Sweet Like ADPi

Hello everyone! I apologize for the lack of posting. Right now we are halfway through recruitment and it's been going incredibly well!  Right before recruitment began I wanted to make something sweet to send to Tony as a surprise, and I figured I'd let some of my sisters give them a taste as well.

I made absolutely scrumptious peppermint brownies.

(Recipe from David Lebovitz)

Boy oh boy were they devoured quickly.  Within moments of walking into the ADPi house I was flocked by sisters who wanted to have a taste.

I can't wait for Tony to get them in the mail soon :)

Pure Magic

I can't believe I haven't yet written a post about the one...the only...

2 Ingredient No-Fail Fudge!

But actually. I feel like I share this recipe with friends at least once a week, and I'm shocked I haven't yet shared it on this blog! Craziness.

About three and a half years ago I discovered this recipe--I was in desperate need for a quick, easy, delicious recipe. During the month of February my high school hosted a month-long, school-wide fundraiser for a local charity, and my sophomore year I wanted to help raise money by selling baked goods to my friends.  Great in theory, right?  Right. Except...theory differed from real life, where I ran around after school between Model UN meetings, dance classes, and homework. When I discovered this recipe, it was a match made in heaven.

Cheap ingredients + endless possible combinations + quick preparation + absolute deliciousness = 2 Ingredient No-Fail Fudge.

1. Acquire ingredients: 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (optional: marshmallows, craisins, nuts, pretzels, or anything else you can think of!)

2. Combine ingredients in a large microwavable bowl.

3. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 45 seconds.

4. While you're waiting, line a 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap. Be sure to line it all the way up the sides.

5. Mix melted chocolate and milk until creamy and smooth.

6. If you have add-ins, add them in now.

7. Pour the fudge into the lined baking dish.

8. Let cool for at least 5 hours.

9. Cut into squares or triangles, and enjoy! This last time I put the fudge into little treat boxes I found at Sur La Table. How adorable?

Here are some of my favorite fudge combinations:

• marshmallows and graham crackers
• marshmallows and pretzels
• almonds and craisins
• pistachios, craisins, and a pinch (or two) of cayenne pepper

What are your favorite fudge creations?

So Much Sweetness

Hi everyone! I hope you all have been enjoying my blog thus far. I've been having a great time documenting all of the sweet things DC has to offer.

On a literal level, there are lots of sweets here in the District that have been super fun and delicious to enjoy.

On a figurative level, there are so many sweet opportunities here, and I'm trying to take advantage of as much as I can! Last week I started interning at the Department of Commerce, which has been going really well. Classes are in full swing, and I'm loving every one of them. This weekend Balance, the Ballet Group I'm involved with, hosted auditions for our annual Nutcracker performance (rehearsals start this week) and recruitment is coming up for ADPi.  I guess you could say I have a pretty full plate...but I find that I thrive off of being busy. Whenever I have limited free time I find I am the most efficient, which is working out really well right now.

That's why I haven't been able to blog over the past week! I'm going to try to stay more on top of everything from now on, so stay posted!

Here's a look at the sweets I discovered this past week:

Tuesday was a special day for everyone here in Foggy Bottom: Whole Foods opened on GW's campus! Incredibly fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, turkey, and cheeses now fill our kitchen. The store is absolutely wonderful: both the grocery and dine-in food options are outstanding and I'm thrilled to have a Whole Foods so close.

Thursday I finally learned how to make the perfect omelet. My mom and I love omelets, and we search the North Shore to find the best egg-white omelet. This week I finally succeeded at making the perfect, classic omelet, thanks to Jamie Oliver's tutorial:

My final product!

I always eat my eggs with ketchup (somewhat unusual), and for lunch I made the omelet with mesclun greens and a side of sliced turkey breast.

I'm looking forward to baking this week--hopefully Wednesday! Any suggestions? I'm waiting for some peaches to ripen so I can make Marina and my roommates the pie they've been waiting for!

The Ultimate Classic

While the cupcake craze is fun, and French macarons, whoopie pies, and doughnuts are on the rise, there is one classic that will undeniably remain popular for years to come.

The chocolate chip cookie.

Few things  bring back memories the same way chocolate chip cookies can...the rich smell of butter and brown sugar, the irresistible bites of cookie dough, the extremely long 9 minute wait while they bake, the sweet, buttery aroma that fills the kitchen as soon as the oven door opens, and the sensation of biting into a warm, chewy, divine chocolate chip cookie. Some like them dunked in milk, some like them a bit crispy, some like them oversized, and some like two with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in between.

