Greta Bars

This year for Christmas I asked for only one cookbook. If you've seen my collection, then you know that this is a strange occurrence. I love getting new cookbooks and spending my weekends reading through them. Whether it's to get new ideas for dinner, gain blogging inspiration or to just look at the pretty pictures, I have a massive collection of cookbooks.

The cookbook I requested this year was Milkbar Life, by Christina Tosi. I already own her original cookbook and have baked my way through a good portion of it. I have also taken three of her baking classes in Brooklyn and fell in love with her food attitude. Milkbar Life promised simpler recipes with delicious results. 

Christina didn't lie.

I decided to break in the cookbook by trying out The Greta. A classic sugar cookie bar from her mothers kitchen, these cookies are heaven. Just barely under-baked and covered in a serious amount of sprinkles, this pan of cookies quickly disappeared from my kitchen.

While I probably won't try every single recipe in the book (Hanky-pankies on page 24? No, thanks), many of the recipes are classic, grandma approved recipes. I think the boyfriend will be a big fan of this book, the food isn't fancy or pretentious.

Now excuse me while I go finish off the last of these cookies...

One Year Ago: Sauteed Chicken and Pears
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Heart Sandwich Cookies
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Yogurt Popsicles
Four Years Ago: Poffertjes: Cheese Pancakes
Five Years Ago: Orange Chiffon Cupcakes

Candy Challenge 2016 - Gianduja Molds

This past weekend I enjoyed the massive East Coast snowstorm from the safety of my kitchen. While I am no stranger to snow, having grown up in Buffalo, NY, absolutely nothing was open and there was no where to go. The majority of shops and restaurants closed in advance of the storm and didn't open until late on Sunday. I decided it was the perfect time to make some chocolates and prepare for Valentine's Day!

I am not a huge fan of making molded candies. They are just too much work in my opinion. I would rather make a truffle or marshmallow, something a little more rustic looking. I always make a giant mess when I make molded candies, this batch was no different. My kitchen counter was covered in chocolate.

While the process was a pain in the butt, the final product was totally worth it. These candies are really good! If you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan, then you should give these candies a try.

Time to mark up one candy on my 2016 challenge list!

One Year Ago: Gingered Chicken Stir Fry
Two Years Ago: Bacony Chicken
Three Years Ago: Fudgy Waffles
Four Years Ago: Soft Pretzels
Five Years Ago: Chocolate & Peanut butter Mousse Entremet

Christmas Cake & Ice Cream

With just a week left until Christmas, it's time to choose your dessert recipes and head to the grocery store. I'm going to recommend making something that looks fancy but isn't that difficult to make at all! A roulade!

A roulade is simply a thin sponge cake, rolled up with a buttercream filling. You can add any flavoring to the buttercream to change it up for the seasons. Instead of making a peppermint or chocolate roulade, I decided to pair my cake with an incredibly flavorful ice cream!

I'm happy to be working with one of my favorite hometown brands - Perry's Ice Cream - and bring you their amazing new Winter flavor! A few weeks ago, I received a package containing their traditional Fall flavor, Pumpkin Pie, and this new one, Gingerbread cookie. I was a little leery at first, I'm not a huge gingerbread fan, but one bite had me converted. Even the boyfriend took me up on the offer to try some and he wound up making a good dent in the container.

This ice cream is surprisingly complex. The gingerbread ice cream base is dotted with cookies and filled with ribbons of vanilla icing. I only wish that they sent me just one container, because I will inevitably eat both containers myself.

To make the roulade cake, I enlisted the boyfriend to help me. He generally avoids baking with me, it's not his thing, but this was my lucky day! After prepping all of the ingredients, the cake came together very fast. After cooling, filling and rolling, this cake really topped off our evening. It would make for an impressive and delicious addition to your holiday table!

Disclaimer: I received a box full of Perry's Ice Creams Fall/Winter flavors to try out. I have not received any other compensation for this post and all opinions are my own. I am so happy to partner with small, local companies and share them with the world. I grew up with Perry's and it continues to remind me of home.

One Year Ago: Wilde Cookies - A list of all the cookies I've made here at WITK!
Two Years Ago: Cranberry-Orange Soda
Three Years Ago: Eggnog Mallomars
Four Years Ago: Thai Chicken Curry
Five Years Ago: Chorizo & Vegetable Soup