caramel-filled mini cupcakes inspired by rolo chocolate

a while back i had some rolo chocolates for the first time ever. i know, right? i have to say, they were quite good and it gave me this idea to make some mini cupcakes with caramel filling. i figure since i do have some caramel bits lying around and the chocolate cupcake recipe i've been making lately is super simple to make, why not. i have to say these cupcakes turned out great! the melted caramel in the middle makes the cake extra moist and that much better, as if it wasn't good on its own already.

below's the recipe should you want to try making some yourself. enjoy and happy eating! :)


i absolutely love the caramel filling in these mini cupcakes. it makes for one delicious bite!


these are so so good. the cake is nice and moist with the caramel filling. it's a must try if you're a chocolate or caramel (or none of the two even) lover! ;)

rolo chocolate-inspired mini cupcakes

ingredients:

chocolate cupcakes:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp vinegar

caramel filling:
1/2 bag of kraft caramel bits
2 tablespoons of water

chocolate ganache:
12 oz chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream

directions:

for the cake: mix all ingredients together until moist and well blended. put in mini cupcake cups and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. let cupcakes cool completely before coring the center for the caramel. please core first before pouring in caramel filling.

for the caramel: place the caramel bits with 2 tablespoons of water in a microwaveable bowl and heat it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds at medium power. you can heat it longer if the bits are quite melted after 60 seconds. once it looks like they are melted, stir the caramel quickly until smooth. use immediately. if at any point the caramel looks like it's thickening up, you can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it again.

for the ganache: place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy. allow ganache to completely cool and set up. when you are able to spoon the ganache and it can hold its texture, it is ready for piping. pipe/frost and enjoy!

to assemble: pour a generous portion of the caramel filling into the cored cupcakes. top with chocolate ganache frosting. that's it! happy eating! :)

chocolate cake recipe makes 50 mini cupcakes (or 16 regular ones). ganache recipe makes 1-1/2 cups. you can half all of these if you want to make less. i've done it many times halving the recipe.

passionfruit pudding

i still have a good portion of passionfruit juice leftover from last week. so to get more use out of it this past weekend i decided on this pudding (the UK kind, not the US kind like the Jell-O pudding). i saw a citrus pudding recipe on pinterest the other day and the photo looked so delicious i knew i had to try and make it one of these days. well, i haven't made that recipe just yet, but i did make one similar to it (this one here). i have to say it turned out pretty well. i wasn't sure how strong of a passionfruit flavor i would get (because the passionfruit juice container i got isn't quite 100% passionfruit juice… it's got some pear juice in it). anyway, i could tell it was passionfruit. but maybe that was probably because i knew it was passionfruit/pear juice i put in there?! i'm not sure if anyone else will be able to tell the flavor. nevertheless i will say that this pudding is quite delicious. i say you can probably substitute any fruit juice you like and it will still turn out scrumptious.

below's the recipe should you want to try it. let me know what you think! :)



passionfruit pudding

ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup passionfruit juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°F.
2. place the melted butter, sugar, milk, eggs, passionfruit juice, flour, baking powder and orange rind in a medium-size bowl and mix until everything is incorporated/combined.
3. pour mixture into a lightly greased ovenproof dish and bake for 1 hour or until golden.
4. dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.

serves 6. enjoy and happy eating! :)

chocolate profiteroles with chocolate passionfruit cream

a few weeks ago one of my coworkers gave me a quart (or carton?!) of passionfruit juice she brought back from berkeley bowl. she remembered me looking for some passionfruit whether it was in the form of the fruit itself or in juices, pulps, anything! anyway, since have this juice i figure i try and make something yummy out of it. and here you have it, these delicious chocolate profiteroles (the french's fancy way of saying cream puffs) with chocolate passionfruit pastry cream. :)

so, how did they turn out? pretty good i say. the passionfruit and chocolate definitely go together. only one unfortunate thing is that the passionfruit juice isn't passionfruity-enough in that it gets a little lost with the chocolate. unfortunately chocolate is one of those very powerful flavors. in this case it overpowered the passionfruit. although, i do feel that had i had actual passionfruit pulp or juices from the fruit itself (100% passionfruit) maybe you'd taste the fruit flavor a little more, even with the chocolate? all in all these cream puffs or profiteroles still turned out fantastic!

below's the recipe for these delicious chocolate profiteroles should you like to try them out yourself. enjoy!


