I didn’t really start drinking until law school, which, besides from the hardcore studying, felt like three years of high school.  I was with the same group of 200 students the entire time, in the same building.  We had lockers downstairs, a low-budget cafeteria, we joined clubs and sports teams, and there were parties every Friday afternoon.  More specifically, boozing parties called “Beer Ups.”  The purpose behind beer-ups was to raise money – each Friday, a different club would host it, sometimes with sponsors (free stuff, yay!), and we’d all crowd into the caf to buy beer and complain about school.  It was fabulous.  We.drank.a.lot.  Even all five foot two inches of lil’ ol’ Asian me.

One of my finer moments.

Sadly, my current firm is very proper so those boozehound shenanigans don’t happen to me anymore. Instead, I drink (my one glass) alone at home. And put booze in my baking. Like this amazing cheesy beer bread that I made from a recipe my friend, Jen, of Juanita’s Cocina posted here a few weeks ago.

Make it, pop it in the oven, let your home be pleasantly overwhelmed by the incredible aroma of it baking, and sip on a beer while you wait. Perfection.

The two bottles of beer I sacrificed for this recipe. Great to drink, fabulous in bread.

2 cups shredded cheese, reserve 1/2 cup for topping the bread (I used three types: cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp baking powder
24 ounces of beer (2 bottles) (I used one light and one medium-bodied)
2 tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease two regular loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese and green onion; toss together so that everything is well combined.

Add the beer and honey to the flour mixture. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and there are no dry bits of flour. Don’t worry if your dough is lumpy, it’s supposed to be that way.

Divide the dough between the loaf pans and smooth the top of the dough. Bake for about 40-50 minutes (at the halfway mark, pull the bread out and cover the tops with the reserved 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Place back into oven and continue baking), or until the top of the loaves is a golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean.

Quickly top the bread with the reserved cheese and continue baking.

Do people still have pen pals anymore? Strangers from a foreign land that you write letters to, describing your life and learning about another’s in return? The internet has probably made that obsolete. Now, we connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. We email, text, Skype. We meet each other in on-line forums.

And we blog.

We start typing out words and sharing our thoughts in the virtual world. If we’re lucky, we get to meet amazing people who share our interests and become our friends.

I’ve been extremely lucky. And today’s post proves it.
I’m getting together with a group of extremely talented, kind, supportive and hilarious bloggers to celebrate the birthday of one of our own. I met all these ladies online. I’ve gotten to know them on a personal level in the short 10 months that I’ve been blogging. Our relationships have gone beyond the superficial and instead, they feel like real friendships.

The birthday girl we are feting today is the amazing Carla of Chocolate Moosey. I met her through my Sunday Supper group. At first, I was simply in awe of the delicious desserts she makes. Seriously – if you don’t do anything else today, make sure you visit her blog. You’ll be treated to tantalizing items like her Cadbury Creme Egg Milkshake, Award Winning German Chocolate Cake Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling and Cookie Dough Frosting …the list goes on and on. I was also completely inspired by her photography. Carla is a giver – she’s constantly posting wickedly useful, straightforward, Dummies-esque tutorials on photography. I started out by complimenting these two things in her blog’s comment section and eventually, we starting chatting about things outside of our blogs. I’ve really come to appreciate how smart, funny and sassy Carla is. She’s scrappy. She’s tough. She’s hilarious and tells it like it is.

We live a world where, more often than not, people are so wrapped up in their own lives and issues that they don’t bother to ask you how you’re doing (or they won’t even pretend to listen to your answer when they do). Carla is that rare person who actually wants to know what’s up. She’s not asking about your day simply to pay lip service to common courtesy. She digests what you say and comes back at you with a thoughtful, engaging answer. We’ve had many conversations where she’s patiently listened to my angsty complaints and actually tried to work my problems through with me. She does so while keeping her sense of humour and brightening my day with one of her many witty, sarcastic remarks (I’m a snarky bitch – if you can’t speak sarcasm with me, it’s doubtful we can be friends).

So my dear friend, Carla, today we’re all celebrating you and the real difference you’ve made in our lives. And what’s a birthday without cake?

Lemon Poppyseed Layer Cake (adapted from Pastry Affairs)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
zest of 2 lemons
2 tbsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp poppyseeds
zest of 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8″ cake pans. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add in the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat together.

Add in the dry mixture, alternating with the milk (dry, milk, dry, milk, dry). Mix until the batter is combined. Add in the poppyseeds and mix until fully incorporated.

Divide between the three cake pans. Because I only have two cake pans and I didn’t have the time to reuse one of them, I filled the two pans pretty high and used the remaining batter to make cupcakes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Allow to fully cool before assembling and frosting cake.

Marshmallow Frosting (adapted from Trophy Cupcakes as found on Martha Stewart)

8 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 5-8 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or simply use an electric mixer. Beat the egg white mixture, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Use this frosting immediately.

