July 21, 2011

S'mores Ice Cream Sundae

July 21, 2011/ Kristin Rosenau

S'mores belong in summer territory. There's just something about the heat of a long day, the glow of a warm bonfire, and a fragrant summer breeze that can't be replicated in the kitchen. Believe me, I've tried. Maybe the secret to the summer s'more lies in burnt marshmallow ashes. Perhaps it is in the slow, patient roasting of an exquisitely golden marshmallow over an open flame. Whatever the reason may be, I know that summer holds this secret deep within, keeping her lips sealed from me.

I've had my fair share of winter s'mores, but they never seem to come close—there is always something inherently lacking. The graham crackers are less crisp. The chocolate is always too sweet. And those microwaved marshmallows, those poor marshmallows, couldn't be any more inferior to their fire-toasted cousin. Winter s'mores can only daydream of breezy summer evenings, where the stars glow faintly and stories are shared by those sitting together around a flickering fire.

Nevertheless, I do like to experiment with s'mores flavors in the kitchen. Perhaps one day I'll crack summer's secret s'mores code, but until then, I can enjoy these unique flavors in interesting ways year round.

I cannot claim the delicious inspiration for this S'mores Sundae. The credit rightfully belongs to Frances at The Foodess Files. Frances sent me a wonderful email, taunting me with an absolutely sinful description of this sundae. I was immediately smitten. As soon as I had a spare moment, I rushed to the store and purchased the ingredients. I simply couldn't settle for a description of these S'mores Sundaes—I needed the real deal in my hands (or rather, my mouth) as soon as possible.

I used large marshmallows for this sundae since I mysteriously had 3 large bags of them sitting in the cupboard, but I wouldn't recommend using them for this particular sundae. The large marshmallows were too much for one bite, even when cut in half. I recommend using mini marshmallows or, if you happen to have a ridiculous number of large marshmallows lying around the house like I do, simply cut them into fourths with a pair of kitchen shears before toasting.

This S'mores Sundae is the perfect accompaniment to the swell of summer heat. The Honey Cinnamon Ice Cream tastes just like a cinnamon graham cracker, making a cool and refreshing base to this nontraditional s'more. The ice cream is then topped with oven-toasted marshmallows and drizzled in a homemade chocolate sauce. The chocolate sauce sets when it comes into contact with the ice cream, but melts into a delicious mess the moment it hits the tongue. For those of you who love s'mores, consider this my taunt to you. Now the question becomes, can you settle with a simple description of this sundae or, like me, will you suddenly be beckoned to the kitchen?

July 17, 2011

Cherry Almond Muffins

July 17, 2011/ Kristin Rosenau

Over the last year I've evolved into a morning person. An early bird, if you will. Waking up with the sunrise and falling asleep shortly after sunset has slowly become a way of life for me. I've grown to embrace it. Some days, I can't even imagine sleeping through the early morning hours I've learned to love.

It never used to be this way.

I suffered from insomnia for many years. I was a night owl by circumstance, not by choice. Growing up, the thought of going to bed was enough to instill a deep dread within me. During my teenage years, it would take me nearly two hours to fall asleep at night, every night. Two hours. I would lay there, staring at the ceiling, imagining far away places and wishing my dreams would take me there. I longed for rest. Reading books, staying away from the television, trying to turn off my mind—nothing seemed to help.

Sleep eluded me.

As a result, I would sleep very late into the morning hours. The idea of waking earlier than 10 am sent shivers down my spine. I became the typical teenager, hardly sleeping during the week and crashing on the weekends.

During university, my symptoms only worsened. I would be awake until the wee hours of the morning doing homework or spending time with friends. Unfortunately for me, my courses were always early in the day. Instead of lying awake in bed hoping the sandman would drop by for a visit, I simply didn't sleep. For an entire semester, I averaged between 3-4 hours of sleep a night. I had cured my insomnia, but replaced it with mental and physical exhaustion.

Was it healthy? Certainly not. But it prevented me from spending those long hours in the dark, dreaming of sleep. I've had enough of those hours to last me a lifetime.

Last summer, I was determined to find a healthy balance. Each morning, both weekdays and weekends, I would set my alarm for the same time. I started late and gradually set it earlier over the next few months. I wouldn't go to bed until I was tired. Whether my drowsiness set in at 11 o'clock at night or 2 o'clock in the morning, it didn't matter. When my alarm went off the next morning, it was time to get up. No snoozing. No just five more minutes.

I gave my body a schedule and it had learned to adjust.

Every now and then I still have trouble falling asleep, but my insomnia has essentially disappeared. Though I'm often awake at the crack of dawn, I've grown to love it. My mornings feel long and luxurious, like I'm living on stolen time. I use these new found hours to go to the gym or bake sweet treats for you.

Being an early bird also means I get to enjoy muffins when they are meant to be enjoyed—in the morning, with a cup of tea.

These Cherry Almond Muffins are filling, yet retain a lighter texture. The cherries bring a soft sweetness to each bite. Almonds are mixed into the batter as well as sprinkled on top. During baking, the sprinkled almonds become lightly toasted, adding another dimension of flavor to these simple but delicate muffins. These are best served warm with a small pat of butter.

July 14, 2011

Butterbeer Cupcakes

July 14, 2011/ Kristin Rosenau

This is part IV in a mini-series of Harry Potter snacks from the books brought to life (part I is on Honeydukes treats, part II is all about the cauldron cakes, and part III features every wizard's favorite drink—butterbeer!).

I confess that Butterbeer Cupcakes aren't actually mentioned in the Harry Potter series. In my defense, if JK Rowling had been given one of these while writing the books, she would have found a way to fit them in. They are so exceptional, I wouldn't be surprised if she featured them as a major plot point.

I'm only half joking.

Humor aside, the release of the final movie is upon us. I'm a mixed bag of emotions right now—thrilled to see the last movie and devastated to see the series finally come to a close. It's not only the end of the series but the end of an era—an era that defined my generation in a small, significant way. Though I knew this day would come, I find I'm not ready to say farewell. I want to hold onto the magic just a little bit longer.

Yet, as I keep reminding myself, this isn't really goodbye.

My collection of Harry Potter books isn't going anywhere. The movies are not suddenly going to vanish from the shelves. I can revisit the characters, these friends I have gotten to know over the last decade, whenever I choose. We can still get together for long weekends and lazy Sunday afternoons. Though the characters will no longer evolve or set out on new adventures, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Like the familiar comfort of an old friend, you know they'll always be around, waiting patiently on your bookshelf.

I don't know about you, but I can always use the comfort of an old friend.

These Butterbeer Cupcakes are easily on my list of the top three cupcakes of all time (if you put another one in front of me, I just may declare these the winner). These are unbelievably delicious—in fact, they didn't even last a full 24 hours in my house.

The butterbeer cupcake is essentially a brown sugar cupcake infused with cream soda and butter flavors. If that isn't good enough, the cupcakes are then filled with a butterscotch ganache, topped with a rich butterscotch buttercream, and drizzled with more butterscotch ganache. I'm not typically a fan of butterscotch, but these cupcakes absolutely changed my mind. The cupcake itself leans more on the denser side, but it still manages to feel light. The butterscotch buttercream is sweet, but not teeth-fall-out sweet (I don't typically like sweet frostings, but I ate this one by the spoonful. So good). Don't even get me started on the butterscotch ganache...

You need to make these. I don't want to hear any excuses—no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You can thank me later.