Monthly Archives: July 2014

Hilary’s Blueberry Muffins

July 27, 2014

I remember being incredibly nervous the first time I met my one-day In-laws. Would they like me? Would they approve? What could we possibly have in common? I guess that these fears are natural and everyone seeks the approval of the most important people in your partner’s life at that moment in time. But when I get nervous, I get quiet, and this made it extremely difficult for me to share who I was. Let’s just say it wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t great.

The second time was when we went to stay at their house. Just after Christmas, Boxing Day here in the UK, and although I felt more than welcome, I was still slightly paralyzed by the fear of saying something stupid and so I stayed quiet. My future mother in law was so upset that she cried. And I realized how silly I was being. This woman wanted to get to know me and I wasn’t giving her that chance.

The next time we went to visit, I reached out to her in the best way I knew how, by baking for her. I brought my favorite Blueberry Muffins and I discovered that she, too had a love for cooking and baking. The thing we had in common was right in front of me the whole time. We bonded over food magazines and cooking tips and I felt at ease knowing that I could be myself around her. When she asked me for the recipe I was ecstatic, even more so when she told me that she had baked them herself. The streusel topping was our favorite part! Well, and the big, juicy blueberries. Oh, and the tender, moist crumb. I looked forward to all the times we would get to cook together or for each other. But, sometimes life isn’t just what you think it will be.

Less than a year and a half after I met Hilary, she passed away.

It’s hard not to feel cheated by the loss of someone so early on in your life, but I am lucky that I knew her for the short time that I did. Whenever I bake these muffins, I smile and remember an amazing woman, with whom I bonded over baking.

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Best. Ever. Brownies.

July 20, 2014

A good brownie is not easy to find. I’ve had a lot of mediocre brownies in my life. They can be too cakey, too dry, too thin, too sweet, too underdone and the list can go on and on and on. A great brownie, however, can be a bit of an urban legend. Not that many brownies are truly “mmmm…” inducing treats. I actually have quite a list of requirement when it comes to being a properly delicious brownie:

1. Must be fudgy. It has to have that element of goo in the middle. That squidgy, almost underbaked (but not) center that creates a chocolate fudge layer between the more cooked outer layers.

2. Must have a crisp crust/edges. The perfect brownie always has a contrast in texture. This comes from that crisp crust that forms on the very best brownies during baking. Why fo you think people order those special “all edges” brownie pans? It’s that important.

3. Must be rich in chocolate flavor. I’ve been shocked to have chocolate brownies that are a light brown color or that don’t taste like chocolate. WHAT’S THE POINT??? Using good quality cocoa powder and chocolate chips are majorly important here, as well as a tablespoon of espresso powder, which gives anything a deep, chocolate bite.

4. Must be shared. The best thing about a great brownie? Seeing the reaction on people’s faces when they take a bite. Priceless.

Once you’ve made these brownies, you will never need to look for another recipe. They are that good. How could they be called Best Ever Brownies if they’re not? Do you think I could lie to you? And believe me, I brought these to work and they were devoured happily and greedily. I lost track of how many recipe requests I had! Which got me thinking if I could use these brownies as a base for different combinations of flavor.

I’ve been brainstorming and trying to think of mix-ins for these brownies, but every time I go to try it, I can’t bring myself to mess with the original. If you try it- let me know how it turns out! I want to try raspberries and goats cheese, or a salted caramel swirl, maybe a Turtle brownie? What are your great brownie creations? The possibilities are endless, if only I could try anything other than the OG Best. Ever. Brownie.

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Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

July 6, 2014

Summer is in full swing now and I’ve been enjoying being outdoors a bit more. It’s just so much more enjoyable walking the dog in the sunshine and in my case, walking down by the river is amazing (except for all the bugs!). So as you’d expect, one of the last things I want to do at this time of year is have the oven on for hours on end. Yet, in order to keep myself sane, I do need to do a bit of baking. Some super simple Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons? Done and done.

These little babies are delicious. The light, fluffy coconut clouds are dipped in a rich, bittersweet chocolate that has been melted slowly and speckled with sea salt. Then there’s the arty bit- go all Jackson Pollack after the bottoms have set and drizzle away! Who said baking isn’t fun? I’ve made these macaroons a few times before, but I thought dipping them in some slightly salted dark chocolate would elevate them to a whole new level of awesomeness! I mean, chocolate and coconut are one of those classic combinations that just belong together (Mounds or Almond Joy anyone?). If you are an Almond Joy fan, feel free to replace the vanilla extract with almond extract to get that flavor fix.

More importantly, make sure these little coconut clouds are completely cooled before dipping in the chocolate, or they can break apart. Also, that the chocolate has set before you pack them into an airtight container. Remember- watch these bad boys in the oven, they can go from perfect to disaster quite quickly in terms of browning. Be ready to impress anyone and everyone with these little dollops of indulgence!

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