Archive for Pastry Tasting!
A Week With An 8-Year Old!
I was away over the last week to take care of my amazing 8-year-old nephew Paeton while my brother and sister-in-law were away. I legit lived the life of an 8 year-old boy for about 5 days— we watched about 12 hours of Transformers (the original cartoon that is…I now know the theme song by heart!), went to Target to get new Bionicles and read every Lego Comic book we could get our hands on! My goodness it was exhausting! In between playing with Optimus Prime and legos, we did a little baking… so I wanted to share our adventures with you.
One morning we got up early to bake cinnamon rolls for breakfast. They really have everything in them that an 8-year-old would want for breakfast! Sugar, cinnamon and loads of frosting! I opted to use the pre-made Cinnamon Buns Dough-in-a-Can by Pillsbury. There were enough steps in making these that kept his attention, yet weren’t too complicated to bore him either. We went a little crazy and added lots of exciting sprinkles prior to baking… really what child doesn’t like sprinkles!?!? They were a huge hit. After topping with lots of frosting, Peaton of course was super specific on which cinnamon roll he wanted (of course the one with the most sprinkles and frosting!) and also specified which ones we should save for mom and dad. How thoughtful!
Later that day we headed to Target to get some toys and brownies mix to make mom and dad ‘Welcome Home Brownies.’ In the midst of our shopping a little crankiness set in, so I thought a treat at the bakery would boost our moods. Paet got a Brownie and I got a Cheese Danish from the Bakery in the store— (This is what I would call Pastry Tasting at the 8-year-old level). And with Paetons prompt “Let’s Dig In!” we did just that! Oh this was exactly what we needed! He gave his brownie 2 thumbs up and was excited to try his first bite of my danish— which he thoroughly enjoyed and kept steeling bits of! He’s a little mischievous, but that’s what makes him so freaking adorable!
Once in the brownie mix isle we got a bit distracted by something new and exciting. It was a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bar Mix. This was a must buy for mom and dad’s welcome home treat. Both Paeton and I were really excited to try this. It was a no-bake kinda deal… and Paet really liked them, but I wasn’t too impressed. It came with a “baking dish” to make the bars in, and it was uber tiny, the chocolate sauce to go over the top didn’t cover the whole bar (even in the tiny dish they provided) and the peanut butter center came out kind of chunky. They were edible, but not great. Of course we also topped these with sprinkles and Paeton loved them! They made him happy… as well as made his mom and dad happy… and that’s all that really mattered!
I of course loved spending every minute I could my nephew and the fact that we had some quality time baking was even better! Thanks for letting me share it with you! If you have any special childhood baking memories, of you own, please share!
Happy Baking and Memory Making!
-Kristy
A Trip to Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain!
One of the last activities I did with my parents during their recent visit here in LA was to go to the Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in South Pasadena. This traditional and historic soda fountain was most well know in the 1920’s and 30’s when it was a very popular rest stop at the west end point of Route 66. It was restored in the 1990’s and serves traditional ice cream sundae’s and treats. I believe I have elaborated already on my love of ice cream, so was a total highlight for me!
I positively love Old Fashion Ice Cream Soda’s, so that was an obvious choice for me to order. I opted for the chocolate Ice Cream Soda, as I always do, and truly enjoyed every sip of it. It was a throw back to childhood for me. This is what I would order on every trip I took to Friendly’s with my friends or family, and it simply makes me so happy. There is really 
nothing uber spectacular about ice cream soda’s, but they are just one of those classic desserts that’s always satisfying!
Although my mother opted out of ice cream, my father went all out! He ordered a traditional hot fudge sundae, with mocha crunch ice cream and added melted marshmallow! This sundae was humongous! You can see in the picture that it had to be served on a plate in order to catch all the delightfully dripping fudge and marshmallow! Of course I had to take a bite and it was tasty and delish! Mmm… ice cream is such a happy thing!
We ate, we shopped, we reminisced and left with our sweet tooth satisfied! I love trying historical places such as these, so If anyone out there knows any other great ice cream hot spots in LA.. or anywhere in the US, please send it my way! I am always game for ice cream tasting!
Happy Baking and Ice Cream Sundae Making!
-Kristy
A Delightful Dessert After a Decandant Dinner!
My parents had many requests during their recent visit to LA, and stopping by Lawry’s Prime Rib for a satisfying steak dinner was one of them. And of course, when it comes to food, I had no problems in making this request happen! I made 7:30 reservation and we were in for quite the dinner! It began with a lovely greeting from an adorable waitress, then came a spinning salad, followed by the prime rib cut right at out table, lots a delicious sides and some English Pudding. Dinner, needless to say, was scrumptious… I love a good piece of red meat!