Lemon Curd (from the Joy of Baking)

3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (don’t use the bottled stuff)
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp lemon zest

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick, to the consistency of hollandaise sauce. Do not stop whisking – you don’t want lumps of cooked egg to form. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the curd through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let it cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately with plastic wrap placed directly onto the surface of the curd so that a skin doesn’t form and refrigerate for up to a week.

This makes about 1 1/2 cups of curd, perfect for filling the layers of the cake.

Assembly:

*Note before we start: I had to cut my two cakes into four layers. If you make 3 cakes, you don’t need to cut them. You can just use the cakes to make a three-layer cake. My instructions are applicable to however many layers you have*

After the cakes have fully cooled (place into the fridge if you don’t have time to let them cool on the counter), cut them into two layers. Take the bottom layer and spread blackberry jam (or whatever flavour jam you want) over top. Spread it thinly – I was a bit heavy-handed and the sweetness of the jam was a bit overpowering. Pour 1/3 of the curd over top of the jam. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat steps until you place the last layer of cake on top. Frost with the marshmallow frosting. Store in the fridge until time to serve.

The cake part is out of this world. This is an excellent cake recipe – it produces the fluffiest, lightest, most moist cake ever. In a way, I thought it was a bit TOO light to stand up to the jam, curd and frosting. There were too many soft textures, in my opinion. The next time I make this, I might either use a sturdier cake or omit either the jam or curd. I know you won’t hold it against me, Carla, for not making a perfect cake. Regardless of all the negatives that immediately came to mind when I was eating this (I’m extremely hard on myself) it was still pretty darn tasty. And it’s a showstopper. I had to bring something lovely to this virtual birthday party.

Because you, my friend Carla, deserve it.

I hope you have an amazing birthday. I know you’re travelling right now – enjoy every moment, lady.

Check out all of these amazing birthday treats made in honour of the birthday girl:

• Coconut Fudge Cream-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars at Juanita’s Cocina
• Chocolate Mousse Cake for Chocolate Moosey at Chocolate, Chocolate, and More
• Chocolate Moose Cookies | Happy Birthday Chocolate Moosey at Cravings of a Lunatic
• Individual Funfetti Cake at The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Moose Cupcakes at Daily Dish Recipes
• Torticas de Moron (Cuban Sugar Cookies) at Magnolia Days
• Cake Batter Funfetti Cookie Cups at The Messy Baker
• Happy Birthday Thumbprint Cookies at Family Foodie
• Lemon Poppyseed Layer Cake for a Chocolate Moosey Birthday at Gotta Get Baked
• Blackberry Cobbler at Jen’s Favorite Cookies

Strong
Kind
Loving
Amazing
Competent
Capable
Nurturing
Comforting
Kick ass

The number one word that comes to mind when I think about my mom is “strong”.  She lived an extremely hard life in China.  While her marriage to my father wasn’t technically a straight up, traditional arranged marriage, I don’t believe she had much choice in the matter.  She had my two older sisters while she was still in China.  She’d basically give birth, strap her baby to her back and head out into the fields again for more manual labour.  She pulled her own teeth out when she was a child (for reals!).  She moved away from her parents and siblings to immigrate to Canada with my Dad, who had the benefit of his extended family living here in Vancouver at the time.  My mom had to work in a country where she didn’t know the language, then come home to cook and clean for four kids, her husband and his parents.  Oy, my grandparents made her life hell.  She didn’t get along with her in-laws and throughout all their hurled insults, screams and verbal abuse, she would always hold her tongue and continue feeding their ungrateful asses.

Look up the word “stoic” and her photo should be there.

My mom went through two serious urinary tract infections when I was still in law school.  Because she never complains and takes care of everyone’s needs before her own, she didn’t go to the doctor.  Instead, she stayed home and kept on doing what she always does: cook, clean, look after her family.  Because of this, the infections reached her kidneys and she had to be hospitalized twice.  Even when she was in massive pain and overcome with nausea, she still wanted to make sure that the next meal was cooked and waiting for us before leaving for the hospital.

It’s crazy!

I was furious at her for not saying something earlier so that we could have prevented the seriousness of her ailment.  I was terrified because I’ve never seen my mom that sick.  My mom has always been the strongest person in my life.  Seeing her so helpless and vulnerable was incredibly scary.

Thankfully my mom is in good health right now and I appreciate her more than words could ever say.  She has always been there for me no matter what, being her logical, practical, comforting self.  When I say comforting, I don’t mean to say that she fawned all over us, told us we were wonderful, or bought us material things.  We didn’t have any of that – old school Chinese parents raise their children with iron fists.  What comforted me was knowing that nothing ever fazed her.  Seriously, nothing.  She is the calmest person I know.  I did all kinds of crazy things as a kid – I was forever rolling down the stairs into the basement and smacking my head on the concrete, I jumped onto a nail once, I was sick literally all the time.  My mom is cool as a cucumber.  She never freaks out.  She always knows what to do.  It’s so calming.  And amazing.

