Easter Cream Puffs

 

Yesterday a made a shocking confession over on my Facebook page:

I do not enjoy baking fussy things. Things that look like other things. Things that require tedious detail application. Things that make me want to pull my hair out.

Don't get me wrong... I like looking at intricate and gorgeously crafted treats. I am totally amazed at what some people can create out of food, like the things you will find here, here, and here. I'm just not patient enough to ever be one of those people.

Every once in a great while, though, I am struck with an unshakable urge to attempt beauteous feats with my baking. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I can't seem to get it off of my mind until I give it a try.

Like these cute little Easter chick cream puffs.

I just woke up a few days ago and thought, "I want to make cream puffs that look like chicks."

No, really. That's exactly how it happened.

Ironically, cream puffs are probably one of the easiest things you can make. And I had to go and make them all complicated. Go figure.

Anyway, the cream puffs themselves are not difficult to make at all. A basic choux {the dough that is used in making cream puffs, eclairs, and gougeres} comes together so quickly it's sort of ridiculous. And dangerous. You can have yummy little cream puffs at your fingertips in less than an hour.

But cream puff chicks? Yeah, not so much.

I'm not saying these chicks are the most difficult thing you'll ever make. I'm just saying don't go and decide to make them on a day when you're short on time. Or patience. Or on a day when you've had a lot of caffeine.

Maybe you'll think it's a hoot to pick little teeny tiny sprinkles out of their container and give these guys sweet little chickie faces. You might even find it amusing and challenging to try to place them evenly on said chickie face so that it doesn't look like chickie was sneaking the sacramental wine during Easter service.

Or maybe you'll give up after one chickie {like I did} and decide to go the easy route & make "cracked eggs" instead.

To each his own.

{I also made some bunnies that I thought were sort of frightening looking. I texted a picture of them to my sister and she concurred. Ah, the honesty of family. Ha!}

I hope you know I'm just kidding... these would make a really fun Easter/spring project {for patient people}. And a really delicious Easter treat for everyone else. :)

Basic Cream Puffs
Adapted from Martha Stewart Mini Eclair recipe

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs

Special Tools:
{Not required, but quite helpful}

Piping bag & round tip -OR- zip top plastic bag
Toothpicks
Sprinkles {in orange for beaks} & Nonpareils {the little ball shaped sprinkles}
Food coloring {specifically, yellow}

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper or line with a silicone baking mat.

2. In a small pot, bring the butter, milk, water, and salt just to a boil over medium-high heat. {Watch it carefully, dairy is notorious for bubbling over onto stoves!}

3. When it comes to a boil, remove from the burner and add in the flour. Stir, stir, stir with a wooden spoon until a thick paste forms. Return it to the burner and keep stirring until the paste pulls away from the sides of the pot and forms a dough. {This will only take a minute or two.}

4. Transfer the dough to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat it for a minute or so just to cool it down, then add eggs one at a time, mixing until they are fully incorporated and you have a smooth dough.

5. Scrape the dough into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. {Or you can just use a zip top bag with the tip snipped.} Pipe about 1 1/2 inch mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the mounds are puffed and golden brown. {You may want to tear one open to test and make sure that the middles are not too moist. If you underbake them they will deflate a little.}

6. Remove the puffs from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Filling*:

1/2 cup whipping cream
2 {heaping tablespoons} confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until a whipped cream with soft peaks forms.

2. Cut the cream puffs in half with a sharp knife {careful not to smoosh them} and fill with about a tablespoon {or more} of cream filling.

*You can also make profiteroles out of these by filling them with a pastry cream or pudding. Another good variation is to flavor the cream with a different flavor extract {almond?}, or zest {lemon?}, or even fill these babies with ice cream. The possibilities are truly endless!

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk or cream {this is not exact, you will have to play with the amount to get the right consistency, so add a little bit at a time}
1-2 drops yellow food coloring

1. Combine sugar and milk or cream {a bit at a time until you get the right consistency} in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add a drop or two of yellow food coloring if you want to make yellow chicks or "egg yolks". Stir until you get an even color.

Tip: In order to "coat" the chicks with a solid color, the glaze will need to be pretty thick. I added a tiny bit of liquid at a time until I had a thick, but pourable consistency that would "cling" to the cream puffs. If you don't make it thick enough, it will form a clearish wash over the puffs.

For Chicks:
 
1. Spoon glaze over tops of cream puffs, making sure it runs down over the whole puff. {I sort of like the drippy look but you can be exact if you want.}

2. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes before trying to apply eyeballs & beaks. {Trust me, you will be very annoyed if you do not wait.}

3. Once the glaze is semi-set, carefully place black nonpareils in place for eyes, and orange sprinkle in place for beak. You can use little tweezers or a toothpick to help you finagle them into place, or just get a helper with a steady hand.

