Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

As September came to a close, I felt the urge to bake all things pumpkin. The baking was easy enough, but blogging about it is so time-consuming! And then I started a new job where I sit at a desk with a computer all day, so I never want to come home and write.

Side note: WHOA. Hold the phone. I haven’t posted since September, so some of you might not know what’s been happening in my life. Long story short, I got into a car accident that totaled my car—it wasn’t my fault and I’m okay, but my little Nissan Sentra didn’t fare so well. Then my mentor and favorite professor from Saint Mary’s passed away so very suddenly. I went home for the services, which were wonderful and really helped me gain closure. The trip home was also good because it allowed me to lease a new car with the help of my parents. Thanks Mom and Dad, I love the Hyundai! :) Anyway, upon my return to San Diego, I got the call with a job offer! I started applying and interviewing for this position around the last time I blogged. And now I am a Student Advisor at California College San Diego. Woo hoo employment! I love my new job, my coworkers, and my paycheck! :)  

Salted Vanilla Bean Caramels

Up close and personal with sea salt. :)

Apparently I’m on a salted caramel kick this week. I came across this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker this week, but it was Foodie Bride who did it first. So, when I went to make them myself, I went to the original source. I was really nervous about making caramels, but I decided I owed it to the world to try since my Salted Caramel Brownies were so successful! :)

What really made want to try out this recipe were the vanilla beans. I’m sure that a normal kitchen does not have a stash of vanilla bean pods lying around, but that’s what makes me unique. Erin gave me vanilla beans last year for Christmas and it took me 9 months to find a recipe that was worthy of cracking them open! I think that you’ll agree this was a good one to start with. Erin had told me that when I use them, I need to make sure that the vanilla beans get to shine and be the star of the show. What that really means is that I probably shouldn’t waste them on something with chocolate.

Salted Caramel Brownies

Salted Caramel Brownies

Last week I had a wonderful birthday lunch in La Jolla with my friend Sapna. Sapna and I went to high school together, but we don’t get to see each other as often as either of us would like anymore. She was living in San Diego for college and med school, but is spending this year in NYC to do some research. Lucky for me, she’s in town for a week for a wedding and a conference and I get to hang out with her! She took me to Prepkitchen in La Jolla for lunch and wouldn’t let me pay on account that we were celebrating my birthday. Being the amazing person that she is, Sapna insisted on dessert and ordered the Salted Caramel Brownie. Oh. My. God. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever had. I can still taste the warm, fudgy brownie, the ooey gooey caramel, and the crunchy pecans. How amazing does that sound?? 


Anyway, a few days later I came down with strep throat and was lying miserably in bed (this was before I ended up in the hospital…long story). I decided that I needed something to cheer me up, so I started researching salted caramel brownies. Nothing fit the bill like the one from Prepkitchen. On a whim, I searched for the Prepkitchen recipe and FOUND it‼ By the grace of God, someone asked the San Diego Union-Tribune to coax the recipe out of Prepkitchen for these decadent brownies and the UT was successful.

Mom's Fudge Brownies

There are some recipes that should not be tampered with. You know, in that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” sort of way. I believe that my Mom’s Fudge Brownies are just the sort. They are perfect in almost every way: that perfect combination of fudge and cake, dense and moist, delicious in every bite. That’s why I always, always have the ingredients to make these brownies on hand. You never know when you are going to need to whip up a perfect dessert.

Baking these brownies is easy and familiar, and reminds me of baking in parents’ kitchen back home. I remember making them as a kid for family gatherings, birthdays, and just because. I love them best when they are served warm with vanilla ice cream á la mode. Seriously, it’s the best. :)

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

In honor of the 4th of July, I decided to make an All-American dessert. I could have made something festive with red and blue, like a fruit tart or this cherry cheesecake from Cooking Light that my sister shared with me, but I decided to go with something about little more simple and classic. Okay, realistically I didn’t want to leave the house today and there are only a few things I can make in a moments notice. So, I decided to make Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Now, I usually use the Tollhouse® recipe found on the back of the bag of chocolate chips. But today I wanted to venture outside my comfort zone and use someone else’s recipe. I really just did a simple search for “best chocolate chip cookie” and this amazing recipe came up as the third link on Yahoo! This helped me discover a brand new baking blog and opened me up to a quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. What makes a cookie perfect? Honestly, I don’t know. As long as a cookie isn’t over cooked and brunt, can you really go wrong? No, I don’t think you can. :) I’ve had some pretty amazing chocolate chip cookies in my life, so I’m determined to share as many of those recipes as I can get my hands on.