Out & About: Bouchon Bakery

If you follow me on Instagram you may be aware that over the holiday season, I took a mini vacation with my family to New York City. I had only been there once before, in high school with the school band, so this time around I was excited to cross a few things off my list of must-do's in the Big Apple. New York City is an awesome place, everybody knows that, and there is so much to do, see, and eat that it's easy to cram your day full of things and yet miss so much at the same time. Most of what we did day-to-day revolved around bakeries, cafes and restaurants I wanted to eat in, which I'm sure by now is no surprise to you. One of the first on my list was Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery.

This bakery is a beautiful place. With open windows to the baking process in the back and an open display of the freshly baked goods - ranging from croissants to macarons to cookies and more - it's difficult to walk out empty handed. Having just had lunch at Hale & Hearty near the Rockefeller, we decided to finish with something sweet and caffeinated from the bakery I had heard so much about. Mom and I split the cranberry-orange and the egg nog macarons, while my dad and brother each had a TLC cookie - nobody was disappointed. The macarons were perfection, perfectly smooth and crisp on top, chewy inside, and not too sweet - oh how I hope to one day make macarons just like 'em. 

Happy to have crossed the bakery off my NYC list, a few days later on Christmas I was pleasantly surprised to open up the beautiful Bouchon Bakery cookbook. It is filled with gorgeous pictures and stories on how the bakery came to be, various baking techniques and suggestions, and of course drool-worthy recipes of items from the bakery itself! I tried out the carrot muffins (post to come) and they were delicious. This book is a great one to add to your cookbook collection, and the bakery is an even better place to stop off for a quick cup of coffee and sweet tooth satisfier. 

Note: None of these pictures are my own - mine were lost to an unfortunate phone+water incident. 

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Ginger Molasses Cookies

I'm not usually a fan of the big, round, cookies that you can get at Starbucks - they're too much cookie! However this time of year always makes it extra difficult to resist their ginger molasses cookies. They're soft, chewy with just the right amount of spice. A few years ago I was determined to recreate those cookies in our annual christmas cookie baking day. I found a few recipes online and pooled together the ones that sounded best, and was sure to make them even better in bite size form. This recipe is from my scraps of notes of favourite recipes and has been a winter classic in our cookie making. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift together to flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and molasses until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until well combined. Roll the dough into small balls, approximately 1 inch in diameter, and roll in granulated sugar. Place on the baking sheet and lightly press down with two fingers. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned.

These cookies give you the spice of gingerbread while still remaining soft and chewy. They're perfect with a winter cup of tea (I recommend Alpine Punch or Sleigh Ride from David's tea) or if you're feeling fancy, a gingerbread latte! Enjoy!

Homemade Marshmallows

Every year when Mom and I do our Christmas baking, I like to try and make something new, that isn't a typical cookie, is a bit of a challenge but if done successfully, guaranteed delicious. Last year I chose marshmallows. I love marshmallows. I love the marshmallow candies that are shaped like bananas and strawberries, I love s'mores, I love Rice Krispee treats - give me all the marshmallows! So this year for my friend Amanda's christmas party (which became more of a snowed in affair) I made gourmet marshmallows once again to be paired with a big mug of hot chocolate! I consulted both Martha Stewart and my new favourite book, Butter Baked Goods, and the results couldn't have been better. With a few "dipping" variations, I give you the recipe for homemade marshmallows:

Ingredients

3 packets of unflavoured gelatin

1 cup water

2 cups white, granulated sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup (I used golden)

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of the water and sprinkle the gelatin on top, allowing to stand for approximately 10 minutes. In a medium sauce pan on high, add the sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup of water and salt. Stir together and bring to a boil. Let it boil for one minute and then remove from heat. Stir together the gelatin and water a few times and then slowly add the sugar mixture, pouring it down the sides of the bowl with the electric mixer on low speed. Once it all has been added, put the mixer on high and mix for 12 minutes. Line a 9x9 baking pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and prepare an additional piece to place on top. When you're done mixing, pour the marshmallow into the pan and spread evenly, placing your second square of greased plastic wrap on top. Let stand for 2 hours, or overnight.

When the marshmallow is firm, carefully remove by placing it upside down on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. With a sharp knife, cut the marshmallows into 1-inch squares. Depending on your tastes, you can either keep them plain and coat them with icing sugar, or you can coat some in toasted coconut. I also took some of the plain ones and dipped them in melted chocolate and either graham cracker crumbs (S'mores Mallow!) or candy cane pieces (Peppermint Mallow!). I can eat them just as they are or melt them away into a big cup of hot cocoa.

Foodie Gift Guide 2013

Hello friends! I know, I know, it's been about a month since I've posted anything. It's not that I haven't been inspired or haven't been baking (my Pinterest and Instagram can attest to that) it's just that life gets in the way sometimes and you need to take a step back and prioritize. This blog is fun, it's a hobby, and when a hobby starts to feel like homework - it just won't do. So I took a month long hiatus. That being said who knows where this blog will go in the future, but right now it's fun and I want to keep it that way.

So without further ado, here is my gift guide for all your foodie friends' needs! I would love to receive any of these items because let's face it, as bakers, a mint green Kitchen Aid is really so much better than diamonds (future husband please take note). 

1. Measuring cubs - $36 from Anthroplogie
Anthropologie always has the cutest kitchen tools and accessories. These bear cubs would be great friends to have around in the kitchen!

2. Julia Child's Food-for-Thought Platter - $20 from Indigo

"People who love to eat are always the best people", Amen Julia.

3. Butter Baked Goods - $35 from Amazon

Recipes from the adorable bakery in Vancouver, Canada - this book is filled with deliciously simple baked treats.

4. Thermo-pot - $42 from black + blum

As someone who brings their lunch to school and work everyday, this would be perfect during the cold winter months when all you want is a hot bowl of soup.

5. Where Chefs Eat - $20 from Amazon

Perfect for the travelling foodie looking for the best dining spots around the globe.

6. Filomena Baking Collection - $16-$36 from Anthropolgie

The prettiest muffin tins, pie plates and rolling pins you'll ever see. 

7. Adopt an Olive Tree - starting $79 from Nudo Italia
This is the coolest gift - adopt an olive tree and have your very own olive oil sent straight to your door.

8. KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer - $450 from Williams-Sonoma

The best.