Rocky Road Cookies with Almonds and White Chocolate Chips

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Rocky Road Cookies with Almonds and White Chocolate Chips

Rocky Road Cookies with Almonds and White Chocolate Chips

I recently tried my hand at a bit of woodworking. You should know, before I begin, that I knew absolutely nothing about the subject. And truth be told, after all the fuss and mess, I still don't.

I wanted to create a new tabletop to play around with for my food photography. I was feeling uninspired with my current two choices: wooden dining room table and slab-of-wood-I-stained-that-looks-a-lot-like-dining-room-table. A change was in order. While place mats can be fun to experiment and play around with, I no longer wanted to be restricted to photographing something on a 15 x 11-inch surface (tougher than it looks!). Thus, my mission to create my own tabletops began.

I think this officially takes me from "enjoys food photography in her spare time" to "slightly obsessed." You'll still love me even if I am a little crazy, right?

Rocky Road Cookies with Almonds and White Chocolate Chips

After dropping $20 on five planks of wood, I was at a loss of what to do next. The wood sat in the garage for two months while I tried to figure out what to do with it. It got wet. It warped. It'll add character, I told myself when I tried to dowel all five pieces together and they refused to match up. It'll add character, I told myself when creating deep grooves and divots while mishandling a belt sander in an attempt to smooth the warped surface. It'll add character, I told myself when I accidentally dropped the heavy tabletop on cement and cracked one of the corners.

It'll add character... right?

I think that's going to be my new woodworking motto.

After painting the surface white and letting it dry, I christened it by photographing these cookies. And it was beautiful. Until, of course, I picked up one of the cookies after setting it on the table. Turns out you need to seal wood or the buttery goodness in your baked goods might just leave grease stains. Oops.

Well, there's always something new to learn. And if you are like me and trying to do woodworking, turns out there's everything new to learn. Um, does anyone happen to know how to get grease stains off wood?

Have YOU tried anything new lately?

Rocky Road Cookies with Almonds and White Chocolate Chips Rocky Road Cookies with Almonds and White Chocolate Chips
Rocky Road Cookies with Almond and White Chocolate Chips

Since I have an allergy to tree nuts, "Rocky Road" has eluded me for most of my life. I've lusted over this flavor in ice cream shops and bakeries for far too long. It's about time I did something about it. So today, that's exactly what I did.

Though these Rocky Road Cookies do not feature walnuts or marshmallows—the staples of that classic Rocky Road flavor—I don't think you'll mind. I think you might be too busy finding and nibbling at every last crumb to notice. Since I'm a little burnt out on marshmallows (yes, it's possible! I blame this, this, and this), I substituted in white chocolate chips instead. I feel that white chocolate chips have a texture better suited to cookies than marshmallows, while marshmallows have a texture better suited to ice cream. It's a personal preference, but I feel like it makes all the difference.

Rocky Road Cookies with Almonds and White Chocolate Chips

These Rocky Road Cookies with almonds and white chocolate chips may not be your traditional Rocky Road cookie, but it doesn't make them any less enjoyable. A rich chocolate cookie is absolutely stuffed full of white chocolate chips and almonds. Each bite showcases all of these flavors at once, providing your taste buds with a Rocky Road experience. Plus, these cookies kind of look a little rocky. I suppose that's what I get for stuffing them (too) full of flavor!

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Coconut Pancakes

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Coconut Pancakes

Coconut Pancakes

Sunday brunch is my favorite meal of the week. It's not much of a secret to many of you either. If you head over to the recipe index, you'll find that breakfast is one of the few meals where I'll gladly stray from the land of sweet treats into the world of savory cuisine (well, if you count it as "savory" before drizzling it with a cup of maple syrup).

Sunday brunch has always meant a big, sit-down dinner with my family. No one is rushing off to the gym or heading out to meet up with friends, like it happens so often on weeknights. Sunday is family day. No one is allowed to leave the house until the plates have been scraped clean and the dishes put away—mother's orders. And trust me, no one would want to miss this meal in my house.