Surprise, surprise, my favorite part of this meal was of course dessert! We decided to split a Berry Trifle. And, despite me being ridiculously full from dinner, I easily gobbled down about half of this! The cake was light and fluffy, the berries super fresh, the whipped cream on top newly whipped. I usually go for much richer and heavier dessert, yet this trifle was light, sweet and refreshing. I didn’t feel like I had over-indulged, yet still had my sugar craving satisfied… It was surprisingly perfect after such a heavy dinner… Mmm… another delightful dessert-ing experience!
Happy Baking and Tasting All!
-Kristy
Mexican Candy and Day of the Dead Festivities!
Wow, I can’t belive my last post was almost a week ago! Again, my apologies for my absence, but since my parents have returned to the east coast one again, my life can return to normal and will continue to post daily. Although I have been away, I have TONS to report after many So-Cal adventures with my parents! I’ve been racking my brain all morning to decide what to tell first… the trip to an old fashion ice cream shop, the home-made bread or my delicious discoveries from a stroll down Historic Olvera Street here is LA. Since today is still considered to be part of the Day of the Dead celebration in the Mexican Culture, The trip to Olvera Street seems most appropriate.
My mother is a ham for touristy places and my dad loves discovering new foods (hmm… maybe that’s where I get my passion for food!) Olvera Street seemed like a place where we could spend an enjoyable few hours. For those of you not from the LA area, Olvera Street is a gathering of traditional Mexican shops, buildings and eateries smack in the middle of the downtown area of this big metropolis. There’s lots to discover, see and learn about the Mexican Culture. While my mom went nuts in the shops (she legit had to go into every one and wanted to buy just about everything!), my father and I explored the food and candy shops. After a bit of window shopping with our mouths watering, my dad decided to try two different traditional Mexican treats, Jamoncillo and Jamoncillo Nuez. This translates to Milk Candy, and Burnt Milk Candy.
After a quick google search, I learned this candy is made from stirring evaporated milk with sugar for a very, very, very long time. The result is a delightfully sweet confection very similar to a piece of fudge, minus the chocolate. Just one bite was enough for me, because this bar was seriously sweet, yet creamy, smooth and just melts in your mouth. The Burnt Milk Candy had a somewhat more intense flavor compared to the plain Milk Candy, but the flavors were super similar. My dad totally loved these candies, and gobbled them up in no time.
We just happened to go to Olvera Street this past Friday, as preparations for the Day of the Dead were in full force. The Day of the Dead is a celebration for those who have passed on, and are honored and their Spirits invited back into their families homes with the creation of intricate alters. The alters are decorated with flowers, speciality foods, candies and sugar skulls.
I totally fell in love the with sugar skulls. They came in all sorts of sizes and were decorated with vibrant colors and intricate designs. Although they are completely edible, almost everyone I spoke with said they didn’t taste very good. Despite that information, I bought a couple, one to display at home and one to taste. Being a little hesitant, I opted to give one skull a good lickin’ rather than taking a huge bite. And to be honest, I didn’t find it to be bad tasting. All its really made out of is sugar, flour, meringue powder and water, so it tasted like sugar. I am sure if I took one big bite the pure sweetness would have been overwhelming and would have sent me into an immediate sugar high followed by a serious sugar coma. I can see how children would positively love these, and how adults might find their pure sugar taste to be unappealing. All in all, a great $1 investment to discover something from a culture other than my own.
As we continued to meander along this historic road, I came across something even more exciting than the sugar skulls themselves. Many of the stores sold the molds to make your own sugar skulls at home. Perfect and right up my alley! My parents graciously offered to purchase a mold of my choice so I could attempt to make my own at home. For about $10, I got a mold that made 6 skulls and it included 2 recipes and multiple directions on how to make different kinds skulls. I have some skulls in the freezer as I am write this and can’t wait to see how they come out! Check back in later today too see the final product!
We left Olvera Street after three hours or so with full bellies and lots of purchases. It was really a wonderfully delightful afternoon of treat tasting and cultural exploration. I look forward to another trip thier again soon.
Happy Baking and Skull Making!
-Kristy
New And Hip Cupcake Hot Spot!
