baking makes you a crazy person

Since it’s currently eleventy-billion degrees in San Diego, no sane person would be gleefully contemplating turning on the oven and spending a day basking in cookie-fueled heat. Clearly I have the crazy, because the next few days look like they’re going to be a baking marathon and I couldn’t be more excited!

Two projects I’m tackling are treats to pack up and send on a guys get-away weekend, and making another round of gluten-free vegan cupcakes.

First, I’ve been itching to make these Peanut Butter M&M Bars from The Gonzo Gourmet.

Gourgeous, right? Thinking that they will be the perfect send-along treat. Maybe I’ll mix things up and make a few with Reese’s Pieces for my fellow peanut butter fiends. Can’t wait!

As for the cupcakes, I love making things for my friends with dietary restrictions. Sure, it’s easy to whip up a batch of flour-butter-egg goodies, but a little extra time and effort can often yield a batch of deliciousness that’s all the more meaningful to someone seldom able to indulge in treats. I’ve been playing around with some recipes and resources to make gluten-free, vegan cupcakes for a special occasion. My first batch yielded these dark chocolate cupcakes with chocolate filling, topped with “butterscotch” mousse, caramelized sugar, and smoked sea salt.

The flavor was great, but (as usual), I didn’t write much down so need to re-make it a few times to check quantities and technique for the big event. And I always figure that, as long as I’m making another batch, I might as well tinker with it a bit. I originally used a GF mix (with some tweaking) for the cake, but I’ve been eyeing this slightly more complex chocolate cupcake recipe from Gluten Free Girl. So dark. So chocolate-y.

Next step: to the ovens!

chocolate cookie love

Lately I’ve been experimenting with chocolate cookie recipes.

auction by san diego food bloggers

Love San Diego? Love things that are delicious?  Check out this amazing gift basket being auctioned by a great group of San Diego food bloggers supporting A Fund for Jennie!  Bids will be accepted over at Meandering Eats now through September 2.   Good luck, and happy bidding!

the savory & the sweet

The September issue of Bon Appetit magazine has a feature on desserts made with salt or pepper, like Pink Peppercorn Panna Cotta with Macerated Cherries or this Devils Food Cake with Boiled Black Pepper Icing.

As you can probably guess from previous posts, I am a huge fan of salty and sweet desserts.   Also amazing are spicy and sweet, like San Diego local Chuao Chocolatier’s Spicy Maya, with dark chocolate, Pasilla chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon.  Readers, how do you like your desserts: savory and sweet, or straight sugary goodness?