Chocolate Dumpster Cookies

I had to work this weekend, and although I love my job, working on a Saturday really isn't my thing. Unless, of course, you are working on the set of a photo shoot and get to take a bunch of swag, like chocolate and cereal, with you. That helps to make working on a Saturday not so bad.

Baking with chocolate isn't something I do frequently because chocolate is expensive and I find it hard to justify buying something expensive that I don't really need. But let's face it, we all have that drawer in our homes that has a half a bag of chocolate chips, and another quarter bag of white chocolate chips, and so on.

And so, after Saturday's photo shoot, I came home with three half bags of chocolate to add to my already growing stash. What's a girl to make when she has a whole bunch of mismatched chocolate and cereal on her hands? Chocolate Dumpster Cookies, of course! Upon first glance, you might think I made a typo. Only a quarter cup of flour is no mistake. It's quite amazing, actually, that these cookies come together and taste as delicious as they do. Except when you combine chocolate, nuts, more chocolate and some yummy cereal it's not really hard to believe they're gooey, dense and 100% divine.

Chocolate Dumpster Cookies
Ingredients

*6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
*2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
*1/3 cup butter
*3 large eggs
*1 cup sugar
*1/4 cup flour
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/8 tsp. salt
*1 1/3 cups Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal (or other cereal of choice)
*2/3 cup rolled oats
*1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
*6 oz. white chocolate chips
*6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchmen paper or Silpat baking mat. Set aside.
*In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate and the butter. Stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Set aside.
*With an electric mixer, beat together eggs and sugar until well combined. Add in the chocolate and beat until combined. Then, add in the flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt and beat until just combined.
*Stir in cereal, oats, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips and chocolate chunks by hand until well combined.
*Spoon by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Madison

Nutella Olive Oil Cake

I'm terribly undecided about this cake. Which is probably why these images have been sitting on my computer for weeks, taunting me, begging to be posted - or not. It's not that I didn't love this cake. In fact, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm just unsure how others might feel about such a cake. Olive oil and Nutella? Together? Yes, indeed.

Since mildly sweet, humble cakes are somewhat of an obsession of mine, this cake won me over at first bite. The original recipe doesn't call for Nutella but rather the more expected flavor of lemon. But I had a half opened jar of the chocolate hazelnut spread in my pantry and couldn't imagine a better way to put it to use. It imparted an interesting sweet and savory flavor combination to the cake, though I should not that I would highly recommend making it with a light-flavored olive oil instead of a full-bodied variety, unless you really, truly love olive oil.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get ready for the weekend ahead. Making the bed, baking banana bread, cleaning my apartment, and getting cleaned up for Joey's visit in a few hours! It never gets old. I get so excited each and every weekend. Hopefully this weekend I manage to stay healthy and do more than sit curled in a ball on the couch.

Have a happy weekend, all!

Nutella Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from Gourmet magazine, 2006

Ingredients
*3/4 cup olive oil (extra-virgin if desired), plus additional for greasing pan
*1/3 cup Nutella, melted slightly in the microwave and stirred
*1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
*5 large eggs, separated, reserving 1 white for another use
*3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
*Powdered sugar

Instructions

*Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil parchment. 

*Beat together Nutella, egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lemon juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated). Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

*Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. 

*Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. 

*Transfer batter to springform pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar. 

Happy Baking!

Madison

Roasted Garlic Popcorn

A few weeks ago, the great people over at Garlic Gold contacted me and asked if I would like to sample some of their new products. I've seen Garlic Gold referenced on a number of my favorite sites, so I was more than excited to get my hands on some and see what all the fuss is all about.

Immediately, my mind turned to popcorn. You see, my mom loves popcorn and eats it almost every night. But most of the time, I could live without popcorn unless it's drenched in movie-theater butter. The healthy stuff just seems dul and lifeless. And while I don't think this recipe constitutes as health food, I'm quite certain it's better for the body than anything from a cinema.

I had to make this recipe three times before I could share it with you, because I kept eating it before I got a chance to photograph it. Not just eating - inhaling it. If you are interested in the Garlic Gold products, jump on over to their site. Although I can't vouch for this, I would imagine that substituting a couple cloves of chopped garlic for the Garlic Gold in the recipe would work just fine, along with a sprinkle of salt. 

