Cookies + Hot Chocolate = Crazy Delicious

The holiday season is almost over (I think the couple days after the new year still count seeing as many of us won't return to work until January 5th), and so I wanted to review the holiday baking that I have done over the past couple of weeks.

There is nothing better than baking cookies to get one in the holiday spirit. A couple of weeks ago I was visiting AJ in Boston and wanted to bake some cookies for our annual viewing of the movie "Elf" starring Will Ferrell. If you have not seen this movie yet, please do! It is a cute, heart-warming film that is best viewed in the company of friends while enjoying hot cocoa and cookies.

I had seen a recipe for chocolate peppermint cookies in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living. With Malia's help, we set out to bake these, some Mexican Wedding cookies, and some classic sugar cookies.

Wedding Cookies in adorable, but ridiculous sugar cookie sleigh (we did not make that).

Putting together the dough was rather simple, but the rolling the dough and cutting the cookies out, proved to be a lot trickier. The dough is very sticky and requires ample time in the refrigerator before being rolled out. I would recommend an hour in the fridge. Once you have rolled out the dough, I would recommend sticking it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. This makes cutting the cookies out much easier. Malia and I also found that shot glasses were the perfect size for cookie cutters.

Once the cookies have baked, we melted white and dark chocolate in separate double boilers. We dipped some in the dark, some in the white. We crushed candy canes (the minis work the best) and sprinkled those on as the melted chocolate cooled (using the dark and the white proved genius as we were abled to drizzle different kinds of chocolate on top, creating some beautiful and not so beautiful patterns). It is important to put these cookies in the fridge so they can set up. But you don't want to leave them in overnight, as they will start to soften.

The Mexican Wedding cookies were much easier to work with, although you should expect to become completely covered in powdered sugar by the end of the process.

These cookies were a hit. Malia and I slightly preferred the buttery, nutty taste of the wedding cookies. Although the chocolate peppermint were a huge hit with the crew in Boston. As I said earlier, I think the best way to enjoy these is with a homemade batch of hot chocolate (none of that swiss miss stuff please)! AJ and I have added this to our Elf viewing tradition. I make the hot chocolate and he adds a touch of Bailey's. Delicious!

Hot Chocolate with Bailey's.

Recipes follow:

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Makes approximately 40 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa (JAM Note: I couldn't find dutch processed, so I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate blend of natural and dutch-processed cocoas)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 oz (5 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3/ tsp pure peppermint extract

10 miniature candy canes

1 lb white chocolate morsels

1 lb semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium low and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add four mixture and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate (1 hour, up to 2 days).

Roll out one disk on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Return dough to freezer for 15-20 minutes. Using a 2-in cutter (JAM Note: used shot glasses), cut out circles and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Combine scraps and roll out. Freeze for 15 minutes before cutting. Repeat with second disk.

Bake cookies until they are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes (ours took approx 10 minutes). Transfer to rack to cool. (Undecorated cookies will keep for up to 3 days.)

Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl over a pot of gently boiling water. Remove from heat and dunk cookies into melted chocolate (JAM Note: spoons worked the best for turning cookies over). Place on parchment paper and sprinkle with crushed candy canes or drizzle with white or dark chocolate. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours.

2 out of 3 JAMs

Heather Chittum's Wedding Cookies

Washington Post

Note: The secret to these cookies, known as snowballs or mexican wedding cookies, is the beating of the butter and the confectioner's sugar. A full 7 minutes is required. The dough must be refrigerated for 30 minutes before being rolled into balls. Once sugared these will last up to one week. Makes approx 36 cookies.

Ingredients:

2 sticks (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (almost ground)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp honey

Directions

Combine the butter and 1/2 cup of the confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for 7 minutes, until the mixer is pale white and fluffy.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, nuts and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.

