Baby Shower Cookies

I was so bummed that I could not make it for my dear friend's baby shower whom lives across the country in Maryland. When I received the invite, I thought, what better to show Carolyn my wish to be there than a batch of cute girly sugar cookies. So I decided to make little baby-girl faces and bottles (pink of course), wrapped in cellophane bags to serve as favors for all the guests.

Favorite Recipe: Bread Pudding

Source: I can't remember my original source for this recipe (Food Network maybe?) but I have changed a number of things within it so I call it my own :)
Difficulty: EASY! For all you beginners, this is a great place to start baking!
Satisfaction: undoubtedly mouthwatering!

The only good thing about working nights at the hospital...more time to BAKE! As the weather in LA has been quite chilly, for L.A. that is, having grown up with seasons and having lived in the North East, I am well aware L.A. weather is considered warm comparatively, lol. That being said, there is no better time to warm up with oooooeeey-goooeeey bread pudding!

Tested Recipe: Chocolate Croissants

Source: Created from multiple recipes
Difficulty: advanced-very time consuming.
Satisfaction: words cannot do justice...simply addictive!
 
After watching the movie "It's Complicated" I fell in love with the bakery in the movie and all of the delicious looking pastries all around. But the thing that caught my eye (or tummy) the most was the beautiful chocolate croissants that she and Steve Martin made together. Rich, flakey buttery dough with thick semi-sweet chocolate sandwich'd between...what could be better on this rainy day we are having in Los Angeles. I only wish the process of making croissants was a quick one because my mouth is watering and as I write this, I still have a number of hours until they will be done.

Tested Recipe: Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Difficulty: intermediate
Satisfaction: AAAAAMAZING! 
I always love to share a little something sweet with others on my birthday, and this year was no exception! My fiance's brother and girlfriend gave me the Martha Stewart Cupcakes book for Christmas and as you can see, I have become obsessed with recipe testing her latest and greatest cupcake recipes. I deviated this year from my usual chocolate cake tradition for something a little different and these totally satisfied my craving for moist, rich cake and frosting. All I have to say is DELISH! As I write this evening, I am simultaneously stuffing my face with one of the remaining cupcakes, so let's get to it!

Tested Recipe: German Chocolate Cupcakes

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Difficulty: intermediate

Satisfaction: less than delicious 

I was meeting a good friend for my birthday lunch, and I thought what a great time to test a new recipe and share them with her. Truthfully, I was less than impressed with these cupcakes. They were a bit dry, despite adding some sour cream to the batter for moisture, None the less, she enjoyed them, and I brought the remainder to work the following day and they were eaten immediately. It is amazing how many people will eat a cupcake for breakfast! So here it is...

Tested Recipe: Ganache-Stuffed Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Difficulty: beginner-intermediate

Satisfaction: DELICIOUS!!! 
When I found this recipe a number of months ago I was intrigued by the mouth watering mini chocolate-chip cookies sandwiched around delectable ganache. After sinking my teeth into one, I must say, they lived up to my every expectation. The cookie recipe is very basic and takes just minutes to assemble and although there are a few cooling steps, there is little active time involved. If you are in the mood for taste bud overload, get out your apron.