Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

I think that a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie is one of the most comforting things in the world. I didn't have a mother who would bring me a warm tray of cookies and milk whenever I had a bad day or just because I was a good girl - not saying that's a bad thing though! I guess I never knew what I was missing, and I kind of just do that for myself now ;)

These are basically the love child of my obsession with cupcakes + my obsession with chocolate chip cookies. I think my babies are pretty cute, don't you?

I mean visually, these cupcakes are pretty stunning. Audibly, they're pretty stunning too. I mean, come on, if someone said to you, "Would you like a chocolate chip cookie cupcake?," how could you in your right mind say no or even hide the fact that saliva is dripping down your chin? These cupcakes are pretty spectacular taste-wise as well. Anything brown sugar is all kinds of right in my mind! I omitted the original cookie dough center in the recipe since I heard it was too sweet, but the cupcake this way was perfect.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Yields: about 12 cupcakes

Original recipe here.

For the brown sugar cupcakes:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the cookie dough frosting:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup flour

large pinch of salt

1 1/2 tbsn. milk

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mini chocolate chips, for decoration (optional)

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, stir to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake tin, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour. To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla until smooth and well blended. Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Café Casse Croute {Anaheim, CA}

Quaint little French cafe smack dab in the middle of Anaheim? Yep! Without recommendation, I would have never stepped foor into this teeny hole in the wall, but I'm sure glad I did. 

The cafe itself is tiny and probably only seats up to 20 people at maximum capacity. The decor is a bit shabby chic, more shabby and less chic but something about the whole place makes me smile a bit. The restaurant is owned by French Vietnamese people who actually give some care to their service - unlike so many other Vietnamese owners! I was pretty surprised by the lovely smiles and genuine care in service. 

The food was... delicious. For one, the prices here are probably the best thing about this place. Plates range from $5 to $12 dollars and portions are perfect, just enough to get you full, unlike potion sizes today which aim to give you cardiac arrest. 


The meatloaf was one of the best meals we had that day. It was smothered in mushroom gravy and onions and served alongside steamed veggies and hashed potatoes. It was perfectly seasoned and so comforting. 

My dad got their steak. Petite though it might be... I think it was well worth the EIGHT DOLLARS. I mean come on... have you ever heard of that? Ridiculous... and it was actually really tasty! 

Close up of the steak, served alongside crispy potatoes.

I got the Croque Madame and upon first bite, it was heaven. The most delicious ham & cheese ever. It was the best kind of greasy you can find, but not overly so where you feel sick after. The egg was scrambled, which was good, but I wish it was over easy as traditionally served. 

For once in my life, I'm gonna have to say: pass on the desserts. We tried the crepe and the cream puffs, and much to my dismay, both were sadly disappointing. The crepes were nothing spectacular and were soaked in this weird bubblegum flavored liqueur. The cream puffs had a weird texture and the custard was just meh also... 

Strawberry & Cream Crepe:

Cream puff:

Yelp

Geographer

obsessed with this song!

the combination of the folk-y, earthy voice of michael deni, which is similar to the likes of robin pecknold of fleet foxes

+

the extreme emotion you can hear in his voice, which makes you want to passionately sing alongside 

+

the electro, synth-y base

+

strings (swoooooooon)

=

amazingness. that is all.

{download here}

Tailored Tuesday & Travel

I thought I'd start your day and my day off with a heavy dose of wanderlust and product envy.

1. kiki de montparnasse {shadow striped silk chiffon briefs & triangle bra}

because it's just so damn beautiful.

2. gucci {printed silk voile scarf}

channels screen legend!

3. stella mccartney {sleeveless crepe shift dress}

comfortable, lightweight; my perfect summer dress.

4. zara {suitcase}

quite possibly is the cutest suitcase ever.

5. canon {ef 85mm f1.2 II usm}

dream lens! oh so buttery.

6. moleskin {daily planner}

for sketches, daily lists, aspirations, anything else life throws at you.

7. marni {fringed leather and wood sandals}

obviously not for trekking cobblestone heels, but pretty practical at least.

8. paul smith for evian {water}

water that will translate style internationally!

9. clinique {bottom-lash mascara}

ah! i love this idea. regular mascara brushes are too large for the bottom lashes and this is only $10 a pop!

10. deborah lippmann nailpolish (glitter in the air/ some enchanted evening/ today was a fairytale}

dreamy nail polish perfect for the summer

MY DREAM SUMMER VACATIONS:

{the dark gorge, salzburg, austria}

gosh, that shade of turquoise is killing me slowly.

{paris, france}

croissant? check. cappuccino? check. love in the city? possibly.

{Navagio Beach, Zakynthos, Greece}

only like my dream vacation since I was 10!

{positano, italy}

imagining myself on a small boat, sunbathing, wind in hair, bowl of pasta in hand. cause that's just how i roll.

{horseshoe bend, arizona}

i'd love to road trip through the 50 states - there's so much beauty in our country alone!

{halong bay, vietnam}

i love vietnam!!! next visit, this is on the top of my list and the Hang Son Doong caves.

{marmol cave, chile chico, chile}

ah, chile! my love. I was there for 2 months and feel like I haven't even scratched it's surface. these caves are eerily spectacular!

{cenote ik kil, mexico}
can I please swing from one of these vines into this gorgeous water?!




all photos from Pinterest & Net-a-Porter.