these chocolate cream puffs are so good. usually i prefer my simple vanilla pastry cream or whipped cream filling, but the chocolate in this -- delish!


yup, that's a lot of chocolate profiteroles! :)

chocolate profiteroles with chocolate passionfruit pastry cream

ingredients

for the pastry cream:
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
6 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup passionfruit juice
6 oz dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup cream

for the pâte à choux:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup water
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

for the chocolate ganache glaze:
4 oz chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream

directions

to make the pastry cream: heat the half-and-half and milk, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

also, while waiting for the milk mixture to simmer, heat the 1/4 cup cream in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until it comes to a boil (really, you want it hot enough to melt the chocolate). then pour it over the chocolate chips in a decent size bowl. mix the chocolate and cream together until the ganache is form. set the chocolate aside.

now, when the half-and-half and milk mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. off the heat, whisk in the melted chocolate and passionfruit juice. mix until everything is incorporated. strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

to make the choux pastry: preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and place rack in center of oven. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter or spray the pan with a nonstick vegetable spray.

in a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.

place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. (make sure that the butter melts before the water boils to reduce the amount of evaporation.) remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about a minute) &ndash actually, i just do everything in the saucepan, beat the dough, adding the eggs, etc. once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon). spoon or pipe small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. optional: you can gently brush the tops of the dough with a lightly beaten egg if you like. i usually don't.

bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). continue to bake for a further 30 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. turn the oven off, poke a couple of holes in each puff and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells completely cool (and dry out).

to fill the puffs: use the tip of a paring knife to make a small cut perpendicular to the first, creating an X in the side of each puff. fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip with the pastry cream. pipe some of the pastry cream through the X into the side of each puff until it starts to ooze back out. repeat to fill all the puffs.

to make the chocolate ganache glaze: place chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, until the mixture just begins to steam. whisk together thoroughly until completely mixed and glossy. allow ganache to cool slightly before dipping the tops of the cream puffs. set the puffs on a rack to let the chocolate glaze set completely. if you don't care for the chocolate ganache glaze, you can sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top of the filled cream puffs. i personally prefer dipping them in the ganache because it tastes yummier that way. serve within a few hours.

makes 40 decent size profiteroles. happy eating! :)

earl grey mini cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting

a while ago i made some mini cupcakes. well, i made these as well. i have to say i love earl grey and lemon as a combination. it is the perfect little bite in your mouth. like a cute cup of lemony tea (although i must admit, i don't like and don't drink tea). mmmm... nevertheless, still delish!

below's the recipe for these cute little cupcakes should you be interested in making some. i say they work great for that next tea party or any occasion. so bake away and let me know what you think! :)


i'm not a big tea person, but i have to say, i love this lemon and earl grey tea combination. so good, the perfect little bite in your mouth for that afternoon sweet. :)

earl grey mini cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting

ingredients:

mini cupcakes:

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 earl grey tea bag

pinch of salt
1 cup buttermilk (you can use milk + 1 tbsp distilled vinegar)

1/4 cup oil

lemon buttercream:

 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

 3-3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

 2-4 tablespoons of lemon juice
milk or cream, as needed

directions:

for the mini cupcakes:

1. preheat oven to 350°f
2. if using milk + vinegar as substitute buttermilk, combine milk and vinegar and stir to combine. set aside for 5 minutes. mixture will curdle. otherwise, if you're using buttermilk you can skip this step.
3. in a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. add in the earl grey tea bag and stir until combined.
4. whisk sugar, oil and vinegar into buttermilk (or curdled milk mixture). make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. mix until relatively smooth.
5. fill mini cupcake liners with a scant tablespoon of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

for the frosting:

1. cream butter in electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
2. slowly add 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth. add in the lemon juice, a little bit at a time and mix until combined.
3. add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until well incorporated. mix at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
4. add cream or more sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency. pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

makes 36 mini cupcakes (or 16 regular ones). enjoy and happy eating! :)

happy valentine's day!

i've never really been a fan of valentine's day, but for some odd reason over the last few years i've slowly grown into maybe recognizing it. not a whole lot, just a teeny tiny bit. my thing is, i don't need any fancy flowers or box(es) of chocolates. just say happy valentine's day and that you love me and cannot picture your life without me because i am so awesome and things just wouldn't be as awesome if i wasn't part of it. hahahahaha.. yeah, sure, something like that.

