Whole Lemon Bars

May 29, 2011



The Dr. House of lemon bars. Did you read the title? We're not taking just the juice and zest here, there's an entire acerbic lemon inside these babies. And, after hearing a song that I haven't heard in years, I think at least some of my lemon adoration can be explained. Excited? Thought so. :D

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes

May 25, 2011



When I was little, and between bouts of frustration over the realization that one could not actually bake in an Easy Bake oven ( despite several failed attempts ), I used to have imaginary parties with my Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Occasionally She-Ra would join in, but only if that fickle Blueberry Muffin was off somewhere riding My Little Pony. They were not what I would call 'Tea' parties, because A: I was a tomboy girly girl, and B: I never was crazy about tea. Preferably I would have loved to call them soda parties, but since soda was taboo in the green-stuff stuffed fridge, I settled for...wait for it, H20. It was a sad excuse for a party, I was hoping my parents would realize this, break down, and by me a bottle of root beer and a box of Ho Hos. But they sat around the mini table and pretended to enjoy their water and non-existent cake. Cold, cold hearted they were. :-p

Chocolate Chip-Pistachio Bars

May 22, 2011


Chocolate chips, long time no see! It's frustrating when, as a food blogger, you fail to capture how spectacular something is. It's like picking a bouquet of flowers for someone, dropping them in heavy traffic, getting a few caught in a doorway, and then trying to explain how beautiful they looked at one point. I made David Lebovitz's chocolate chip cookies a few weeks ago, but the pictures are sitting in my camera, waiting for me to release them. They were good, very very good (I'm speaking of the cookies here, not the photos.) Until I started this blog, I had no idea how fussy cookies can be when it comes to getting their picture taken. I've over done the cookie in a cup, and I always fall back on just plopping them on top of each other, so I wanted to try something different. After reading about taking pictures using the manual settings, I attempted to be cute by placing a glass of milk in the frame. However, not only does whole milk and half & half taste better in cereal, I'm sure they're much more photogenic than transparent-blueish skim milk. It looked like dingy dish water, plus I didn't have a tripod to help alleviate the effects of too much coffee and frustration. So my plan is to go back to my fall-back cookie settings (i.e. cookies in a cup), and redo the recipe soon...eventually.

Non-food bloggers, are you bored stiff right now? Sorry. I had to vent a bit about food photography. Onto the actual bars!

Lemon-Honey Bundt Cakes

May 18, 2011



Good great delicious things come in small packages. If you don't have a mini bundt pan, I highly recommend getting one, especially if, like me, you haven't had luck with traditional large bundt cakes. Whenever I'd hear the word bundt cake, I used to think of a clump of dry, unfrosted cake that sticks in the back of your throat. To make matters worse, I always had a hard time unmolding big bundt cakes...half of it stuck to the pan, resulting in a very ugly 'mound' of crumbly, bland, sometimes half-baked cake, and an equally ugly desire to hurl the pan at something (namely a window, an oncoming Semi, or a schizophrenic oven.) However, that all changed once I began using the mini-me version.

Brûléed Key Lime Tartlets

May 14, 2011

brûléed key Lime tartlets | une gamine dans la cuisine

How has your weekend been so far? I'm happy to report that the temperature has finally caught up with the season, although sadly it bypassed spring, completely. Literally overnight, the trees sprouted wee celery green leaves + the annoyingly darling dandelions are peeking through blades of too-high grass. Cold weather has finally relinquished its iron grip there is a lush heaviness that carries the aroma of lilacs & daffodils.

My mother prefers the chill of autumn & early spring, while I relish in the heat and humidity of summer. Oddly enough, her personality is warm and sunny. I'm the one who, at times, can be a bit icy and reticent; except while writing & baking, of course.

I wonder if there is a science behind what season one prefers? They say that what we dislike the most in other people usually depends upon what we see in ourselves. But who are 'they,' and how far can that theory be taken? Certainly not to food, I hope! Because I hate Brussels sprouts & liver and I'd prefer to not think of myself as bitter and nauseating...I'll leave that up for you to decide.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Brown Sugar Chocolate-Chip Mini Bundts

May 10, 2011



Big bundt cakes are usually not high on my list of things I like to make, which is why I'm a fan of pilates. Butt seriously, since this is another recipe from Dorie, I had a feeling that it wouldn't be at all dry or bland, and I was right! Besides, my mini bundt pan has only been put to use a few times, and I felt bad for it, sitting there in the cupboard and feeling unloved.

Brown Derby Grapefruit Cake

May 5, 2011


I'm prone to connecting things that have nothing to do with each other, so this is yet another example of cloud catching. The Brown Derby is a famous restaurant in Los Angeles and the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, ergo I wanted a friendly, edible version of the infamous race. Makes sense, right?

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate-Mint Marbled Muffins

May 3, 2011


Happy May! I think part of my brain, the part that refuses to acknowledge how fast time has gone by, is convinced that it's still March, the rest of it is elated that it's not true. :D I love May. Everything is starting to bloom and the air feels light and lush all at the same time. Speaking of light and lush, these muffins just conveniently happened to fall into that very same category (nice segway, huh?)
 

une gamine dans la cuisine © All rights reserved · Theme by Blog Milk · Blogger