Let set before serving.

For "Cracked Eggs":

1. You will only need half of your filled cream puff for these. Remove the top part of the cream puff {and eat it}.

2. Make a small "well" in the center of the whipped cream.

3. Drizzle a small amount of yellow glaze into the well for the appearance of a "yolk".

4. Let set a bit before serving.

{Stuffed} Banana Bread Muffins & Easter Goodies

 

Last week was so busy it flew by and I didn't even get to post once. {It's been a while since that's happened... the not posting part, not the busy part.} Since hubby was out of town all weekend, the pup and I had a little "unplugged" getaway over at my Mom's house for company and a change of scenery, hence the lack of Facebook posts, etc.

Though it was nice to disconnect from the digital grind for a short time, I am SO ready to get back to posting, especially with Easter happening in less than a week! {Where does the time go?!} I'm also going to be wrapping up my Tasty Travels: NYC posts in the very near future, and have quite a few drafts waiting to be shared.

Before I get to all that good stuff, I'm excited to announce that a winner was chosen for the Palm Beach Parties Personalized Tray Giveaway that ended last week. And the winner is...

Tina P.!

Congratulations, Tina! I hope you'll enjoy your tray {and maybe even send us a picture of how you personalize it? Because we're nosy that way. ;)} And thanks again to the lovely Carla from Palm Beach Parties for providing us with such a fabulous giveaway prize! {Be sure to check out her shop if you're into preppy & adorable goodies!}

Ok... now food.

Today I'm sharing a recipe for some extremely moist and delicious Stuffed Banana Bread Muffins that I baked up on Friday to bring to my Mom's over the weekend. I was originally planning on making a traditional loaf, but was running short on time, so I turned the recipe into muffins. Right before putting them in the oven, I decided they needed a little something... peanut butter. And chocolate chips. Because those two ingredients have never made anything worse.

The peanut butter sinks down as the muffins bake and leaves you with a little surprise "plug" of peanutty goodness that makes these even better... and they're pretty darn good on their own. {I actually made a handful with PB, some with PB & chocolate chips, and some plain.}





This is what it looked like hot from the oven. NOM.





I plan on spending some time coming up with some fun Easter foods that you can bring to the table this weekend, but until I get crackin', I'll leave you with a few favorites that would work great for an Easter Brunch and some sweet treats that make great {and easy!} additions to an Easter potluck.

Brunch Offerings:

Orange, Walnut & Rosemary Muffins

 Brie, Jam & Candied Walnut Braid

 Chocolate & Cheese Danish

Easter "Tweets"!

"Bunny Bait" Snack Mix - Free Printables for Bunny Bait tags included in this post!

 

Chocolate "Nests"

Easter Themed Rice Krispie Treat Pops

 

Sweet Spring Desserts

Chewy Strawberry Blondies

 

Orange-Yogurt Bread

 

 

Chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies

 

 

{Stuffed} Banana Bread Muffins

Adapted from Flour Bakery's recipe via Food Network

 

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

3 1/2 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Optional Add-ins:

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped {optional}

Reduced Fat Peanut Butter

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin* with non-stick cooking spray or line with liners. {Note: Make sure you spray the tins well if you aren't using liners, these like to stick.}

 

2. Beat together sugar and eggs until very pale and thick, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly pour in oil to combine, then add bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated.

 

3. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.

 

4. Sprinkle the flour mixture into the banana mixture a bit at a time, mixing until just moistened. {Don't overdo it or you'll get gummy, dense banana bread.} The batter will seem pretty liquidy, but that's ok. Note: If you'd like to use walnuts in your muffins, this would be the time to add them in and mix by hand so the mixer doesn't break them up too much.

 

5. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon batter into muffin tins until 2/3 of the way full. Spoon about a teaspoon or so of peanut butter onto the tops of the muffins and push down just a tiny bit with your finger. {It'll sink as it bakes.} Sprinkle tops of muffins with chocolate chips if desired.

 

6. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. {Don't forget there's molten peanut butter in there so you'll have some stickiness, but you should be able to tell whether it's batter or PB.}

 

7. Let cool for about 5 minutes in the tins, and then use a small paring knife to loosen from the tins and help you pull out the muffins. Cool on a wire baking rack.

 

*You can make this as a loaf, too, just pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is golden brown, testing with a skewer to ensure that the center is cooked through.

 

Makes about standard 20 muffins, or 1 loaf.

Savory Guinness & Veggie Cobbler

I attended a small Catholic school as a kid. Our school "mascot" was The Shamrock.

Exciting/menacing, I know.

