Christmas Red Velvet Cake

This Christmas, I baked my most challenging cake yet.

I covered it with homemade fondant. I piped icing poinsettias and leaves. It took a lot out of me, but it was so worth it.

Because this cake wasn't about me. It was about a very special church...who really knows how to serve God and celebrate his love.

With each day that passes by, the more I come to adore this group of people. I respect them for what they have endured. I remain humbled before their unbelievable kindness and little acts of care.

I am honored to serve them, and I wish them nothing less than the good Lord's absolute best in the year 2012.

Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps

Have you ever flown over the Rocky Mountains?

I did, a long time ago, and I remember being at a complete and total loss of words. All below and in front of my view were ridges and ridges of mountain peaks, all at once majestic and breathtaking in their grandeur and beauty.

Then there were the snow-capped mountain up ahead, and all I could think about was how this could possibly be real. You almost think it's a picture the way the mountain holds its ground as it has done for thousands of years. You never really forget the experience.

These cookies remind me of those mountains. Kinda sorta, just enough, but still, enough. lol.

Coffee crystals give them an irresistibly earthy aroma, and the chocolate gives them their pitch-black shade. Those of you who like your coffee black, here are your ideal cookies.

I hope you love these cookies, nature, and every moment of your precious lives.

Brandy Snaps

I ended the year right with some brandy.

As in, made some desserts with that brandy, is what I mean. Heh.

It's hard to find brandy snaps around the United States, as they are delicacies commonly found in the U.K. or Australia. It was an interesting experience making these, as I had never tasted them before. I like them. I think this particular recipe uses a bit too strong flavoring of the brandy, so I personally reduced the amount in mine in the second batch, but they are crisp and very yummy.

Feel free to fill them with whipped cream. Or if you're like me, you can serve them on their own. Brandy snaps make for wonderful gifts or desserts for dinner guests.

Happy baking and entertaining!

Gingerbread Cookies

Holiday season calls for cookies.

Lots of cookies.

And it also calls for a little pep talk.

I'm talking to those of you out there who have never baked cutout cookies because you were too scared to do so. Because it looks hard. Because I tried and it didn't work. Because there is a Kroger right down the street. (Oh, give me a break!!!)

You need to stop that. Like now. Like...this milisecond.

This was my very first time baking cutout cookies and decorating them. I did it, and so can you. Make them before Christmas. Make them after Christmas. Make them whenever you get a craving for chewy spice cookies.

Are we good? Yeah?

Yeah!

Coconut Cake

Ahh...coconut cake.

One of the few true Southern foods that isn't deep fried. :P

If you're a huge coconut fan like I am, you will fall head over heels in love with this cake. This has coconut milk in both the cake batter and the buttercream... not to mention tons and tons of shredded coconut all over the top and the sides.

I say you make this for someone really special.

Someone who hugs you on a rainy day. Or a bad test day or a bad hair day or a bad whatever day.

Someone who loves you for no reason. Or for all the reasons.

Almond Diamond Cookies (a.k.a Margaret Cookies)

In Korea there are these cookies called Margarets.

Don't ask me why they're called that, but what I do know is that Margaret cookies are basically soft almond cookies with a diamond pattern on top. They're pretty popular in Korea.

Well, it just so happens that I have a good friend named Margaret. And it just happens that she loves cookies...especially MY cookies.

Some friendships are just meant to be. I swear it on an almond cookie.

We met during our Freshman year at Oxford College, where we both enrolled in Art 101 during our first Fall semester. She sat in the front row, I sat in the second row, and we didn't get to talk much- in class nor outside of class. But one day, as I was getting ready to leave Williams Hall after my recreational dance class, she came in for her next class. One thing led to another and we were talking about our research papers for Art and how she needed a second opinion on her paper and I would love to look over it and hey, why don't we meet sometime around this place on this day and before I knew it two years had passed and I was baking her namesake cookies and writing a blog post about it.

I am so thankful for Margaret because our friendship came as a surprise to me. Even though I am Korean-born, I don't have a lot of Korean friends. It's just awkward...talking with both International and American-Korean students. I feel as though a stiff cultural barrier stands between us, as ironic as that sounds. I wish I could befriend a lot of them, but it's so difficult when I feel like we're each operating on different social wavelengths.

Margaret is a self-labled "Korean-Korean," and I'm, uh, stuck somewhere deep in the nuances of the Korean and American culture. But we're friends. I can list reasons why we are and why we couldn't or whatever, but at the end of the day, we are there for each other. We worry about each other, and we pray for each other. And that's what really matters.

Did any of you ever end up being friends with someone in a totally unexpected way? Someone that you thought you'd never be friends with?

Funny how life works out sometimes, huh?

:)

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This morning I woke up early to bake these Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk cookies.

Which, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to start a Sunday morning. 

This batter really was worth getting out of bed for. These are like miniature banana bread, but in convenient cookie form. Loads of smooth milk chocolate and crunchy walnuts. A hint of cinnamon. Hearty oats. And a heaping cup of freshly diced bananas.

Mmmmm bananas.

I suggest that you use bananas that are just the right shade of deep golden yellow. Pale yellow means the sweetness has not yet fully developed. Dotted or brown bananas may be sweet, but they also may be slightly messier to dice into pieces.

After you bake these cookies, you might want to consider baking a banana bread.

So that if you're lucky like me and have additional 16 pages from two different essays to edit, you can rest easy knowing that you got this, that you can take care of business AND bake two awesome desserts.

Because you are amazing like that and I believe in you <3

Mint Chocolate Bark

All bark. All bite.

Fast, easy, and fun to make, especially during the busy holiday season.

I think bark is one of those treats that look better when they're homemade. Wouldn't you agree?

These cuties make for wonderful stocking stuffers, part of a gift package, or a fun DIY project for kids. You can mix and match different types of chocolates, candies, and nuts.

I was in a minty kind of a mood, so I paired a layer of semisweet and milk chocolate with another layer of dark chocolate and mint chips. Luckily, I found these amazing dark chocolate and mint candy canes to go on the top of the bark. I love when my foods are color-coordinated. :D

Double-Triple Mocha Cookies

Behold... the ultimate cookie.

It's a chocolate cookie with three different types of chocolate chips in it. It has espresso powder incorporated to the batter during the butter-sugar cream stage. It's slightly underbaked and allowed to cool to a perfectly chewy consistency. It has the bite of a brownie and the aroma of a mocha latte. If that doesn't convince you to make these, I don't know what will.

So I have thus named these cookies my Double-Triple Mocha Cookies. Double for the cocoa powder in the batter. Triple for the three types of chocolate chips. Mocha for the strong but satisfying hint of coffee. Yum.

When you take these out of the oven, they will be extremely fragile. Don't try to remove them from the pan when they're still much too soft. For goodness' sake, people, thou shalt exercise self-control! Just 15 minutes! C'mon! You can do this!!

I packed and sent these cookies to two of my dear friends, but I kept a little goodie bag for myself.

And I'll tell you a secret: FROZEN double-triple mocha cookies.

The best things to come along...since warm double-triple mocha cookies.