She’s amazing.

And today, for Mother’s Day, I’ll be taking my parents out for dim sum (I both love and hate you, MSG. Why are you so tasty yet make me feel so crappy?).

Sunday Supper is devoting today’s lineup to items that would pamper our beloved mothers’ taste buds.  I turned to a breakfast comfort staple: cinnamon rolls.  You need to take the proper care, love and time to make cinnamon rolls.  This isn’t an easy, whip it up, quick treat.  You actually have to plan ahead.  You need to give it some thought.  You need to schedule time to make these babies.  You have to have some patience. And I’m not making any ol’ cinnamon rolls – I wanted to make them with a caramel apple flavour profile.

Your mom will thank you, especially since anything made with love tastes all the more sweeter.

I used Averie Cook’s amazing recipe for overnight buttermilk cinnamon rolls.  I didn’t change anything so click here to go to her fabulous blog for the recipe.

Apple Filling:

2 Golden Delicious apples, diced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Heat the butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat. When the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add your apples, brown sugar and cinnamon and saute until soft. If there’s too much liquid, crank the heat up so that the liquid evaporates but keep an eye on the apples so that they don’t burn.

Caramel cream cheese icing:

1 block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp salted caramel (you can make your own or use storebought, as I did)

Place all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl with your electric mixer. Cream together until fully incorporated, smooth, and fluffy.

Assembly:

After rolling out your dough and covering it with butter, sugar and cinnamon, evenly distribute the sauteed apples. Roll the dough up as tight as possible (I wasn’t so good at this part – I felt like my roll was pretty loose. Oh well, it was my first time making cinnamon rolls, I’ll cut myself some slack).

After rolling out the dough, spread softened unsalted butter over top, then cover it with sugar and cinnamon.

Spread the apples over top.

Let the dough rest for it’s second rise, either on the counter or in the fridge as per Averie’s recipe. Bake, then slather with the caramel cream cheese frosting.

I’m not going to lie – these were some of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever eaten. Averie’s buttermilk cinnamon roll recipe is da bomb – the dough was indescribably light, fluffy and moist. Even though I thought I really loaded it up with sugar, it wasn’t overbearingly sweet. Topped with the amazing cream cheese frosting (I could’ve spooned it straight from the bowl to my mouth), this was perfection. Soft, slightly sweet, slightly salty pillowy mouthfuls of apple bliss.

I wish everyone a happy Mother’s Day – may you be spoiled rotten all day long by your loved ones. Don’t even think about lifting a finger. I especially hope someone is treating you to fabulous food, like the dishes found below!

Mother’s Day Brunch:

• Blueberry Coffee Cake from Peanut Butter and Peppers 
• Cornbread Pancakes with Blackberries from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Crepes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks 
• Hot N Sweet Mango Chutney from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Lemon Glazed Raspberry Scones from Juanita’s Cocina
• Quiche Lorraine from Supper for a Steal
• Seafood Quiche from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Strawberry Rhubarb Compote from Noshing with the Nolands
•  Sweet French Breakfast Crepes from Curious Cuisiniere
• Vidalia Onion Quiche from Comfy Cuisine

Mother’s Day Entrees:

• Cod with Stewed Tomatoes from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings 
• Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Herbed Goat Cheesefrom Foxes Love Lemons
• Lemon Risotto from Healthy. Delicious.
• Lobster Ravioli with Shrimp Caper Sauce from Family Foodie
• Pork dumpling (Shumai) from The Urban Mrs.

Mother’s Day Sides:

• Spaetzle from Magnolia Days

Mother’s Day Desserts and Drinks:

• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls from Gotta Get Baked
• Chocolate Kahlua Cream Pie from Ruffles & Truffles 
• Espresso Brownies from What Smells So Good?
• Fresh Blackberry Elderflower Sorbet from Shockingly Delicious
• Fresh Fig and Walnut Pie from Vintage Kitchen 
•  Gluten Free Coconut Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Berries, and Fresh Whipped Cream fromNeighborfood
• Lavender Shortbread Cookies from girlichef
• Lemon Meringue Pie from Pies and Plots
• Lemon Petit Fours from Home Cooking Memories
• Lemon Sorbet in Prosecco from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Milky Way Brownies from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Mini Coconut Pies from La Cocina de Leslie
• Mini Strawberry and Cheese Pies from Basic N Delicious
• Mom’s Apple Crisp from Cravings of a Lunatic 
• Mom’s Texas Sheetcake from Daily Dish Recipes
• Raspberry and Hazlenut Friands from Happy Baking Days
• Semolina Balls (Suji Laddoo) from Soni’s Food
• Too-Good-to-Be-Lowfat Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert from The Weekend Gourmet

Don’t forget to join the #SundaySupper chat on Twitter today to celebrate Mother’s Day! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share our delicious recipes. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

Do you have your ticket to the Food and Wine Conference yet? If not, there will be a special $100 discount available tonight only on the full conference pass if you participate in the #SundaySupper twitter chat from 7 to 8pm Eastern Time, and purchase your ticket during the chat. The discount code is: SundaySupper.  We hope to see you there!

