I know very little about Irish cooking. As far as I can tell, I don’t have a drop of Irish blood in me. I’ve never been to Ireland. I have been to a few Irish pubs and eateries, and while I do love me a good boxty (my love for potatoes is no secret), my most memorable Irish restaurant experience was an unfortunate incident in which I eagerly dug into a scoop of Guinness ice ...
chocolate
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies
As a child, mint and I did not get along. I tolerated it in toothpaste, but that was about it. Mint chewing gum, mint chip ice cream, and candy canes could have disappeared off the face of the planet and I wouldn’t have shed a tear. At some point before high school, however, my taste buds reconsidered, and I began chewing mint gum by the Costco (brick-sized) pack, making up for lost time with mint ...
Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread
After doing a quick poll on Facebook the other day about people’s favorite bread (zucchini, banana, or pumpkin) and seeing no clear consensus, I decided to try making a combination of two of the breads in the running. Since it’s still technically August and I try to resist baking with pumpkin until at least mid-September, I went with banana and zucchini. ...
Vegan Chocolate Mousse Parfaits
Every kid has at least one food that he or she dreads seeing on the table come dinnertime. Liver. Brussels sprouts. Toad stroganoff (as imagined by the ever hyperbolic, notoriously picky Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes). In retrospect, I can see that I had it pretty good, but nevertheless, for me, that food was tofu. The only time I was ever happy to be served tofu? When it came dressed as dessert, ...
Mini Samoa Pies
I somehow managed to go this whole year without seeing any Girl Scouts selling cookies. Granted, I wasn’t actively seeking them out, but usually you don’t have to try, you know? They're practically everywhere. I even remember seeing them when I was an undergrad, lining the main walk through campus during finals week. It kind of seemed like they were sliiightly taking advantage of our ...
Peanut Caramel Rice Krispies Candies
I’ve inadvertently been on a bit of a candy-making kick lately. Over the holidays, I was already planning to make a batch of chocolate hazelnut truffles to give as a gift, but was then encouraged (volun-told?) to make an additional batch and a half for various family members. A week or two later, I ended up making even more candy when we had some friends over for dinner. I needed a ...
Baileys Peppermint Chocolate Cake
There’s something magical about recipes whose ingredients you always have on hand, so that when cravings strike, you can whip up something to satisfy those cravings without ever having to leave the house. Because having to the leave the house means having to put on real pants, and let’s be honest. There are days when ain’t nobody got time for that, you know? ...
Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Bread
I’ve been thinking about this chocolate pumpkin swirl bread for quite some time now, but thanks to our overzealousness at the apple orchard last month, I haven’t been able to bring myself to bake anything that doesn’t involve apples. Last Friday, I baked a cranberry apple crisp (post forthcoming!) and so, with my apple obligation for the day thus fulfilled, I could finally turn my attention ...
Chocolate Espresso Crinkle Cookies
While I personally don’t drink coffee (except in certain social contexts), I do love coffee-flavored desserts, and these chocolate espresso crinkle cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes! The amount of espresso powder (only two tablespoons) is small, but as a flavor, coffee is one of the main players in this cookie. ...
Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
There are times when I really just need to get into the kitchen and bake something. It helps me take my mind off other, more stressful things, and it’s always nice to fill the apartment with warm, comforting smells of cinnamon and chocolate, you know? ...