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Cookies and Cream Frosted Brownies
I think we all have our weaknesses. Some are more serious than others, for sure. People argue quite heatedly whether sugar is an addiction, and I’m going to ignore all the studies and state with quite a bit of certainty that if sugar’s not an addiction, it sure as heck comes close. Because anything that I crave this much is entering danger territory.
I’ve tried to fight it. I even went two months sugar-free last year to see what would happen. Nothing happened. I didn’t have cravings as madly as I’d supposed, but I also never lost the desire to eat chocolate. So there you have it.
Liebster Award: The Fun Never Stops!
No recipe today, people. But I’ve got some mean cookies and cream brownies coming your way tomorrow morning! In the meantime, today’s post is about the wonderful world of food blogging.
One of the most fun things about being a baking blogger is meeting other baking bloggers. No, not in person, silly! We all live in different places. But we’re all very adorable and witty and love to comment on (and drool over) the desserts we share.
A little while back, I discovered Gayle from Pumpkin n’ Spice. Her recipes are awesome and you need to go to her blog right now! Well, right after you read this. Do that first.
PB Oreo Frozen Yogurt Shake
You’d think I would’ve learned by now. You know, how to stand upright and walk without incident. Turns out, it ain’t so easy.
A year ago, I was running. But then a weird fluke fall led to a hip break, and then a foot break, so I’ve been cross-training and strength training for several months. The one day I tried running again I fell over. Again. Yes, it’s definitely me. Can’t blame the even suburban terrain on this one!
So the other day I was just walking, heading calmly to my weekly voice lesson, and down I went. I gotta tell you, I was pretty embarrassed. Especially because I wiped out right in front of a whole group of ballet dancers. Nothing is more humiliating then falling over in front of a group of stick-thin, graceful women who have body coordination. So as soon as my lesson ended, I ran home and made this fro yo shake to recover my sense of equilibrium.
Magic Middle Cookies
When I was in college, this really eccentric husband-wife team oversaw my dining hall. They looked like a sweet older couple, but he always made really dirty jokes and she would shoot you the evil eye forever if you so much as left a scrap of food on your plate. But they fed me, so I was grateful.
Every now and then, they’d serve the best slice and bake cookies in the universe. No, I’m not exaggerating, so leave me alone. They were really the best. And I’ve hunted them down for years without any luck. It’s so sad!
They were rich chocolate cookies, huge ones, with an amazing peanut butter center that reminded me of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Can you wonder at all why these were my idea of perfection? Years later, I learned that this kind of cookie is called a Magic Middle. And while they are magical, they can take a while to make with both the cookie dough and the peanut butter center dough. So I made up a shortcut, a cheat, a whatever. And they taste even better than the labor-intensive ones!
Nectarine Lime Crumble
Okay, have I mentioned that I have a thing for white nectarines? Well, I do. In the summer, I cannot go to a grocery store without buying at least six. And if I’m in a store two days in a row, well, that’s 12. I eat them plain, put them in salads, and bake them up in desserts.
But I have another obsession as well, and it’s kind of a year-round thing. Anything with lime, anytime, I’m there. I know it’s not fashionable to like lime in December, but hey, they sell limes all the time. I’m buying them. Simple as that!
Last week, I had an idea. What if I took my two favorite summer fruit flavors and combined them? Gross, or spectacular? I had to find out. Turns out, it paid off!
Copycat Georgetown Cupcakes (Chocolate Ganache)
As you may know if you read my blog with any regularity, I reside in the incomparable DC/Metro area. I didn’t grow up here, but as soon as I moved to our nation’s capital, I knew it was home, at least for a while. My favorite thing to do is just roam around the city, sometimes for hours. Someday I’ll write more about that.
DC is known for many tourist attractions, like monuments and museums. But a few years back, our humble city also became famous for…cupcakes.
Yep, Georgetown Cupcake, the famous pink-infused cupcake chain, hasn’t slowed down since the day it opened! I wasn’t even aware of its existence until a colleague’s son was on the camera crew for TLC’s DC Cupcakes, a reality show about the store. Suddenly, pink boxes began coming into the office because the camera crew got extras left over at the end of the day. Believe me, I was grateful!
Anyway, since that time, I’ve been to Georgetown Cupcake many times, and it’s a happy and cheerful place. Even better, the owners share their recipes with everyone! This one is a favorite of mine, their chocolate ganache.