Gooey Divinity: Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies

There once was a weekend I got really busy.

It was as though all hell broke loose.

It was called Alabama in Saratoga. 

Then there was the weekend after that I offered to make a cake as a “Bon Voyage” cake for a girl I envied.

I dreamed about going abroad for a year while I offered and realized too late that I wasn’t that interested in doing so.

So I found a recipe and tried my damnedest to make something nice while I simultaneously made a brownie recipe from Martha. 

The cake came out fine.  People ate it and enjoyed it. 

The brownies came out DIVINE (albeit a little too gooey).

Peanut butter and chocolate: the ultimate pair. 

I used a lot of butter:

  

I globbed a lot of peanut butter:

I swirled to my heart’s content:

And then I enjoyed the middle piece of gooey, swirled peanut-butter-chocolate-y-goodness:

Then I ran out the door as quick as I could with a still-melting frosted cake, parked a half mile away from work, and was given many compliments on my serving skills and baking ability.  It was a good day.

The next day was great too, since I had peanut butter brownies for breakfast. 

Stress-Free Three Hours: Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

I applied to a job I really want.  It has to do with my degree (Psychology), it would relocate me to my best friend (they do exist!), and I would FINALLY get some experience so that I can get a job elsewhere.  Also, I am being recommended to it by an employee in the program (you can’t get anywhere without knowing people if you are perfectly average in every way). 

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I stress bake and cook.  I just like to measure things and give it to people.  I don’t have a house to renovate (unless you consider my sister’s my house).  So I wander over to my sisters, use all her bowls and fridges and the stove and I allow my anxiety to be forgotten while I measure cup by cup and concentrate on not burning my skin or cutting off my fingers.  I tend to spill, burn, cut, drop, or generally ruin things if I don’t pay attention.  So I pay attention and forget everything else. 

I needed these this week.  I need to concentrate on perfecting the complex buttercream frosting.  I needed to measure the flour and the salt and all the ingredients.  I needed something to come out perfect.  I needed these. 

I was concentrating so hard that I didn’t have a chance to take pictures.  The only picture is the beautiful cupcake.  But I don’t care.  They were delicious and pretty and people seemed to like them. 

Sometimes, you just need a win.  This was it.

Found My Mind While Traveling: Brownie Cookies with Salted-Caramel Filling

This month has been hectic.  This month is track season.  I’m writing like I am living in the present, but this is a post about the month that has passed that I can look back on and think, “Watdahhell just happened?”  Track season started and I decided to travel.  I decided to put myself upon multiple friends so that I could remember what it’s like to have friends.  I decided to travel across Massachusetts. 

From where I live, I started in West Springfield, MA.  I visited my best friend.

Then I went to Worcester to visit a wonderful person. 

Then I ended up in Boston and met up with my old neighbor and then an old high school friend. 

If I were a better blogger, I would have brought a camera and taken photos of the time I spent in West Springfield laughing at the waitress who slipped and spilled half our food on the ground.  I would have taken photos of the frozen mojito/margarita Ally’s mom gave her (tequila in a mojito mix bucket is considered what?). I would have documented my time spent in the doorway of a dorm talking to an old friend who gave me back my high school class ring.  I would have taken photos of breakfast with someone I can always catch up with.  I would have snapped shots of the beers and the ridiculous amount of options of beers with Nick.  I would have told you about the crazy person I woke up to at 3AM in Allston.  I would have been able to show you all these things, but I was crazy. 

I was so crazy that when I made these cookies, this is the only photo I took.  I took only ONE photo of the entire recipe.  They are brownie cookies with a salted-caramel cream filling.  They were too moist, too delicious, and traveled across the state of Massachusetts.  They were the thank you and parting gifts for every person I visited.  They were delicious.  They were not from Martha. (WHAT?!) And now that I re-read the recipe, after a month, I realize that I did these absolutely wrong and I’m glad they tasted okay.  Maybe I’ll try them again.

Making Do: Snickerdoodles

Sometimes you get lazy.

Sometimes you need to sleep in late. 

Sometimes you have so much on your mind, you forget to look through your planner and find out you have more on your mind than you remember.

Sometimes you just don’t feel like going to the grocery store for ingredients.

Sometimes you just make do.

Sometimes, it’s that you HAVE to make do, but this week was not one of those weeks.  This was a lazy week. A week when I forgot about a lot of things. A week that I didn’t feel like going to the grocery store.  I made do.  I did what I could.  And for many years, I knew this as one cookie I could almost always do, as long as there was enough butter. 