During a recent stroll through Beverly Hills, I happened to stumble upon the grand opening of a new cupcake Hot Spot on Beverly Drive, Famous Cupcakes. I was shocked that I didn’t know about such event, but figured it was fate that I happened to be there at the right time and one the right day. The grand opening event was adorable. There were enthusiastic people on stilts, lots of eye catching decor, a red carpet and a line out the door! When it comes to cupcakes, I don’t mind waiting! It gave me a chance to really scope out the bakery, check out the menu and made friends with the adorable 1-year old boy in front of me dawned in a New England Patriots Baby Hoodie! Clearly for a 1-year-old, he has great taste in Football!
The bakery is super sleek, modern and hip. White shiny walls, lots of cupcakes displayed in funky shelving and flat screen tv’s running a promo by the Kardashian’s. There was ample seating for you and a friend to enjoy a latte and cupcake, which was a total plus. I’ve made my way to quite a few cupcake shops and my one big complaint generally is lack of seating… but that is no issue with this place!
Cupcake time… I decided to get a Red Velvet Cupcake to go. I placed my order, they called my name and handed me this adorable little box with an adorable little cupcake on the inside. I swear, that was the longest 10 minute ride home from BH ever! As soon as I got home I tore 
open the box and took a bite… ahh.. pure heaven! It was so moist, sweet and tasty. I was half way through my cupcake (and positively loving it!) when I noticed a little something on the side of the box… a small label that stated “All natural and organic!” How freaking exciting and seriously impressive! This cupcake was awesome as is, but just when I learned that it was organic, I was blown away! Awesomely intense flavor, delightfully smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting… and organic! Fabulous! OMG…my mouth is watering just writing about them…
These are a must try! And some happy news… if you are a far away reader you can order them online and still try them youself!! Check out their website to read all there flavors and more about the company!
Post Cupcake… a little bit of food-coma set in… a little power nap and a dream about more Red Velvet Cupcake from Famous Cupcakes… mmm I can’t wait to try another flavor! Will keep you updated on my fav flavors!
Happy Baking and Cupcake Tasting!
-Kristy
Pie Tasting!
Tasting Sheets
Last night I had a couple friends over for a pie tasting. I’ve been a pie making machine lately because I am entering the Pillsbury Bake-Off Monthly Challenge. From September to December, Pillsbury will award $2,500 monthly for the best dish in each months category. September was quick and easy dinners, and October is sweet and savory Pies, hence my pie tasting festivities! If I am one lucky enough to win, my winning will go straight into my Will Bake For Tuition Fund to help me pay for Pastry School! Like I said before… I will bake for tuition, and I have surely been baking alot!
I love having tastings and take them very seriously. I make score sheets, ask questions of the tasters and take time to consider all feedback provided. I figure four mouths are better then one when it comes to testing flavor, consistency and even aroma! I also create my score sheets based on the judging criteria of whatever contest it is I am entering. For this Pillsbury Bake-Off, all recipes are judged on three categories… Taste, Ease of Preparation and Creativity, so my scoring sheets were made accordingly.
Mac-n-Cheese Pie
Taco Pie
We had lots of fun last night and ate tons of pie! I started out with the savory Pies… First a Garlicky Mac-n-Cheese Florentine Pie followed by a Taco Pie. I wanted to take simple, everyday meals that appeal to many for my savory pies. Pillsbury is all about ease and appeal to the stay at home mom and busy families (or the random 20-something girl that is obsessed with baking, such as myself!) I had many a taco night growing up as did we frequently eat Mac-N-Cheese. So to me, it seemed natural to turn these staples into pies! In the tasting, we decided my mac-n-cheese pie needed a bit of adjusting, but the Taco Pie was a huge hit. Actually, when my Boyfriend came home at lunch today, he had 2 huge pieces of it and you can see in the pic there’s not a whole lot left! I think an easy way to judge the success of a dish is how many times people go back for seconds! Based on that criteria… Taco Pie was a success!
Nutty Pumpkin Apple Pie
Ice Cream Sundae Pie
On to the sweet pies. I wanted to make a variation of a classic, to give myself a bit of a challenge, so naturally an apple pie came to mind. Quickly and shockingly, I realized I had never actually made an apple pie before. I know, I know, crazy as it sounds, I have made tons and tons of apple crisps because I simply preferred that over pie. But now, it was my turn to take the apple pie plunge! I was a little nervous, but excited about my variation… a Nutty Pumpkin Apple Pie. I tossed the apples in Pumpkin Butter (yes, I am officially obsessed) and made an crispy and nutty topping. After I had served my guested the pie and returned to kitchen to grab my own slice, all I heard ringing from my living room was “Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm.” Yippee! They liked it! They really liked it! (Hopefully the Pillsbury Judges will too!) My other sweet pie was a Mini Ice Cream Sundae Pie. For this one I used cookie dough to make the “pie crust,” filled it with vanilla ice cream and topped it with chocolate sauce— super simple yet super delish! I thought this pie was going to be the bust of the night, because my cookie crust did not turn out quite the way I wanted it to, but instead turned out to be the hit of the evening! It was a bite sized ice cream sundae, tasted yummy and looked adorable! I actually sent one of my tasters home with 3 of them!
