Lemon Sugar Crusted Blueberry Muffins

My family is big on blueberries. We nearly always have some waiting to be added to cereal or greek yogurt for breakfast, but I knew that I wanted to use them for something a little different. When I saw this recipe for blueberry muffins on carnal dish, one of my favorite blogs, I knew we had a winner.

The brightness of the lemon zest in this recipe brings out the sweet juices of the blueberries, and the crunchy topping adds a perfect texture contrast to the soft muffin. These muffins are a delightful complement to your morning latte!

BLT {plus}

A BLT may seem like your everyday conventional sandwich, but use the freshest ingredients and add a rich avocado and fried egg, and you've got a simple updated alternative to a traditional favorite.

Crusty sourdough bread + Thomas Keller's choice in bacon + farmers' market tomato, lettuce, avocado and fried egg...

This simple sandwich is a savory combination of flavors and textures, with the creamy avocado, crispy bacon, and sweet tomato. And, I'll always go for anything with a runny yolk. Does it get any better than that?

If you're on the search for San Francisco's Best BLT, check out the Chowhound suggestions!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars

After a nine-month hiatus, I'm back to baking. Since I'm a little rusty in the kitchen, I thought I would start with the simple stuff. And what better way to kick off a summer of baking than with my all-time favorite combo, chocolate and peanut butter?

This recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip blondie bars is the perfect hybrid between cookie and brownie. Chewy and delicious with just a hint of peanut butter, they are a snap to make.

Keep reading for the recipe.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Last time I took a poll on what to bake next, mini chocolate hazelnut eclairs turned out to be the winner. But red velvet cupcakes came in a close second, and after a few requests at the office I knew it was time to tackle another cupcake recipe (I had been scared off by my failed strawberry buttercream).

Red velvet cupcakes are definitely my own personal favorite. While the bright red color certainly makes a statement, the cake itself is not too sweet, and the cream cheese frosting lends the perfect tangy note, leaving these cupcakes feeling just a bit more "grown up."

I found this recipe from bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com. Appropriate title, no? The cream cheese frosting came from Martha Stewart. Both were easy to follow (although the cupcake recipe was more labor-intensive than I had anticipated) and this time the frosting turned out perfectly. Smooth, tangy, and delicious!

Keep reading for the recipe.

{The Best} Chocolate Chip Cookies

I just wanted to take a moment to share with all of you the best chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever try. 

Ever. 

These Levain Bakery inspired cookies from My Baking Addiction are crispy on the edges, soft and gooey in the middle, and did I mention they're also huge?!

There is just something so satisfying about sinking your teeth into a huge chewy cookie.

It's easy for me to get caught up in making something new, exciting and impressive, but sometimes there's nothing better than a classic chocolate chip cookie.

Keep reading for the recipe.

Summer Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula

So last night I was definitely in the mood for comfort food. And for me, comfort food means carbs (anyone else?). Since we've had irregularly warm and sunny weather lately in San Francisco, I was craving an option that was light, easy, but still delicious and filling. This pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes and arugula turned out to be the perfect choice - the arugula adds a crunchy bite and the cherry tomatoes lend a note of sweetness to contrast with the nutty herb and garlic flavor of the pesto. And taking only 15 minutes from start to finish (with pre-prepared pesto), I didn't have to spend all night in the kitchen to enjoy a tasty homemade meal! 

This one is super easy. All you need is some dried pasta (penne is my favorite, always!), cherry tomatoes, pesto (if you'd like to make your own, try out this recipe), arugula (baby preferred) and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Tips for perfect pasta:

• Generously salt your boiling water for well-seasoned pasta
• Add a bit of olive oil into the boiling water to keep pasta from sticking together
• Test pasta a minute before the box says it's done, and remove from heat a tiny bit underdone for perfect al dente pasta
• Reserve a 1/4 cup of the pasta water in case you need to thin out your sauce
• After you drain the pasta, return it to the pan (off heat) to mix in the sauce, some of the cheese and the tomatoes. This insures that the pasta is well-coated and everything is incorporated evenly. Then transfer to a serving bowl or individual plates.
• For pesto pasta, use smaller ridged shapes like penne that absorb sauce well. Fusilli is ideal.

Buon appetito!

Recipe:

Dried penne pasta (a general rule is 100g per person)

Pesto (for homemade, try Ina Garten's recipe here)

1 c. cherry tomatoes

1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

A handful or two of arugula (baby preferred)

Extra parmesan for garnish

1. Make pasta according to box directions.
2. After draining, return pasta to the pan (off heat) and add pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, and the parmesan, stirring to incorporate.
3. Transfer to serving dish or individual plates/bowls.
4. Top each serving with a small handful of arugula and garnish with fresh parmesan. Try adding grilled chicken if you need some protein with your meal!

