Treat Yo Self 2014

Best Day of the Year!

What, you haven't heard of a Treat Yo Self Day? Please let the nice folks over at NBC's Parks and Recreation explain the rules. It's only 24 seconds, you can spare that much time.

 

So basically, you take the day to, you know, treat yourself. You want it, you got it. For me this meant a mix of pampering and (of course) eating a bunch of things I usually deny myself. Hey, you keep Treat Yo Self in your way and I'll keep it in mine.

First stop! Haircut. I was long overdue for one, but while I usually just get a quick shampoo and trim at the place around the corner from my mom's house, this time I decided to go the whole nine yards and get a cut, blowout, and style at a nice salon.  Turns out my friend Barbara from work's (whom I was just with in Lincoln, Nebraska), husband works at a salon and is a fantastic hairdresser. Sounds like a plan.

So on my most recent benefit day (I get every other Monday off from work since I work longer hours on all the other days) I got myself an appointment in the morning at Muse Boutique Salon in Arlington. The place was pretty empty, so I waited only a few minutes while Atilla finished up with the client before me and sat back and relaxed while I got my hair washed (scalp massage!), cut, blown out, and styled. It looked pretty damn good, if I say so myself.

...and wow, I look eerily like my Mom.

Look! It's straight! That doesn't happen very often with my hair, trust me. And it even survived the windy day...well, mostly.

After getting my hair done, I headed to Shirlington for a massage. I've only had three massages before--it always feels amazing, but it seems like such a splurge. There's always other things that seem to make more practical sense to purchase, even for myself.

But anyway, this massage was too good a deal to pass up. At Nirvana Reflexology Spa in Shirlington, you can get a one hour full body massage for only $45, compared to the around $75-100 cost at other places in the DC area. You don't get a private room or the oils rubbed in to you like at other places, but there is still privacy with heavy fabric curtains separating the areas of the room and the massage is still amazing. And, if you are one of those people who has problems being naked in front of people, you get to keep your clothes on. They still use lotions on your arms and legs and it just feels really nice. I recommend it!

After my haircut and massage I was hungry! And if I was going to treat myself, I wanted something I haven't had in a really long time. Specifically, cheese. Ever since I figured out I was lactose intolerant two years ago, my cheese intake has gone down to almost zero. Unless it's goat cheese--goat cheese I can handle and it's also my favorite. But I wanted other types of cheese. So to Cheesetique for lunch I will go!

Appetizer: a glass of the house red wine (balanced, smooth, and fruity) and a cheese board with the chevre (goat cheese). Since it's the cherry blossom festival, they had mixed fresh cherries into the cheese and oh my stars it was delicious.

Next up: something I hadn't eaten in all the time I have been lactose intolerant. Macaroni and cheese. This was the Billy Goat Mac with several types of cheese (including goat and cheddar) and chicken. This was blow my mind amazing.

For dessert, I decided to leave the cheese shop behind and walk a block down the street to Cake Love. It wasn't an entirely selfish decision; I needed to order my Aunt and Stepmom's birthday cake from there (they have the same birthday and we always do a joint celebration). But while I was there....I figured why not have a cupcake? A Drumstick cupcake to be exact. Vanilla cake, salted caramel middle, vanilla buttercream frosting, and a layer of chocolate on top (with some salted peanuts).

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home and then over at a friend's playing a little D&D. All in all, I declare the first Treat Yo Self Day a total success.

Is it 2015 yet??

Chocolate Caramels and Wine Tasting

Just when you thought my posts about chocolate were coming to an end...here's another one guest-starring my fellow attorney and WM graduate, Dorilyn!

Not only are we both big nerds, but Dori and I are also big chocolate and wine lovers. I mean, most people of good taste and breeding are, but I know there are some strange folk out there who don't find either of these things appealing. How do they live with themselves?

I'm also a big fan of the Living Social facility at 918 F Street where I have participated in a lot of classes over the past year. Sadly, Living Social is closing the building next month (since they appear to be hemorrhaging money), so I have been trying to make sure I take any last chance opportunities to visit.

