Sports Themed Baby Shower

Hola.
You know that feeling when you have so many great ideas and then PLAN on doing them all?
OH then reality hits and you realize you're only human?

Ya well, I suppose that happens to me whenever a huge project, or whenever I bake, ha, comes around and this was no exception. Even through the weeee hours of the morning-- I was still cursing myself and texting my gf/baking friend/reality show enthusiast (explain that later) about how crazy I am and all the things I SHOULD have done. SMH.

Bottome line, I survived, like always. I didn't sleep but hey.. it was worth it :)

Picture time. You know that's all you came here for :) hehe




Taken from Lourdes' Facebook: (Thanks Doll!)





Another project is coming up. London Joie's 2nd Birthday. Lourdes' first baby :) well she's growing up sooo fast!!! Theme: CARS the movie.

Stay tuned.

xoxo
noeybakes

Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know when you're stuck on autopilot? Where you do your normal chores, make dinner, put dishes away, do some laundry, bake a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies without even knowing it?

And whilst you're unconsciously carrying out these tasks, the telly is on and the sound waves just hit you.
Then it happens.
The theme song becomes lodged in your brain like some record on repeat.
OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER again. YA. THAT.
You know what I'm talking about.

For example, Six Flag's Old Theme Song or Meow Mix.

Although there are some that just stick with you forever because, well, because you just like them, Oscar Meyer, Foldger's Commercial (my alarm ring tone >_< ) or I Am Stuck on Band Aid, Bologna or Captain Planet (wow I'm dating myself). Let's, just, stop. You get the picture.

Currently Stuck in my head: "Hey Girl-- whatcha doin? Hey Girl? Where ya goin?--Who's that girl? Who's that girl?-- it's Jess!!"

Please, Please, I insist you join me in this repeating melody of my new favorite show, New Girl.

So while baking-- Zooey Deschanel was all up in my head singing. At least she's cheery. Anywho-- cookies. Yes. Cookies.



I took this recipe from the Baking Illustrated Cookbook, my friend Vinny suggested I purchase. It's a pretty cool, sciency-ish book. They test different recipes with different settings. It's more behind what would actually happen as oppose to pretty dessert pictures. Although those are nice as well.

I think the texture was perfect but then again who am I to judge my baking better than all of you? Try it out... let me know your thoughts... reservations... the songs that get stuck in your head often...
I won't judge...

well... ....



ok..
I won't.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
my version because Noeybakes likes to give Zoe a break

2 C + 2T APF
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven 325 degrees, line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2) In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix wet ingredients together then add dry until well incorporated.
3) Roll about 1/4C dough into balls, break in half, and put the two bases together w/ jagged edges facing up. (It gives it its "thick shape")
4) Place on sheet 2 1/2 inches apart.
5) Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.

If you purchase the book, or currently have it, I took this recipe from page 434.

Enjoy. Tomorrow's Wednesday! You know what THAT means! 2 more days until the weekend!

Who's that girl.... .Who's that girl..... Who's that girl....?

It's Noeybakes.



ok, that didn't work. Better luck next time.

Bake-a-thon Saturday

I had the baking itch today.

The feeling that I had all these goodies I wanted to bake but my little kitchen can't hold all the crazy desserts.

1) French Macarons
2) Madeleines JOY OF BAKING RECIPE
3) Turtle Brownies minus the nuts NESTLE RECIPE
4) Williams Sonoma Chocolate Cake WS RECIPE
5) Zucchini Bread COOK'S ILLUSTRATED RECIPE
6) Donuts w/royal icing glaze WHITEPINES RECIPE
7) Lemon Shortbread Cookies shaped into Buttons :) MIETTE RECIPE



My cousin Pola was generous enough to open her kitchen and her insane baking stash of gadgets and gizmos of plenty. I had to quote Ariel for the Little Mermaid :) Tons of counter space and freakin' insane oven to boot. I was in baking heaven! And boy did we crank out the desserts! We started around 2 and finished around 11. We were determined... seriously to make all the goodies.

We tried, well more-She tried, to record me bake but it got a little out of hand because of all the desserts. I started the desserts faster than she could get it on camera. Which was to my benefit mwAhah.

It was a perfect day of rainy weather and lotsa, lotsa, baking.