I’ve been craving nachos something bad. I’ve had a giant bag of tortilla chips sitting in my pantry just waiting to be smothered in meat and cheese so that’s what I’m bringing to the table today. The BFF and I used to love Taco Time’s mexi-fries deluxe – tater tots smothered in cheese sauce (made ghetto styles from dry powder in a bag, yo), seasoned beef, sour cream and salsa. Next time I make nachos, I’m using tater tots!

Loaded cheesy nachos

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 avocados, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup diced green onion
2 1/2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
salt and sugar to taste
Approximately 2 cups of grated cheese – I used three kinds: cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterey jack. Use as much as you like.

*note: the great thing about cooking is that you can adjust the amounts of everything you use to accord with your taste. Want it spicier? Add more chili powder or peppers (which I didn’t use because I can’t handle spicy foods). This recipe is just a guideline – it’s supremely adaptable.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a pan or pot, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add the red pepper and cook until it starts to soften. I like to salt my food as I’m cooking so at this point, I added half a teaspoon of salt.

Add the beef and cook until it’s slightly pink. At this point, I added half a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of sugar.

Add the black beans and cook until the beans are heated through and the meat is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon and salt to taste.

In a large pan, place a layer of tortilla chips. Cover with cheese. Top with the beef mixture and place into the oven for approximately 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Delicious building blocks.

Because one type of cheese just ain’t enough.

Remove from the oven and top with the tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and green onion.


This made a ton – you could probably serve 4 to 6 hungry adults. And needless to say, it really hit the spot. You can’t go wrong with perfectly spiced beef, three kinds of gooey cheese, cool tomatoes, creamy avocado, and the fresh sharp flavours of cilantro and green onion. Wash it down with a few boozy drinks and you’ve got the perfect meal!

Fully loaded.

Check out the rest of the Sunday Supper line-up for some tantalizing Cinco de Mayo recipes:

Cinco de Mayo Appetizers & Sides {Aperitivos}:

• Chipotle Roasted Chickpeas from Home Cooking Memories
• Cinco de Mayo Tuna Pepper Poppers from Shockingly Delicious
• Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn) from Magnolia Days
• Esquites or Mexican Corn Salad from Kimchi Mom
• Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime-Cayenne Butter from Healthy. Delicious.
• Guacamole Rice from Foxes Love Lemons
• Healthy Mexican Ceviche from Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Loaded Cheesy Nachos from Gotta Get Baked
• Lobster Guacamole from I Run For Wine
• Roasted Garlic and Bacon Guacamole from Ruffles & Truffles
• Slow Cooker Chicken Con Queso from Daily Dish Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Main Dishes {Platos Principales}:

• Barbacoa Beef from The Urban Mrs.
• Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Chicken Fajita Feta-ccine from Chocolate Moosey
• Chicken Fajita Salad w/Home made Easy Salsa from Momma’s Meals
• Chicken Mole Potato Skins from Noshing with the Nolands
• Corona Beer-Battered Fish Tacos from Pescetarian Journal
• Duck Carnitas from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Fish Tacos with Lime Salsa from Curious Cuisiniere
• Japanese Mexican Tacos from Ninja Baking
• Lightened Up Taco Salad from Kudos Kitchen
• Mexican Pizza with Chipotle Orange Sauce from Family Foodie
• Oven Baked Beef, Bean, and Cheese Chimichangas from In The Kitchen With KP
• Pork Carnitas from From the Bookshelf
• Red Chile Jam + Tequila Chicken Quesadillas from Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Roasted Poblano and Corn Lasagna from Juanita’s Cocina
• Shrimp Soft Tacos with Lime Dressing and Crunchy Vegetables from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Slow Cooked Carne Asadas from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Soft Shell Tacos from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Spicy Shredded Beef Chimichangas from Supper for a Steal
• Spicy Steak Fajitas from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Stuffed Poblano Peppers from Country Girl in the Village
• Tequila Lime Chicken from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing from The Weekend Gourmet
• Tofu Tacos from Hip Foodie Mom
• Yucatan Pollo Pibil and Corn Tortillas from MarocMama

Cinco de Mayo Desserts {Postres}:

