I like who I am. I genuinely do. I like the talents I naturally possess and the ones I look to refine. I didn't grow up baking, but I grew up eating. It wasn't until I was unemployed after my stint at law school did I begin working in the kitchen, too embarrassed to continually spend money when money was tight. I began this blog in January and I hone a craft every day.
I try to think about the first thing I baked, when I knew it was love and not just another hobby. I think it was a carrot cake. I think I grated the carrots in a food processor I bought on sale at Macy's. I think I whipped some egg whites and called it a meringue. I think it deflated when it set, but I was proud of it all the same. It tasted like shit, but it was all mine. Now, looking back, I see how far I have come, what progress can look like, and I'm thankful to attribute my growth to all of the amazing people in food that I have met in the last year.
If there was one cookbook I would have liked to have had starting out, it would have been one like my pal Billy's Whip it Up!. Simple, creative, and fun. Nothing too complicated, nothing too expensive. But delicious, playful. Food I'd make for my family. Food I'd make for people I love. Food I'd make for movie nights and picnics. Food I'd make because I know the results will always come out great. Billy's book is as much pop art as it is a culinary expression of his humor and talent. Doesn't help that he's got a special place in my heart for his chocolate espresso snickerdoodle recipe (below and in his new cookbook!!), which apparently Hungry Girl Por Vida and Fix Feast Flair also loved :)
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee (powder)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon cane sugar (or granulated white)
Directions:
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl
- In another bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter, coffee, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes
- Add the eggs one at a time, making sure the first one is completely blended before adding the second one with the vanilla extract. Then add the cocoa-flour mixture in 2 batches so it doesn't fly everywhere, mixing until combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour to firm up.
- Preheat oven to 350*F and line a baking sheet with baking parchment
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl or pie dish, then use a medium cookie scoop (or 1 1/2 tablespoons) to portion dough and roll in cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly flattened and crackly. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely