In Kate's Kitchen

Pretzel Tots

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Kate

Thank goodness it is finally fall. By the end of August (or truthfully, June), I am already tired of blazing-hot days and equally scorching nights. Fall is my favorite season, with it’s beautiful colors and changing weather. Gone are the days of shorts and swimsuits. It is officially jeans, all the time. And not to mention the best part of autumn, pulling out my numerous cardigans. I have noticed the season as we drive down the highway. Trees that line the road are now a menagerie of red, brown, and orange, and are beginning to form windows through the branches where the leaves have fallen and left a bare opening, in preparation for winter.

Sweaters and leaves aren’t the only great things about fall. It also comes with a new harvest of fruits and vegetables, and new culinary creations to fit the season. I can’t wait to start pulling out soup recipes. Recently there has been a lot of Saturday snack-making for football game munchies.

Rising in a warm place.

Yesterday, I decided to bake up some homemade pretzels. I have never made pretzels before, but they seemed like the perfect thing for a chilly afternoon. I found the recipe a few weeks ago, while perusing a cooking website, A Cozy Kitchen. I fell in love with the simple and comforting recipes, complimented by magnificent photos that make me want to make every single recipe that very day. Her recipe for Pretzel Tots seemed like a good beginner pretzel recipe without all the twisting.

Doubled in size!

The pretzels turned out amazingly well. Dark on the outside with a pillowy-soft interior. Plus, I discovered the secret for that salty-pretzel crust: boiling the dough in a mixture of water and baking soda.

I had a little bit of trouble removing the tots from my sheet pan. Although, it was mostly my fault because I used waxed paper rather than parchment, which the recipe called for. It ended up being okay, we just had to cut them off of the pan.

I will definitely be making this recipe again. Pretzels that were easy to make, delicious, and barely took any time at all. I think next time I may experiment with baking them without salt and instead rolling them in a little cinnamon-sugar. Happy fall, everyone!

Here is the recipe, ready for printing.

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Cream Puffs

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Kate

Summer break: three months out of the year with blazing temperatures and humidity. Or, three months to relax and restore, a hibernation of sorts. To me, summer break is just that, a break. Take some time from the hustle and bustle that fills the other nine months of the year. Go see places that you dreamed of, surround yourself with people that make you happy, and do things that you enjoy.

Summer is my time to experiment in the kitchen. I can pull out those crazy recipes that, other times, you wouldn’t consider. Not to mention the freshest and most delicious ingredients are in abundance, waiting to be baked into pie, or mixed into ice cream.

I know I will surely miss those long summer days. Waking up when you please, with no regard to an alarm clock. Reading at least three cook books before deciding what today’s adventure will be. And digging into the kitchen, whisk in hand, ready to tackle another masterpiece.

Cream Puffs have always been one of those recipes I wanted to try, but never got around to. And yet, I am so glad I decided to make them yesterday. When they are completely done, they are simple, but with a flair of sophistication making them the perfect dessert. And, I was surprised at how easy they were to make.

Cream puffs are one of those things that are just plain fun to eat. One bite, and sweet creamy filling erupts into your mouth, complimented by the ideal puff with just enough crispiness.

Cream puffs seem like an impeccable summer dessert. The puffs are dainty and light, and stuffed with feathery whipped cream. After trying one, you just might eat the rest.

Here is the delectable printable recipe.

Posted in Dessert | 1 Comment

Cupcakes Galore

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Kate

A new epidemic seems to be sweeping through the country. It’s popping up everywhere, causing excitement, long lines, and–dare I say it–high caloric intake. That’s right folks, it’s…cupcakes!

I am a sucker for cupcakes. I love to make and decorate cupcakes, and I never miss an episode of DC Cupcakes on TLC. So, when we happened to be passing through the area recently, I know we needed to stop at Georgetown Cupcake for a couple scrumptious cupcakes. Which of course turned into a dozen….

We arrived at the store in mid evening, around 8pm.

It’s a very cute building, on a busy corner in Georgetown, Virginia.

Until, of course, you look down the street and notice the line just to get in. You immediately wonder how badly you need these cupcakes. And then you mentally answer. Yes, I really need a Georgetown cupcake.

The line ended up not being too bad, only about 15 minutes. And it was completely worth it once we stepped inside.

It was cupcake heaven. We pretty much ordered one of everything. It was the safest thing to do : )

My favorite cupcake was Chocolate³. A delicious chocolate cupcake with rich chocolate frosting and yes, chocolate sprinkles.

I was sufficiently satisfied with our 12 Georgetown Cupcakes, but apparently it just quite wasn’t enough.

So, we headed over to Sprinkles, another cupcake shop, literally a block away from Georgetown Cupcake. We decided to make it a little competition.

Which of course turned into another dozen cupcakes purchased.

And we again needed to buy one of each flavor!

My favorite from this batch was the Mocha cupcake. It was super moist and dense, with just the right amount of mocha flavor and crunch of the sprinkles on top.

After returning home with our loot, we held a red velvet cupcake-off, to determine which bakery made a better version. The verdict: both were delicious, and it ended up being a personal preference. I preferred the Sprinkles version, as it had more chocolate flavor and was very moist. But, our other tasters enjoyed the Georgetown version for it’s very dense cake and less frosting. Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. : )

If you find yourself in the DC area, here is my recommendation: wait in line at Georgetown Cupcake–no matter how long it may be–and try a few different kinds. Then, walk on down to Sprinkles Cupcakes and buy a few more. Finally, sit back, relax, and enjoy your cupcakes!

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A Cake Pop? A Smurf?

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Kate

While making cake pops yesterday, I experimented with a half blue/half brown one. Then, I realized he had a little nose. Just two eyes and a bow tie later….