Stop to scrap down the sides of the bowl, then, with the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla and honey; beat to mix well. With the mixer on low-speed, add the flour-nut mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the dough to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon liners. Use a mellon baller to make walnut sized pieces of dough, then roll them into balls and place them 2 in apart on baking sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are just pale golden. While cookies are in the oven place confectioners sugar in a large bowl. Begin coating the cookies as soon as they are removed from the oven. Gently roll in confectioners' sugar until evenly coated. Let them cool completely before storing. Store in airtight container that has confectioners' sugar sprinkled on the bottom.

2.5 out of 3 JAMs

Hot Chocolate w. Bailey's

Ingredients

3 (3.5 oz) bars Green&Black organic chocolate (70% cacao)

1 gallon organic milk

2 tbsp cinnamon

12 shots of Bailey's Irish Creme

1/2 cup honey (or to taste)

Pour milk into saucepan and heat over medium heat until brought to a simmer. Coursely chop chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl. Place bowl over pot of boiling water until melted. Pour milk into melted chocolate mixture and continue to heat. Add honey and cinnamon. We waited to add the Bailey's until each mug had been poured. (You can add the Bailey's before if you like). Once the mixture is steaming, but yet at a boil, pour into mugs. Marshmallows are optional. Enjoy!

3 out of 3 JAMs

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Sunday Brunch at Spring St

While I'm not normally interested at eating at healthy places, (I am a big fan of butter and full-fat foods), Travis and I were starving a few weekends ago while finishing up Christmas shopping in Soho and decided to try out Spring Street Natural Restaurant for brunch. Despite being a natural restaurant, the brunch menu looked delicious AND there were tons of people there at 2pm on a freezing wintery Sunday.

First off, we ordered and then they brought us a yummy basket of tomato rosemary bread- it was a pretty pink color and surprisingly sweet. Delicious.

Shortly after, our food arrived! I order Eggs Florentine, which were perfectly cooked. The yolks of the poached eggs practically melted into the fresh baby spinach and lightly toasted English muffin underneath. The hollandaise sauce was not as heavy nor thick as other ones I'd had, but was just a nice mellow, buttery addition to the savory, salty egg yolk and spinach combo. Also, there wasn't a lake of hollandaise, but a nice splash.

The fries were somewhat crisp (inconsistent here with some more crunchy than others) and salty, and tasted like they had been cooked in peanut oil, so they were on the greasier side but were a little bit nutty. The homemade ketchup was sweeter and thinner than Heinz ketchup, but it went well with my eggs.

Travis' food, though, was another story. He ordered the frittata, which came with brie, shitake mushrooms, zucchini, and red peppers. Unlike other frittatas I've eaten, this one was dry, with minimal moisture, and was very thin. The eggs were far too cooked for my liking, and the brie distribution wasn't consistent - some bites had way too much brie and others not enough, leaving Travis to semi-deconstruct his meal in order to have veggies, cheese, and eggs in each bite. Not something either of us would ever order again.

His fries, of course, just as good as mine.

All in all, if it was just based off of what I ate, I'd happily give this place a solid 2 out of 3 JAMs, as my eggs and fries were delicious, the bread basket was really unexpectedly good, and the service and price (my meal was about $20 including tax and tip and a hot apple cider) decent.

With Travis' terrible frittata though, I give this place a cautionary 1 1/2 JAMs. We will have to go in once more for additional sampling to determine if it should really be a 1.

A Kiwi Breakfast

Basket of Goodies

There is a wonderful bistro in Arlington off of Lee Highway that my sister and I first heard about in the Washington Post (where else?). Cassatt's was inspired by the owner's stay in New Zealand. He loved the cafe culture of New Zealand, and wanted to bring that same feel to this establishment.

While I have never been to New Zealand, I can vouch for the warm hospitality and quaint feel of this restaurant. I first ventured here to grab a cup of coffe and a snack with AJ a couple of weeks ago. He orderd an endive salad with walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese. I ordered the New Zealand version of a latte, the White Flat. The strong espresso is complimented nicely by the steamed milk. A little sugar makes this a delectable beverage.

