Cookies with your Creams

It’s no secret that Kiehls creates some of the best skincare products on the market. Their facial moisturizers/cleansers are perfect for any type of skin and their customer representatives are some of the most knowledgeable around. It’s also no secret that Milk and Cookies Bakery has some of the best cookies in NYC. Fresh, delicious, and hot out of the oven, the crew at Milk and Cookies love their craft and it shows in every chocolate chipped, oatmeal laden, butterscotch injected morsel.

When I heard that these two born and bred NY institutions were going to team up for a coffee bar in Kiehls flagship store, I got seriously excited. Only Kiehls would give me the opportunity to indulge in warm chocolately goodness while perusing for a new eye cream. Think about this concept for a second, have you ever been shopping and after a prolonged period in time felt that hungry rumble in your stomach start to gurgle? You want to continue to sample and shop but you’ve stopped paying attention to anything at this point. Your stomach has taken over and the rumbles will not end until it’s satisfied. No need to bolt out to grab a cuppa joe and a sweet loaf of something-or-other from the generic Starbucks down the block, now you’ve got fresh java and baked goods at your finger tips! It’s brilliant!

Kiehls, you’ve just given me one more reason to love you.

Visit Kiehls NY Flagship at:
109 Third Avenue
Between 13th & 14th Streets
New York, NY 10003

Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

I can’t get enough of that chocolate chip banana nut loaf from Starbucks and this tastes exactly like it…well to me. Try it and let me know what you think!

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 cup of cream cheese
½ c of butter
1 tbs. of almond paste
1 package of banana baby food
1 cup of mini chocolate chips
3/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 c. flour
3 bananas, crushed
1 c. pecan, diced sm

Preheat oven to 350 degrees:

-Cream first 4 ingredients. Add banana baby food.
-Mix eggs in, one at a time. Add soda, salt, and flour while mixing at medium speed.
-Add chocolate chips and then mix in bananas and nuts.
-Bake in greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans for 1 hour until toothpick comes out clean.

A Tale of Two Cupcakes

For starters I have to admit, I hardly ever go out for cupcakes anymore. Why? Mostly because I have been so utterly disappointed with the dry/tasteless/sugary loads of crap most people consider good. I’ve had many of the NYC standards: Magnolia’s (the frosting is crap), Cupcake Cafe (the cake is dry), Crumbs (they are too big and are overloaded with too many ‘toppings’), Buttercup Bake Shop (too sweet and always slightly stale).  After awhile, I just stopped attempting to enjoy cupcakes made by other people…until last week.

Don’t ask me why but whilst Christmas shopping I had the urge to take another stab at cupcakes so I decided to hit up 2 spots: Butter Laneand Tribeca Treats. Why these places? They were close to my shopping destinations. Here’s my review on both establishments:

Butter Lane- I walked into their temporary Soho outpost and was immediately hopeful. The atmosphere was simple yet homey. Also the cupcakes didnt look covered in goop/sprinkles but still had interesting flavors like pumpkin and blueberry. I purchased a pumpkin frosting/chocolate cake  to go and began consuming as I walked out the door. I was pleasantly surprised. I mean, they werent mind blowing but they weren’t awful. The frosting was soft but was still substantial and the cake was moist. The drawback, I didnt taste pumpkin AT ALL. I dont know where the pumpkin was or how they tried to infuse the festive flavor into the frosting but it didnt work. Boo. It wasn’t a total loss but was certainly not a win. Onto the next cupcake…

Tribeca Treats- I had avoided this place for years because my sister had insisted that it was a horrible with gross

treats/bad service and I took her word for it. The atmosphere was typically bakery-esk: a few tables, chocolate pictures on the walls, window cases filled with chocolates and baked goods, etc. Maybe it was because I went about 40 minutes before closing, but they did not have too many cupcakes to chose from which started to worry me. I decided to go with the S’more cupcake because it had everything I would want: chocolate cake with marshmallow icing and topped with graham cracker crumbs. Once again, I started consuming as soon as I stepped out the door. After the 2nd bite I knew I had found it: the cupcake of my dreams. The frosting was soft, billowy, and sweet without being cloying. The cake was moist, delicous, and fresh. The graham cracker crumbs ontop of the frosting werent stale or hard, they were soft and buttery. Better yet? Everything tasted as advertised!!  It actually TASTED like a s’mores instead of just sugary glop. I immediately called my sister while she was at work to yell at her for giving me such bad advice.