Roasted Garlic Popcorn

Ingredients
*5 to 6 cups popped popcorn
*1/3 cup olive oil
*1 tablespoon Garlic Gold Sea Salt Nuggets
*1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (one that doesn't have added salt)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, Garlic Gold, and Italian seasoning. Add the popcorn to the bowl and toss to coat.
*Transfer popcorn to foil-lined baking sheet. Spread into an even layer. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

Happy snacking!

Madison

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

This weekend, Joey and I had a date to celebrate the fact that he passed a very important work-related certification exam. Naturally, I thought baking a cake was in order and had intended to share with you a cake and frosting recipe. However, the cake was a tad on the dry side and not yet ready to share. The frosting, on the other hand, was fabulous. 

It was thick, dense, and ultimately rich in the very best sense. And I was so delighted with how easy it was to work with when frosting a cake. The smooth, shiny, velvety texture made cake decorating a breeze. I would, however, offer this bit of advice: this frosting is best eaten on the day you frost the cake. After a day it loses its luster just a bit. Though it didn't really stop me. 

And now for a public service announcement: If you haven't gotten your flu shot this year, go and do so this week. Though I felt decently healthy on Friday and was on the mend from my recent sickness, I woke up Saturday morning with chills, intense body aches, and major chest congestion. The doctor's diagnosis on Saturday was Influenza B, and I spent the rest of the weekend in a ball on the couch. It was no fun and a flu shot could have saved me a bunch of pain and discomfort. 

Take care of yourselves and have a happy Monday!

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

Adapted just slightly from Maida Heatter's Cakes

Ingredients

*12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

*16 oz. milk chocolate chips

*1 pint sour cream

*1 tsp. vanilla extract 

*1/4 cup milk

Instructions

*Heat semi-sweet chocolate and milk chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until just melted. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add in sour cream and vanilla and beat 1 to 2 minutes on low heat until smooth. Add in milk and beat an additional 30 seconds. 

*Spoon over cake and spread into an even layer. 

Happy baking!

Madison

Carrot Spice Muffins

Every morning starts off pretty much the exact same in my apartment.

5:30 - Alarm goes off
5:45 - I am making breakfast with coffee in hand
6:00 - I'm seated on my couch, eating breakfast and catching up on my favorite blogs

I catch up on the lives of my blog 'friends', get updates about family (my future sister in law just started a blog!) and drool over amazing recipes shared by talented chefs and home cooks. But rarely do I ever bake something from said blogs. It's not that I don't dream of cooking from other sites, it's just that with limited time and resources, I try to save my 'recipe cooking' for things I plan to share on Espresso and Cream.

But on Monday I stumbled upon a recipe I knew I needed to bake. Natalie, over at The Sweets Life, posted a recipe for Carrot Spice Muffins from Dorie Greenspan's book Baking from My Home to Yours. I don't frequently eat muffins because I have a sneaking suspicion that many muffins are actually more nutritionally akin to cupcakes.

This recipe, on the other hand, was something I could get behind. Something I could make my own and enjoy for breakfast without guilt. To fit my needs, I cut back the sugar by 1/3 cup; my grandma, who is a wonderful baker, has a theory you can cut the sugar dramatically in most recipes without consequence because we are been accustomed to overly sweet food. Additionally, I made these little cakes with 100% whole wheat flour because white flour and I don't socialize on a daily basis. I added kosher salt for a kick of flavor and made a few other minor alterations.

Surprisingly. considering they were completely whole wheat, they were pleasantly light. And for me, the sweetness level was spot on. Though if you like your muffins a tad sweeter, go ahead and add 1/3 cup of brown sugar to the mix.

Thanks, Natalie, (and Dorie!) for sharing this recipe!

Also, a few house-keeping notes. In addition to a the new header I designed while I was home sick last week, I also created an all new Recipe Page that has some of my favorite recipes listed for easy access. I've also updated my About Me, FAQ, and Press pages!

Carrot Spice Muffins
Adapted from The Sweets Life and Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
*2 cups whole wheat flour
*1 tablespoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
*1/2 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
*2 large eggs
*3/4 cup milk
*2/3 cup oil
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/2 cup golden raisins
*1 cup finely grated carrots

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease or line 18 muffin cups. Set aside.
*In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. In a second bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until just combined. Gently stir in the golden raisins and carrots. Do not over mix.
*Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with butter.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Big Kid Sick Day Eats

I fought my cold for the last two weeks and my cold won. Last night I woke up after sleeping horribly for a couple hours, knowing that a trip to the doctor would be absolutely necessary in the morning. Although I hate having to take medicine, sometimes it's absolutely necessary.