On my next trip, my mom and I stopped in for a late brunch. Cassatt's serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am-3pm. I ordered a salad, while she got a vegetable omelette. The salad was nice and fresh, featuring field greens, cranberries, walnuts, pears, and feta cheese. Some nice fall flavors. The salty feta was a nice contrast to the sweet fruits.

The real star of the brunch menu is the egg. Cassatt's serves these in a variety of styles. On my following trips I ordered eggs over easy, an Italian frittata, and tasted the omelette and the eggs with smoked salmon. I was very pleased with how well the eggs were cooked to order. The eggs over easy were slightly cooked through, with just a little runniness (I recently developed a love of fried eggs). The toast is an excellent tool to sop up the runny yolks. I would also recommend the Italian frittata for those who are hoping to get in some veggies in their meal. The Italian frittata is essentially an open faced omelette served with sauteed onions, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta. The veggies are so fresh and perfectly cooked. Some omelettes served with this many vegetables can be soggy, but this omelette was not watery at all - letting the flavors shine through!

Eggs over easy, bubble and squeak potatoes, toast, and fruit salad.

Not only do the eggs come with toast and fruit salad, but a wonderful kiwi version of potato hash called "bubble and squeak potatoes". The potatoes are cooked with onion, carrot, and cabbage. It is really quite delicious. The hash has a nice crust on the outside. Quite the complete breakfast.

Cassatt's also serves different pastries. These can complement an egg dish, or just be ordered for a small breakfast with a white flat. Malia, Jenny, and I were out to brunch last weekend, and ordered the Basket Cassatt - an assortment of pastries. The basket came with a cranberry scone, blueberry muffin, lemon poppyseed muffin, croissant, and apple turnovers. They certainly don't skimp on the butter! The scone was extremely dense and buttery. The blueberry muffin was again, very buttery, with nice blueberry notes, but definitely not the best season to serve this fruit filled sweet. The highlight of the basket was probably the lemon poppyseed muffin, which was lemony, with a nice texture from the poppyseeds, and not too sweet. The croissant was flaky, with a nice buttery flavor.

I can't wait to try their dinner menu. This is one girl who has become a kiwi convert.

1.5 out of 3 JAMs

Cassatt's

4536 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 527-3330

Elementary School Birthday Party!

This past Sunday, we decided to relive our elementary school birthday experiences by feasting on pizza and cupcakes! 2 Amys has some of the best pizza DC has to offer, and located very close by is the recently opened Georgetown Cupcake.

2 Amys offers Neopolitan pizza. This is not just any Neopolitan pizza. These pizzas are prepared in the traditional Italian method: using soft-grain flour, fresh yeast, water, and sea salt for the dough; and italian plum tomatoes, mozarella di bufala, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil or oregano for the toppings. It is only those pizzas prepared in this manner that are granted Denominazione di Origine Controllata status by the Italian government.



We arrived for lunch around noon and the place was already packed (If you come on Sunday, you also have the option of ordering their homemade doughnuts - they smelled amazing). Fortunately they were able to seat us upstairs within five minutes of our arrival. Jenny and Ariel had been to 2 Amys previously and really wanted Malia to try this pizza. Besides the classic Margherita, they also offer pizzas with different toppings. Jenny had ordered the "Norcia" - the last time we were here - a pie topped with tomatoes, salami, grilled peppers, mozarella, and grana. She and I decided to split this pizza and the Arugula pizza.

The Norcia

The pizzas came out about 20 minutes later, but it was worth the wait. The crusts on these pizzas are the best - thin and crisp in the middle, and thick and soft on the outside, with just a slight char from the woodburning ovens.

The Norcia has some great flavors - the salty smoky salami pair well with the sweet bell peppers, and tomatoes. The melty mozarella brings them all together. The Arugula pizza was the epitome of freshness. The arugula leaves were crisp and peppery, piled high on top of the pizza. The provided a nice contrast to the melted cheese and warm dough. Definitely one that will be ordered again.

