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TWD - French Chocolate Brownies
2008-06-03 08:03:00
  Dorie Greenspan has a way of making even me, who ardently claims not to be crazy about chocolate, crazy about chocolate. When I read that Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook had chosen French Chocolate Brownies for this weeks TWD recipe, I was lukewarm about the idea of brownies, but happy to have a simple recipe after my L'Opéra adventure and the two day, two part Pecan Honey Sticky Buns recipe from last week's TWD rotation. I don't consider myself much of a brownie lover, and even though Dorie herself says that these aren't really brownies; I was a bit shocked when I saw that the recipe included raisins! Huh, raisins in brownies?! I'd call myself a borderline raisin hater, meaning I won't gag if I have to eat them, but they certainly don't make me shiver with delight. This was definitely going to be one for the colleagues, or at least, so I thought.

Cookie Carnival: May - Blueberry Drop Cookies
2008-06-02 08:35:00
  To be fair, these little cookies got relegated to the bottom of my priority list, in light of all the other baking projects I was working on the last couple of weeks. Not that I wasn't excited about participating in another installment of Cookie Carnival , it’s just that when I scanned the recipe I thought it looked easy-peasy and as I had until the end of May, I parked it to be made closer to the deadline date. Of course, today is June 2nd, isn't it? So what happened?
More About: Cookies , Drop

Mevrouw Cupcake Goes Daring!
2008-05-28 23:06:00
  Last week E, in comment to my mild frustration at trying organizing my busy social calendar around yet another baking project, said to me "well, you don't have to bake all the time."  While it is true that I'm not always in the mood to bake or feel that I'm really just squeezing it in, most often just preparing my mise en place is all it takes to swing my mood back into baking mode. For me it is less about choice and more about this undeniable desire to create beautiful morsels with butter, sugar, flour and eggs.  Even when things go horribly wrong, even when I lie awake tossing and turning at night worrying how the final product will turn out, even when I make something that I know isn't particularly my taste, just because I want to experience making the recipe, I still love every second of the creative process that is baking.When Lucy tagged me back in April for six words meme it didn't take long to come up with the six words I'd use to descri...

TWD - Pecan Honey Sticky Buns
2008-05-27 01:31:00
  Today I am celebrating being 34 years young!  So this past weekend, my weekly TWD baking project was something of an after-thought in light of my other big project: my birthday cake (stay tuned for that story tomorrow). Having made Dorie's brioche recipe when the Brioche Raisin Snails was chosen for TWD's recipe rotation a few months back, I wasn't at all nervous about tackling the brioche which could arguably be the most challenging part of this recipe, and everything was smooth sailing. My only complaint about this recipe, if you could call it that, is a timing issue that relates more to my habits then to the recipe itself. You can have the dough rolled out, smeared, sprinkled, rolled and cut in no time flat; but unless you're an early riser, which I'm not, it's pretty near impossible to get the buns on the table for breakfast/brunch because of the rising time of just under two hours. A luxury problem with a simple solution on my part, n'est-ce pas? 
More About: Honey

Edinburgh Culinary Recap
2008-05-25 07:02:00
I can't believe that it's been two weeks since we were off to Edinburgh ! Time just flies, especially at this time of year. May and June are monster months for me, for the simple fact that I have so many friends who celebrate their birthdays from the end of May through the middle of June. E kicks off the festivities on the 18th, mine is nine days later (next Tuesday), one of my three baby brothers celebrates his birthday the day after E, then there are my ten Gemini girlfriends sprinkled here and there for good measure, plus my twin nieces and the daughter of one friend and son of another. Birthday madness!!! If I only manage to get my TWD posts up over next several weeks, please understand that it's not because I've lost interest, it's simply because my social calendar is too full! For that very reason I wanted to be sure that I shared the little gold nuggets of culinary goodness that I came across in Edinburgh with you, before it becomes mosterd na de maaltijd (mustard after t...
More About: Recap , Culinary

