Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Salted caramel + cream cheese frosting + dark chocolate cupcakes to celebrate a lovely lady's birthday earlier this week. Happy birthday, Liz!

Cream Puffs

Cream puffs with chocolate ...does that make them mini eclairs?

Sixteen

Happy birthday, Jessica

Mint chocolate chip ice cream cake.

Newman O's organic mint chocolate cookies - crumbled on top

Mint chocolate chip ice cream from the store - no ice cream maker yet :(

Brownie cookie base - recipe, halved, from A Dash of Sass

(this lovely photo taken by the birthday girl)

A Happy Birthday Cake

Happy birthday to my best friend.

Triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate raspberry ganache

Made with lots of love and lots of chocolate

Recipe from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes via 17andBaking

Chocolate Pasta

I finally made the chocolate pasta that I bought at Pike Place Market from my trip to Seattle. I threw together a berry sauce and reheated the leftover chocolate ganache to serve with the pasta. The pasta itself doesn't have much flavor to it even though it certainly looks chocolately, so the chocolate sauce really helped boost the taste. 

Dessert!

Hello again. It's been a while... but I have not forgotten about this blog. I have a pretty loaded schedule this semester, which does not allow much time for culinary pursuits. But my classes do include a cooking class and an advanced baking class with the lovely Julianne Bierwirth! Last night, my baking class made something so delicious I wanted to share it here. 

Feast your eyes on this!

This is two layers of chocolate cake and chocolate sabayon mousse (with a hint of delicious blackberry brandy in the mousse!), topped with a citrus cream, all enclosed by a dark chocolate cage, and plated with caramel sauce and dark chocolate crumbs.

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

An extremely belated post, I know. I made these mint chocolate cupcakes near the end of the summer for Christine's birthday. Her favorite flavors are chocolate and mint, so I thought that this would be a great recipe to try. They turned out well, especially the chocolate part -- so dark! -- and I just wanted to post and share the recipe... if anyone is still checking this blog at all... anyone?

(recipe from The Repressed Pastry Chef)

Attempt #2

Edit: Yay, this second batch came turned out pretty well :D I made a lot so please come and feast on chocolate covered things

So yesterday's chocolate dipped strawberries came out okay... it tasted quite delicious (because it is chocolate and strawberries after all) but from a tempering standpoint, I didn't get the temperatures quite right, which resulted in a bit of blooming.

I went down to the Strip District to get some more strawberries today, and will be having some more dipping fun with those, as well as with almonds, pretzels, apricots, and whatever else I can scavenge in the kitchen.

I will also be trying my hand at brioche today =)

Strawberries...

...dipped in dark chocolate

I'll be dipping strawberries this evening. Come over and we can have a dipping party! Feel free to bring something to dip :D