The Arugula Pizza.

While chomping down on our pizzas, we began to discuss the different kinds of pizzas that can be ordered these days. Some places focus on unique topping combinations, others the quality of their dough. 2 Amy's definitely follows a minimalist approach, using nothing but the finest ingredients. If you are looking to savor a quality pizza with simple ingredients this place is for you.

Our next stop was Georgetown cupcakes. Finding a parking spot in Georgetown can be quite the task, but luckily it gave us some time to digest our lunch so we could prepare for cupcakes. Georgetown Cupcakes was started almost a year ago by two sisters with a passion for baking. In their short time they have earned many accolades. Recently they were featured in the Washington Post's "Cupcake Wars", earning the title of "best cupcake" in the DC/Metro area.

Georgetown Cupcake Storefront.

We arrived around 2:30 to a fairly long line. Jenny inquired at the front of the line to see how long they had been waiting. "15 minutes", we were told. Luckily it seems these girls know how to keep things moving smoothly.

Once inside we looked at the giant chalkboard listing today's cupcake offerings. They were offering a dozen varieties. We decided to try vanilla^2, carrot, red velvet, vanilla&chocolate, key lime, chocolate mint, gingerbread, snowball (coconut), chocolate^2 and peanut butter chocolate.

cupcakes in all their glory

Once the cupcakes were packed in their cute little pink boxes, we took them to Ariel's house for our taste test. Malia chose the gingerbread cupcake with cream cheese frosting. The cake was moist and had just the right spiciness from ginger and cinnamon, and the cream cheese frosting was tangy and not too sweet. Ariel went for the chocolate^2 which was extremely decadent. The chocolate ganache was layed on thick and we felt was a little too rich, but the chocolate cake was extremely moist and perfect for the chocolate lover. The peppermint frosting on Jenny's chocolate mint cupcake was a perfect foil for the rich chocolate. It tasted just like Christmas. Yum! AJ loved his vanilla cupcake with chocolate ganache. Always a classic. Katy enjoyed the red velvet cupcake (altho she isn't a cream cheese frosting fan, so she would've preferred a vanilla frosting). Dan gave his thumbs up for the vanilla^2.

I think the key to these cupcakes is the quality of their ingredients. Only the finest valrhona chocolate and madagascar bourbon vanilla are used. The key lime cupcake is made with fresh key limes. The vanilla cupcake and the key lime frosting are dotted with zingy lime zest. It's like a visit to the Keys in every mouthful. The coconut cupcake is for the extreme coconut fan. The coconut cupcake has shredded coconut in the batter and is frosted with cream cheese frosting and topped with shredded coconut. It's a lovely tropical escape from the winter blues. The peanut butter chocolate swirl has a chocolate cupcake with a creamy peanut butter center and is topped with ganache and a pb icing swirl. The combo of chocolate and peanut butter plays to the kid in all of us. And afterall isn't it fun to act like a kid every once in awhile.

2 Amys

3715 Macomb St NW

Washington DC 20016

2 out of 3 JAMs

Georgetown Cupcake

1209 Potomac St NW

Washington DC 20007

2 out of 3 JAMs

'Ha ru'de!

Boston "uncommon" roll (if only the wait staff were as clever as this name).

After an afternoon spent watching the Will Ferrel film, "Elf", and eating cookies, we all wanted something lighter for dinner. We decided on sushi at Haru. AJ called ahead to reserve a table, as pretty much any place in Boston starts to fill up quickly for dinner. The hostess responded, rather rudely, that they weren't taking reservations (even though AJ has made reservations before).

We decided to head over regardless, because Haru is located a block away from AJ's apartment and we really didn't want to walk in the cold. The entrance was packed with people waiting for a table, and as we walked in the host asked us if we had made reservations. Well this certainly got our blood boiling after having dealt with such a rude response to our request for reservations earlier. We were told they could seat us at the bar if we were willing. With our stomachs growling, we agreed.