Now... pictures:



Madeleines & Turtle Brownies



Lemon Shortbread Button cookies



French Macarons



Zucchini Bread in stoneware pan



Donuts w/ pink royal icing



Williams Sonoma Chocolate Cake with Chocolate buttercream



So that was my Saturday :)


xoxo,
Noeybakes

My Sugar Cookies

It's a beautiful, sunny day here in Berkeley, CA. It's very rare that I enjoy the sun. I'm more of a foggy, gloomy day kinda girl. You know, when you cant wear jeans with flats and a light scarf?

Anywho, I'm going to share my vanilla sugar cookie recipe. I swear by it and absolutely ADORE it. I've been meaning to send it to a few people so what better way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone:

Vanilla Sugar Cookies


2C APF
1tsp SALT
1tsp BAKING POWDER
1C UNSALTED BUTTER
1/2C GRANULATED SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG
1tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

1. Sift dry ingredients together
2. In mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla, beat until combined.
4. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, scrape between each addition.
5. Turn out dough onto wax paper, form dough into ball, place another sheet of wax paper on top and flatten into a square shape.
6. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven 350degrees F.
8. Roll out dough between wax paper and cut out desired shapes.
9. Place shapes onto lined cookie sheet pan.
10. Bake until cookies are light golden brown. 8-10 minutes depending on your oven.

Royal Icing
1T meringue powder
3C sifted powered sugar
1tsp extract of choice (my favorite is lemon ;) )
1-6 T water

Mix together until desired consistency. Color with gel of choice. Don't use water based food coloring. If icing is too thick, thin out with water. To thicken add more sugar.

Tips:
- add gel color in small amounts. The longer it sits the darker it gets.
- add water in little amounts to not make icing too watery.
- sift powdered sugar if you're going to pipe.
- squeeze bottles (sold at local arts & crafts stores) make for easy ways of filling or frosting with toothpick.
- you can use a butter knife to spread if you don't want to pipe.
- cookies need to dry overnight or 3hours minimum if you plan on wrapping them.



made these for my coworker's baby shower favors.


Hope you enjoy the recipe! And the beautiful weekend!
MUAHZ!

Oh ya.... and one more thing... if you didn't know already:

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Hola. Hey. Priviet. Konnichiha.  Those are the only languages I know how to say hi. Spanish, English, Russian and Japanese.   I made macaroons.  The coconutty kind. I thik they're of italian origins: maccarone or maccherone.  

Then I dipped them in chocolate.  In any language it sounds and tastes like CHOCOLATE ;-) The recipe was taken from the Cookie Bible book my friend gave me, which she the strategically bookmarked with her favorite requests.  So now that she's preggers and passed her glucose testing I'm rewarding her with these deeelishious delights.  





Enjoy!

buenos noches,
Noey

Bridal Shower & a Tea Party

Hello. Enjoy the eye candy....



The end. Thanks for coming :)

Oreo Truffles

Happppppppppppppy New Year! I made the truffles at my bf's sister's house with the little kiddies. Oreo cookies plus the little kiddies equals fun time with Auntie Noey ;) so in the midst of all the new year's madness I wasn't able to take a picture :( but I promise mine look like that. I used white chocolate with sprinkles. This is a fun recipe to do with little nieces/nephews because they like to think it's dirt! Hehe have fun!

I took the original recipe from Bakerella and tweaked it a bit.

Oreo Truffles

1 package oreo cookies (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
Any chocolate color (I used chocolate melts)

1. Untwist 1 bag of cookies, put them in bag or food processor and crush into a fine consistency.

2. Stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.

3. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4. Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.

5. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!

Makes about 36 truffles.



<3 Noey's iFone

Cakes and Cookies

Good Morning everyone :)

It was a crazy couple of days. I've been trying new recipes as well as re-baking cakes because flavors didn't come out well. So there were a lot of "oh crap!" moments but everything worked out.

The first cake I made was for a friend's dinner. I took the recipe from Pioneer Woman's cookbook called The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. Let me tell you it IS the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted. I changed sheet cake to 8" cake with buttercream frosting. I felt insanely guilty for changing the recipe but I had to work with what I had and that was not a sheet cake pan.

I'm sorry Pioneer Woman, don't hate me.