My taster’s gave some awesome feedback, and also gave my pie-baking abilities a bit of a confidence boost! Once my recipe adjustments are made and all are entered into the contest, I will be posting each for you on here, along with some bigger pics. So keep checking in and check out Pillsbury.com to see if my recipes made it to the final voting round! I am really pumped about this contest and the ones coming up in November and December (easy apps and simple desserts!) More tastings will be had as well! Volunteers for tasting are always welcome! Let me know if you are interested!
Happy Baking and Tasting!
-KM
I’m a Little Bit Jealous of my Patients!
Working on a psych unit in a hospital means you become very friendly with the security officer who work there as well. Not only do they help out on the unit, they also escort you to your car when you leave work after dark and provide a necessary sense of hospital wide security. I work till nine on Friday nights and always opt for an escort to take me to my parking garage. This ensures I get to my car safely, and lets me get to know each officer a little bit better. I have learned who likes to travel, who has an affinity for my Alma Mater FSU and who loves pastry just as much as I do. I also have the opportunity to share with them my interests and hobbies, mainly being baking.
Today at work I was approached by one of the security officers who informed me of some fantastic news! The hospital hired a pastry chef! The officer had met the newbie and told the chef all about me and my affection for anything dessert related. I was pumped! It was so thoughtful of him. The S.O. also encouraged me to pop in the kitchen and say ‘hello.’ Since my Fridays are super busy at work, I didn’t have the time to stop in the caff, but as I approached the Security booth at the end of my shift to request my escort, another officer told me the new pastry chef was still working. Before I even had a chance to get excited, the officer popped into the kitchen and pulled the chef away from his Turn-Over baking for a quick meet and greet.
The new chef was so friendly. He offered to give me recipes and told me I could stop in to see what he was working on whenever I had the chance. I told him how impressed (and jealous) I was of the desserts I was seeing on the patients plate over the last couple days. Yesterday was an apple tart and today was a pecan bar (YUMMM!). He excused himself for a moment and came back with one of the apple tarts from yesterday for me to enjoy! (OMG best day at work ever! Meeting a pastry chef and getting a delicious free pastry— seriously what could be better!?!)
For being a day old pastry made to feed the masses… I was more than impressed! I got a quick briefing on the recipe too.. apples tossed in sugar, Cinnamon and vanilla, placed in a square of pastry dough. So simple, yet so delicious! The dough was light and flaky and the apples perfectly seasoned. It was a delightful end of the day treat. I am definitely a little bit jealous my patients could potentially get two awesome desserts a day (well… at least I can purchase them in the caff!!)
Any contact I make in the world of pastry is a good one… and its so exciting to know I have a great contact where I’m employed five days a week. It also awesome to know I have great people at work looking out for me. It really a wonderful feeling! I try to bring in a delicious desserts for the security officer from time to time to thank them for their services at work… and I think this introduction soo earned them a tasty treat!
Happy Baking!
-KM
WBFT: Tuition and Twitter!
To learn more about Will Bake For Tuition (WBFT) Click here!
I spent the afternoon today the at the Los Angeles Public Library with 2 goals in mind: 1.) Begin the search for scholarships to pay for pastry school tuition and 2.) Figure out this craze they every refers to as “Twitter.” Aside from the distraction of the lady that sat at my table and smelled like moldy melon, I have an extremely productive couple hours! (Yippee!)
I had read somewhere online that libraries usually have the inside scoop on local scholarships, and offer great reference books for scholarships on a national level. I enlisted the assistance of a librarian who offered some great suggestions. She informed me that she suspected one of the other larger library branches likely has a binder of information solely on scholarship available for residents of Los Angeles and southern California (Fab! Exactly what I need!). She actually stayed on hold with one of the branches for over 15 minutes trying to get a more definitive answer, but as she had to attend to other people, she gave me the number, and directed me to the books that I could reference while there today.
Some of the books were initially huge and overwhelming, but I found them easy to maneuver one I learned how they were organized. I honestly wasn’t too sure what I would find, as I am not a high school senior, college freshman, chemist or engineer (there were seriously TONS of scholarships for those professions!) I was able to find over 17 scholarships that I potentially qualify for! I’m pumped! This was my first time really searching and organizing the information and it made me even more super hopeful and excited. Here is the even better part– there were quite a few more scholarship i will qualify for once I am actually enrolled and taking classes come January. My first deadlines is December 15th, so I have lots to get working on.