• Dairy-free Flan from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Dark and Spicy Chocolate Pots de Creme from Happy Baking Days
• Fried Ice Cream for a Crowd from Growing Up Gabel
• Luxuriously Healthy Chocolate Frosting from What Smells So Good?
• Mexican Brownies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Paletas de Tamarindo (Tamarind Popsicles) from La Cocina de Leslie
• Peanut Mazapanes from Pies and Plots

Cinco de Mayo Drinks {Bebidas}:

• Fresh & Fruity Sangria from Webicurean
• Fruity Aguas Frescas from The Foodie Patootie
• Mango Aqua Fresca With Chia Seeds from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Margarona from The Messy Baker
• Tamarindo Drink (Agua de Tamarindo) from Basic N Delicious

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter today to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

Do you have your ticket to the Food and Wine Conference yet? If not, there will be a $100 discount available on the full conference pass today if you participate in the #SundaySupper twitter chat from 7 to 8pm Eastern Time, and purchase your ticket during the chat. The discount code is: SundaySupper.  *Note the code is only valid during the chat time frame.

Yup, I’m a bloody fool…a bloody lazy fool.

It’s been gorgeous in Vancouver so I actually forced myself to go for a run after work today. I took it easy, jogging at a fairly slow pace. One lap around the park and my heart was pounding out of my chest, nausea washing over me in waves. Lesson here? I freaking need to work on my fitness. And I definitely need to eat less of this:

These, my friends, I’ve titled junk food magic bars because they contain everything that is bad and evil for your arteries but oh so good to the ravenous taste buds. I made them in honour of my good friend, Paula of Vintage Kitchen Notes. Paula is dealing with the aftermath of a devastating flood in Buenos Aires and when she asked for some guest posts on her blog, I immediately jumped at the chance to help lessen her load just a bit.

And seriously, nothing is more comforting sometimes than salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy junk food – we’re talking a brown butter chocolate chip cookie base, condensed milk, Toffifee, topped off with crushed potato chips and pretzels drizzled in caramel.

I have nothing but love and admiration for Paula. While I can go on and on about this amazing lady, you should just jump over to her blog and check out my post here.

“Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War,[8][9] and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.[10] In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16.”

Thank you anonymous internet writers!

I’m teaming up again with the fabulous ladies who got together to blog the St. Patty’s Day treats back in March. This time, we’re joined by a few more incredible food bloggers to whip up treats for Cinco de Mayo. Check this out:

Jen of Jen’s Favourite Cookies is our fearless leader and she put together another rocking collage of all our dishes.


I am a huge fan of Mexican chocolate. When I went to Mexico for the first time in February 2012, I stocked up on pure Mexican vanilla extract (sadly, it’s almost gone but a coworker is going there in a few weeks and will replenish my stores – whew!). More importantly, I had real Mexican hot chocolate and it was amazing. Life changing. So when it came time to think about what I wanted to make for this Cinco de Mayo celebration, my mind immediately went there.

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from Baking Bites)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup coffee, room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups if you’re not using liners.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, chili powder and cayenne pepper.

In another large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, sour cream and coffee.

Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined, with no streaks of flour visible.

Divide evenly into prepared pans. I made 18 cupcakes from my batter. Don’t overfill the cups as I did (you could probably get two dozen good sized cupcakes from this recipe) – my cupcakes rose far too high over the tops of the liners. I’d recommend filling the cups only halfway so that you have a nice flat top to frost. I ended up cutting the domed tops off to make a flat surface.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes cleanly out of the center of a cupcake.

Cool cupcakes on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Chocolate Chili Buttercream Frosting (adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cinnamon

I actually ran out of dark chocolate (my chocolate of choice when baking) so I had to use semi-sweet chocolate chips. Whatever chocolate you use, heat it in the microwave for 20 second intervals until it’s melted (be careful not to burn it). Set it aside to cool a bit.

Cream the butter in a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of your stand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time and mix until blended. Add in the melted chocolate and spices. Beat on high until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust the spices and/or sugar if necessary.

This made a lot of frosting – more than enough to frost my 18 cupcakes. It’ll certainly be enough for 2 dozen cupcakes. I’d recommend placing the frosting in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to allow it to firm for easier frosting if you’re using a piping bag as I did.

For the marshmallows, you can use a blow torch to get some nice colour on them or cheat like I did – place them under the broiler of your toaster oven for a couple of minutes. Make sure you don’t leave them in there too long or else you’ll end up with a puddle of marshmallow.

Pretty horrific piping job, but at least the marshmallow hid most of it!

These cupcakes were deeeeeelicious! They’re super moist and fluffy from the sour cream, there’s a deep, rich flavour from the chocolate, and a nice kick from the spices. The smooth, creamy buttercream isn’t too sweet and it pairs perfectly with the cake. And who doesn’t love marshmallow?

This recipe is Abby approved.