When I saw on the Living Social website they were offering a chocolate caramel and wine tasting class--I immediately called up Dorilyn and asked if she wanted to do it with me. She's no fool, so last week we headed downtown (on a uncharacteristically warm February day) to indulge in some wine, chocolate, and caramel.

The "class" was led by the owner and founder of Chouquette Chocolates in Bethesda, Sarah Dwyer. I use quotation marks because it wasn't really a class-we didn't do anything except drink wine, eat chocolate caramels, and listen and watch Sarah Dwyer as she explained how she came to open a chocolate shop and demonstrated how the caramels are made. It was all actually really interesting and she had lots of entertaining stories about her time in Paris studying at Le Cordon Bleu. She also shared some stories about how she came to develop the more unusual flavors of her caramels.

The other wine pairing class I attended involved cookies and wine and was a little more in-depth with explanations of the wines and why certain flavors are brought out by certain types of wine. With the chocolate caramels, it was more "this is all delicious so eat, drink, and enjoy." Both approaches are fine with me--as long as I get wine and chocolate I am happy.

The set-up at our table; 4 types of wine and 4 chocolate caramels. I love the designs and colors of the caramels, so lovely. The gold looking ones on the right are dusted with edible gold sugar.

Clockwise starting from the upper left: vanilla sea salt caramel paired with Prosecco, rosemary lemon caramel paired with a Sauvignon Blanc, raspberry caramel paired with a Pinot Noir, and last but not least, a balsamic caramel paired with Shiraz. 

Inside the raspberry caramel!

My favorite of the caramels was actually the balsamic one. The savoriness of the balsamic paired beautifully with the sweetness and saltiness of the chocolate and caramel. And it also went very well with the robust red wine. But let's be honest: everything was delicious and went well with everything else.

Other than eating all the yummy chocolates and getting a bit tipsy off the wine, the other highlight of the experience was seeing how the chocolate caramels are made. The chocolate is first poured into molds...but then immediately poured out so only a shell of chocolate is left covering the mold's three sides. After hardening a bit, the caramel is poured inside the mold and chocolate is again poured over it all. After everything sets, you pop out a completed chocolate-covered caramel!

This is only one of the possible ways of making caramels, some companies (like Lindt truffles) makes two sides of the truffle, put the filling in the middle, and then join them together. This creates a seam that runs around the truffle. Others fill the entire mold with chocolate right off the bat and then use a small tube to inject caramel and fillings into the middle. I think the method used by Sarah Dwyer at Chouquette is actually the most elegant way to do it: there are no seams or holes in the chocolates.

Cheers!

Oh, and because Dorilyn and I are crazy for chocolate, we decided to grab some hot chocolate at Coco Sala across the street from the Living Social building. I tried the hot chocolate flight...

 From left to right: dark hot chocolate, salted caramel hot chocolate, and peanut butter hot chocolate. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite. 

My next chocolate adventure? A chocolate walking tour of Georgetown. It's not scheduled yet, but the Groupon is purchased and I am already licking my lips in anticipation....

Total and Complete Cookie Domination

Ah, the holidays. There are many things to love about them: the brisk air and chance of snow, reconnecting with friends and family, all the lights and decorations....but come on. We all know what the best part is: THE COOKIES.

Every year, I host a cookie swap. It has gotten...shall we say, larger as the years go on, and this year I think we might have finally outdone ourselves. Squeezing 25 people into my one bedroom apartment is something of a challenge, but my god, the cookies. We had about 30 types of cookies and it was a beautiful thing.

Table #1 at the swap (as much of it as would fit in the camera frame)...

...and table #2, complete with gingerbread house centerpiece!

In case you are unfamiliar with a cookie swap, it's pretty simple. Every person bakes a large batch of one type of homemade cookies. Everybody's cookies are placed on a table and then you walk around with an empty container and fill it with all different types of cookies. So you come in to the swap with one type of cookie and leave with dozens and dozens of different types! Your holiday baking = done.

Your waistline = huge, but that's a post for another day. This is the holidays and even I allow myself some indulgences.

We had an amazing spread this year; several people brought more than one type of cookie so the tables were practically groaning from all the cookie goodness. But that's what you want from a successful swap: lots of cookies, smiles, and laughs and we had all that in spades.

