August 26, 2011

Oreo Truffles

WHAT IS THAT?!?!

It's Oreos, blended with cream cheese, covered in chocolate.  So easy!
And boy is it good!


They were delicious!  I made them for my friend Erin's birthday because we think she is obsessed with Oreos!  I was a bit wary of them because they seem a little weird, but I loved them!

I found the recipe on Bakerella  recommended by someone who is quite an inspiration in my life!!  I changed it a little and used real chocolate instead of candy melts.

1 package oreo cookies
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
1 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp Crisco

1. Crush cookies and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.  (I used a food processor to grind up the oreos first, then added the cream cheese).  If you want to decorate your truffles with oreo crumbles, save some crumbled cookies before you add the cream cheese.
3. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Put the balls in the fridge or freezer.
4.  Put 1 cup White Chocolate Chips in a microwave safe container.  Add 1/2 tsp crisco.  Crisco will help the chocolate be a little more pliable as well as give it a nice sheen.  Microwave the chocolate until melted.  Take the chocolate out every 30 seconds to stir.  Chocolate can burn and sieze up very quickly!  Do the same to 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 tsp crisco.
5.  Take your oreo balls from the fridge and dip them in the chocolate or white chocolate until covered.  Using two forks to roll the ball around in the chocolate and lift it out helped me to get the truffles coated. 
6.  Drizzle the truffles with the opposite chocolate you dipped them in!
7. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!
Makes about 36 truffles.

Success!!

August 24, 2011

Lemon Meringue Pie

Everytime my family visits my grandma there is a freshly made lemon meringue pie just waiting for us.  It sits on her counter, humble, like it has been there all along, like it takes nothing to make, and like lemon meringue pie is a daily occurence in her household, which it may very well be.  My Grandma is a boss.  While it's entirely possible that she makes pie every other day, I'm pretty sure that she makes Lemon Meringue on the occasion that we visit.  It is a true family favorite. 
In honor of my grandma, on her birthday, I had the urge to make lemon meringue pies.  Yes, pies! I recently inherited small tart pans from my paternal grandma and have been eyeing them since I got them.  So, I whipped up a pie crust (this is a lie), and made lemon meringue mini pies!

Although lemon meringue is my favorite kind of pie, I have never attempted to make it.  Pies are not my favorite.  When I lied about whipping up a pie crust, I meant that pie crust is my demise.  I have yet to perfect the art of pie crust making, but hopefully the gene for this trait will show itself soon.  I usually use shortening in my pie crust, but this time I didn't have enough.  I found this website: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/ that helped!!!
The lemon meringue pies were so cute!!! I was ooohing and aaahing as I took them out of the oven.
 Delicious!  The pie crust turned out okay, a little too flaky for my taste.  I think the recipe I used with part butter part shortening would be great for a quiche, but next time I'll stick to shortening alone even though it grosses me out.

I used the Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie recipe from AllRecipes.  Instead of using pre-made pie crust, I made used the Combination Butter and Shortening Crust from the SimplyRecipes website.  The recipe filled four 6 inch tart pans.

I brought a couple of these to my grandma (or Lola in tagalog) for her surprise party.  I knew they weren't as good as hers, because nothing ever is, but she still enjoyed them!

Happy 87th Birthday Lola!  Here's to you and lemon meringue pie!

August 11, 2011

EATZ

For my birthday last year, my lovely friends and my lovely boyfriend bought me a gift certificate to EATZ.  EATZ is a small cooking school in Los Angeles that offers a condensed culinary series, as well as a variety of classes centered around a meal.  Their specialty is  "personal cooking classes in a fun dinner party environment." The classes are small, which means you get to cook and eat every item, as well as get to know the people you are cooking with.  Each class has a theme like "An Italian Affair", "Greece is the Word", or "Bring on the Bacon!".  We finally got around to signing up for a class and we chose "Your Home Steakhouse."  When choosing classes, I was meticulously looking for three things:

pretty good menu, right?

1.  I wanted whatever we were cooking to be somewhat difficult and not similar to what I have cooked before.
2. The dessert can't just be a last minute decision and add on.  It must be something decadent. Preferably chocolate.  I will refuse eating a fruit skewer for dessert.
3.  The alcohol served must be either red wine or a fancy cocktail.

<<< I thought this covered all the important points.
  

I was excited because I don't ever really cook steak.  I eat it and like it, but I am too cheap to buy steak to cook for myself so I usually don't bother.  Plus, everything else on the menu looked awesome!
The boyfriend and I arrived at EATZ at 7, to be greeted by already made mushroom turnovers, free flowing red wine, and a cozy kitchen equipped for 14 people.  Everything about the setting was perfect. 


We got right in to the cooking!  First with the chocolate mousse, then down the rest of the menu.


By the time we were done cooking everything (and had downed a few glasses of wine and eaten one too many crostinis with garlic compound butter) we finally got to indulge in our efforts.

Literally, everything I would make again.  I imagine myself cooking this meal for my friends and family and them being uber impressed, then the boyfriend and I would high five and laugh because everything was pretty simple!  The salad was probably my favorite; who can go wrong with arugula, tomatoes, and balsamic reduction? The steak was crusted with Panko and Blue Cheese, then smothered with a reduced red wine sauce.  Say whaaaat? It was rich and buttery and cooked perfectly. I didn't want the meal to end! 
More than the food though, we loved the whole experience.  The staff at EATZ makes the night very comfortable.  Conversation flows with your neighbors as well as with the teachers.  Not only do you learn how to cook a certain meal, but you also learn tips and techniques that you can use throughout cooking any meal.  Our "At Home Steakhouse" class really did feel like we were at home because of the warm atmosphere.

yum!
I'd really like to go back to EATZ and recruit friends to go with me!  Anyone would love these classes, no matter their cooking experience. 

Thanks for the birthday gift friends!

(To sign up for a class or for more info: http://www.eatzla.com/)

August 7, 2011

Macaroons and Macaroni

I've come to realize that food and baking have started to play a dominating role in my life.  I can literally spend hours just looking at food blogs.  I bake constantly, no matter my mood.  I sometimes get embarrassed because I realize that my friends and I talk about the things we eat way more than what is probably healthy.  I'm starting this blog as a hopeful outlet for all this food talk.  Could this just be an excuse to talk about food more?  Probably, yes.

Anyway, I enjoy baking and cooking and get overly excited about the things I make.  I love baking and cooking for others mostly because I think that food brings people together.  I think that usually the most memorable meals we eat are as a result of who we experience them with.  Macaroons and Macaroni will document my experiments in baking, cooking, and eating.  Why Macaroons and Macaroni you ask?  Should that even be a question?  Parisian Macaroons are probably in my top 5 favorite things in the world... ever.  And Macaroni?  As in Macaroni and Cheese?  Need I say more?  

Enjoy!