In summation: if you’re in the Financial District or Tribeca and are looking for a sweet snack - stop on into Tribeca Treats and get yourself something…no matter what your sister may tell you.

Tomato Tarts

There is nothing simpler than a tomato tart in the summer.  If you grow tomatoes and never know what to do with your leftovers, this is a great way to use them.

4 lbs of tomatoes

4 tbs of Dijon Mustard

2/3 cup of shredded swiss cheese

1 ts. garlic powder

1/4 cup of finely chopped herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)

1 pie crust (make your own or buy a Pillsbury pre-made)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

- Bake crust for 10 minutes, remove, and let cool

- While pie crust is cooling, slice tomatoes into slices and drain excess juice in a collander

- After crust is cool, then spread the mustard on the bottom. Evenly sprinkle the cheese top of mustard and then arrange the tomato slices in one layer (like dominos)

- Sprinkle garlic powder and herbs ontop of tomatoes and bake for 15-20 minutes

Braised Beef Short Ribs

This is a perfect dish when its cold outside…it smells great and it warms the house for 4 hours!

8 beef shortribs
2 tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 large carrots
1 1/2 cups of red wine
1 cup of beef broth
1 cup of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Chop the tomatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic into large pieces (if you make them too small they will disintegrate into the sauce). Place in a large baking dish.

Brown the meat in a pan with a touch of olive oil, transfer to the baking dish and pour wine/broth over the meat. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 4 hours.

Carrot Cake of the Gods

This carrot cake recipe is a little different because the cream cheese frosting doesn’t have butter and the cake contains a can of 8oz of crushed pineapple and dried cranberries. My husband LOVES this…

CAKE BATTER
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 ts of baking powder
1 ½ ts of baking soda
2 ts of ground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese since its more fragrant)
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups veggie oil
2 cups peeled and finely grated carrots (about 4 large)
8oz of crushed pineapple (with juice in can)
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup of dried cranberries

Preheat Oven to 325:
- Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in bowl
- Whisk the eggs in large missing bowl and whisk in sugar until light – about a minute. Whisk in oil in slow stream
- Stir in carrots, pineapple, and pecans. Fold in dry ingredients.
- Scrape batter into 2 pans with parchment paper lining the bottom (about 2 inch deep and 9 inches round)
- Back 45 mins until golden and inserted toothpick emerges clean
- Cool cake in pans for 15 mins. And invert onto racks

Icing/Glaze
Ok – I made this up because all the other ones were way too sugary and I wanted to take the butter out of it so I didn’t feel bad eating it.

12 oz of cream cheese
1 cup of Fage (Greek yogurt) or 1 cup of sour cream
1 tbs of vanilla extract
1 tbs of ginger juice (or 1 tbs of ginger powder)_
2 cups of confectioners sugar
1 cup of pecans

Mix all ingredients together except pecans in a mixer with a paddle until its slightly firm. Put in frig for about 20 minutes. Then assemble cake, put thin layer of glaze in the middle of the cake and frost it with the rest. Top with pecans and put whole cake in frig for a hour

French Onion Soup

I love onions, cheese, and broth - so french onion soup has always been my perfect combination. This recipe is a huge hit in the Minchala House. My husband often goes up for thirds!

Ingredients:

2 beef marrow bones (get from butcher)

3 cups of beef broth

3 cups of white wine

2 bay leaves

7 medium onions

1 cup of sherry

salt and pepper

3 tbs butter

Put bones, broth, wine, and bay leaves in a pressure cooker and cook on high for 20 minutes. After cooked, strain liquid to remove bones/leaves and reserve.

Cut 7 onions into thick slices.  Cook butter in a large pot on medium heat until foamythen add onion slices in layers. After each layer, salt and peppers the onions - DO NOT STIR. If you keep the heat at medium they will not burn. Cook for 1 hour. Check on them every so often to make sure nothing is burning or sticking (although it shouldnt). After onions are cooked - add the beef broth and sherry. Reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes.

After soup is done heat broiler and place rack on top 1/3 of oven.

Pour soup into oven safe bowls and top with a slice of country bread/italian bread and slices of gruyere cheese. Place a baking sheet underneath in case of spills and heat for 1 minute (the cheese can burn easily so make sure it is not in there for too long)

Enjoy!