So what did I make? I decided to try some new recipes this year. First, I wanted something a little more standard for the holidays, and this Peppermint Meltaways recipe from the Cooking Channel website looked fun (full recipe below). It's a crumbly shortbread style cookie with a Hershey chocolate kiss hidden in the middle. You then roll the cookie in powdered sugar and crushed candy canes. Yum!

For my second cookie, I decided to try something a little more unusual. There were more boys than usual planning to attend the swap, so I thought something using bacon might be fun to try. Bacon is also a big trend in baking right now, and hello, it's bacon. So when I came across this Candied Bacon and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe, it seemed perfect. All in all, I think they came out pretty splendidly. And when I caramelized the bacon in the oven it made the entire house smell AMAZING.

More pictures, links, and recipes for cookies I have made this holiday season below. You've only got two more days before those New Years resolutions kick in, so happy baking!

Peppermint Meltaways

1 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
24 chocolate Hershey's Kisses

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the butter and mix until light and fluffy. Add the peppermint extract and mix to combine. Next, slowly add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined. In a separate mixing bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the peppermint candies. Roll the dough into twenty-four 1 1/2-inch balls. Insert 1 chocolate morsel into each ball and re-roll to ensure that the cookie dough encases the chocolate. Next, transfer to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies rolling each to coat. Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until they start to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to wire cooling rack. Cool until they are just cool enough to handle, 5 minutes. Return the cookies to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies and toss gently until each cookie is coated.


Candied Bacon and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

CANDIED BACON:
8 strips applewood-smoked bacon
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

COOKIES:

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup melted unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup raw sugar, pulverized
2 egg yolks
1 to 2 teaspoons maple extract
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

For the candied bacon: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and set it aside. Lay the bacon strips in a single layer on a wire rack, and coat the tops completely and evenly with the raw sugar. Lightly press the sugar into the bacon strips, sprinkle them with the cayenne, and transfer the rack to the lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the bacon is deep red and very caramelized. Check on the bacon frequently; the cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the bacon. Use tongs to remove the candied bacon from the baking sheet, and transfer the slices to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, roughly chop.

For the cookies: With the oven rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, egg yolks and maple extract with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is well blended. Stir in the dry ingredients and the dark chocolate chunks. With a spoon, drop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Flatten lightly with your fingers, then press your thumb down the center of each cookie to make a slight indent. Add a tablespoon of chopped candied bacon to the center of each cookie. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. The cookies will be a bit soft but will firm up when cooled and become chewy. For crunchier cookies bake for 15 minutes, taking care not to burn the bacon by covering the cookies loosely with aluminum foil.

Flourless chocolate walnut cookies (from Self.com)

My grandmother's puffy and silky Ricotta cookies (from my cookie swap blog post last year).

The best cookie ever: Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies (originally from Cook's Country, but reproduced on my blog).

Bonus cookie porn from my work cookie swap: the aftermath!

Cupcake MAGIC

Earlier this week, my friend Chris and I took advantage of a Living Social deal and attended a cupcake making class hosted by the founder of Cake Love, Warren Brown.

Come to me, my pretties....

I fancy myself an experienced baker, but I'm always looking to try new recipes and learn some tricks and tips. Especially with cupcakes, which are basically one of the most perfect food items ever invented. It's cake that fits in your hand. What's not to love?

Now I know what you are thinking. "But Maggie, I thought you were on a diet? What are you doing making and eating cupcakes." Here's what I think about that. You can't deprive yourself forever. You have to let yourself indulge every now and again or you will go crazy. Also life is not worth living without cupcakes. Oh, and I did a double workout that day so shut your cupcake hole.

Chris and I arrived at Living Social's building on 918 F Street for the class at 6:30. Turns out they have a pretty sweet kitchen set-up in there, and our baking station was all ready for our arrival with our ingredients for the first recipe (lemon cupcakes--yum!). Warren introduced himself, gave us some background about Cake Love (he quit being a lawyer back in 2000 to follow his dream of opening a bakery which is now celebrating it's 10 year anniversary) . He then did a demo of the recipe, explaining all the steps and providing some interesting information about why we do certain things in a certain order when baking. In his words, "baking is science and art." The science is how the ingredients combine, and the art comes from the baker himself.

