Pre Wedding Muse

As I sit in the living room, petting Autumn, I cannot help but take it all in. I am more than happy to be marrying my best friend. I know that's cliche's but it's honest. We met doing something we both love- dancing- and formed a great friendship over the years. It was filled with rides to practice, epic long emails, sharing songs, trash talk, laughing at the lengths we'd go to all hang out, letting our creativity bounce off the walls (the muse & interpreter), hoping "she dreams of me", wishing on stars in Costa Rica, and unconditional encouragement. That's one of the things that really caught my heart about Mike.... his positivity. All we've ever wanted was the other to be happy and we pushed each other to be better people (just "keeping the honest people honest!"). I knew from the moment I heard his laugh that this guy was special and I wanted him in my life. I just can't believe I would be so lucky to have this engagement ring on my finger. 

Te amo.

Apple Cream Cake

This cutie cake was made for my mother in celebration of her 21st birthday (wink wink). She's the spunky sort. Honestly, her direct manner sometimes makes me put my head under the table. For that reason, I love making her baked goods. There is no question that her feedback will be blunt. When i ask, "what do you think?"- I'm not fishing for compliments. I enjoy the assessment and dialogue thereafter because it's chance to learn. 

The go-to delights for the little lady are tiramisu, dark chocolate, and bread pudding. She has a sweet tooth which she tries to curb with fruits. This year, my brother said, "let's switch it up." Fortunately, this Apple Cream Cake has been on the watch-list and she is an apple lover. When we were kids, she used cut the apple with one hand and hand us the slices with the other. That's what a lifetime of peeling potatoes in Portugal gets you!

I was a bad baker and didn't read the recipe in full before getting started. My first revelation was this is the first non-vegan cake I have ever made that has no butter. How awesome is that? The cake comes out just right- not too sweet and not too bland. It makes for a great base!

My second revelation was the frosting is apple butter mixed with whipped cream. I got through the entire apple cooking process and realized that was nothing more than home-made apple butter! So if you're being lazy, use the store-bought stuff! The benefit of making the apple butter yourself is the frosting will come out smoother but it's not a deal breaker. 

Of courses, I made a few personal touches here and there. I added a little rum to the cake itself (about 1-2 tablespoons) and cinnamon to the apple butter. Can't have apples without some cinnamon! As noted on Irena and Dots, the batter can be dense. I found a splash of almond milk went a long way. 

Note, get those apples, vanilla, and sugar in the blender before the apples cool down. The heat from the oven plus being blended should make it melt down into a creamier texture. My mix cooled too much (room temperature- woops!) and had a slight grain to it. Again, no deal breaker- purely aesthetic. 

In conclusion, this cake is darling. It has a sophisticated and mature flavor. The fam crushed it with little guilt. I adore any cake that's smaller than a 9 inch round! It has a European feel and holds itself above the usual sugar rush. Plus, it's easy to make. Make the frosting the day before if you're looking to save time. Loves!

For the recipe, check out Irena and Dots!

America's Test Kitchen Cinnamon Buns

I'm not going to play coy... this is another post about Cinnamon Buns. Surprise? The saga continues as I hunt for my favorite rendition! I wanted to make these for Mike's parents as a teensy show of thanks for their continuous wedding planning support.  When I asked him what I should make- I already knew the answer. One of Mike's fondest memories is his mom bringing home Cinnabuns from the airport after a business trip. He and his pops would fight to claim the heavenly smelling white and blue box. All right cinny buns, time to pull out the big guns: American's Test Kitchen.

Before I delve into describing the rolls, I have to give a warning. I ended up making these rolls TWICE. I made the dough the night before, let it rise, formed the rolls, and let them sit in the fridge over night. The intent was to save time in the  morning and have oven fresh cinnamon buns ready to go!

The issue arose the next day when the rolls refused to reach room temperature. The directions states "let sit at room temperature for about an hour." Well they sat there for 2 hours and still did not rise fully. I touched the pan and it was still chilled. In retrospect, I should have heated the oven a bit and let them rise in there like I usually do when making rolls. Being a shmuck, I put them in the oven anyways (not fully risen) and hoped for the best.