so did my person recognize today's over-commercialized holiday? yup! he got me a nice box of see's candies (i've grown to liking them bit by bit these days as i'm usually the one giving those out during holidays) and some yummy peppered jerky. yes, i love my beef jerky. i say this year's v-day is so far, so good. no complaints here.

well, it's not too late if you haven't done anything today. the day is still young! hey, you can even bake these yummy mini cupcakes and give them away as little gifts or have them at your dinner (party or not) tonight (or any other time is fine too). you can find the recipe for these mini chocolate cupcakes with ganache here. i just topped them off with the ever-so-festive valentine sprinkles. :)

recipe: mini chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting

mini creme brulee cupcakes

sometime last week i saw a creme brulee cupcake pinned on my pinterest feed. i've never attempted making creme brulee before because i couldn't be bothered to make the custard on the stovetop, then bake it in a hot water bath. but creme brulee as a filling in a cupcake? i thought, sure… why not. that must be a whole lot easier than making actual creme brulee! and i tell you, it was because making the custard is easy peasy. i've done a bunch of pastry cream before, this is just like it, minus an ingredient or two.

i have to say, these mini creme brulee cupcakes turned out fabulous and they taste so good! i didn't have a blow torch so i stuck these babies in the broiler for a minute (although next time i might try less, more like 45 seconds) to brown before serving. so yes, i don't have a blow torch currently, although i have a feeling i may be getting one very soon in the near future as the hubby did ask me if i had one and would i like one – haha! i told him, of course you know i don't have one and sure, i could use one so we can have more of these yummy custard desserts! blow torch or not, you can still make them!

below's the recipe should you want to make them. i modified my eggless vanilla recipe for these cupcakes with a little bit of brown sugar. i say the brown sugar really adds something extra to the cake, because the custard and cake together is just divine! try it, you won't be disappointed. happy baking (and eating)!


yes, that's a lot of mini creme brulee cupcakes! but that's okay, because they are so good. :)


i think this is my new favorite cupcake! a must-try, for sure.

creme brulee mini cupcakes

ingredients:

cupcakes:
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt
1 cup milk (if using buttermilk, skip vinegar)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

creme brulee:
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar

directions:

mini cupcakes:

1. preheat oven to 350°f.
2. combine milk and vinegar and stir to combine. set aside for 5 minutes. mixture will curdle. if using buttermilk, skip this.
3. in a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. whisk sugar, oil, vanilla extract into curdled milk mixture (or buttermilk). make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. mix until relatively smooth.
5. fill mini cupcake liners with a scant tablespoon of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full).
6. bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
7. once cooled, core out the middle, enough to fill it with the creme brulee mixture. this step is important to do before moving on to the creme brulee mixture as you'll want to pour the mixture into the cupcakes as soon as it's complete.

creme brulee:

1. beat egg yolks in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed (or you can use a hand mixer if you like, or do it by hand with a whisk or fork), 5 minutes or until thick and light yellow. gradually beat in sugar.
2. heat cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until just hot to the touch. stir in vanilla.
3. a little at a time, so the eggs do not curdle, stir half of the cream into the egg yolk mixture.
4. then stir all the egg yolk and cream mixture into the remaining cream in the saucepan. cook, stirring continuously, over low heat, 5 to 8 minutes, until mixture thickens; do not boil.
5. remove from heat and use immediately to fill your cored mini cupcakes.

assembly:

1. using a small spoon, spoon a generous portion of the custard to fill the cupcakes.
2. let the cupcakes sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before refrigerating. refrigerate the mini cupcakes at least 2 hours before serving.
3. before serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and place under preheated oven broiler (45-60 seconds, no more than 60 seconds unless you really like burnt sugar). or if you have a blow torch, torch the top of the cupcakes to get it to brown (like shown in the pictures above).
4. serve immediately. enjoy!

makes 36 mini creme brulee-filled cupcakes (or about 16 regular ones). happy baking and eating! :) oh, if you don't want to eat them all right away (although i don't know why you wouldn't because they're so good! hehe), you can keep them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. anything after that, i'm not sure how good the cake or custard will be.

white chocolate chip chocolate cookies inspired by blue bottle coffee

i have to admit i am a sucker for baked goods these days. who knew i'd love cookies, cakes and pastry so much? chocolate chip cookies are for sure one of my favorite cookies. double or triple chocolate is even better!

