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! :)

running on super bowl sunday

that's m & me before the start of the 2011 kp half marathon & 5k fun run race. m ran the half and i ran the 5k with a friend.

that's right! this coming super bowl sunday m, c and i will be running in the kaiser permanente half marathon and 5k fun run. actually, m will be running the half marathon again (he did it in 2011) while c and i tackle the 5k (i ran the 5k in 2011 with a friend, since it was her first ever 5k race). this year, i'm so excited and so is c. the 5k will be his first ever running race, or any sports race for that matter. i think i am more excited than him... just the fact that our little baby is finally old enough to be running with us. i can't believe it! i just hope the experience is a good one and that he'll want to keep on racing. i have lots of little kid-friendly races i'd love him to join in with us.

now i have to say, running is definitely in the family. everyone runs: m, me, l & p! now with c running, that makes 5. we just have to see if little miss v will be joining us when she's no longer a baby. hehehe.. how exciting!

okay, stay tune. i'm sure i'll have some instagram photos to post after the event. and of course, the best part about this sunday? it's THE super bowl and our fave team, the san francisco 49ers are in it! we need that #questforsix, 6-0 record that is. it's been forever since the last time they've won it all. i was just thinking about that and i think it's really been 18 years. yeah, the 1994-95 season. it's a long time coming, so let's hope jim harbaugh and the boys bring that lombardi trophy home. little bro needs to win it this time around. john can have a super bowl ring, just not this season, and definitely not against us. :)