Make sure to check out all the other amazing Cinco de Mayo treats whipped up by my fabulous foodie friends:

1. Alfajores from Roxana’s Home Baking
2. Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Yogurt Sauce from Crumb Blog
3. Classic Flan from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
4. Dulce de Leche Milkshake with Coconut Milk Whipped
Cream from Chocolate Moosey
5. Lime Margerita Bars from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
6. Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from Magnolia Days
7. Tropical Fiesta Cocktail from Hungry Couple NYC
8. Paletas – Mexican Popsicles from Pineapple and Coconut
9. Bizcochitos Cookies from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
10. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Gotta Get Baked
11. Vegan Taco Salad from What Smells So Good
12. Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake from Kelly Bakes
13. Queso Blanco from The Messy Baker
14. Gorditas with Picadillo from Juanita’s Cocina
15. Strawberry Margerita Slurpee from Chocolate Chocolate and More

When Alice offered to do a guest post for me, I said hells yeah! And she didn’t disappoint with today’s recipe – girl, you brung it hard. She knows I’m a total junkie for chocolate and even though her first attempt didn’t work, Alice was determined to try try again until she got it right. That’s true dedication and friendship if you ask me!

So without further ado, I present to you my good friend Alice and her drool-inducing chocolate cheesecake.

Hello Gotta Get Baked readers!

I am so thrilled to be guest posting for Nancy today! If you read my introduction to her guest post on my blog when she made her amazing PB and J Cookie Bars, then you know how much love I have for this lady!

For Nancy and her readers, I wanted to bake something awesome. Something brilliant. Something decedent that involved a lot of chocolate. And then more chocolate. So, I came up with this. Chocolate Cheesecake. The Mother of all Cheesecakes. This is only the second cheesecake I have ever baked and the first chocolate cheesecake. I don’t know what took me so long to make this but hot damn, if I am ever in need of a rich, chocolate dessert, I know what I am making. If you follow Hip Foodie Mom on Facebook, you know I’ve been asking about how to create pretty chocolate curls. I can’t even remember now where I first saw some but every time I tried to create these, I would just get chocolate flecks. Nothing even close to resembling a pretty curl.
So, I reached out to my baking friends and got the answer! You need to heat or microwave the chocolate for like 10-15 seconds to soften it a little and then you use your vegetable peeler. The kind of vegetable peeler (and your chocolate) you have will dictate how big/long or small/short your curls are. And remember to start with good quality chocolate. I always say, use chocolate that you would eat just by itself. Then, you know the curls will be good.

With this cheesecake, I attempted a water bath. HA! Let’s just say that I had a major cheesecake water bath fail. I secured my spring form pan with saran wrap and strong foil (as Nigella instructed) so water wouldn’t leak in, put the sucker in the oven and kept my fingers crossed. HA again. I think I added too much water. So, as you can guess, the water seeped into my cheesecake and when it was time to remove it from the oven, I had a huge watery chocolate cheesecake mess. And then, to make matters worse, when I tried to remove it from the roasting pan, it slipped out of my hands and chocolate flew everywhere. Even some on the ceiling. It was actually pretty hilarious.

If I am one thing, it’s determined.

So, the next morning, off I went to the grocery store again to buy 2 more packages of cream cheese and then went back to work. But this time, I totally chickened out and didn’t do the water bath. I just baked the cheesecake in the oven. . and it did crack a little but hey, it was still absolutely delicious. I will attempt the water bath again. I will.

This recipe is from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. The Hummingbird Bakery is in London, in London’s Notting Hill, and was opened by Tarek Malouf in 2004. Now they have 5 fabulous locations. If I am ever in London, this is the first place I am going. Ah, a girl can dream. Until then, I have their cookbook and will bake to my heart’s delight. Everything in this cookbook is fabulous and their chocolate frosting has now become my absolute favorite. I’ve baked their Banana and Chocolate Cupcakes and my daughter has already requested the Marshmallow cupcakes for her upcoming birthday. This now might be my go-to dessert cookbook. So far, it’s fabulous.
With the cheesecake, use the best quality bittersweet chocolate you can get your hands on. I mean it. You don’t want to skimp on this cheesecake. I may have gone overboard but I used 4 different kinds of chocolate with this baby: bittersweet, a little bit of dark, semi-sweet and milk chocolate for the curls. Too much? There’s no such thing when it comes to dessert, right?

I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

For the cheesecake

• 14 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 6 ½ oz. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (or a combination of bittersweet + semi-sweet + dark)

For the crust

• 6 ½ oz. graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted

For the chocolate curls

• 2-3 oz. good quality chocolate (milk, semi-sweet, dark, use whatever you want!)
• Vegetable peeler
• A few chocolate sprinkles were also added for fun

Special equipment needed: 9-inch springform cake pan, greased and baselined with parchment paper is suggested OR use the Sil-Eco Round Baking liner instead of parchment paper as shown in the photo. I use this every time I use my springform pan. You just peel it off. No mess.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 50 mins; however it is highly suggested that you refrigerate the cheesecake overnight before serving.

