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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

MangiaMore: RASPBERRY cheesecake brownies

RER 5.21.15

Now, I know you know what it’s like to want chocolate—to need chocolate. Well, that happened, like yesterday. But not really, more like Monday. I also know you know what it’s like to be super busy and have to put off frivolous baking.

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Oddly succumbing to procrastination despite my excitement, I was enchanted by the vast and delicious blogs of the Saveur Blog Awards 2015 and then I found the perfect recipe to tickle that chocolate desire.

It was a blackberry cheesecake brownie recipe that I first saw on Broma Bakery with the details in her guest post on Oh, Sweet Basil, which really caught my attention. It’s the best of both worlds.

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RER 5.20.15

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RER 5.20.15

Well, as much as I really wanted to use blackberries, because they are pretty and dark and mysterious, I generally feel like they can be more bitter and adult than sweet and playful. So I went a different direction with these thick brownie bits of heaven. I debated between using sweet dark cherries (I had a bag in the freezer) or raspberries (on sale in the freezer section at the grocery store). In the end, raspberries prevailed.

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RER 5.20.15

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And the brownies turned out delightful. I wish I could say they were beautiful to look at, but alas, I can not; I have to step up my swirl game. However, they are as tasty as they are unattractive. That quick raspberry compote “swirled” into the thick cheesecake layer adds a tang and a brightness that brings depth and luxury to the dense, chewy, fudgy, chocolaty brownie below. It really is the best of both worlds—playful with color and varied textures, but refined and sophisticated with rich, sensual chocolate.

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What is the recipe you turn to when chocolate is on your mind?  Could always use another tempting chocolate treat...

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5.21.15

RER 5.21.15

BEST of both worlds: Sugar Couture Opens in East Williamsburg

RER 12.15.14

It’s perhaps the most pleasant sugar high ever, devoid of the jagged ups and downs, shaking hands and elevated heart rate. A visit to East Williamsburg’s new boutique café, Sugar Couture, brings just the right amount of sweet and savory to the daily grind, from breakfast options to afternoon snacks.  

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Café founder and owner, Penny Stankiewicz, is no stranger to the sweeter side of food. Formerly a documentary director, Stankiewicz went to school to explore the creative outlet of food, pastry and cake decorating. Since then she has established a reputation as cake decorator to the stars with her Sugar Couture special occasion cakes.

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RER 12.15.14

Creating a delicious concept where the sweet is mixed with the savory was a natural next step for Stankiewicz. "I was feeling strongly like it was time for a new challenge, “ says the café owner. “And it had always been a dream of mine to have a retail shop, so when all of the pieces began to fall together, I took the leap!”

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 Dessert favorites come alive in an elevated way in the expert hands of Stankiewicz. Sizeable flakes of sea salt make sweet things sweeter and more dynamic, from studded pecan raisin brownies to seductive caramel candies. Meaty pistachios, crunchy and sticky, are savory jewels paired with delicate pear in tasty tarts and earthy pumpkin and the hum of dulcet mature fig combine to create perfect cheesecake. And luxurious chocolate roasted sandwich cookies blend the unexpected.

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Select savories like seasonal soups, salads, warm pressed sandwiches, and hearty vegetable dishes, add yet another layer to Sugar Couture. These rich melodies with eggy accents, flaky pastry, and doughy breads do not forget the sweet roots of the owner. Sultry bacon jam croissants and decadent creamy baked eggs in puff pastry, both crusty, salty, and textured—perfect breakfasts. Even bready focaccia selections have inherent sweetness from the pretty base to caramelized onion, tangy tomato, tender short rib or butternut squash.

Mustn’t forget about the cakes, the sweet treat Stankiewicz is known for. Daily specials like spicy lemon ginger cake layered thick with smooth tropical passion fruit butter cream, or fall flavored slices laced with caramel, browned butter and apple are a staple at the new café.

Along with the handcrafted bites, Sugar Couture offers Toby’s Estate Coffee, specialty drinks and drink infusions to round out the delectable experience. The intimate space complete with fresh details allows for delightful indulgence and a harmony of flavors.

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WHERE:

Sugar Couture

386 Graham Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11211

Ph. 718.349.1440

www.sugar-couture.com

RER

12.22.14