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 but it's honest. We met doing something we both love- dancing- and formed a great friendship over the years. It was filled with car 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.

Engagement Shoot Highlights

July marked the most magical day of my existence: the man of my dreams proposed. He caught my attention the moment I heard his laugh because it was so genuine. That was back in what, 2007? As cheesy as this sounds, we met through dancing. We both break dance. He was the sole respondent to a post I had placed on a local forum for practice spots. It was just practice after all.

Little did either of us realize that this casual exchange would define what was to be.

The photo shoot was done by a family friend and his cousin. They're both growing photographers and were thrilled to have some guinea pigs. As you can see- they did an amazing job.

I must admit, I was not initially excited to have the pictures taken on the dock. It was chilly and windy out so all that hair straightening was literally blown away. It was totally worth it though. I love fall colors and these pictures really captured that VA landscape. Browns, reds, and yellows! Beautiful!

We laughed the entire time. Rick's wife carried the light reflector like a turtle shell; our mother's conspired all cozy with a blanket on a nearby bench; and Daniel snapped goofy candid shots as we struggled modeling.

My advise is if you need fancy pictures, have them done by somebody you're comfortable with. My co-worker, whose also engaged, and I compared notes from our separate experiences. They had a difficult time with their shoot because the photographer wanted them to strike artificial poses and act super cutesy. It's all about being natural. 

And what's more natural than the median in which we met. If a man could fall in love with me based on what I wear to practice, he really ain't superficial! Nothing spells romance like sweat and sneakers. We kept this segment short and sweet with my trademark hat and his love for fresh Stussy.

This man is the best thing that could have happened to my world and I cannot wait to officially be the wifey. Never settle- be with someone who will take care of your soul.  DMD, all day every day. Ride for mah homies!

Thanks for peeping!

Teenie Cake's Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Pepita Crunch

You win yet again, Starbucks. In terms of coffee, the only drink that keeps you in my good graces is a long standing love for bitter iced lattes. There's nothing quite like angry espresso paired with a sweet treat. The bakery department is where you've caught my eye.  

First it was the lemon bars... creamy and tart with a crumbly crust. We're talking full bars, not the minis they serve now to be health conscious. The bars vanished only to be substituted with black bottom cupcakes. These cupcakes were my study companions throughout college. For every chapter of Health Psychology outlined- I allowed myself a single bite as a reward. To my sorrow, they too vanished from the menu.

There are two pastries left that make me wide eyed with joy, and they're both seasonal. For the winter, it's all about the cranberry bliss bar. In the fall, pumpkin rules and the king is the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins! I set out searching the internets for a copy-cat recipe.

This search brought me to Teenie Cake's cooking blog! She created her own version based off of the Starbucks muffin. Glee! You can see that I commented on this recipe all the way back in 2010. It never left the radar and this fall, I found the perfect time to make them: our engagement pictures.

I brought them along for the shoot, which was done by Rick (a Sullivan family friend and growing professional photographer) and his cousin. I offered them as a small token of appreciation to the awesome camera crew who in turn snuck in a few snapshots. 

Don't mind the awkward picture, we were too busy stuffing our faces to care about the camera at this point. Everybody loved them! Even my mom said, "you made these?" They are triple threat with muffin, filling, and topping. There's a whole cup of pumpkin filling in the batter and the usual spice suspects (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves). Note, the recommended pumpkin is the filling version- not the straight canned pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling already has the spices mixed into it which only helps deepen the flavor. The texture is moist and soft with a nice density. There's no granulated sugar-  it's straight brown sugar which gives that rich color. 

The filling is a combination of cream cheese, cottage cheese, and a touch of sour cream. The lemon zest is a crucial element to this filling. It's not overly sweet and is fun to eat around. I used the ENTIRE mix because I didn't want anything to go to waste. I also baked them in these jumbo cupcake tins. As you can see... this made for some mega muffins. Ohhhh darnnnn....

And finally, my favorite element: the pepita crunch. Pepita is a fancy word for pumpkins seeds. Simply toss them in some egg white and sugar! A few minutes in the oven and you have a delectable touch to an already yummy muffin. Mike's not too keen on pumpkin seeds and even he kept them on top. Heck, I saved some on the side as a snack.