I woke up this morning wanting my mommy, some Tylenol, and food fit for a sick day. I never ever lose my appetite when I'm sick, and I tend to think there is always something I can eat that will put me on the road to recovery.

So today, after a trip to the doctor and Walgreens, I made myself a lunch that reminded me of childhood with a grown-up twist. Okay, I didn't really eat very many grilled cheese sandwiches when I was sick growing up. But this seemed like the type of food you eat when you're sick. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Big Kid Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
*2 slices whole wheat bread
*Butter (I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light)
*1 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
*1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil
*Fresh cracked black pepper

*1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
*1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
*Ketchup (optional)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter one side of each of the bread slices. On the unbuttered side of one of the bread slices, place the cheddar cheese. Top with the basil. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper.
*On the unbuttered side of the second slice of bread, spread the mustard and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place bread slices together, buttered sides facing outward.
*Bake on a sheet pan, 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side. Cut in half and serve with ketchup, if desired.

Madison

Breakfast Cookie Dough

Happy Valentine's Day, all! Before I say anything about Breakfast Cookie Dough, I want to let you all know how much I love you all. Over the past year, you've made this site more than I could have imagined it being, and I'm oh so thankful for you. Every time you e-mail me, send me a photo of a recipe you've made from the site, Tweet me, or comment about a recipe, I'm reminded of how blessed I am. I truly hope your Valentine's Day is full of all the love you deserve.

Now that feelings have been shared, let's get to the goods: cookie dough for breakfast, 100% guilt-free. I got inspired to make something like this after seeing many recipes for cookie dough 'dip' for fruit and other items. However, even the healthiest versions of this dip contained at least a little cream cheese. In my book, cream cheese and healthy breakfasts don't really walk hand in hand. 

So I made this, Breakfast Cookie Dough, because I love sweet things in the morning, but I hate that rock-in-your-stomach feeling after eating a dense breakfast pastry. Even though I don't have kids, I imagine it would be a fabulous way to get picky eaters to wolf down a breakfast full of protein and calcium without much fuss.

This recipe isn't rocket science, but it sure is tasty. And for someone who likes breakfast to taste indulgent, it's the perfect fix.

Breakfast Cooke Dough

Ingredients
*1 container plain, unsweetened 2% Greek yogurt (I use Fage brand)
*1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
*1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
*1 to 2 tsp. Stevia, Truvia or other natural, no-calorie sweetener 
*1 Tbsp. dark or milk chocolate chips, chopped

Instructions
*In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, ground cinnamon, peanut butter, and sweetener. Stir gently until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Sprinkle addtional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

Happy cooking!

Madison

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cookies

One last post before I unplug for the weekend. After work tomorrow I plan on spending the weekend with my Valentine. Fingers crossed that I'm able to fight off this cold that has been plaguing me all week so we can enjoy our time together.


There's a little story behind these cookies...

One Valentine's Day when I was 15 and a sophomore in high school I had a boyfriend who was a senior. We dated for almost two years, practically an eternity in high school, and for Valentine's Day that year, he brought me a couple dozen heart-shaped, strawberry-flavored cookies. No, he didn't make the cookies himself; his mom made them, and they were delicious. As fate would have it, we got out of school that V-Day at 10 a.m. for bad weather, leaving me majorly bummed but happy to keep two dozen cookies to myself.

I'm not sure why these cookies made such an impact on me, but every Valentine's Day since then I have thought about those cookies. I convinced myself they were better in my memory. But when I made them this week, I realized I was wrong. The deliciousness was not in my imagination. It was real.

Disclaimer: These are not sophisticated, classy cookies. They are just down-home yummy in the simplest sense of the word. Based off a strawberry-flavored boxed cake mix, they couldn't be easier. and since the cookies are very sweet, the cream cheese frosting is a perfect, tangy balance.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cookies