As I mentioned, my second task of the day was figuring out Twitter and creating a Smart Cookie Company page. I swear I was the last person in the world to actually figure out twitter… and I am still learning. Its so simple, yet so complicated with all the gadgets and applications and ahh my mind was running in circles (or maybe I just had some difficulties due to the smelly lady at my table! I am soo sensitive to smells I swear I have the nose a pregnant women! But I am sure it also helps me with my baking!) Alas, I figured it out how to turn my meek personal account into a fantastic business account for A Smart Cookie Company and you can now follow me on twitter! Click here to check out my profile! In addition, if you haven’t become a Fan of A Smart Cookie Company on Facebook, click here!
After an afternoon of hard work… i totally wanted to reward myself. I had picked up a wonderful looking Chocolate Croissant from the farmers market this morning… and it was the perfect treat to positively reinforce my productive behavior (God that statement is dripping with therapist lingo!) I had already gobbled half of it prior to remembering to take a photo… but at least now you can see the deliciously chocolatey center!
So… next plan of action to send this little lady to pastry school… 1.) make a trip to other local library branches, 2) Start applying to scholarships I have info on and 3.) read up on other creative ways to pay for school. If any reader out their has other tools, tips or suggestions regarding raising money for tuition, let me know! I would love to hear it!
Happy Baking and Studying!
-KM
PS! Way to go Tom Brady and the PATS for an awesome comeback win!! Yippee for the start of Football season!
An Incredible Ice Cream Truck!
Earlier in the week Kate introduced me to Cool Haus Ice Cream Sandwiches. She had been raving about these treats for weeks and told me that I had to try them. Well… I never say no to ice cream!
Here is a little about the company… It was created by two architects who apparently have a knack for making fantastic all natural ice cream. You can either purchase one of their suggested treats, or create your own. The names for their featured sandwich are cute too… there is Richard Meyer Lemon Ginger sandwich, which consists of ginger cookies with lemon ice cream in the middle. There’s also the Frank Behry, which is made with sugar cookies and strawberry ice cream. To see more of their options, click here.
Kate and I caught their truck outside of Algabar on La Brea, which apparently is their stopping pint every other Wednesday Night. Its an adorable little truck, with two people crammed inside– one taking orders, the other making the ice cream sandwiches fresh as ordered, which is awesome. I opted to create my own sandwich with one sugar cookie, one ginger cookie with Chia Tea ice cream on the inside… (oh, that reminds me… they make awesome ice cream with great quality tea that they actually get from Algabar… it ’s quite impressive!)
This sandwich was SCRUMPTIOUS! Since everything is made to order, to cookies were perfectly soft, and you could tell they were freshly baked. And the ice cream was delightfully creamy. It was so super hot that day, that I had to eat the sandwich fast before it melted… but I had no issue with that! And, the last coolest thing about these sandwiches was that the wrapper the treats are snugged into is completely edible! So, I ate the wrapper along with my sandwich. It was smothered in the chai ice cream… so it tasted fine to me! Way to go green Cool Haus!
I highly recommend these delectable, cool summer treats. You can follow the truck on Twitter to find out where its going, request a stop and get the secret password of the day for a discount! What a fun activity on a hot summer night!
Happy Baking and Tasting!
-KM
Crepes and Conversation!
On Monday night I ventured to the Farmers Market at The Grove to meet my friend Soraya for Crepes at The French Crepe. I am a HUGE crepe fan, and both Soraya and I were really looking forward to a delightful savory crepe as a late night dinner. We arrived a bit late and they were only serving sweet crepes. I already had cake for breakfast and I usually keep my sweets to one a day, if any, but I guess I had to give in on this day! (I did go for a run prior to heading out for crepes… I think that cancels one sweet treat out!) So, dinner was a Crepe Suzette for me… and a yummy looking sea weed salad from another vendor from my friend. (Clearly, she has a bit more will power than myself!)
What I loved about this crepe was its simplicity. It had sweet butter on the inside, then it was topped with Grand Marnier- which the chef actually lit on fire. The little fire went out in a few seconds, and left a delicious crispy layer on top. For a late night dinner, I think it was perfect! It wasn’t too heavy, yet had lots of flavor. I will, obviously, be making more trip back to The French Crepe to try out more of their tasty treats!
Happy Baking and Tasting!
-KM
