photo op: reliving baking memories

RER 3.14.17

There was a time when love was blind

And the world was a song

And the song was exciting

There was a time

Then it all went wrong…

No, I know. I’m being dramatic. And a Les Miz fan. Nothing has gone wrong. But…

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

 There was a time when I used to bake

And the kitchen smelled like cookies

And there was butter and sugar all over the place

There was a time

Then came adulting…

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

A lot has happened over the last few months: Life has just intensified in the most amazing ways from my job, to a status change, to looking forward to and toward the future. There has been little time for baking, but still plenty of time for eating well (pics or it didn’t happen).

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

The last time I baked, it was chocolates chip cookies and a foggy memory. Coconut, too. Something about a snow day— a rare occurrence when I was in school, the very same school where I am starting my third year as a teacher (!!).  When I was young, the school would stay open and the less-than-attractive floors would be slippery and squeak with the melted snow from boots and shoes. Classes would be diminished, but we would learn things that you can’t find in books. The snow would be like a silencer for the outside world, but inside school there would be palpable excitement and an ineffable feeling of security and comfort.

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17

RER 3.14.17 

RER 3.14.17

Making those cookies back in March made me feel that sense of coziness, and thinking about the last time I truly baked, makes me feel the same on this humid August day. And maybe, I also feel a little inspired…..

RER

8.18.17

RER 3.14.17

MangiaMore: mini RED VELVET cheesecakes

RER 2.13.16

Valentine’s Day already feels like a thing of the past; buried deep in nostalgia, underneath lesson prep, parent teacher student conferences, and Poe. But it was a sweet thing. A stuffed puppy hidden in my bag and a box of chocolates to be nibbled. A night of homemade pizza and recorded television and peppermint patties. A moment that came and went far too quickly and was hardly relished due to long hours and sad losses.

RER 2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

As in the past, I made an edible gift for my beau. This time, I went for mini red velvet cheesecakes inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction. These little confections looked fun and they are a blend of things that my love loves most.

Anything red velvet has instant appeal. And red is a Valentine’s Day given. Cheesecake is divisive: sweet and tangy, smooth, creamy, voluptuous, sensual. So these smaller versions of a classic favorite definitely fit the bill.

RER 2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

While piling the enchanting red cookie dough into the bottom of the lined tin, I was elated, stunned by the perfect color and taste of the amalgamation. With the cookie bases in the oven and the sweet smells of chocolate, sugar, and butter, pervading the kitchen, I whipped up the cheesecake topping adding that requisite dollop of thick Greek yogurt. Hardly cooked dough served as the foundation for a fat scoop of almost white cheesecake, which made a plopping noise on the pliable surface. Plop, swoop, spread… they were in the oven, complete and beautiful.

RER 2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

And then, the trouble began. The cheesecake part took longer than expected to firm from a spreadable mixture to a bouncy texture. With each additional moment in the oven, the chocolate aroma intensified and deepened to discomfort. Those pretty red cookie crusts deepened to dark dense scarlet. They were overdone and crunchy, making the proportions of cookie to cheesecake overwhelming and out of touch.

RER 2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

The mini cheesecakes tasted ok, but they were not what I was dreaming about. They were not the gift I wanted to give. My too-done treats involved too much crunch and not enough creaminess. There was, however, the pleasant play of sweet and tangy, chocolate and butter. All was not lost. Every experience is a learning experience. There’s always next year.

Hope you all had a happy Valentine’s Day, too!

RER

2.13.16

RER 2.13.16

photo OP: blondie bomb

RER 11.24.15

Sometimes sweets are in order, especially when the pressure is on and it feels like the world might be closing in, no matter how happy you are. Closing walls, racing heartbeats, and spinning hands on the clock are not exclusive to stress, anxiety, and unhappiness. Pleasure, excitement, and joy can have similar suffocating feelings. My newfound joy comes with intense investment and hard work. But it’s worth it…

RER 11.14.15

RER 11.14.15

RER 11.14.15

RER 11.14.15

RER 11.14.15

So are these blondies, which are a spin-off of these. This time our remix included marshmallow, chocolate chip, and pretzel mix-ins. Too much yum.

RER

11.24.15

RER 11.14.15