If you feel so inclined, a little simple syrup helps seal in the moisture. Boil 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir until dissolved completely. Allow it to cool and then brush on top of muffins. Hooray for home-made baking adventures!

For the full recipe, check out Teenie Cake's blog! Thanks again Teenie for another great culinary treat!

Heavenly Hazelnut Chocolate Cake & the Surprise

There's this cute little shoppe not too far from my office called La Cuisine. It has that Williams-Sonoma quality of merchandise but a far more personable touch. The owner is there on a regular basis and you can see their pet German Shepard peeking from the back. Such a cutie!

What makes this spot stand out is their wall of chocolate. You can buy blocks of 9 ounce gourmet chocolate and smaller samples. When I made Mikes Oreo Birthday cake, the staff was incredibly helpful and insightful. She pointed out one chocolate I had never heard of called gianduja, a milk chocolate and hazelnut mix. After trying a sample, I knew I would be back for more. 

For my birthday weekend, I wanted to make a cake for our group trip to the VA beach. Not necessarily a birthday cake but a treat for the travel. I was so impressed with the recipe from Mike's birthday cake (thank you David Lebovitz), I decided to use the same recipe with modifications. This is an extremely light cake with an incredible texture. It's so fluffy and addictive!

The middle is a simple mix of melted gianduja, water, a touch of cafe, and a splash of Frangelico (hazelnut liquor). Tailor to your preference. For us hazelnut lovers, a small amount of a finely chopped hazelnuts adds variety. Just make sure they are finely chopped as to not interfere with the cloud-like cake. If you are feeling lazy or don't want to buy Frangelico- by all means... use Nutella! 

Finally, the topping. Now you have to understand- I really am ga-ga for this cake. I didn't want to obstruct it's beauty with buttercream or any other frosting. There is a light drizzle of thick confectioner's sugar mixed with more Frangelico. Alternatively, you can turn the drizzle into a glaze that gently coats the entire cake with just a little more powered sugar in the mix (see below). 

Mike and I truly loved this cake. The texture is heavenly! The flavor is mild and not too hazelnutty. It's balanced and sophisticated. We slowly destroyed it over the course of the weekend in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania? What happened to VA Beach? That's right. He tricked me. There was no group trip to VA beach. The handsome devil whisked me off to PA and the entire group hustled me into thinking we were traveling together. 

As it turns out, he had other plans for the weekend. 

Big plans.

Really big plans. 

Yessur. I am going to be his wifey!  ~ * Dreams do come true * ~

Heavenly Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

Cake

modified from David Lebovit's chocolate cake

4 ounces gianduja milk chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons water
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Frangelico, or hazelnut extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9-inch road cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. 

Melt chocolate together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth; set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.
In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff.

Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter and then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there’s no trace of egg white visible.

Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cake layers completely.

Filling

5 ounces gianduja milk chocolate, chopped

3-4 tablespoons milk (richer) or water (mild)

1-2 tablespoons frangelico (optional)

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Tailor to your liking. Use milk if you want a creamier taste, use water if you don't want to tamper with the gianduja flavor. I added a little frangelico but if you're not into that, you can leave it out and use more milk/water. The filling should be silky and easy to spread, but not watery. I added a pinch of instant coffee for dimension but it's not necessary. I like hazelnuts and added them to the mix. Feeling lazy? Substitue filling with nutella. 

Melt chocolate together with the 3-4 tablespoons of milk or water, depending on how thick you want the filling to be. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth; set aside to cool to room temperature. Add the frangelico and instant coffee if so desired. Mix in hazelnuts (optional). 

Drizzle vs Glaze

For a little drizzle: 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar mixed with a few tablespoons of frangelico and water. Add frangelico and water 1 tablespoons at a time until it's the consistency and flavor you desire. I wanted it thick and that punch of booze so I didn't use water. You can always use just water with a touch of hazelnut extract. 

To make more of an all encompassing glaze: 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar mixed with 3 1/2 tablespoons frangelico. Still not feeling that frangelico? Use 3 tablespoons water and a 1/2 a teaspoon of hazelnut extract.