this recipe here calls for two kinds of chocolate. actually, you can even throw in more if you prefer, but i wanted to keep it simple so i just went with the two (chocolate cocoa and white chocolate). these were inspired by the ever so popular and san francisco-famous blue bottle coffee double chocolate chip cookies. their double chocolate chip cookies are just delish! if you're ever in san francisco, you must stop by for a cup of their famous drip coffee and double chocolate chip cookies. it is for sure the perfect anytime snack/indulgence.

below is the recipe for these delicious (white) chocolate chip cookies inspired by blue bottle coffee. i absolutely love how you get both the sweetness of the chocolate and hint of the sea salt in one bite. when making these i had forgotten to put in the sea salt with the sugar during the step where you mix the butter and sugar together. so i threw it in at the very end with the white chocolate. i have to say i'm so glad i did that by mistake because i think the hit of the sea salt with the chocolate and sugar is absolutely wonderful! feel free to make some yourself and let me know how you like it. oh, and did i mention, these also make for the perfect homemade gifts as well?! happy baking and eating (and giving)! ;)


these blue bottle coffee-inspired chocolate chip cookies are just divine. they melt in your mouth and is so, so, good.

white chocolate chip chocolate cookies
inspired by blue bottle coffee

ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350° f. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.
3. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a medium-size bowl with a handmixer), beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. add the sugar and mix on low speed until well combined. then mix on medium speed until the mixture gets lighter in color and texture becomes fluffier, about 5 minutes.
4. in a separate bowl, combine the egg and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously until well blended.
5. with the mixer on medium speed, add the egg mixture very slowly, in a steady stream, and mix until well-incorporated and very smooth, about 30 seconds. then mix on medium speed for 30 more seconds. feel free to scrape down the sides to get all the mixture in.
6. then add the flour mixture. mix on low speed just until uniform in texture. scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add in the white chocolate chips and sea salt. mix on low until everything is combined.
7. using a cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon in size), scoop out 2 tablespoons and form into a ball. place them on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
8. bake for 8 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch and the surface is no longer glossy, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.
9. let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing. then eat and enjoy! best enjoy warm. of course, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. or if you don't want to use all the dough at once, the dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

makes 15-16 3-inch cookies. enjoy, because these cookies are really, really good! :)

note: you can let the dough sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 3 hours if you like before baking (i think blue bottle says you should put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours?!). i believe they're supposed to come out even better. personally, i cannot wait that long and i don't like it when the dough is a little tough to handle so i just bake my dough right away. the cookies still come out delicious regardless.

my favorite kind of breakfast -- buttermilk waffles

i love lazy weekend mornings, with a yummy breakfast like this! over the weekend, i decided to make some buttermilk waffles since we had leftover buttermilk in the fridge. why not make the most of it, you know?! i feel like waffles with buttermilk really are the best. they come out just right and stays nice and crisp, but not soft enough that it doesn't feel or taste dried out. add in a fried egg or two (or scrambled) and some crispy bacon and you've got quite the breakfast plate. of course, top it off with some fresh fruit and whipped cream for that extra yumminess and throw some fried potatoes on the side too if you like. now, that sounds like one tasty breakfast! of course, we didn't have any fresh berries (or fruit for my preferred taste), whipped cream or potatoes lying around the house, so i did it without those. but i gotta say, it's okay because sometimes waffles, bacon and eggs is really all i ever want.

below's the recipe for the buttermilk waffles should you want to make some this weekend or whenever. actually, we even have breakfast for dinner sometimes and i have to say, it's one of my favorite dinners. so, go ahead and make some. enjoy!


i love the added brown sugar in this recipe. you can eat it as is if you like without any added syrup or powdered sugar. yum yum!


these buttermilk waffles really are wonderful, especially on a lazy sunday morning.

buttermilk waffles

ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

directions:

1. preheat waffle iron.
2. in a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. add in the brown sugar. stir to mix.
3. add in eggs, buttermilk and butter. mix well.
4. pour batter into the preheated waffle iron. cook until steaming stops (or when the green light on your waffle iron comes on) and waffles are crisp and golden.

makes 8-9 square waffles or 3-1/2 cups batter. enjoy and happy eating! :)

start today

a year from now you'll wish you had started today.

yup, that's my little saying i tell myself, all the time whenever it comes to exercising and losing those last several pounds. about a year and a half ago we welcomed our little miss v and yes, even after all this time i am still trying to get rid of those pregnancy weight and regain my pre-baby figure. ideally, i'd like to be more fit and in much better shape than pre-baby, but first before i get there, i just need to focus on getting this first part out of the way first.