Missing out on Madeleines
2008-05-20 17:40:00
I know, I know....two weeks in a row...where is my dedication?! Ladies and gentlemen, let me just say that I feel damn guilty to not be taking part in TWD this week, but I couldn't fit it in. As I work full-time, most of my baking projects are completed in the weekend, but last weekend was E's 36th birthday and we celebrated on the day (Sunday) with a cocktail BBQ party. Between picking up last minute presents, baking some 6 dozen cupcakes, getting the house party ready, making food and nibbles, I barely had a second to sit down, let alone time to squeeze in a madeleine baking session. I swear on my copy of Baking: From My Home to Yours that I will be back next week to rock your world with Pecan Honey Sticky Buns, as chosen by one of my favorite TWD'rs, Madam Chow of Madam Chow’s Kitchen. Until then please click on over to Tuesdays with Dorie and see how my fellow TWD'rs worked their magic on  France's most beloved of cakes, the madeleine.
More About: Missing

Master Baker: A Vanilla Trio
2008-05-16 23:07:00
 To say that I love vanilla is a bit of an understatement, but I really, really, really do love vanilla. I use it in everything from baked goods to vinaigrettes, I've feasted on grilled lobster served with vanilla oil, drank cocktails mixed with homemade vanilla vodka, and even worn vanilla oil as perfume. My love for vanilla was most certainly influenced by my mother, who always used pure Mexican vanilla extract and whole vanilla beans when I was growing up. Once accustomed to the complexity in flavor and aroma of real vanilla, artificial vanilla flavoring just won't do.
More About: Master , Trio , Vanilla , Baker

Greetings from Bonny Scotland!
2008-05-13 18:58:00
 After my temporary resurrection from my sick bed, to make last week's peanut butter torte, I hope you'll all give me a break about opting out this week. I went from my sick bed to the airport last Wednesday night and flew off to Edinburgh with E to visit my best girlfriend. A good time was had by all and with the help of some spicy curries and fabulously decadent cocktails, I was soon feeling right as rain again.  All in all we had a lovely long weekend and enjoyed Edinburgh at its most beautiful, under sunny and cloud-less skies, a pleasant surprise and a rarity according to the locals.   I have several addresses to share with all you food connisseurs, but want to give them the full praise that they deserve, so I'll be posting about them later this week. In the meantime, please stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie blog to find out what all the other TWD bakers got up to!
More About: Scotland

TWD - Peanut Butter Torte
2008-05-06 21:46:00
 Well, there it is ladies and gentlemen.  I'd love to go into a big story about this beauty, but the truth is, I'm sick as a dog. Tomorrow this rich and decadent peanut butter torte (as chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food) will be served up as a treat for E's colleagues, but for now, I'm just happy to have posted and be on my way to the bath.
More About: Peanut , Butter , Torte

It's too nice to stay inside...
2008-05-04 16:20:00
  Spring has finally arrived!!! It's sunny and beautiful outside and a balmy 21ºC (70ºF) with not a cloud in the sky. Too lovely for baking, blogging, and any other inside activities, so I leave you with this image from our 4pm brunch (we're very slack and obviously don't have kids, huh?).Enjoy your Sunday where ever you may be, and I hope it's sunny there too! 
More About: Inside , Nice , Stay

Going Back to my Roots with Cupcake Hero
2008-04-30 11:35:00
 This month the theme "ingredient" for Cupcake Hero is Earth Day, as chosen by Tempered Woman, partner in crime to Cupcake Hero's founder and hostess-with-the-mostess, Laurie of quirky cupcake. With such a broad and interesting topic to portray using the cupcake as my medium, let me tell you, I found it difficult to come up with an idea. I thought about it and thought about it and thought about it some more, and when I couldn't come up with anything, I decided I'd better pick the brains of my nearest and dearest. So a big shout-out to my darling friend Liz who suggested using flower pots as baking cups and to my lovely boyfriend who came up with idea of a farming theme, after their input everything else just fell into place. In my case, the egg came before the chicken, in that it was only after thinking about the subject of Earth Day and farming, that I started thinking about sustainable agriculture and locally grown foods and how my opionions on the subject were s...
More About: Back , Roots