Manicure Mondays: Glitter French

I've been kind of obsessed with nail polish for a while, but lately, the obsession has grown... exponentially. I blame it on Pinterest. Every time I visit the site, I'm always inspired by everything I see - but especially by the gorgeous nail designs featured! 

Anyways, I did this yesterday and was so freaking excited about how gorgeous it looked. I couldn't stop staring at my nails, then my sister suggested I start "Manicure Mondays." It was more jokingly than anything else, and after laughing off the idea for a good five minutes, I thought, "Hey, why not?!"

So, here goes it. My first 'Manicure Monday.' Whoopee! 

Base Coat {Sally Hansen Diamond Strength}

Color Coat {Forever XXI Brand in Light Grey}

Glitter Coat {Cacee Color Artist with Striping Brush #42}

Top Coat {Seche Vite}

This was pretty basic. Just one layer of base coat, two layers of color, then when it was completely dry, use the striping brush to paint on the 'manicured tip.' It's actually a lot easier than it looks since the super thin brush makes it more manageable - but a steady hand does help! Finish with a top coat and enjoy! 

P.S. I don't think this will happen every week since I don't think it's humanly possible to make my nails pretty every week, but I'll sure try!

How to Cook Perfect Pancakes

Pancakes are a simple, good thing. But, that being said, there are a lot of ways to mess a pancake up. I've witnessed my fair share of pancake disasters and disappointments. To me, the perfect pancake is fluffy, light and a bit chewy. If that's your idea of pancake heaven - then please, heed my advice on how to make the most delicious pancakes ever! My favorite buttermilk pancakes are down below, but you could apply these tips to any pancake batter you desire to make an awesome Sunday brunch.

{just a few tips on how to reach pancake nirvana} 

(1) Fluff your flour. Fluff you say? Yes. Anytime I measure flour, I always make sure to lighten the flour by "fluffing" it, just to make sure I always measure the right amount of flour. Not fluffing your flour could result in pancakes that are too heavy - and we don't want that at all!

See! Flour that is light and fluffy!

(2) DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT over mix your batter. The most important cardinal rule of great pancake making is do not over mix your batter. The best way to make pancakes is to make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients in the center, then slowly swirl the two together until just combined. Lumps are perfectly fine - in fact, lumps are very much welcomed.

(3) Grease your pan. Cooking spray is your friend. I find it the easiest way to grease your pan and the most effective. If you don't have cooking spray on hand, butter or vegetable oil should be fine too. Just use it to lightly coat the pan so your pancakes will come off like a dream.

(4) Low and slow... is the name of the game. Although cooking on high flame might get the job quicker, the best way to cook pancakes is on medium-low heat so that the pancakes can cook evenly. As soon as the edges of the pancakes start to lose their shine and bubbles start to rise to the top of the pancake, it's time to flip!

(5) Don't press your pancakes! Pressing your pancakes will not make them cook any faster and plus, you'd be ruining all the effort you put into your pancakes to make them light and fluffy. If you feel the urge - RESIST!

The results of low and slow cooking (on the left) and high temperature cooking (on the right).

(6) Don't stack em. Pancakes are meant to be stacked only if you eat them right away! The best way to eat pancakes is to eat them straight off the griddle but if that's not a possibility - resist the urge to stack your pancakes! The heat from the pancakes will cause them to sog each other up and we wouldn't want soggy pancakes would we?

(7) Racks are your friend. Again, if eating pancakes straight off the griddle isn't a possibility, cooling racks are the best way to house fresh pancakes. Straight off the pan, arrange your pancakes in a single layer to allow the pancakes to cool. Before eating, re-warm the pancakes in a low-temperature oven (about 200 F).

(8) Bask in pancake bliss. Perfect pancakes are only perfect if they are enjoyed. So chow down!

Butter and maple syrup are necessary!

Now, on to my favorite pancake recipe. I have made plenty o' pancakes and I've loved them all - from chai flavored, matcha  flavored, pear filled, chocolate chip studded and more. But, simple, fluffy buttermilk pancakes are a special tool that any home cook can use in their arsenal. These pancakes are awesome, basically. They're incredibly light, fluffy and easy to make. I think it's the mixture of buttermilk and sour cream that makes them extra tasty!

{my favorite pancakes}

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Yields: 16 4" pancakes

Original recipe here.

2 cups flour

2 tbsn. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

3 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 - 2 tsp. vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients and gently stir until just combined - do not over mix! Allow the batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking. Heat 1 tsp. of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using a paper towel, carefully wipe it out, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/4 cup portions of the batter on the hot pan and cook until the edges are set, the bottom is golden brown and bubbles on the surface are beginning to break, about 2 - 3 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 1 - 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and serve immediately.

{update!}

This is another amazing pancake recipe that only uses buttermilk, so if you don't have sour cream - these will automatically make breakfast fabulous!

Best Buttermilk Pancakes II

Yields: 20 pancakes

Original recipe here.

2 cups flour (whole wheat works wonderfully too)

3 tbsn. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 cups lowfat buttermilk

2 tbsn. butter, melted

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. Throw some water on the griddle, if it sizzles, it's ready. Turn down the heat to medium-low and grease the griddle with cooking spray. Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles start to arise to the top of the pancakes and the edges lose their sheen. Flip, then cook until golden brown.