my pre-baby weight was 97.8 lb. right now, i'm about 7-8 lb off. i know, that doesn't sound like a lot but for a tiny person like me who stands a couple inches shy of 5 feet, it is. a year ago exactly, i was much lighter, at 101. so you can say i've gained 4-5 lb since. that's just awful and must be stopped right this minute.

earlier this week, starting with monday, i told myself i would incorporate more calisthenic type exercises in. you know, you typical pushups, crunches, lunges, squats, dips, etc. and i have been very good about it the last two nights. it doesn't take long and they're fairly simple to do. it's just a matter of doing it and getting it done, on a regular basis. of course, i will need to watch what i eat too. that's half the battle, in edition to regularly exercising. you see, i still run, just not as often and long (in miles) as i used to. i'm slowly building that back in as well. i'm hoping in a couple of weeks i will be running at least 10-15 miles regularly before i officially start my half-marathon training (m and i will be running the sf marathon in june -- i'm only doing the half though while he's tackling the full again). i also want to improve my speed/pace, so i will be doing a lot of speed work and anything else to help me run faster. i'd love to break the 2 hour mark for the half, but i may be setting myself up for failure as right now i can barely sustain a 10-min/mile pace for long runs. maybe if i aim to run the half at a 10-min/mile pace that would be a better goal? we'll see how these next few months are like.

below are some of the different types of exercises i've done and am hoping to do on a daily/weekly basis. these are great pinterest finds that i've pinned onto my board. if you have pinterest, i say go ahead and pin them yourself. good luck!

again, a year from now i want to look back at today and said i've really done it, made that change to be better, faster, stronger, fitter… for my tomorrow.


i love this leg exercise routine. it's so easy and simple, and really just takes 15 minutes to do! you think 15 minutes is long, but it goes by quickly! :)


simple and easy. piece of cake, right?


i love this one especially in that all of the workouts i can do without any equipment.


ditto. well said. motivation IS what gets you started and habit is what keeps you going. it's so true. these days, on mornings i don't run, i feel so blah. and i say, it's totally the habit. part of that daily ritual/habit kind of thing.


i want to look back a year from now, two, three, four, 10 years from now and said i've done something today i am thankful those many years from now. i know i am capable of it, so i must get out there and just do it!


anyone can look like this if they keep at it and believe. sure, maybe not exactly like this, but their version of it. i say if you believe, anything is possible. i sure hope i can look back at this a few years from now and say, yes, i've done it. believe!

the perfect homemade gift -- brown butter chocolate chip cookies

a while ago one of my co-workers gave me some old thomas the tank engine toys (trains/tracks/etc) that his daughter had outgrown. he asked me if i thought we would want them for c and i said sure. anyway, as a thank you gift, c and i made these yummy smelling and oh so tasty brown butter chocolate chip cookies for them. sure it was 2-3 weeks after the fact, but yes, we eventually got around to thanking them. c loves thomas, and so does little miss v. so it's not like one can never have too many tracks or trains. i don't think he'll really ever outgrow thomas or trains. he's your typical little boy.

below's the recipe for these yummy cookies should you be interested in making some yourself. it's similar to other recipes, but not quite. i have to say browning the butter really makes a difference. i love how they crinkle once they come out of the oven. they give you that perfect chocolate chip cookie look, and taste just as good as they look too!


chocolate chip cookies are one of our favorites! this brown butter recipe is so easy and simple, we'll be making it again soon. :)

brown butter chocolate chip cookies

ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1-3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 to 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can use milk or dark if you prefer)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350° f.
2. sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl and set it aside.
3. in a small saucepan, melt the butter and let it sit until it browns. you'll know it when you see a golden color and your kitchen smells wonderfully sweet!
4. pour the browned butter into a mixer bowl (if you're using a mixer) or into a medium bowl (if using a hand mixer or fork -- that's my prefer method, easy cleanup!). add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. then mix in the 2 eggs. add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. then stir in the chocolate chips.
5. form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. place formed dough onto a silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet, about 6 dough balls per sheet.
6. bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. you can rotate the sheet halfway through baking to ensure even baking if you like. i do it sometimes, other times i just skip it.
7. let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before putting them on a rack to cool completely. serve warm with a glass of milk if you like. delicious!

makes 16 (3-1/2") large cookies. enjoy and happy eating! :)

super bowl sunday!

