Amor, Aurora

april 2013

recipe: 

• FYI this is my favorite vanilla cake recipe of all time. I found it in 2006, when The Washington Post published an article about the restaurant from which this recipe is famous for: Restaurant Eve (http://www.restauranteve.com/home/)
• when this article was published 8 years ago, they were charging $70 for a 9-inch (regular) version of this cake!
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/20/AR2006042002164.html

notes:

• this recipe is different from most cake recipes because the butter is melted! it’s still super moist and not too dense
• this recipe is great because you don’t have to worry about overbeating the batter; the frosting especially needs to be whipped
• you can use nonfat milk for the cake and the frosting, but the flavor won’t be as rich. another low calories substitute is using egg beaters (pasteurized eggs), but I prefer to use whole milk for the cake and heavy cream for the frosting so that frosting is as whipped as possible

june 2014

recipe: 

• basic vanilla cake recipe (restaurant eve)
• chocolate buttercream frosting: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-chocolate-frosting/

notes: 

• some chocolate buttercream frostings add some espresso powder, but I prefer the frosting without it to get the full buttercream taste
• I waited until the frosting had somewhat dried, and then lightly respread the frosting for the uneven ripples

november 2012

recipe:

=> ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate squares
• ¼ cup caramel sauce (or melted caramels)

=> directions:

• mix cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and graham crackers together
• roll into tablespoon-sized balls (yield ~16 truffles) and place on parchment paper, and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden them
• meanwhile, melt the chocolate (microwave is fine if on low power)
• using forks or spoons, dip each cheesecake ball into the chocolate and then place back on parchment paper and top with pecans
• once the chocolate has dried, drizzle caramel sauce over truffles, then place in the fridge for an hour before eating so they can harden

notes:

• super easy to make and delicious! I recommend doubling the recipe because these disappear real fast

december 2014

I’ve been making this recipe since I was six!

recipe: one of my all time favorite cookies, truly melts in your mouth

=> ingredients:

• ½ cup oil (I usually use canola)
• 2oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

=> directions:

• mix oil, melted chocolate, and granulated sugar in a bowl
• mix in 1 egg at a time until well mixed; add vanilla
• in a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder; add to oil mixture and stir until well mixed
• chill several hours (at least 4) or overnight
• preheat oven to 350 degrees F; drop tablespoons of dough into confectioner’s sugar, and roll in the sugar until completely covered, and place on baking sheet
• bake for 10-12 minutes

notes:

• the perfect christmas cookie!! I will still make them (and eat all of them) even if it’s not the holiday season
• these melt in your mouth–whether you bake them so they’re on the softer side or crispy, they’re still amazing