Chocolate Hazelnut Eclairs {and homemade truffles!}

 

After receiving the Petite Sweets by Beatrice Ojakangas cookbook a week ago from my mom, I have been poring over the pages of mini custards, cakes and tarts, every one as precious and seemingly delicious as the last. The idea of miniature desserts appeals to me because they are the perfect portion for a sweet snack or final note to a meal. With the help of your votes last week, I settled on baking my first real pastries: eclairs with chocolate hazelnut filling. I know I always say this, but I was once again surprised by the simplicity of this recipe; each component has 4 ingredients or less! If you have the right tools (namely, a pastry bag), this recipe is a snap to make and you'll be satisfied knowing you conquered the slightly intimidating - yet totally worth it - delicious tiny eclairs.

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

Using Nigella Lawson's recipe from the foodnetwork.com, I made this incredible chocolate raspberry pavlova for a pre-4th of July dinner party at the lovely home of family friends. I was a little nervous about providing the dessert, because the hostess is known to be a Little Miss Martha Stewart herself and has had her home - and fully-equipped jealousy-inducing kitchen - photographed many times for Pottery Barn. Luckily, this light and airy treat turned out beautifully, was a great "make ahead" dish, and was a crowd-pleaser, leaving a few coming back for seconds.

Summer Sun Tea

Here's a simple alternative to brewing Iced Tea with hot water - all you need is a sunny summer day.

Vanilla Cupcakes and Fresh Strawberry Frosting

Last weekend we had a couple of family friends in town, and one of them was a 13-year-old girl visiting from Ohio. I took her around the city for the day, and we had a great time shopping in the Marina, getting mini-makeovers at Benefit, and baking these vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting from a recipe I found on My Baking Addiction.

Swensen's Ice Cream {Russian Hill}

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite sweet spots on Russian Hill. It's called Swensen's, and is located on the corner of Hyde & Union.

It's modeled after an old school ice cream shop, and has dozens of the creamiest ice cream flavors I've ever tasted.

My favorite is the Mocha Fudge, but I've been dying to try the Bittersweet Chocolate and Swiss Orange Chip.

Blackberry Cheesecake

I made this blackberry cheesecake last night after dinner for my stepmom's girls' weekend.

I don't have pictures of the step-by-step because it was too late to take decent pictures, but the final result was too tasty not to share.

This was my first cheesecake. I was surprised and how quick and simple the recipe was - the longest part of the whole process was waiting for the cake to cook for a little over an hour.

Try waiting an hour without checking the oven every two seconds when there are delicious smells of pecans and butter wafting through the house. It's tough.

A Culinary PhotoTour of France

While in France with my family, I was lucky enough to experience some wonderful culinary creations.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Appetizers at Chateau Cheneviere: fried pigs’ ears, toasts with tomato and smelt, cheesy bread rounds with crème fraiche, and flaky pastry bread sticks.

An amuse-bouche with zucchini, cod, and chive.

A modern take on escargot.

Escargot always makes me think of Pretty Woman, one of my favorite movies.

"Slippery lil' suckers."

Foie gras with dried cherries.

A palate cleanser of Calvados (apple brandy) and sorbet.

Veal with cauliflower puree.

Roasted duck with a reduced glaze and fingerling potatoes.

My favorite: the cheese cart! I feel like I could write a Dr. Seuss book about all the different varieties: One cheese, two cheese, brie cheese, blue cheese...

Dessert: an innovative take on rice pudding.

A deconstructed sundae-mousse dessert.

Rum-soaked genoise sponge cake with fresh strawberries and Crème Chantilly (whipped cream!).

Paris, je t'aime.

(For full effect, say that in my awful french accent).

Citrus-Scented Chocolate Tart

Hi, I’m Lindsay, and I’m a chocoholic.

There, I said it.

I have an affinity for all things chocolate. Truffles, cakes, pies or straight from the Hershey’s bar, chocolate is definitely my weakness. I have been known to skip breakfast entirely and head straight for the Godiva if I have a box lying around.

Don’t pretend like you haven’t done it.

This Citrus-Scented Chocolate Tart is an elegant dessert to serve to guests and fellow chocolate-lovers. It looks like a flourless chocolate cake, but a little orange and lemon zest in the filling give it a light citrus flavor reminiscent of those chocolate oranges that you would crack open on the counter. The recipe for the filling is a snap, and the homemade cocoa pastry crust is surprisingly easy to make in a food processor for those who have never rolled their own crust before (me).

Welcome...

...to my new blog! After blogging my study abroad adventures in Barcelona and across Europe at Sigame a España, I was inspired to keep a blog following my other experiences at home here in the U.S. Now that finals are over, I plan for this blog to help document the sweetness of summer before my senior year of college as I "Eat, Explore, and Enjoy" in Minneapolis and San Francisco over the next few months.

"The Sweet Talker" has been inspired by a number of blogs over the past couple of years, namely The Pioneer Woman, CakeSpy, Joy the Baker, My Baking Addiction, Oh Joy! and Cupcakes and Cashmere (do you notice a trend here?). I hope that I can follow their footsteps to provide entertaining blog posts that are both a visual treat and fun to read.

It might take me a couple of weeks to get this blog really swinging, but stay tuned to see where my culinary and everyday endeavors take me!