Ingredients
*1 box of strawberry-flavored cake mix
*1 large egg
*1/4 cup oil
*1/4 to 1/3 cup water (start with 1/4 cup and add the extra if needed)
*1 (8-oz.) container cream cheese at room temperature
*3 cups powdered sugar
*1/4 cup milk
*2 drops red food coloring
*Pink sprinkles or edible pearls (optional)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet, line with parchment paper, or use a Silpat (what I did).
*In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, egg, oil and water. Stir by hand until ingredients are evenly combined. Scoop dough by tablespoon portions and roll between your hands to make a smooth ball. Set on a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
*Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until slightly crackled on top and just lightly golden around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
*Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer,  beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, milk and red food coloring. Continue to beat until smooth. Spread on top of cookies and beat until well combined.
*Spread frosting atop of cooled cookies and garnish with pink sprinkles and/or edible pearls, if desired.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Berry-Love Smoothies

Inevitably, as Valentine's Day creeps closer, I start to think about people I love and cherish. I'm fortunate to have quite a few of those individuals in my life, and on February 14th I plan to make sure they all know how deeply I care for them. And while it's so important to love those around us, I think it's time we start showing our bodies a little bit more love, too.

Body-image and weight isn't something I've talked much about on Espresso and Cream, since I'm not an expert on either accounts, but it's something I hope to talk more about in the future. Like many people, I struggled for years to make peace with my body, food and how I see myself in the mirror. Throughout college (and on my weaker days in the present) I played the comparison game with the women around me: she had skinnier thighs, prettier hair, better arms, you name it. And you know what? None of it made me any happier, thinner or prettier. Instead of building up those around me, I was quietly tearing them, and myself, down.

This isn't to say forget about healthy living and self-improvement and be happy with your unhealthy self. In fact, it's quite the opposite, because self-improvement starts with loving the body, mind and heart you've been given. (excuse me if I sound like a self-help book) A little over a year ago, I saw things I wanted to improve about myself, like my eating habits, exercise routine and the way I treated myself. And while I may not be completely there yet, I'm a whole lot closer than I was 12 months ago.

So no matter where you are at emotionally, take a little extra time this week to be good to your body. Maybe that's as simple as thinking kind thoughts about yourself when you look in the mirror, or perhaps it means making a commitment to eating more veggies or making your trips to the gym a priority. Big or small, every step is worth taking. And if you're looking to be extra good to yourself, this smoothie is an excellent and pain-free way to do so.

Tell me: What do YOU love about yourself? Come on, don't be modest. I really want to know!

Berry-Love Smoothies
Ingredients
*1/2 cup mixed berry juice (I have been using Naked Juice Blue Machine thanks to Joey)
*1/4 cup water
*3/4 cup frozen raspberries
*1/4 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
*1 tsp. Stevia or other natural no-calorie sweetener

Instructions
*Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

Happy blending!

Madison

Link Love

I really love you guys. Seriously. Over the past week and a half, I've spent my free time sifting through the hundreds of blog and magazine recommendations you passed along during the Silpat giveaway. If you have a few hours (or days) I would highly suggest checking out all the awesome links in that post. Goal achieved: my Google Reader is absolutely packed with great new finds.

Here are a few of my favorite new revelations:

Sugar Plum Blog
Judging by the number of times this cute little lady's recipes have been published and featured on TV, it seems like she as a knack for recipe creation. Her blog is clean, simple and pretty - just the way I like blogs to be.

The Stone Soup
Quite honestly, this blog rocks. It's ultra minimal in appearance and concept. Jules also takes an economical approach and shares ways to save money in the kitchen and stick to a budget.

Dolcetto Confections
Immediately, I knew I was hooked on this blog. This financial-guru turned culinary school grad has mastered the art of creative recipes presented in an approachable way.

A (Not So) Desperate Hausfrau
I'm fascinated by all things Europe, and this blog fits the build. Following along with the tales of this American housewife in Germany. 
 
 

House Tweaking
Not a cooking blog, but a design and DIY one. One look at Dana's house and I was instantly filled with envy. Her projects and ideas are more approachable than other design blogs.

So Good & Tasty 
Go. Right now. Visit Jacqui's blog and drool over the recipes, and then make a few. I sure plan to in the near future. She's a vegetarian with a sweet tooth, so we're totally on the same page when it comes to finding a balance between health and indulgence.

Happy reading!

Madison 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Truffles

Happy "Week Before Valentine's Day" my dear readers. If the day dedicated to love isn't up your alley, please forgive me for what's shaping up to be a very chocolate and love intensive week. Regular posting will resume next week, I promise!

Greater than my love for chocolate is my love for semi-healthy desserts. I have been known to incorporate whole wheat flour, ground flax seed and fruit into sweet treats because it makes me feel just a little bit better about dessert.