Well. As we say in Portuguese, toma! The result was a stiff and tough cinnamon bun. The flavor was still there at least! We cheated and zapped them in the microwave for a few seconds to lighten them up before serving. It was frustrating but hey- I KNEW the rolls had not doubled in size the second time. Learn from my mistakes! So make sure the bread has fully risen! If it hasn't, either your yeast has gone bad or there's not enough heat. 

And yet... that left the lingering question... what was their real potential? You know... sans screwing up and being impatient. 

The next day, the ever stubborn self went at it again- this time sticking around for the entire process. I am happy to report a delicious cinnamon bun! The rolls were tight and bread had a soft but solid texture. Honestly, we were content without the frosting! They were slowly addicting. You thought after the initial bite, "oh well that's nice." Then suddenly you realized half the pan was missing. Woopsy!

I did make two teensy itty bitty adjustments to the second rolls. I nearly doubled the amount of filling (go hard or go home) and added a bit of lemon zest to the cream cheese frosting. Trust, that touch of zest makes a big difference.

For the full recipe, check out the America's Test Kitchen Feed!

Dark Chocolate Chia Cherry Brownies

This recipe was found in a magazine.. that I was reading... at the gym. For those who know me, they  understand why that sentence is a bit awkward. For starters, I have never been a magazine reader. Okay, I take that back. I used to receive one magazine when I was younger: "Bird Talk." It was about birds. We had a pet cocktail for a period of time and well, I wanted to understand Mr. Sunshine better. He was a very angry bird. 

The other part that's strange (as if Bird Talk confession wasn't bad enough) is that I would be reading at the gym.  Working out has always been a form of release. Ever since high school track, running has been the best way to clear my head and come out of a slump. It's a time to sweat and exert. I could barely hold still trying Yoga in college because it was such a slower pace. 

So what ended up happening was an agitated calf muscle. I rather not look at the televisions because I get enough screen time with work. I plucked a magazine and put it on the dashboard so the clock wouldn't tick constantly in the peripheral. As I walked to warm up, I started thumbing through the pages and so started my new gym warm-up ritual. The go-to magazines are health related or reflective. I am constantly creeping for new recipes!

These brownies are the fruits of my gym rat labors! Are they not lovely? I found them in Self Magazine and snapped a picture with my phone for later use. Their health plus is that the cherries and oat flour add fiber to make them extra filling. Plus, the the eggs are rich in protein which helps your body burn calories. Don't be mistaken, these are no substitute for real cherries! We all need a little happy nom though and at least it these brownies have some benefits. 

My version has a few alterations. I reduced the all purpose flour and substituted with chia seeds. You don't even know that they're there! Feel free to add more if you so desire just know that it will make the texture have some crumble.  I also used some coconut sugar which I love. It has a natural earthy taste that goes great with just about everything. I used instant espresso instead of ground coffee and almond milk over the half and half. Either way you decided to make them, they are win.

In terms of flavor, these bad boys are RICH. My goodness, between the cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate, you are in for decadent delight. Mike kept putting a heap of vanilla ice cream on his portion. Ours came out thick and moist. The cherries on to pare the stars of the show; their slight tartness really appreciates the chocolate. Make these for sharing or freeze half of the batch! They're meant to be  enjoyed slowly. 

PS Thanks again for the hella cute cupcake stand Mrs. Sullivan!

Dark Chocolate Chia Cherry Brownies
slightly modified from Self Magazine

1 cup oat flour
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 generous tablespoons chia seeds
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons finely ground instant espresso or coffee
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk or almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cherries, chopped

Heat oven to 350°. 

Coat an 8" x 8" baking dish with cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk together flours, chia seeds, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. 

In another bowl, beat butter, sugar and espresso with an electric mixer on high until crumbly, about 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time; beat on medium until a thick mocha-colored mixture forms. Add milk, vanilla and chocolate chips; beat on low until just combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low until a thick batter forms. 

Pour into baking dish and top with cherries. Bake until edges are slightly firm but center is soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes; cut into 12 pieces.