The connection between chocolate chip cookies and happiness, smiles, and warmth is undeniable--which is exactly why I wanted to bake some for my friend Kelly's 20th birthday. While many claim they have the "best" chocolate chip cookie recipe, I am a firm believer that the recipe on the back of a bag of Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips is pretty outstanding...(just ask me and my roommates...I'm pretty sure we ate almost all of them throughout the day yesterday!)

After doing homework and baking off cookies throughout the afternoon, I assembled a little treat-box I found at Sur la Table, packed in some cooled cookies, wrapped a bow around the package and delivered them to the birthday girl. Happy 20th, Kelly!

Kayaking and Cupcakes...

...make the perfect combination! On Saturday, Mary, Khadija, Asthaa and I had an adventurous afternoon in Georgetown. We walked down to the Potomac and had a great time kayaking. We split up and two of us went in each kayak; I went with Asthaa and we had so much fun! Plus, it was very moderately priced ($17 total for an hour). There were lots of other kayakers and boaters on the river and we had a wonderful time.

Mary and Khadija

All of us!

Boy oh boy was it a workout! My upper body was very sore after, but it was so worth it. Besides, that's nothing a sweet treat can't cure!

After kayaking we went to my all-time favorite DC bakery: Baked and Wired. Nestled on a  side-street south of the infamous shopping street, M. Street, Baked and Wired is my go-to cupcakery when I miss Baker Boys (look out for a future post about Baker Boys, the bakery I work at when I'm home in IL!) Baked and Wired reminds me of Baker Boys because of their comparable sized cupcakes, their unique frosting styles, and their fantastic flavors.

Now, Baked and Wired isn't your traditional bakery. I like to think of it as a bakery with a playful attitude and a fantastic menu.  In my eyes, it stands out among its competition in DC (namely Georgetown Cupcake, Sprinkles, and Crumbs).  Everything from the retro cupcake stands, to the wrapped parchment cups, to the pink bike and decor outside make it a unique sweet spot in DC, and I recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Acknowledging its competition, Georgetown Cupcake

Mary, Khadija, Asthaa and I each got a cupcake for ourselves, and then I bought two more for my Big and Grand-Big in my sorority. Here's what we thought:

Chai: delicious flavors. Super moist cake, and an extremely flavorful frosting. It definitely tasted like a cup of chai!

Peach: very faint (almost too faint, in my opinion) hint of peach. The cake wasn't super moist, but it wasn't super dry either. The chunks of peach were a major plus.
Unporked Elvis: fantastic flavors; it's hard to go wrong with banana and peanut-butter (no bacon in this rendition of an Elvis sandwich). Nice banana-bread based cake, fantastic frosting, and together--a perfect combination.

 

 

From L to R: Chai, Unicorns & Rainbows (appears to be funfetti-esque), Lemon-Blueberry, Peach, Unporked Elvis, and Mocha.
 
When I got home later that day to give my Big, Marina, her Lemon-Blueberry cupcake, I saw her holding a small white box from Baked and Wired--it turns out she bought me a cupcake to surprise me, too! It was red velvet, and was delicious. The cake once again wasn't too moist, but wasn't too dry either. The frosting was unlike Baker Boys frosting; it only had a very faint cream-cheese flavor. Although Baker Boys still makes the best red velvet cupcakes, this attempt wasn't for naught! 

Marina got a strawberry cupcake for herself and oh my goodness was it delicious. Hands-down the best cupcake I've had from Baked and Wired. The cake was moist and had a strawberry flavor, and the frosting was the perfect match. It's a perfect summer cupcake!

Sei

Friday night, Marina and I acted on our need for adventure and exploration by trying a sushi restaurant called Sei just south of Chinatown. On our way there we found an adorable little shop called Lou Lou Boutique.  It was filled with well priced jewelry (for all styles), accessories, bags, and lotions. We ended up looking around for so long we were late for our dinner reservation (whoops) but it was entirely worth it. I purchased some pearl studs as well as a set of rings, and I can't wait to wear them!

We then went to dinner at Sei. The reviews we read explained that it is a very trendy, well decorated restaurant with fair food, and we agreed.