And then it was our turn to make the cupcakes! I have to confess, it was WAY easier baking when someone has laid out all the ingredients for you in pre-measured amounts and is waiting to whisk away your dirty dishes and clean them for you. It was like baking on a tv show with assistants to do our every bidding.

As for the results....well, I can't lie. I was skeptical. Like I said, I consider myself an experienced baker. So I wasn't convinced working from the Cake Love recipe was going to make a difference. But holy moly you guys--these lemon cupcakes were possibly the best cupcakes I have ever tasted (I have a particularly strong memory of a Georgetown Cupcake chocolate peppermint cupcake one holiday season). But I am now a convert--this lemon cupcake recipe is amazing! I went ahead and put all the recipes we were provided at the end of the post.

While the lemon cupcakes were baking, it was time to turn to the frosting! Again, I was skeptical. I tend to rely on store frosting since it just seems too time consuming to make my own. And when I heard we were making buttercream I was even more unsure. I tend to go more for the light whipped frostings, and buttercream can be too heavy and too sweet for my tastes.

I was so wrong.

The buttercream recipe we used is a cooked meringue, which basically means you whip egg whites into stiff peaks, add some boiling sugar (which "cooks" the meringue) and then a ton of butter. The whipped egg whites keep the frosting super light and frothy, and the sugar and butter just make it everything delicious. The recipe itself is a bit time consuming since you need to whisk the egg white for a quite a while. And I wouldn't say it's easy--despite the few steps, things need to happen at very specific times for the it to come out correctly. But this is where the science and art come together!

Whip it good!

Now that is a lot of frosting. We made one batch for everyone at our table--which means enough to frost 8 dozen cupcakes. 

Due to the time limitations of the class, we didn't have time to whip the frosting until it had completely cooled. So we cheated a bit by pouring it into huge bowls and popping it in the refrigerator. Then it was time to turn to the chocolate cupcakes! Could they possibly compare to the lemon ones??

The recipe for the chocolate cupcakes is very simple; Warren Brown's baking philosophy is to use natural simple ingredients without any preservatives or shortcuts. And the chocolate cupcakes were total winners--very different from the lemon cupcakes, which had more of a dense texture, the chocolate ones were light and fluffy with an amazing deep chocolatey taste. The coco powder that we used was a higher percentage of coco than your typical powder which I think made a big difference. Warren Brown also recommended switching to using a food scale to measure your dry ingredients (you'll notice that the recipes below often refer to ounces rather than cups). Apparently, this makes for a more exact combination of ingredients.

All in all, the cupcake class was a complete and utter success. Though it was a bit expensive ($39), it was a super fun 3 hours, and we walked home with one dozen cupcakes and two large containers of frosting. Cupcakes like these go for over $3 a pop, so when you think about it like that, we got a good deal with the the fun and instruction added to the mix.

No whisk, bowl, or spatula was left unlicked that day.

Lemon Cupcakes
Yield: One Dozen Cupcakes

1/2 oz. Vegetable shortening (or palm kernal oil)
3 oz. Unsalted butter
10.5 oz. Super fine granulated sugar
1 Lemon (zest and segments)
1 Large egg
2 Small egg yolks
6.25 oz. All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Cake flour
1/8 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 oz. Sour cream
2 tablespoons Whole milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Dark rum
1 tablespoon Canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Zest lemon and segment the fruit and combine with all wet ingredients.
3. Cream butter and sugar in the mixer on low speed.
4. Add eggs, a few at a time, until fully combined.
5. Scrape bowl.
6. On low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients alternatively.
7. Turn off the mixer and scrape bowl.
8. Mix on speed 2 for 60 seconds to thoroughly combined all ingredients.
9. Spray cupcake tins with nonstick spray and fill liners.
10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.


Cooked Meringue Buttercream

Yield: enough for 12 cupcakes

5 eggs (large)
10 ounces (1 1/4 cups) extra-fine granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup water
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Set out the ingredients and equipment. Separate the eggs and place the whites in the bowl of the standing mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment. Reserve the yolks for another use.