To date, one of the most popular posts on Espresso and Cream has been my Homemade Larabar recipe. Seems I'm not the only person who loves these fruit and nut bars. My original recipe for Homemade Larabars was super fruity and sweet, but this recipe is completely different.

This recipe is still sweet, but much less fruity, and was surprising even to me how much it tasted like no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. But unlike no-bake chocolate cookies, these little truffles are decidedly healthier. The filling is made with a mixture of fruit, nuts, dark chocolate, honey and peanut butter, which gets dipped in a dark chocolate finish. What's not to love?

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Truffles

Ingredients
*1 (10-oz.) container pitted dates
*1 (8-oz.) bag walnut halves
*1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
*1/3 cup instant oats
*1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
*1 Tbsp. honey
*1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
*Pinch of salt
*1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
*Graham cracker crumbs (optional)

Instructions
*In the bowl of a food processor combine the dates, walnut halves, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, oats, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon and salt. Process for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture takes on a paste-like consistency and begins to clump together.
*Scoop mixture by tablespoons and form into balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
*Meanwhile, place the remaining chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 100% power for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
*Drop truffles into the melted chocolate, then transfer back to lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, if desired.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Weekend Plans

To say that I can't stick with the same hair color or style is a vast understatement. With summer and a wedding coming on quick, I've transitioned my hair color to blonde and am working on growing it back out.

Since I've never had long blonde hair, I'm excited for the change. Though anyone who has ever tried to grow their hair out knows the pain I'm going through!

My mom and Joey are going to be in town this weekend for a little wedding-planning action. I can't wait to stay put and lounge around in yoga pants for the next 48 straight hours. It helps me feel more decisive that way.

Have a happy weekend, all!

Madison

Vanilla Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

 

Now that we've discussed food politics and the passions surrounding the meat industry, let's talk about something a little less controversial. It's like those times in college when you took a really hard test and then celebrated by reading fashion magazines and watching mindless television.

You know you've been there.

For years, I've been baking and decorating cakes for weddings and special occasions. But it wasn't until yesterday that I realized I've been doing it all wrong. Sorry, anyone I've made a cake for. I should have been using this buttercream. It's everything it should be: smooth, creamy, lighter-than-air.

It's slightly more time-intensive than butter and powdered sugar-based icings, but the extra ten minutes is worth it. Instead of causing you to struggle for that smooth, satiny finish atop a cake or cupcake, the process with this buttercream seems almost effortless.

And after your're done photographing your cupcakes, you can spill them all over your computer, table and floor. Oh wait, that's just me?

Since my mission was to experiment with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream, I stuck with a trusted favorite for the cupcake base. I love this recipe for its ease and adaptability. And when decorating larger cakes, I have found it holds up well when stacking and transporting.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Recipe and tutorial courtesy of Whisk Kid 

Ingredients
*5 egg whites
*1 cup granulated sugar
*2 sticks butter
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*Blue food coloring (optional)

Instructions

*While I could easily give you the recipe, since I didn't do anything to change the original that Whisk Kid posted, I would feel wrong not simply directing you to her website. Her tutorial is fantastic, with step by step instructions that walk you through the more dicey parts of making Swiss Meringue Buttercream. You can find the tutorial HERE. 

Additionally, this summer I made a very similar buttercream recipe to fill my first attempt at macarons. You can find that recipe HERE.

Happy Baking!

Madison

The Great Meat Debate

When I started Espresso and Cream, my motivation wasn't to discuss food politics or controversial topics. It was to be a feel-good, creative space for me to share recipes and little snippets of life. And for the most part, it will remain just that.  I planned on talking about wedding hair today, but after watching Oprah yesterday, I changed my course of action. For those of you who didn't see the episode, Oprah and many of her staffers went vegan for a week, and the queen of talk even had the Harpo cafe prepare vegan options.

As a vegetarian, I was excited to watch the show and thought it might be able to bring national attention to more healthful eating. But after watching the show, I wasn't excited or uplifted; I was conflicted. You see, I was born and raised in rural Iowa, 'farm country' for those of you unfamiliar with the area. One of my uncles is a farmer, one a veterinarian and the third a teacher and advisor to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) for the students at his school. 

