sweets

Winter Roundup: Valentine’s Day

by Alexis on February 8, 2013

{Valentine’s Care Package by The House that Lars Built}

It seems like it was just January, but Valentine’s Day is less than a week away! There are so many fun ways to celebrate this festive holiday, and I’ve been saving some of my favorite ideas to share here. So if you haven’t decided how to surprise all the ones you love this year, here are some ideas for you.

Brittany at The House that Lars Built put together a heart-shaped care package to send overseas—and  she just put the address right on the outside of the box and shipped it! Wouldn’t it be a fun surprise to find in your mailbox? And while a Valentine’s card is sweet, I’m always a fan of sending a print that you can keep around a bit longer. I love the sentiments of these two from oh my deer. If a digestif is the way to your Valentine’s heart, may I suggest the Botánica cocktail with Cacao Prieto’s chocolate rum and muddled raspberries? Using the signature liquor from Brooklyn-based chocolatier, this recipe sounds decadent and delicious. And finally, there’s one of the most widely loved ways to serve chocolate: the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. Jacques Torres’ recipe has developed quite a reputation, so if you want to bake up a sweet surprise, it’s a sure winner. (Or if baking isn’t your strength, you can have the cookies delivered straight from Jacques to your door.)

P.S. If you are looking for more Valentine’s inspiration, check our edible Valentine’s Round Up from last year!

{Images from top to bottom: oh my deer prints ee cummings & blooming recklessly; Cacao Prieto’s Chocolate Rum; Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies via Crepes of Wrath}

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Recipe Roundup: Hot Cocoa

by Alexis on January 23, 2013

{A Couple Cooks’ Peppermint Ice Cream and Hot Cocoa Affogato}

With most of the country experiencing a burst of wintery weather this week, today seems like the perfect opportunity to celebrate one of the season’s best drinks: hot chocolate. Like many classic dishes, people tend to have their own secret recipes that they swear by, but I’m still on the fence. I think this is a good problem to have and I’ve taken searching for a signature version pretty seriously.

Since chocolate is such a versatile base, there are dozens of directions to explore. I’ve been scouring some of my favorite food blogs to come up with a list of versions to try before spring. And with delicious additions from peppermint to peanut butter to brown sugar to coconut to ginger and orange, I’m convinced there will be several winners in the bunch. Maybe a hot chocolate tasting party is in order? Since many of the ingredients are the same, a simple buffet set up and lots of small cups would make for a decadent evening and perfect way to stay warm with friends!

{Above from top left: David Leobovitz’s Le Chocolat Chaud and Belgian Hot Chocolate; Edible Perspective’s Vegan Hot Cocoa Four Ways; Cannelle et Vanille’s Spiced Chocolate Bisque; Martha Stewart’s Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate}

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Bouchon Bakery

by Alexis on January 7, 2013

This weekend, the Anthology crew gathered in Yountville, California, for a team meeting and to kick off the new year together. We had a wonderful time relaxing and exploring Yountville. One of the highlights was Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, which was so delicious it warranted not one, but two trips during our short stay.

Despite stopping in twice and my best efforts, I wasn’t able to try everything Bouchon had to offer. But what I did have was so mouthwateringly good that I decided acquiring the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook was a must. While I wait for it to arrive, I’m planning to try out the well circulated recipe for the namesake confection, the Bouchon. These tiny, dense chocolate cakes dusted with powdered sugar are studded with dark chocolate. They sound like an ideal dessert to have on hand for a Monday night. I think I’ll master those before moving on to the more advanced croissants and macarons.

{Images via Bouchon Bakery}

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{Off Shoots} Turntable Kitchen

by Alexis on December 19, 2012

In addition to simply wanting to share some more beautiful images from the Turntable Kitchen story that didn’t make it in Issue No. 9, there were three reasons I thought revisiting this story was a good idea this week. First, Turntable Kitchen’s Pairings Box would make a great last-minute Christmas gift if you’ve got a music or food lover on your list. In the box, you get a series of recipes and a few small ingredients, as well as a limited-edition vinyl record and a digital mix of music to enjoy while you cook and consume the meal.

The second and third reasons are two of the recipes Kasey and Matthew put together for the story. The Baked Mussels with Cilantro Butter dish is incredibly simple, but makes for impressive dinner party fare. If you’re planning to have friends over and searching for something to make that’s unexpected and tasty but won’t keep you in the kitchen all afternoon, I highly recommend this recipe. And the Pear, Honey, and Rosemary Galette is a great dessert to volunteer to bring to a friend’s. The rosemary-infused crust is perfectly wintery and delicious. Both recipes are part of the “Supper and a Sountrack” feature in Issue No. 9.

{Photographs by Thayer Allyson Gowdy}

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Quince-Orange Marmalade and Scones

by Alexis on December 3, 2012

One of my favorite shoots for the Holiday Gift Guide was our Homemade & Heartfelt piece about gifts you can make and share. We asked three creative professionals to share a project that was both fun to make and receive. There are instructions in the guide for a trio of solid perfumes, carved stamp winter linens, and also a homemade quince-orange marmalade recipe from Blue Chair Fruit. I was designated the recipe tester for the marmalade—a role I was more than happy to accept. It was my first adventure into jam making and preserving, and I was surprised by how approachable Rachel’s instructions made the process. And the final results were delicious! I made a batch of classic scones from a recipe from my English neighbor and fresh whipped cream to go along with the marmalade. The combination is irresistible. The recipe for the scones is below, and full instructions for how to make the marmalade are right here in the Gift Guide.

Beryl Fox’s Rich Scones

1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 oz butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg + buttermilk to equal 1/2 cup
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Roughly cut up butter and add to the dry ingredients. With a pastry cutter or your hands, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is coarse and the butter is in pieces no bigger than a pea. Whisk together egg and buttermilk, and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Form scones by dropping 1/4 cup scoops of dough on a cookie sheet, or rolling the dough out and cutting with a biscuit cutter. Bake for 7-10 minutes until golden.

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