m, c and me before the kaiser race this morning :)

finally, the big day is here! m, c and i ran our kaiser race this morning. i have to say c was such a good sport. we did it in 40 minutes for his first ever 5k run. pretty awesome. m finished his half marathon in under 1:50. i think it was 1:47 and something second. pretty sweet there as well.

below are some pics from this morning's race. now, we're going to enjoy the super bowl and watch those 49ers bring home that 6th super bowl win. #questforsix

***UPDATE 2/4/13***

yes, i am so bummed the niners lost the super bowl last night. we were so close, but close isn't good enough. such a downer! oh well, better luck next season. it was a great season, just not great enough. but no doubt, only more great things are on the horizon. i know we'll be epic again. we've got a great coach and an awesome team. we'll get there again, and win it all. you can't always be perfect sometimes. #goniners.


c trying to get warm before the race


m at the 12-mile marker, on his way to the finish line!


all done!

earl grey mini cupcakes with brown butter toffee frosting

in honor of the san francisco 49ers being in the super bowl this super bowl sunday, i decided why not make some mini cupcakes. it's the perfect excuse to finally bake again, after taking a little break. the last time i made anything was for m's birthday party and those macarons for that contest and that was a couple of weekends ago, at least. i have to admit, i was a little burnt out from all the holiday baking.

alright, so back to these delicious looking cupcakes. yes, i knew i wanted to make some mini cupcakes, just wasn't sure which ones exactly. i didn't want to make the usual (chocolate or vanilla cupcakes), and after some time looking through the pantry i settled on some earl grey tea bags. so there you have it. why not?! earl grey mini cupcakes. either that or maybe some mini red velvets? well, i decided on the earl grey instead and i'm very glad i did because both recipes (the cake & frosting) turned out fabulous. one mini bonus is, the cake recipe is egg-free so it's great for anyone with an egg allergy! they are really the perfect bite.

i am in love with the brown butter toffee buttercream. i told m i will have to make it again and use it as a filling for whenever i make macarons. so glad i stumbled upon it... and all thanks to a crappy microwave at the moment. yes, i believe our microwave needs replacing. i couldn't even microwave the stick of butter to get it soften for just a few seconds that i decided to brown the butter instead. i'd never done a brown butter frosting before because i couldn't be bothered with cleaning another piece of equipment. but now that i've made it and tried it, i am for sure willing to go through the hassle of it all just for this delicious frosting. it is really THAT good!

below's the recipe for these delicious little one-bite (okay, maybe two from some?!) cupcakes. feel free to try them out and let me know how you like it. enjoy and happy baking! :)


i am in love with this buttercream frosting. the brown butter smells so good and the bits of toffee adds that perfect little crunch when biting into this mini cupcake. it's for sure a happy yummy bite!

earl grey mini cupcakes with brown butter toffee buttercream frosting

ingredients:

mini cupcakes:

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda
1 earl grey tea bag

pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk (you can use 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp distilled vinegar)


1/4 cup oil

brown butter toffee buttercream:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 to 3-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

milk or cream, as needed

directions:

for the mini cupcakes:

1. preheat oven to 350°f
2. if using milk + vinegar as substitute buttermilk, combine milk and vinegar and stir to combine. set aside for 5 minutes. mixture will curdle. otherwise, if you're using buttermilk you can skip this step.
3. in a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. add in the earl grey tea bag and stir until combined.
4. whisk sugar and oil into buttermilk (or curdled milk mixture). make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. mix until relatively smooth.
5. fill mini cupcake liners with a scant tablespoon of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

for the frosting:

1. melt brown butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. once butter melts, let it simmer for a minute or two (or until it gets to that yummy golden color and smells wonderful!). add in the 1/4 cup of brown sugar. mix until incorporated (about 30-60 seconds maybe?), then remove from heat. if you go beyond, you may get burnt sugar and that's not so good.
3. transfer browned butter and brown sugar mixture into the bowl of a mixer (or a medium size bowl if using a hand mixer).
4. add in the confectioners' sugar, a couple tablespoons of milk or cream, and mix on low until everything is somewhat combined. at this point you'll notice that you have hard bits. those are what i'm calling it "toffee" in this frosting recipe. those sugar bits are so yummy and crunchy when you bite into them. okay, once the mixture is combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). add cream or more sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency. pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

makes 36 mini cupcakes. enjoy and happy eating! :)