Salty + Sweet | 20something cupcakes

how-to: chocolate-dipped biscotti.

April 18, 2012 — 11 Comments

Biscotti is one of those classic desserts that seems to be appropriate for any occasion.

Holiday gifts, housewarming gifts … breakfast.

Even people who don’t like dessert will probably take a liking to biscotti. It’s not overly sugary, and even if you’re entirely averse to sweets, you can customize these bad boys using your own favorite ingredients, making them as sweet – or un-sweet – as you want.

And, hellllooo … dipping stuff into coffee is, like, super-fun.

I got the brilliant idea to make biscotti for two of our good friends who recently hosted a housewarming party (and had also just gotten engaged – double the celebration!). My first thought was a bottle of Patron XO Cafe, our group of friends’ beverage of choice – and then I thought, biscotti! I wasn’t really sure what they were into in terms of desserts, so I figured this fabulous coffee-themed gift would please pretty much anyone.

I’m telling you: Biscotti (bonus points for pairing it with coffee-flavored tequila) is the solution to any of your “I want to make them something special, but I’m just not sure what they like” situations. We all have those situations, don’t we?

Yes, we do! Which is why I’ve got another episode of Sassy in the Kitchen for you today – so that you can see for yourself how totally easy this is.

In Sassy in the Kitchen, Sweets + Treats almonds, biscotti, chocolate, cookies, holiday gift ideas, housewarming, italian recipes, salty + sweet

tangerine semifreddo + salted almond brittle.

April 13, 2012 — 4 Comments

Looking for an absurdly delicious take on the classic “Creamsicle” flavor combination?

I thought so.

The second I saw this recipe, I was in. I wasn’t exactly sure what a semifreddo was, but I took a look at the ingredient list and figured that eggs, sugar, and heavy cream wouldn’t fail me – and a little tangerine love? Yes, please.

A semifreddo is really just a fancy Italian word for a frozen custard type of dessert. This recipe is actually quite simple – yolks, sugar, and citrus come together for a custard, the whites are beaten into a meringue-like cloud with the rest of the sugar, and cream is whipped into, well, whipped cream! They’re all folded together and frozen in layers with what happens to be the very best part of the recipe, which is the salted almond brittle.

Yes – it is the salted almond brittle that takes this one over the top. Without it, we’d be facing a super-creamy dessert with lots of fresh tangerine flavor – thanks to the quick sauce that’s added just before serving – but also a very sweet dessert. I actually added just a touch of lemon to the tangerine sauce to give it a little extra tartness, because my tangerines were oh-so-sweet. This way, we’ve got the holy flavor trifecta happening: salty, sweet, and tart. Holla!

In addition to bringing the salty vibe to the party, the brittle also provides that crazy-necessary element of crunch. Between the plush, ice-cream-like texture of the semifreddo (no ice cream maker required!) and the salty-crunchy goodness of the brittle, this dessert has it all.

In Dinner Party Worthy, Sweets + Treats almonds, brittle, citrus, italian recipes, salty + sweet, semifreddo, tangerines

I interrupt this {seemingly normal} blog post to bring you a message.

Check it: It’s me. In my kitchen. Lookin’ like a fool…with my pants on the ground.

Kidding! My pants are totes on in this video. Nothing weird going on over here. Well, that I can’t say for sure. Is making fleur de sel caramels and forcing your boyfriend to film it weird? Maybe.

I’m slightly intoxicated in the second half of this video. Is that weird? Psssh. That’s def not weird. I had to wait three whole hours for that caramel to set! What else is a girl to do? There was champagne to be had, people!

Here’s the deal: A while back, I said I was bringing video to 20something cupcakes. I’m all about keeping my word, and I did; I made this fabulous meal, Daniel was taping it, and in the midst of it all, a bottle of wine fell from the top of my fridge, causing a jagged piece of glass to ricochet off the floor so hard that it cut my wrist…like, bad. Like, I had to go to the emergency room because my wrist grew a golf ball bad. Like, a year later, it’s still hard for me to hold a plank on that wrist bad.

This is a true story, y’all. I can’t make this stuff up!

Maybe it was a sign. Maybe I just had too many bottles of wine piled on top of my fridge. Either way, a couple of months went by and I started a new job that I got super-busy with. So I’ve been really busy working, right – like it’s *totally* normal to get to work at 7am and leave at 8pm – and then somewhere along the way, I had an epiphany. I realized that even though I love my job, I was losing sight of other things that I love. Things like this blog. This blog provides a creative outlet that just can’t be touched.

And so, I made myself a promise that I would stop working so damned much (can I get an amen!?) and get back to the other things in my life that make me happy – things that I’m fully in control of, things that really allow me to grow. I’m a person who always likes to be pushing myself. When it comes to this blog, and myself, and my own pursuit of happiness, nothing can stand in my way.

This {right here} is my world, I’m in charge – and I’ve recently made the decision to take it back into my own hands.

I can hardly think of a better way to do so than these fleur de sel caramels. Part of my goal is to show you, if you’re even the least bit unsure – or at the very least looking for some entertainment, which I hope to provide you – that what I’m doing is easy! And fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.

chocolate {salted caramel} cupcakes.

November 9, 2011 — 55 Comments

Today, I thought you deserved something special.

And by special, I mean luscious salted caramel. Tucked inside perfectly moist chocolate cupcakes. Does that qualify?

No? Hmmm… How about if I throw in some salted caramel buttercream frosting? I thought so. I knew you’d be into this. What’s not to be into? These cupcakes are a little taste of heaven in every bite. Well, if you like chocolate and salted caramel…and the food-gasm that entails once you’ve achieved that perfect salty-sweet combination. That’s what salted caramel is all about, after all – and chocolate is an obvious match for it.

Caramel…shall we discuss? I have a feeling we’ve talked this one through before, but just in case you’re new here, let me tell you: It’s not that hard to make. Try it, if you never have, and you’ll likely surprise yourself. The trick I can let you in on – and it’s not exactly a secret – is that caramel turns quickly from velvety and smooth to a hardened, burnt mess. As long as you’re paying attention, you’ll be fine. This is not something you want to be doing while talking on the phone, while licking the cake batter bowl clean, while trying to braid your dog’s hair with your toes.

In Sweets + Treats caramel, chocolate, cupcakes, frosting, salty + sweet

spicy cocktail nuts.

October 7, 2010 — 2 Comments

These are some good nuts. Good as in, if these nuts are around, you may not be able to eat dinner.

True story.

I served these with cocktails at a dinner party and no one could even fathom dessert because we were all so stuffed. And everyone blamed the nuts.

I did increase the cayenne because we all know I like it spicy, but either way you go the end result will be a perfect marriage of spicy, sweet, and crunchy. The egg white coating binds everything together, almost like candied nuts. And the greatest part is that if you have the spices on hand and a big jar of nuts laying around, you can whip these bad boys up anytime.

A danger all in itself.

Spicy Cocktail Nuts

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
4 cups assorted shelled nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Emeril’s Essence
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper – this will make for easy cleanup.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white and water until frothy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, Essence, cayenne, and salt. Add to the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Spread the nuts on the prepared pan and bake until dry, about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to separate. Let cool on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

In Dinner Party Worthy, Fabulously Simple, Starters easy appetizers, nuts, salty + sweet, spicy