The filling/frosting is to dieeeeeeeeee for. I wanted to eat it right out of the pot... but remembered there's almost 2 sticks of butter so I only had 1 T. haha

Next I made nutella cookies which I renamed to The Jeny Cookies. My cousin, whom the recipe is named after, is obsessed with these cookies. Try my recipe and you'll see why :) Anyways I took the original recipe from My Italian Grandmother and tweeked it a bit. With a lot of cookie recipes I try to give Zoe a break. Zoe if you didn't know already is my little handy dandy stand mixer. She's been working hard this year so with most cookie recipes I usually do the mixing old school with a trusty wooden spoon, I call him Alex, it's a strong name hehe he makes an appearance in the pictures! But I make sure the butter is room temperature because my biceps aren't as strong as Zoe's ;)

Nutella Chip Cookies

by Giada De Laurentiis
see original recipe here

Yields: 36 cookies (I only got 24)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 1.5 cups Nutella
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup hazelnuts (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl combine the butter, Nutella, sugar and brown sugar. Using an electric mixerUsing your strong muscles, cream the ingredients together, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, Stir in the flour mixture until just combine. Add Hazelnuts (or chocolate chips) and stir until combine.

Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, spacting the mounds about 4 inches apart. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the cookie dough. <== I didn't need to do this because they came out flat anyway. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 10-12 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. I promise this recipe will rock your world like it did mine ;)





Lastly, I've been experimenting with fondant, as you've seen in the last post. I also made a chocolate cake for my dear cousin. There aren't step by step pictures because frankly it was 2am and I was about to pull my hair out. haha But the cake was made with love. That's what matters.




There a ton of things I would have done differently but I was pretty pleased with the end result.

And that was my baking weekend, sorta in a nutshell :) This next week's challenge, the wedding cupcakes/cakes for birthdays on christmas and lotsa christmas cookie requests. Can't wait to start!

Until next time...
Noey

Happy Noviembre ;)

Hope everyone had a fun filled halloween weekend! I know I did. Spent a little time with my family and my bf's family. BF's mom was helping me out also. She called herself the pseu-chef :) Anyways, I made both days because I figured there was a big request/cravings for chocolate chip cookies so why not? I made the first batch and decided that there were too many cookies so we rolled the left over batter in wax paper and placed it in the freezer. BF's sister doesn't know it but she has homemade chocolate chip cookie dough in her freezer. Well I guess she does now :) You're welcome! hehe And now for recipes:

Day 3: Bakerella's Milk & Cookies

recipe difficulty: easy
baking sheet: parchment paper
time: 14m
perfect CCC (1-10): 2

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk and set aside.
With a mixer, beat butter and both sugars until well blended.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Add flour mixture in two additions until combined.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.
Use a mini ice cream scoop to drop cookie dough on a parchment covered cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.

NM Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

recipe difficulty: easy
baking sheet: parchment paper
time: 10m
perfect CCC (1-10): 6

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)

2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.


Now that you have the recipes here are the pictures:

Bakerella's & NM's

The overall consensus was that everyone loved both of them. Doesn't really help, does it? Well on continues the searching. 3 more left. So far Lovin' From The Oven has everyone beat :).

Until Next time.........

Noey

Day2: Lovin' From the Oven's Recipe

Spent the night at the bf's sister's house. She has a fabulously big kitchen and convection oven. It's 10x bigger than mine but then again everyone's kitchen is probably bigger than mine. I woke up early and just decided to continue the Chocolate Chip baking challenge. I had my favorite little helper with me this morning as well =)

Lovin' from the Oven's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies



recipe difficulty: easy
baking sheet: parchment paper
time: 15m
perfect CCC (1-10): 10

This has to be the BEST cookie recipe I've ever tasted. According to my research group, Jimenez Family & the bf, it's the best tasting recipe, EVER. I can't really comment on how deeliciously yummmy the cookie was. Just make it. Sorry I'm demanding but it's for your own good ;). The first batch that came out of the oven, everyone was all excited but then 2 of the cookies fell on the ground :( but that didn't stop the bf from tasting pieces of the ground. Gross, I know. But that's just how good they were. And now for the recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (I used 3/4 tsp because I assumed it was 1 tsp so I scooped out 1/4tsp)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour. When it's time, Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Enjoy. Until next time...


Noey