TWD - Fluted Polenta & Ricotta Cake
2008-04-29 08:22:00
  As you are probably well aware, the whole point of Tuesdays with Dorie is to bake our way through Dorie Greenspan's baking bible, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Every week a different member of TWD chooses the recipe of the week and we all give it a go, posting about our experiences on the following Tuesday. I love the fact that I'm working my way through an entire cookbook, a task that until now, I've never accomplished. Hell, I have cookbooks on my bookshelf that I've never made even one recipe from, for that matter. The only draw-back to this otherwise fabulous initiative is that you're not always going to like every recipe and you're not always going to be in the mood for the work that some recipes may require. I hate to say it, but when I read the recipe for this cake, I felt pretty lukewarm about it. First of all, I don't like dried figs. Fresh figs are lovely and they taste like watermelon, but dried figs and their tiny crunchy seeds, hmmm...not my thing. I...
More About: Cake , Ricotta

Passie on Toast
2008-04-27 13:45:00
 Yesterday E and I spent the day out and about in our city, on what was the first really beautiful warm and sunny day that Amsterdam has seen this spring (and it's about time too). First stop, one of my favorite breakfast/brunch/lunch spots, De Bakkerswinkel (their Amsterdam Zuid location), to fuel up for our day out.
More About: Toast

Cookie Carnival : April
2008-04-23 20:30:00
 If you asked me, then I'd say that I'm not really a cookie person, because I love cake, but what I love even more is cake and ice cream. In my mind, cookies are just "nice" and while I'd never say no to the offer of a cookie, I don't regularly make them at home. Not like, say, cake and ice cream?
More About: Carnival , April , Cookie

TWD - Bill's Big Carrot Cake
2008-04-22 08:09:00
   First off, a big thank you to Amanda of slow like honey for choosing this week's recipe, it may well be one of the easiest recipes that I've made for Tuesdays with Dorie so far. No need to set butter out hours in advance to ensure that it's up to room temperature, no separating of eggs nor whisking of egg whites, not one step that could be called complicated unless you don't happen to have a food processor with which to grate your carrots; and even then it's not really difficult with a box grater, just labor intensive.
More About: Cake , Carrot

It's Giveaway Time!
2008-04-21 00:53:00
 The randomly picked winners of this cuter than cute cardboard cake stand are: 18 --- Amy36 --- Jaime 2 --- Aran Courtesy of RANDOM.ORGCongratulations ladies!!!  Also, thanks to everyone who took part, and please stay tuned for more giveaways in the future. It's so fun to share the cute baking-centric products that I come across with others around the world.
More About: Time

Lunch Box Tales
2008-04-18 07:53:00
This delicious salad caused quite a stir when I pulled it out at lunch yesterday. One of my colleagues kept exclaiming, "It's just so pretty!" Not only is it pretty, but it tastes great and is healthy to boot! Recently Lucy over at Nourish Me posted  recipes for two of her favorite lunchtime salads, subsequently rescuing me from my lunchtime doldrums. I've made both this week and they practically had me skipping to the dining room of my office, so excited was I to have my lunch. Although I'm known for putting more effort into my lunches then most of my colleagues, I tend to spend a lot of money buying ingredients on the day at the small grocery store near my office. Preparing my lunch at home is without a doubt kinder to my wallet; but better yet, it gives me the opportunity to eat certain foods that E doesn't care for, like olives (or as E calls them: devil's nipples), beets, mushrooms, and anything in the genus Brassica. So a big thank you to Lucy for inspiring...
More About: Lunch , Tales

A Now for a Word from the Administrator...
2008-04-17 18:44:00
Even though spring seems like its on strike here in the Netherlands, I thought I'd at least give Mevrouw Cupcake a spring look, in the hopes that it might kick-start my favorite most favorite of seasons.I've also re-organized my blogroll and links in an attempt to clean things up a bit, moving them from the sidebar to their own seperate pages. In the near future, I hope to add a page featuring some of my favorite eateries in Amsterdam, as I often recieve emails from readers who are coming to Amsterdam and would like some tips from a local.If you come across faulty links or something that isn't working quite right, please let me know!
More About: Word , Administrator