They seated us at the bar, giving us a view of the sushi chefs at work. Unfortunately the seats at the bar are rather low, allowing one to see the chef's heads, but not their preparation of the sushi (another disappointment).

As we took off our coats, Nick placed his laptop behind his chair. As soon as he began to peruse the menu a waitress came over demanding that he move his laptop or they would move it for him. It wasn't so much the request that was disarming, but the manner in which the waitress spoke to him. We had yet to order, and so far the service had been very poor.

Salmon avocado roll and tuna sashimi

After disappearing for awhile after we had placed our drink orders, our waiter returned. AJ and Nick both ordered the "Boston Uncommon" roll, Anna the phoenix roll and I got the salmon avocado with tuna sashimi. An order of steamed dumplings was requested as well. Our waiter returned five minutes later to inform us that the steamed dumplings would take longer than anticipated because they were "still frozen". We were dumbfounded that a waiter would admit that a dish was frozen. I mean it is not as if we were at a TGIFriday's. The dumplings were brought out and were given decent marks by Nick and Anna. But for the price, you would expect something a little fresher.

Although many of us had eaten at Haru before and enjoyed the sushi, our expectations at this point were pretty low. As I stared at the sushi chefs over the bar, I kept hoping that the next roll they brought out would be one of ours. After a solid 20 minutes of waiting, they brought out our rolls.

The "Boston uncommon" is just that - beautifully presented in pyramid form with a rainbow of colors that visually whet the appetite. The flecks of golf add a sophisticated feel, although they add nothing tastewise. The flavors themselves are unique, with bits of mango and ginger creating a tropical sensation around the salmon, tuna, and avocado that one is used to experiencing in a sushi roll.

The salmon and avocado roll was solid, nothing extraordinary. The tuna sashimi was an excellent cut of fish that was smooth and buttery as it rolled down my tongue. For $10 my meal was reasonably priced. The signature rolls will cost you $17-19 (a little exorbitant in my opinion).

Overall, the food was pretty good, but not worth the poor service and high prices.

1.5 JAMs

Haru

800 Boylston St

Boston, MA 02199

"Where Pizza is Art"

"Lunch for Henry" - Henry is Didi's cat. Apparently cats love butternut squash as well.

Pizza as an art form. This seems to be how many critics describe the ethic of pizza makers these days. But could a pizza joint in Cambridge really pay homage to the culinary icon that is pizza? AJ and Justin had raved about Veggie Planet so much, that I offered them a guest spot on thisfoodismyJAM. They never did take me up on the offer, so I knew I would have to taste this for myself.

On Saturday, we headed to Cambridge to get some veggies into our system before eating cookies and drinking hot cocoa (so what if the veggies were covered in cheese?) Veggie planet has quite the admirable mission: they use only vegetarian ingredients, support local farmers, purchase organic ingredients when possible, use organic dough from a nonprofit bakery doubling as a homeless service provider, and donate a percentage of their profits to other organizations working for social and/or environmental change. If only eating pizza could make you feel that good all the time?

Veggie Planet is tucked away in the basement of some shops. The decor doesn't exactly inspire the same awe as John Harvard's University, but I think that's the point. As AJ put it, the veggie plant vibe is like: "we're gonna make some really awesome organic pizzas, if people want to eat them that's cool, whatever". The eatery also doubles as a music venue on some evenings. Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers are coming on Dec 26th (oh how I wish I could be there). I did enjoy that effort was made to decorate the place for the holidays - festive snowlakes were hung all over the place.

A crowded house at Veggie Plant is easy to explain with the wondeful menu that is offered.

The "special of the day" - mushroom spread, butternut squash, spinach, and fontina.

