Category: Favorite Things

Birthday Weekend

CarrieLeave a comment

Well I must admit that turning 28 was a blast. Last night I went out with a girlfriend to Fuze for dinner. If you are ever in Avalon, it’s a great place to go for some contemporary American cuisine with Asian flare. Then we joined our friends at Fred’s Tavern, our local watering hole. A great night was had by all but the morning was a little rough. Needless to say, I had to take a break today to go home and take a two hour nap. Here’s a shout out to Sadie for the birthday flowers…thanks blog buddy!

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Express Yourself

Carrie1 Comment

I was able to take the time to give myself a manicure for the first time in months. One thing I love to do is to paint my fourth finger a different color than all the rest. I started doing this toward the beginning of the year when I saw Alexis with this manicure on the Real Housewives of OC. You can’t tell me that you can’t learn anything from reality TV. I give a special shout out to Sadie who supplied me with the new color palette.

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The Black and White Cookie

CarrieLeave a comment

Do you remember the Seinfeld episode that centered around a Black and White Cookie?  At the bakery, you can get a cookie just like the one seen in the show.  This simple cookie is a delicious treat for anyone at any age.  A cake-like cookie smothered in chocolate and vanilla icing can satisfy anyone’s craving.  I can’t give away our secret recipe but here’s a good one I found on Epicurious.com

Ingredients for Cookies

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg

Ingredients for Icings

  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

To Make cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes.

Make icings while cookies chill:
Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as white icing.

Ice cookies:
Turn cookies flat sides up, then spread white icing over half of each and chocolate over other half.