The Perfect Combination of Ease & Comfort
2008-04-16 21:27:00
  I've been trying to post this recipe forever, I posted this image on Flickr nearly a month ago, but life, love and baking seemed to come in between. This isn't a beautiful dish, but it's honest, easy to throw together and it's great comfort food. We have it on regular dinner rotation at ours, and it's especially favored when I don't really feel like cooking. I think that it works well whatever the season, in summer you can use freshly shelled peas and during the other three seasons frozen works just fine. This recipe is also just as tasty when made with veggie stock and without the ham, making it a perfect option for vegetarians, as well as meat eaters. Enjoy...
More About: Perfect , Combination , Ease , Comfort

Missing out on Marshmallow Madness (But Hosting a Little Giveaway)
2008-04-15 08:43:00
I was busy in the kitchen last weekend, but I wasn't busy making marshmallows, I was busy baking and frosting for a freelance cupcake gig that kept me in the kitchen all of Friday evening and saw me up early on Saturday morning. It was a whole lotta fun, but when Sunday rolled around, I felt like going into the city and having a day out with E, instead of spending a third day of my weekend in the kitchen. So, I've opted out, but only for this week mind you, because for next week's recipe Amanda of slow like honey has chosen Bill's Big Carrot Cake!  In the meantime, I'll leave you with this little slideshow of the goodies that I baked up last weekend. Also featured, is the cutest cardboard cake stand ever (with a reversible base!), hailing from my favorite Dutch shop, the Hema. E actually surprised me with this cake stand a few of weeks back, knowing I'd love it in all its pink girliness.  I knew that I'd have to go back and buy up a bunch to use as presents and for ...
More About: Hosting , Marshmallow , Missing , Madness

When Cake is Called for...
2008-04-10 21:45:00
  Actually, is there a time when cake isn't called for? I don't happen to think so, but then again I'm not known for my restraint when it comes to the good life.
More About: Cake

TWD - The Most Extraordinary (Lip-Smacking) French Lemon Cream Tart
2008-04-07 16:52:00
  The best thing about joining up with the kind, funny, supportive and variously talented ladies of the Tuesdays with Dorie blogger's baking group, has been the confidence that I have gained in my baking skills. From tackling brioche for the first time, to baking my first apple pie-cake, I am continuously stretching the limits of my comfort zone in the kitchen, and I love it! Not every recipe has turned out picture perfect and there have even been a few that I didn't care for, per se; but each recipe that I've made from Dorie Greenspan's beautiful ode to home baking has been a worthy challenge and a gratifying lesson in the art of dessert making.
More About: Lemon , French , Tart , Cream , Extraordinary

TWD - The Most Extraordinary (Lip-Smacking) French Lemon Crean Tart
2008-04-07 16:52:00
  The best thing about joining up with the kind, funny, supportive and variously talented ladies of the Tuesdays with Dorie blogger's baking group, has been the confidence that I have gained in my baking skills. From tackling brioche for the first time, to baking my first apple pie-cake, I am continuously stretching the limits of my comfort zone in the kitchen, and I love it! Not every recipe has turned out picture perfect and there have even been a few that I didn't care for, per se; but each recipe that I've made from Dorie Greenspan's beautiful ode to home baking has been a worthy challenge and a gratifying lesson in the art of dessert making.
More About: Lemon , French , Tart , Extraordinary

Pies for Dinner
2008-04-04 23:19:00
  When I read Melissa Clark's article for the New York Times, "A Lunch That Provides Its Own Box" some weeks back, my mouth literally watered at the descriptions of her adventures in creating "portable meat and vegetable pies." I vowed then and there, that I would re-create her take on the Cornish pastie, as soon as possible. Of course upon re-reading the recipe, I realized that it would take a bit of extra effort on my part, because her pastry recipe called for lard. To my knowledge I'd never seen lard in any grocery store in the Netherlands and I had to dig deep into the less used pockets of my Dutch vocabulary to fish out the Dutch word for lard (reuzel), in order to even be able to call up my local organic butcher to ask if he had any. Lucky me, he did.
More About: Dinner , Pies

