYa would love the dessert since she’s a big fan of gingersnaps. And fortunately, Casey was right.
The tart was just tart enough with a strong lemon flavor. The orange flavor doesn’t really show up much, but I imagine it’s important in keeping the lemon from being too overwhelming. I didn’t have a tart pan, so I used a 9-inch springform pan and it worked out perfectly. Some reviews of the recipes recommended doubling the crust, but personally I thought the proportions were perfect. I suppose if you want the crust to come up higher on the sides, you could definitely 1.5x or double the crust recipe.
Overall, the tart was a hit. A big thank you to Casey’s Teta (aunt) for cooking a delicious Easter dinner and to her whole family for allowing me to join their Easter festivities!
Goat Cheese and Herb Stuffed Chicken
The weekend has arrived! And this weekend, the Easter bunny is bringing you something special– a few blog posts to make up for the past month in which I did not post at all. Fair? I think so.
Yesterday I was sitting at my desk and was just in the mood to cook. I had gone to the grocery store for the first time in WAY too long, and had all sorts of ingredients on hand that I couldn’t wait to use. I wasn’t sure what I’d make, until magically, MyRecipes.com sent me their Dinner Tonight recipe and immediately, I knew I had to make it.
The Goat Cheese and Herb Stuffed Chicken sounded like the perfect weeknight dinner. It did require a few ingredients that I didn’t already have on hand, but a quick stop at the market on the way home from work fixed that. The chicken came together quickly; 35 minutes after walking in the door I had dinner on the table.
This light meal even got a thumbs up from the boy I’ve reeled in. We were both a little skeptical when we saw mint as part of the recipe, but determined that it was the perfect addition to the goat cheese mixture. If you want to have one less dish to clean, I think you could definitely skip browning the chicken on the stove first and just go straight to the oven. Even with the extra step though, the meal comes together quickly and easily and I will definitely make it again! Read more…
Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Red Wine Reduction and Blue Cheese
You know what I discovered last night? If you really want to make some boy bait, skip the chocolate. Opt for the slab of meat.
There are occasions that call for a special meal: holidays, birthdays, anniversaries. But there also times when you just want to come home on a Thursday and cook a delicious meal for someone special. Last night was one of those Thursdays. I don’t eat red meat very often, so you know when I want to cook filets, that it’s a big night.
I’ve been pretty lazy in my cooking lately. Lots of pre-marinated pork tenderloin, pasta, and quesadillas. But I wanted to step it up a notch last night, and I think it was a success. Beef tenderloin steaks cooked with a rich red wine sauce, with creamy chive mashed potatoes and crisp green beans– delicious!
My lucky dinner companion used some pretty flattering words to described the meal: “insane”, “phenomenal” , and “amazing.” So I’m going to go ahead and chalk that one up to a win and remember that when I really want to get a man on the line– “Beef…it’s what’s for dinner.” Read more…
Guest Post: Lemon Basil Risotto
This post is brought to you courtesy of my dear friend Malibu Barbie-Jen…remember her?
Hello faithful readers of BBB!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been eagerly awaiting the next installment of baking bounty from our friend Melissa since, well, before Christmas. So let’s get this out of the way quickly: this is not the Boy Bait Baker herself. Sorry – I’m disappointed too. Apparently she baked the right boy bait… and we all know how that goes. No more time for the blog!
Instead of our spicy chefess (is that a word?), you’ve got me – a well-intentioned West Coast substitute. In honor of today’s special day, I’m here to help you master the perfect dish for the Valentine in your life.
Do you like lemon? Do you like risotto? Do you like delicious things? You will love this recipe. I stumbled upon it, fittingly, one year ago. I was hosting a roommate double-date Valentine’s celebration with some familiar faces on this blog. In addition to the wine (which was typically the main course at our get-togethers), I needed something to satisfy a vegan, a risotto lover, and, well, Casey. Whirley pop wasn’t going to cut it this time, folks! This recipe was a synch and a hit.
This year, my pals are 3000 miles away, and my Valentine is cooking for me tonight (woah!). I managed to sneak in this meal as a pre-treat to myself… and because I need good leftovers for work this week.
This meal is good, but it won’t last forever and I’m running out of ideas. Melissa… come back soon?!?
Maple-Glazed Spicy Nuts
Did you forget to get a gift for your neighbor? Your dog walker? Your landlord? Your mom? Well have I got a last-minute gift for you!
These nuts are easy to make and a huge hit. I had a container of them next to my desk last week, and every time someone walked by, these nuts got major compliments. They are sweet with a slight spicy kick from the cayenne pepper. I think they’d be especially great on top of a green salad. Though, I may never know because I ate most of them straight from the jar while they were still a little sticky. Oh well. They’re addictive. Consider yourself warned.
With just a little crafty wrapping, these really do make the perfect last minute gift. How cute is this! I just used a small mason jar, some jingle bell ornaments from Target, a gift tag, and a little bakers twine to wrap them up.
So hit the store now, make the nuts. Your [insert person you forgot] will appreciate it. I promise. Read more…