I made snickerdoodles.  I think they’re tasty and easy and a people-pleasing kind of cookie.  They were the favorite of a co-worker.  My chef said it was just like his grandma used to make.  I’m glad they got eaten. 

Then I made a “special” one for my best friend.  It started like a heart, I promise.  Just doesn’t look like it post-bake.

They Taste Like Thanksgiving: Applesauce Spice Cupcakes

I’m not going to lie.  I didn’t try these. At all. 

I am unimpressed with the spices that I added, even if I added them correctly.   

I am unimpressed with everything but the applesauce.  I found an unsweeted, organic apple sauce from Vermont in my grocery store.   

I trust my loved ones enough to tell you that they seemed fine.  They ate the whole thing willingly and my sister didn’t complain that they were too dry. 

I trust the honesty of acquaintances that eat three in one sitting.  Another co-worker ate two.   My boss ate the entirety of one and said she doesn’t normally. 

I have faith in the statement that these were tasty enough to eat, not just because you’re hungry.

If I don’t like something, I don’t need to do it or eat it to see for myself if I have this much evidence.  I was there.  I smelled them.  I tasted the frosting.  I took their pictures.  I knew them, even if only a little. 

The frosting was a huge hit.  I don’t like cream cheese.  I particularly didn’t like this frosting because I couldn’t make it pretty.  Maybe it wasn’t totally the frosting’s fault, and it was the fault of the heat wave, but I still was mad. 

I will end this update with, “They taste like Thanksgiving.” My brother-in-laws only real comment while stuffing his face. 

Also, I ran out of cupcake wrappers.... 

Belated Birthday Cuppiecakes: Raspberry Swirled Cheesecake Cupcakes

I have an amazing friend. She and I have the same belief about keeping in touch: once a friend, always a friend.  (Mas o menos)  If we don’t talk for two, four, six weeks, but we want to talk randomly one day, a text, email, or even dreaded phone call will be written or made and we will catch up as though we did not miss a significant chunk of a year.

She is an amazing person.  She decided one day to take her health into her own hands.  She decided to start running.  She finished two marathons, half marathons, 5K’s, and a Warrior Dash.  She doesn’t give a crap about what anyone thinks about her.  She is nearly impossible to embarrass.  She observes more than I do, which I am always amazed to notice.  She can listen to me talk for 3 days straight.  She knows her limits and can honestly tell you her strengths.  She supports her friends when they want to do things.  She gave up chocolate (probably her worst vice) because her friend gave up alcohol (for 30 days).  She is simply an amazing person. 

I missed her birthday.  I was in the capital area while she was down on the longest island.  (I doubt it is actually the longest, but it is where she currently is located.)

So because of her awesomeness, and her giving up chocolate, I made her some cupcakes without chocolate.  I took a Megabus and the LIRR with six of these beauties.  I don’t like cheesecake still, but I think she might have enjoyed them.  I also brought a few into work, and they ate them up.  I think they looked pretty.

As You Wish: Strawberry Cupcakes

I went back to the beginning.  Vizzini told me to go back to the beginning.  So I have.  This is where I am, and this is where I will stay.  

Inigo was such a smart man. 

But I may not stay here. 

It was someone’s birthday this Saturday, so I decided to make cupcakes.  Brings me back to October, when I tricked Alayna into being my friend.  I had a few thoughts about making cupcakes and cookies and running and sleeping, but cupcakes pretty much won.  I mean, it’s tradition, right? (BUT WHYYYY?)

I had some problems. I lost count of my cups when I was doing the flour.  Made an extra six cupcakes. I don’t really know what I did. Whatever.

I had intentions of listening to Martha, but I decided against it.  I did not want to “finely chop” strawberries, so I used my Ninja (skillz). I got to use my Ninja (skillz) again when I need to puree the strawberries for the Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting.  NOMNOMNOMNOM. 

My frosting wouldn’t set. Maybe because the heat wave that’s hitting the Northeast is wrecking EVERYTHING and my hair (I am very tired), but it was in the fridge for some time while I prayed it congealed.  I wanted to use a disgusting sounding word for my frosting, and I don’t want to fix it. It did not work, and I didn’t not bring the cupcakes in until the day after.  

I think they came out beautifully.  I went through 8.5 sticks of butter and three packs of strawberries.  (I threw out 3.5 sticks, though, so don’t worry about me!)