TWD - Gooey Chocolate Cakes (For What Ails You)
2008-04-01 09:15:00
 When life gives you lemons... Just add vodka....Or in my case, trade the lemons for limes, and the Stoly for Maker's Mark and gingerale. I really wasn't going to participate this week, I've been too busy feeling sorry for myself and you know once one's pity party is in full swing, it's a tad rude to leave early. I'm still mourning the theft of my wallet, and subsequent and fraudulent rape of my bank account that took place over Easter weekend, and I still didn't feel like not feeling sorry for myself. Times like these, call for self-medication and depending on my mood, I'll my perscription for a Stoly Cosmo or Maker's highball filled (most recently I favor the latter); but sometimes a stiff drink just isn't enough, and comfort in the form of dessert is the best Band-Aid of all.
More About: Cakes , Chocolate

Simple Sunday Dinners: Bacon and Goat Cheese Free-Form Tart
2008-03-30 17:46:00
  As soon as I saw this recipe over at Leite's Culinaria, I was sold. I've been wanting to try my hand at a simple free-form tart for a while now, and although I initially had a sweet version in mind, I couldn't resist the holy trinity of bacon, goat's cheese and caramelized onions.
More About: Free , Sunday , Cheese , Simple , Tart

Who Would Have Guessed?
2008-03-30 17:05:00
You Are a Sprinkled Donut Flamboyant and flashy, you're easily distracted by shiny things. You're definitely a snazzy number, and you usually catch everyone's eye in the room. And you've got the goods to back it up your colorful image. (Though too much of you gives people a stomach ache!) What Donut Are You?

The Only Biscuit Recipe You'll Ever Need.
2008-03-27 16:01:00
  Last night we went for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, then biked to the video store and picked up the 3-for-10 euro special and moseyed on home for a double-feature evening on the couch. Today we're both at home, having taken the day off, we're hiding out and lying low---our way of celebrating 3 years of enjoying each others company. Today is our weekend during the week, so we slept in and ate brunch so late in the afternoon, that it could almost be considered an early dinner. Ain't love grand?I had to take time out from this festival of love, though, to talk biscuits; because this afternoon I just happened to make the best buttermilk biscuits that I have EVER made, and I've made a lot buttermilk biscuits in my life, none of which you'd call shoddy.
More About: Recipe

TWD - Caramel Topped Flan (Crème Caramel)
2008-03-25 19:47:00
  As far as my boy is concerned crème caramel is the crème de la crème of desserts. Don't let his very English accent fool you, his sweet tooth is all French, thanks to his French mother. Since we've known each other, I've heard nothing but how delicious his mother's crème caramel is, so you can imagine that I entered into this weeks TWD challenge with a bit of trepidation. Don't get me wrong, I cut my teeth on crème brûlée years back, so I'm mostly unphased by the intracacies of the water bath and I understand the gentle touch required for a custard, but I was going up against generations of my boy's mother's family.
More About: Caramel

Cookie Carnival - Raspberry Swirl Cookies
2008-03-24 22:21:00
 I'm getting this in right under the wire, but I didn't want the fact that my wallet got stolen on Good Friday (and the fact that the b$#%^@ds proceeded to empty out my bank account), keep me from blogging about these cookies that I baked as a part of the Cookie Carnival blog event happening over at The Clean Plate Club. I found this recipe pretty easy, but I did make a few changes, I used a mixed fruit jam (cherries, strawberries and raspberries), added half a vanilla pod to the cookie dough, and omitted the sweetened flaked coconut, which you can't find here in the NL (and my boyfriend doesn't like). I found the idea of combining raspberry preserves and sweetened flaked coconut a bit of strange taste combo, but I'm curious to see what the other participants thought. Unfortunately, I forgot to add the salt, so I found my version of the recipe a bit on the bland side. I'd like to make the recipe again, and play around with it a bit. This is my very first submission t...
More About: Raspberry , Cookies