Coconut Pancakes

During the summer months, my mother and I like to cook up a healthy batch of something we can drown in syrup. My dad is the king of the eggs, making the best scrambled eggs I have ever eaten (or will probably ever eat). I've tried to replicate them, but never with as much success. Even though I've watched him make them hundreds of times, I don't seem to have the scrambled egg magic like he does (perhaps the scrambled egg gene skips a generation?).

But brunch does not stop here. Oh no, it's not my favorite meal of the week for anything. There are hash browns and fresh fruit. A batch of sausage hot from the grill. And then, if you haven't managed to get your fill, dessert. It's sinful, really, but I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

Coconut Pancakes

If I could invite you all over for a Sunday meal, you know I would. Instead, sharing my love for brunch and these Coconut Pancakes will have to do. Share these pancakes with people you love; make Sunday brunch a family tradition, if you haven't already.

Coconut Pancakes

These Coconut Pancakes are hearty and softly sweet. The whole wheat pancakes are infused with coconut milk and have flaked coconut in the batter for stronger flavor. These pancakes are a healthy and successful spin on the traditional buttermilk hot cake. Drizzle with maple syrup and top with coconut flakes or fresh fruit for a unique touch.

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Malted Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

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Malted Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

Malted Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

The final stretch of summer is before us—the dog days, if you will. Schools will soon be ringing their bells, our jobs will beckon us back indoors, and the weather will slowly begin turning away from this humid heat into a brisk fall. And, I ask you, is there a more depressing thought?

I don't know about you, but I'm wondering where my summer went. It simply disappeared. Packed up and left. I like to imagine it escaped to a tropical paradise and left me behind, without even sending a postcard to drop a hello. I've been outside most of the summer (it is one of the perks of being a camp counselor), but somewhere along the way I forgot to appreciate it. I have a deep tan from working in the sun. I've been eaten alive by mosquitos on a near daily basis. I spent a week on the beach doing nothing but watching the tides flow in and out. Yet, I still feel as if summer has skipped me by, even though it isn't over just yet.

Malted Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

One of my favorite summer pastimes is to lounge in the sun on a beach chair in the backyard and read a good book while eating fruit roll-ups (yes, sometimes store-bought sugar hits the spot. Don't judge me and I won't judge the giant bag of gummi bears sitting in your cupboard. Oh, wait. That's me, too). I feel a bit ashamed to admit to this, but my beach chair is still packed away and the book left unopened. I feel like I haven't eaten enough ice cream. I haven't spent enough time riding my bike around the city. There is too much on my to-do list that I simply haven't done.

When I was younger, summer seemed to last forever. When August finally hit, I would be overheated, bored, and yearning for something new to do. I looked forward to school so I would finally have something to fill up the long hours in my day. Maybe that's the truth in growing older. Your responsibilities change and those long hours get swallowed up in working and obligations so that by the time you finally have the moment to do as you please, the sun has set and the television beckons.

Malted Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling Malted Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

Perhaps the real way to enjoy summer, to fully appreciate summer, is to slow down. It's about taking a minute to ignore the daily responsibilities—the dirty dishes and piles of laundry—to just go outside and play. Take a moment to visit a park, picnic in the backyard, or simply read that book out in the sun with a box of fruit roll-ups by your side.

I hope you find a way to enjoy the last few weeks of the sun, sun, sun before the carefree summer fades into the hustle and bustle of fall. Don't let it pass you by, not when there is ice cream to be eaten and smoothies to be slurped.

Malted Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

I can only hope these Malted Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Filling find a place on your summer playlist. A moist dark chocolate cupcake is filled with an ooey gooey toasted marshmallow filling and frosted with a rich, malted chocolate buttercream. These cupcakes feel as light as air, but one will be enough to sate your sweet cravings. The malted chocolate buttercream really ties the flavors in the cupcake together, so I do recommend you use this particular buttercream recipe instead of another. This cupcake is perfect for special occasions and lazy summer afternoons.

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