compost cookie

last week i tried my hand at baking compost cookies inspired by momofuku milkbars recipe. i stopped by spun sugar to pick up the glucose powder it called for & got to baking. 

given that i gave up my processed & artificial sugar for the month of february, i couldn't taste the final product. however, i was assured by the compliments that this recipe is a keeper. i made the cookies smaller than what the recipe called for so instead of baking it for 18 minutes, i changed the baking time to 8 minutes. 

recipe:

• 225 grams (16 Tbsp. or 2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 150 grams (2⁄3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
• 50 grams (2 Tbsp.) glucose
• 1 egg
• 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) vanilla extract
• 225 grams (1 1/3 cups) flour
• 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) baking powder
• 1 1/2 grams (1/4 tsp.) baking soda
• 4 grams (1 tsp.) kosher salt
• 150 grams (3/4 cup) mini chocolate chips
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) mini butterscotch chips
• 1/4 recipe Graham Crust (85 grams or 1/2 cup; see separate recipe)
• 40 grams (1/3 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 5 grams (2 1/2 tsp.) ground coffee
• 50 grams (2 cups) potato chips
• 50 grams (1 cup) mini pretzels

directions:

Combine the butter, sugars and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. 

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. 

Still on low speed, add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crust, oats and coffee, and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels, and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips. (You deserve a pat on the back if one of your cookies bakes off with a whole pretzel standing up in the center.) 

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1⁄3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly. 

Heat the oven to 375°. 

Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center. Give them an extra minute or so if that's not the case. 

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

LOVE day

this year was our first valentines as husband & wife. in the past we usually avoid the crowds & have a day date instead of dinner out. this valentines we decided to keep it low key, so the hubby & i stayed in & he cooked most of our dinner. it's such a nice treat for me since i usually do the cooking. 

he made my favorite (his version is truly the best! even better than olive garden) zuppa toscanna soup & bbq-ed rib eye steaks for us. i roasted brussel sprouts & lightly tossed then in balsamic reduction. our dinner was absolutely delicious!

i was so hungry that I didn't get a chance to take photos. however, i did take a photo of the soup prep & triple chocolate brownies i baked his co-workers. the brownies were made a festive with cake toppers i made the night before & i decorated the kitchen with heart garlands i crafted & reused from the previous year. 

                                      

more paper projects

my little journey of craftiness & creativity started when i was gifted a cricut after my engagement. prior to that i didn't think i had a creative bone in my body. or perhaps i just never made the time. i love the excitement, exhilaration, & feeling of accomplishment when i've completed a project. it's allowed the perfectionist in me to be messy. to have failures & start over again if i didn't get something right. after all it's just paper right? :) 

here's a look back at two projects. 

cake topper for a friends birthday cheesecake. 

i made hot chocolate + marshmallow favors for my bridal shower. the font i used had these darling hearts. i printed out a "you warm my heart" tag to finish it off. 

i can't wait to grow my skills in this little area of my life that brings me such happiness & excitement!

glitter star bobby pins

i made these adorable glitter star bobby pins for a few girlfriends & their daughters. they were quite easy to make & all i needed were 3 items! gold star embellishment found at michaels (or you can even modge podge your own star shape & just add glitter), bobby pins, & a hot glue gun! it only took minutes to make & the end result were cute hair pins with a bit of sparkle! 

to finish it off i cut out some gift tags, attached gold ribbon, wrote a personalized message for the receivers, & placed the star hair pins on the gift tag. 

emboss like a boss

being a paper craft nerd, anything paper related projects for our wedding, was something i looked forward to! in fact it was probably one of my most favorite parts of our wedding. 

to tie in with our accent color of gold, i embossed gold name tags for the groomsmen gifts. i loved the end result & it was much more friendly on the wallet than gold foiling from vendors. i found these awesome stamps at paper source that mimicked a vintage typewriter font. armed with my embossing gun, stamp pad, & gold powder my friday night in was spent diy-ing & having fun! 

reusable bags

hubby & i hosted a welcome luncheon with guests the day before our wedding. we opted out of a formal dinner rehearsal & wanted to include others outside the wedding party. we thought a luncheon at the beach would be a great way for guests to meet one another. i ordered  reusable bags with our custom logo & made gift tags. i ended up loving the uneven, imperfect, & sometimes faded application of the letters i stamped. then i finished it off by neatly folding the bags & securely wrapping twine around it for a nice presentation. 

the guests ended up using it as beach bags, dirty laundry bag, & to haul snacks/food they purchased at nearby stands & market. im glad it was both multifunctional & useful! 

devirginized

i finally received the two monthly paper kits that ive been highly anticipating. i never knew such monthly subscriptions existed until recently. in fact theirs many different kinds being offered from various companies. from scrapbooking,  card making, project life,  & rubber stamp monthly mail outs! i chose studio calico's project life kit & simon says kelly purkey exclusive monthly kit. i am absolutely enamored by the exclusive karl barteski stamps in studio calico's project life kit & the letter press cards & gold accents from kelly purkey's kit.

ive decided to hold off on becoming a faithful monthly subscriber. so for now ill keep checking out their monthly kits & if im interested hopefully it's not sold out.

BIG 30!

a few days ago the fiancé celebrated his 30th birthday. on the actual day of we kept it low key & his mom, sister, & i cooked a huge dinner. he even had 2 cakes..30 is huge after all. :) we were all so stuffed afterwards!

it was also another good excuse to craft a few things. i made him cake toppers. one was a banner. another were glitter stars from a previous project & sparkly pom poms to mimic candles since i forgot to buy some at the store.