Makes 10-12 slices

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

2. For the crust: Roughly break up the graham crackers and put them in a food processor with the cocoa powder. Process until finely ground. Slowly pour the melted butter into the processor while the motor is running. Press this mixture into the base of your prepared cake pan, using the ball of your hand or a spoon to flatten. Refrigerate the crust while you make the cheesecake filling.



3. For the filling: Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract on slow speed until you get a very smooth, thick mixture. Add one egg at a time; ensuring each one is incorporated well before adding the next egg. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl as needed. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. You can turn up the mixer to a higher speed at the end to make the mix a little lighter and fluffier but be careful not to over mix or the cheese will split.

4. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler until melted and smooth. Or if a microwave is your only option, melt the chocolate in increments of 30 seconds, whisking well after each :30 interval. Spoon a little of the cream cheese mixture into the melted chocolate, stir to mix then add a little more. This will even out the temperatures of the two mixtures. Eventually you can stir all the cream cheese mixture into the chocolate mixture until well combined and smooth.

5. Spoon the mixture onto the cold crust. If attempting the water bath, line the outside of the cake pan with a good layer of cling wrap and then another layer of strong foil over that to protect from the water bath. Put the cake pan inside a deep baking tray and fill with water until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the cake tin. If NOT attempting the water bath, simply put your cake pan into the oven and bake for 40 -50 minutes, checking regularly after 40 minutes to ensure the cheesecake doesn’t burn.

Don’t overcook the cheesecake. It should be wobbly in the center. Leave to cool slightly in the cake pan, then cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.

So lovely!

Alice, thank you so much for this uber decadent, rich, creamy, dreamy dessert! I’d give the Husband’s right arm for a slice of this right now (don’t look at me that way. I need my right arm to shovel cheesecake into my mouth).

I was super lucky to have two of my best friends serve as my bridesmaids. They threw me the best bridal shower a gal could ask for. It was a sweltering hot day in August of 2011 and these two ladies, dressed up to the nines, were slaving away decorating, cooking and setting up a beautiful space. They arranged games (it’s hilarious watching a bunch of ladies make dresses out of toilet paper) as well as a station for the guests to put together a scrapbook for me. There were two cricut machines so you know it was serious business. The food was AH-MAY-ZING and I was all over the wine.

Some of the beautiful decorations.

It was quite the spread.

My favourite table – desserts, of course!

For this week, I’m making chocolate covered macaroons. I had wanted to make them for last week’s Sunday Supper – the theme was food inspired by movies. One of my favourite movies of all time is Chocolat and the chocolate covered macaroons were an homage to the Nipples of Venus that Vianne presents to the Comte de Reynaud. I was going to shape them into triangles and dip the bottom in dark chocolate and the tops in white. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get my act together for last week, so today’s offering will be a little more PG.

Chocolate covered macaroons (macaroon recipe adapted from Ina Garten)
14 ounces medium unsweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in a bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they form medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Coconut, condensed milk and extracts. Doesn’t look too appetizing, eh?

Fold in them whites.

Drop the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper using either a medium ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons. I was able to make 13 huge macaroons with this recipe.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Move to cooling racks to completely cool before dipping in chocolate.


Chocolate Dip

1 1/2 cup good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

I couldn’t believe it when I opened my cupboard – I actually ran out of dark chocolate! I had to use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead, which still worked out fine. Place the chocolate in a small bowl and microwave in 20 second increments until melted. Be careful – you don’t want to scorch your chocolate. Mix together and then add the butter. Mix until completely incorporated.


Dip each macaroon into the chocolate until you get your desired amount of chocolate coverage. Place back onto the cooled cookie sheet with the parchment. I placed my macaroons into the fridge to allow the chocolate to set. They can then be stored either at room temperature or in the fridge.

C’mon baby, take a dip!

I was never a fan of macaroons before but thankfully my taste buds have wised up. These were delicious – delightfully crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy on the inside. They’re not too sweet and the coconut and chocolate work wonderfully together. There’s a lot of coconut in these little beauties.

Our host this week is the lovely Brandie of Home Cooking Memories Be sure to check out her post as well as all the others of the Sunday Supper gang.