And then there's Joey's family. Very much like my side, his relatives are deeply involved in agriculture. His dad is a cattle producer. And for those of you who watched Oprah yesterday, yes, he raises feed lot cattle. And one of his uncles is involved in managing hog facilities. Oh, and the love of my life, my fiancée Joey, works for Cargill, not in the meat-producing side of the business, but he can most certainly be considered part of the industry.

While I have no desire to shun my vegetarian ways any time soon (there are a multitude of reasons I support a plant-based lifestyle), the vilification of those who produce meat for our country in traditional ways has to stop. I think that many times, in the food and blog world, people fail to realize that the cattle and hog producers in our country are caring, honest, hard-working people who have a great deal of respect for the land they work and the animals they feed. On days like today, when the weather is brutally cold and I hardly want to step outside and pump my gas, farmers like Joey's dad are outside working, feeding their livestock, scooping snow and providing bedding for the animals when weather requires it.

Traditionally, feed lot cows are not pregnant while they are at the farm, and if they are, it is on accident. But once every now and again, a calf will be born, as was the case last summer. I was allowed to name little 'Lou' and got to spend considerable amounts of time feeding her bottles, letting her suck my fingers, and chase me around the yard like a dog. I was in love. And despite the fact that she was small, premature, and relatively useless from an income standpoint, Joey's parents played along with me, keeping her fed and cared for when I wasn't around.

I hated the idea that some day this sweet little calf would grow up and be butchered, but like Michael Pollan said on the show yesterday, it gives you respect for the process and makes you thankful for the meat you eat. (side note: Lou died as a calf a month after this picture was taken) Maybe, in my ideal world, all cattle would be produced in open pastures, without the use of antibiotics and all my chicken and eggs would be free-range and organic. But if I am not willing to pay the extra couple of dollars for free-range eggs at the grocery store, then I don't really have any right to complain.

Whether or not someone chooses to be vegan isn't something I have any issue with. Like Oprah said, it is an individual choice. Heck, I'm a committed vegetarian writing a piece about meat. What I am saying is that if there was a greater demand for free-range, organic meat and if farmers, on a large scale, could make a living that way, they would. But it starts with us. True change comes when we as consumers take responsibility for what we don't like about the meat industry and demand that change with our wallets.

If you stuck with me through the post, for giving it thought and consideration, and for sharing your thoughts about it, thank you. Outspoken moments like this will, I assure you, be few and far between. But it was something that was placed on my heart and meant to be said with nothing but love. And if you have thoughts about what I've said, I would love for you to post them in the comments section below or e-mail me with any questions you have.

Whew, tomorrow I'm talking about cake. Something we can all agree on.

Madison

Dark Chocolate-Almond Butter Bars

Confession time: I lied to you all. I promised to deliver a healthy dessert and instead I give you these Dark Chocolate-Almond Butter Bars. In all fairness, they aren't completely unhealthy. It contains dark chocolate and almond butter, both of which can be very healthy in moderation. And compared with cheesecake, it's practically health food.

Each month for work I spend a few days off-site on photography for one of the magazines I work on. Beautiful photos of food are taken and I'm there to make sure the food looks the way it's supposed to. There are many things to love about photo shoots, but being able to take home the food that's left over at the end of the day is the best perk of all.

My loot today included almond butter and dark chocolate chips. It was all I needed to start searching for a little baking inspiration.

Which brings me to Angela's site, Oh She Glows. I've been reading Angela's blog for about a year now and am always inspired by her passion for life, honesty and delicious recipes. Last night she didn't disappoint, coming through in the clutch with her Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. I put my own little non-vegan twist on her recipe and these bars were born.

If you get a chance, stop on over to Angela's blog and tell her what an inspiration she is. And after that, hurry to your kitchen and get to baking. I promise you wont regret it.

Dark Chocolate-Almond Butter Bars

Ingredients
*1/2 cup butter, melted
*3/4 cup crunchy almond butter
*3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
*1/4 cup granulated sugar
*1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
*2/3 cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour

*1 cup dark chocolate chips
*1/4 cup milk

Instructions
*In a saucepan over medium heat combine the butter, almond butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until all ingredients are well combined.
*Press mixture into a nonstick rectangular tart pan (I got mine at Williams-Sonoma) or a greased 8x8-inch baking dish.
*In another saucepan over medium heat, combine chocolate and milk. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread over almond butter layer evenly. Freeze bars for 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and refrigerate until ready to eat. Cut into bars and serve.

Happy Baking!

Madison