It had a very modern vibe, but it was cozy as well.  The soft candle-light, comfortable seating, funky art and wall decor made for a really unique ambiance. We shared a wasabi guacamole appetizer that Marina loved (it was a bit too spicy for me!) and then got maki rolls and nigiri. I had one roll with salmon, strawberries, cucumber, and avocado which was absolutely divine. The flavor combination was extremely unique and worked very well. The second roll I had was a roasted vegetable roll (I'm not the biggest fan of raw fish!) and it was a bit salty, but the uniqueness made it enjoyable.  Marina enjoyed two spicy tuna rolls as well as some garlicky-tuna nigiri. We were pretty full at that point but had ordered some pork buns, which were fair.

Overall, Sei had a really enjoyable atmosphere and Marina and I had a great time.  Although the menu items were unique, they weren't outstanding. I would recommend the restaurant just north of Sei, called Jaleo. Tony and I went there last spring and had the most incredible tapas in DC!

Seize the Summer!

Now that it's Labor Day Weekend, I guess you could say that summer is unofficially over. Womp. But that doesn't mean that summer fruit is gone! Be sure to take advantage of all of the sweetness of summer fruits (nectarines, plums, cherries, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries...the list goes on and on!) with this pie recipe.

Pie sounds daunting...it's a two-part deal. Crust and filling can seem like an overwhelming task for a new or infrequent baker. But fear not--this pie is not only incredibly easy to make, it also takes a mere 15 minutes to whip up. Who doesn't want a slice of that?

The Ultimate Summer Fruit Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Mix 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt
3. Cut in 1/2 cup of butter until the pieces of butter are smaller than peas. Be sure the butter is room temperature, or slightly softened. Cut in the butter by putting the butter into the mixed dry ingredients, and taking two knives and cutting through the butter in opposite directions.  

   

   Cutting Butter

4. Add 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar.
5. Spread in a 9" circular pie pan, pressing the dough firm and evenly up the sides.
6. Mix 1/2 cup of granulated sugar*, 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour**, a dash of cinnamon, and 2 heaping cups of fruit***.
7. Put the filling in the crust and bake it for 40-45 minutes. The crust may get brown on the edge, but don't worry it's not overdone!
8. Add 1 cup of fruit on top while the pie is still hot.
9. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top once it has cooled.
10. Enjoy!

The aftermath of my most recent Peach-Blackberry Pie.

*If the fruit you are using is more sweet than tart (sweet blueberries, plums, strawberries etc.) use less sugar.
**If the fruit you are using is juicy (nectarines, plums, strawberries, peaches etc. unlike blueberries) use more flour.
***Feel free to use any kind of fruit you like! I love combining different fruit, but a classic blueberry is always outstanding.

Let me know how it turns out! This pie will quickly become a summer staple; I hope you enjoy as much as my friends, family and I do!

It's a New School Year...

Which means trying new things!  Aka this blog.  My goal (well...one of my many goals) for this year is to do go on more culinary adventures, including exploring the city and all of its wonderful restaurants and bakeries, expanding my baking/cooking knowledge now that I have my own lovely kitchen, and having a year filled with sweetness and fun.

I should probably introduce myself (for those of you who don't know me)...I'm Rachel, a sophomore studying International Affairs and Public Health at George Washington University in the heart of DC.  In my somewhat limited free time I absolutely love baking. This summer when I wasn't working on a congressional campaign I worked at Baker Boys, a small bakery/cupcakery north of Chicago that is by far better than anything that I have ever tried. At Baker Boys I was a cupcake finisher/froster, and helped with customers. If you're ever in the northern suburbs of Chicago you absolutely must try Baker Boys. More to come on that in later posts.

At Baker Boys I created their newest cupcake, "Curious George." It's a banana chocolate chip cupcake filled with hot fudge, topped with peanut butter buttercream and chopped Reese's. (Side-note: my nickname at Baker Boy is George because I go to George Washington University, and because I'm super curious!)

My massive sweet-tooth usually drives my baking escapades, as does my desire for a challenge and my passion for experimenting.  Even though I've only been here in DC for a week, so far I've had a lot of fun trying out new things in my kitchen:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Peach-Blackberry Pie (recipe to be posted soon!)

That's all for now--I hope you've enjoyed learning a bit about me. I can't wait to share all of the wonderful things my sweet DC has to offer!