Starters, Appetizers & Snacks

• Pesto Tortilla Pinwheels from Home Cooking Memories
• Honey Pecan Baked Brie from Supper for a Steal
• Pinenut stuffed Dates from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Glazed Pecans from Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail from A Stack of Dishes
• Mini Curry Chicken Salad Phyllo Cups from The Weekend Gourmet
• Mushroom and Feta Bites from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Antipasti Bites from Blueberries And Blessings
• Spinach Dip in a Pumpernickel Bowl from The Foodie Patootie
• Parmesan and Mushroom Focaccia from Basic N Delicious

Soups, Salads & Sandwiches

• London Ritz’s Tea Sandwiches from My Cute Bride
• Mini Shrimp & Egg Salad Sandwiches from The ROXX Box
• Broccoli Bacon Salad from Country Girl In The Village
• Chicken Salad on Endive from Magnolia Days
• Creamy Asparagus Soup Shooters with Shrimp from Gourmet Drizzles
• Alphabet Soup from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Main Dishes

• Savory Cheesy Kale Tart with Chiles from Shockingly Delicious
• Penne Ala Vodka from I Run For Wine
• Easy Baked Ziti from Momma’s Meals
• French Country Flat Pie from Webicurean
• Crustless Spinach Quiche from Family Foodie

Cakes

• Vanilla Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Strawberry Shortcake Push Pops from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Mini Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting from Damn Delicious
• Coconut Rum Cake from The Foodie Army Wife
• No Bake Lemon Cheesecakes Shots {Two Ways} from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Japanese Wedding Cupcakes from NinjaBaking.com
• Baby Blue Cake Pops from Neighborfood
• Strawberry Buttermilk Scones from Vintage Kitchen

Cookies, Brownies & Dessert Bars

• Lemon Sandwich Cookies with Pink Lemon Curd from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Covered Mcaroons from Gotta Get Baked
• Pastel Pizzelles from Growing Up Gabel
• Chocolate-Balsamic Macaroons from Foxes Love Lemons
• Raspberry Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies from In The Kitchen With KP
• Baklava Crisps from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Healthy Chocolate Bars with Fruit, Nuts & Coconut from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Fudgy Carob Brownies from Pies and Plots
• Pistachio Biscotti from Curious Cuisiniere

Sweet Treats

• Shortbread Maple Cream Freezer Tart from A Beautiful Bite
• Espresso Panna Cotta from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Bite-Size Pecan Tarts from Juanita’s Cocina
• Brigadeiros from Food Lust People Love
• Rosewater Raspberry Meringues from girlichef

Drink Recipes

• Slushy Mango Mojito from The Urban Mrs.
• Pretty in Pink Punch from Noshing With The Nolands
• Pink Lemonade from Peanut Butter and Peppers

One of the best parts of #SundaySupper is our weekly Twitter chat. If you love food, you definitely want to join us! Just follow the hashtag #SundaySupper on Twitter this Sunday, April 21st at 7pm EST, and we’ll be chatting about food and fun for baby showers, bridal showers, and parties!

Want even more #SundaySupper? Follow our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for recipes that are sure to impress!

Something just always gets in the way, y’know? Right out of law school, I didn’t have any money to travel. Next, the Husband (then boyfriend) and I decided to live in wicked sinful depravity and purchased an apartment together. There went every penny we had saved up. Then we had the brilliant idea of getting married and blowing all our cash on a big splashy wedding. Hoorah! I shouldn’t be such a snarky bag – those were all great things that we spent our money on. I love my apartment and I wouldn’t change a thing about our wedding day. It just means that we’re giving into our wanderlust a bit later in life.

The Husband and I just got back from an amazing 6 day trip to Maui. It’s the first time we’ve gone somewhere warm and tropical, with no plans, no itinerary. The sole purpose was to just relax. It was heaven. Maui is one of the quieter islands, which suits us just fine because we’re not wild party animals anymore. We were in a beautiful hotel in the northern part of the island, away from the nearest town. It was warm, humid and sunny – a climate that I’ve never experienced before. As soon as I stepped off the plane, the air was sweet, floral and welcoming. Every single person we met in Maui was happy and they had no problem telling us how happy they were. I mean, c’mon? How can you live in a tropical paradise and NOT be happy? A lot of folks in Vancouver are grumpy miserable jerks (myself included). I felt all my stress melt away…and steadily climb back up while I was on the plane travelling back home.

C’mon, Hubs, let’s move. I mean, how can you resist this view?

The view of the pool at our hotel. We spent many a day lying around there.

The beach attached to our hotel.

The first (of many) drinks that I enjoyed (mojito with grapefruit – delightful!).

The food was amazing. This is ice cream wrapped in pound cake crusted with macadamia nuts and deep fried. INSANE!

Sigh…Hawaii, I love you.

1) Blog about your chocolate treat. Your recipe must include the two ingredients we choose.

2) Include a link back to a monthly round-up or the Chocolate party page. You can also add the Chocolate Party logo in your blog post or on your sidebar.

3) Your recipe must be published during the current month. If you link old recipes, they will be deleted.

Check out the other drool inducing recipes this month by clicking on the linky button below.

On a side note, the Husband and I are leaving tomorrow for Hawaii. We’re super excited – it’s the first time we’re going there. So, there’ll be no blogging from me until next week. I’ll miss y’all…but not too much