Measure 1 cup of the sugar into a heavy-bottomed 1-quart saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Gently stir to combine; I use the candy thermometer for this. Leave the candy thermometer in the saucepan, numbers facing down to balance the thermometer.

Measure the 1/4 cup sugar into a small bowl and set aside. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and set aside in a medium bowl.

Begin making the sugar syrup. Place the saucepan with the sugar and water over medium-high heat. Partially cover with a lid to capture the evaporating water -- this helps to moisten the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals separating from the syrup.

Begin whipping the egg whites to stiff peak in a standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment set to high speed. When the whites are at stiff peak you have a meringue. Keep the mixer running and pour the 1/4 cup of sugar into the meringue. Raise the heat to bring the syrup to 245 degrees if it is not there already.

When the syrup is at 245 degrees, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue. When pouring, keep your eye on the bowl. Aim for the space between the mixer bowl and the revolving wire whip. To maintain the same rate of pouring, pour slowly and raise the saucepan from your shoulder. Twisting at the wrist or elbow tends to throw off my aim.

After 1 to 2 minutes reduce the speed to medium for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the meringue is cooled. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to high for one to two minutes to fully combine the butter with the meringue.


Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: One dozen cupcakes

3 oz. Butter
7 oz. Sugar
2 Eggs
3.5 oz. All-purpose flour
1 oz. Coco powder
3/4 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Milk
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1. Combine all the wet ingredients together.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients together.
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs.
5. Alternatively add dry and wet ingredients into mixture.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Me, Chris, and Mr. Warren Brown!

Burlesque, baby

Burlesque: a literary, dramatic, or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of the subject.

Apparently, that is the textbook definition of burlesque. But if you ask the average person on the street what burlesque means, they will likely respond "chicks taking their clothes off." Of course, the routines need to include feathers, sequins, pasties, teasing, and boas...at least in my opinion.

I'm a fan of burlesque. Not because I particularly enjoy looking at women taking off their clothes; let's be honest, if I want to see that, I can look in the mirror. But for me it's about women empowering themselves. A lot of burlesque dancers aren't model-perfect, but when they perform they bring you along into their world where they are the hottest thing since sliced bread. It's all about loving your body and self-confidence and holding every person in that audience in the palm of your hand. So essentially, it's about power.

And I like power. I also like feeling attractive.

So when my friend Jennifer emailed me about Living Social's Bourbon and Burlesque classes (intro lesson to burlesque with three bourbon-based drinks), I was all about it. They're offered every Thursday and are run by two of the DC Gurly Show ladies, Velvet Kensington and Private Tails.

Me, Jennifer, and Bridgid. Suggestions for our burlesque group name: Chitty Titty Glam Bang and The Boa Constrictors. Also, since we're all lawyers, we could be Legally Busty. 

The class started with a brief introduction into the history of burlesque, and then we learned about several types of dancing.

Neo-burlesque: revival burlesque, in the classic style but with a modern twist.

Nerd-lesque: like neo-burlesque, but with a nerd theme to the shows and costumes.

Boy-lesque: when men dress as men and dance and take off their clothes.

Boi-lesque: when women dress as men and dance and take off their clothes.

Drag-lesque: when Drag Queens (men dressed as women) dance and take off their clothes.

Plus lots more that I can't remember. If you want to learn more, google it. Seriously, burlesque is awesome.

After the history less, the ladies demonstrated their moves, and it was time for us to get down to business! We learned some basic moves--how to remove our gloves in three different ways and different ways to work the boa. We also learned ways to work the booty, like the Betty Boop where you shake it and then stick it out. Work that money maker, ladies! We were then divided into groups and had to choreograph a number.

Sure, our number ended up a hot mess. But as I looked at the other group's performing, I couldn't help but marvel. I could tell that a lot those ladies had never done anything like this before. Some others weren't the best dancers and some forgot the steps...but you know what? Everyone looked beautiful because they felt beautiful. It was a room full of women rejoicing in themselves as they were and not worrying about whether their thighs were too big, or their stomach too poochy, or all the other horrible things that women tell themselves every single day. Everyone in that room felt beautiful. And it was beautiful! 

My good girl burlesque name: Ginger Snap. My naughty girl burlesque name: Ginger Snatch.