Justin and AJ had experienced the wonders of butternut squash topped pizza on their previous trip. AJ agreed to split a large one, so that I could try it for myself. The "special of the day" beckoned to me as well, so I ordered a small one to split with AJ. Seriously the menu is amazing and I had difficulty choosing just two options. A large and a small is enough to feed four people. We definitely over ordered, but we were both starving so it worked out well.

The "Lunch for Henry" is topped with mashed butternut squash, goat cheese, caramalized onions, and sage. This pizza is so perfect on a wintery Boston day. The dough was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The sage and squash combination is such a classic, and the addition of crunchy caramalized onions added great texture. The goat cheese was gooey and salty which was the perfect compliment to the sweet squash. This pizza is the reason I love salty and sweet combos!

I shouldn't have worried about how the special would follow "lunch for henry", because these flavors blew me away. The mushroom puree was garlicky and earthy, providing the perfect platform for large chunks of roasted butternut squash and sauteed spinach. The nutty fontina cheese melted into the winter vegetables pulling it all together.

As I finished off my last bite of crust I felt so content. The only thing that made me sad was knowing that there is no Veggie Planet Pizza in Virginia. Seriously, it's that good.

3 out of 3 JAMs

Veggie Planet Pizza

Club Passim

47 Palmer Street, Harvard Square

Cambridge, MA

Dining on Newbury Street

I was up in Boston this weekend, and had the opportunity to eat at a couple of different restaurants. There are a plethora of cuisine options in terms of price, type of food, and ambiance.

Hello pistachio goodness.

On Thursday night, AJ, some friends, and I headed to the shopping hot spot that is Newbury Street and walked into Kashmir for some fine Indian dining. This was actually the first restaurant that AJ took me to when I visited Boston for the first time. The interior is decorated with shades of gold, white, and red giving the dining room a palatial feel. Asian artwork adorns the walls.


We decided to kick the night off with some beverages - a pistachio shake, and a couple mango lassis. These refreshing beverages were meant to be enjoyed with spicy food. The beautiful seafoam green beverage was slightly sweet with a wonderful pistachio flavor. The mango lassi was smooth, but not too thick - a tropical delight.


Kashmir offers a variety of seafood, meat, and vegetarian options. Each of us ordered a separate entree, but we ended up sharing a chickpea dish and the chicken tikka masala. I usually opt for the chicken tikka masala, which features chicken in a creamy tomato sauce (a safe 'American' option). This time, I wanted to try something different. I settled on a dish that would pay homage to my love of eggplant, Baigan Bharth

Baigan Bharth

Vegetable Pakora

We ordered some vegetable pakoras to tide us over until our entrees arrived. I am not used to the consultant lifestyle where eating is apparently the last priority (those PLs are such slave drivers). We commenced dinner at 9pm, a far cry from my usual 6:45 dinner time. The vegetable pakoras were crunchy with a slight sweetness that was balanced nicely with some cumin and other spices.

The entrees arrived with fresh, hot naan. Naan is quite possibly my favorite part about eating Indian, and this batch was no disappointment. The naan was warm and chewy, with some nice char marks from the tandoor oven. We also sampled some peshwari naan - which was stuffed with lots of butter and coconut. You can't go wrong with a recipe like that.

The chicken tikka masala was very good, but how badly can you mess up chicken in a tomato sauce? The chickpea dish had a similar sauce, with tomatoes and onions. Nothing was very spicy, even though we had all ordered it "medium". I guess no one trusts that some white kids can handle the heat. The eggplant dish was probably my favorite, it was loaded with garlic, and mashed into a creamy consistency. It had some slight heat from the curry powder.

Chicken tikka masala, cozying up to some warm naan.

All in all a solid meal. Most places on Newbury Street are slightly overpriced. The vegetarian dishes were all $15-16, a little high in my opinion. The flavors were good, and if you're looking for a great location, you can't beat this spot.

2 out of 3 JAMs

Kashmir

279 Newbury St

Boston, MA 02116