Anyway, because of our obvious ties to the emerald emblem, I grew up with a strong appreciation for St. Patrick's Day & figured that everyone else in the world celebrated it as enthusiastically as we did.

{For us, it was "Spirit Day". Read: Pep rally, fun activities, and the biggest thrill of all -- getting to come to school dressed in non-uniform attire.}

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that adults liked celebrating St. Patrick's Day, too... just for different reasons.

As fond as I am of St. Patrick's Day festivities & fare, I've never really been one to dye food unnatural {and unappetizing} colors for the sake of thematic authenticity. Maybe that's the reason I've never hopped on the Red Velvet bandwagon.

But I digress.

Now, beer, on the other hand. That's a celebratory tradition I can stand behind. {Again, minus the dye.}

This recipe idea came to mind out of nowhere {after my initial idea drought}, and I just had to try it out and see if it would work. It did. Though sadly, it didn't look as pretty as it tasted.

However... if you're the type that wouldn't let a perfectly drink/meal/dessert go to waste just because it's tinted a funky green color, then maybe you can overlook the flaws of this dish, too.

While Guinness is perfectly fine on its own as the star of the show for an evening of carousing, it plays a great role in the background of this rich, hearty meal as well adding deep flavors to both the "gravy" and the dumplings. I made mine a vegetarian version, but I bet it would be good with beef or chicken for the meat-eaters among you.

If you're looking for something a little less "shamrocky" to make for St. Patrick's Day {or need something to help soak up those pints of green beer}, give this a try.

Otherwise, check out these other boozy delights from past posts!

Irish Cream Cookies

Homemade Irish Cream

 

Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes

Or these cute Pot O' Gold Favors for the kiddies:

Savory Guinness & Veggie Cobbler

For Filling:

1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
1 clove, minced
3-4 small Yukon gold potatoes, about 1 inch dice {about 2 cups}
1 12 oz. container sliced mushrooms
1 dried teaspoon rosemary or thyme (or 1 tablespoon if using fresh}
3 {heaping} tablespoons flour
6 ounces Guinness {approx}
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt to taste

For Topping:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
8-10 oz. Guinness or stout beer1. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots, sprkinkle with a dash of salt. Cook until the onions are beginning to get translucent and the veggies start to get tender. Add garlic and cook for about a minute.

2. Toss in potatoes, mushrooms, and herbs and stir well. Cook for about 6-7 minutes to soften up the potato and let the mushrooms start giving off liquid.

3. Sprinkle the veggies with flour and toss well. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.

4. Pour in the Guinness and chicken broth. Stir well and let it simmer until it comes up to a bubble. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the liquid thickens up and starts to look more like a sauce or a gravy, scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is sticking and you're getting all those tasty brown bits. {Plus, less scraping when it's time to clean!} Season with salt to taste.

5. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cheddar in a medium bowl. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

6. Add about 8 ounces of Guinness and mix it until just combined. It'll be kind of lumpy. If it's still too dry and you have large patches of flour left, add a little extra beer at at time until it's moistened. Otherwise, leave as is. {You don't want it to be too wet or it'll spread too much like mine did. The consistency should be like drop biscuits.}

7. When the potatoes are pretty much fork tender and the sauce is thick, pour the stew mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

8. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, plop little mounds of batter over the top of the stew. It doesn't have to cover the whole thing.

9. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until the dumplings have set and the stew is bubbly.

St. Patrick's Day Dipped Coffee Spoons & A Giveaway

Pssst... hey you... the one frantically searching for something festive to make for St. Patrick's Day. Come here.

A little closer, I don't want the whole world to hear.

I have a little secret to share with you. Ok, are you ready? Here it is:

I don't always get around to making something fabulous for every.single.holiday. {And I use the term "holiday" loosely.} 

Sometimes I run out of time. Or make 4 runs to the store and still manage to forget to pick up the ingredients I need for the recipe I want to try. Or I can't seem to think of something that hasn't already been blogged about by 800 other people. Or I forget that there's something to celebrate altogether.

It's ok.

I know... it's hard to shake feelings of inadequacy when the magazine covers in the express line are taunting you with "20 Easy St. Patrick's Day Goodies That Any Nitwit Can Pull Off". It may seem like those bloggers you follow have come up with every possible combination of beer/Irish cream/green/clover-shaped things without breaking a sweat. And you're sitting there holding a dropper of green food coloring without a clue as to what you will do with it.

Let's face it; most days we just don't have the energy {or supplies} to make precious little Leprechaun hats from cookies and candy and what have you, nitwit or not. {No offense if you are packaging these up right now, they are adorbs.}

For the better part of a month, I've racked my brain trying to come up with something wonderful to share for St. Patrick's Day. It seems like every time I would think of something good, someone else would beat me to actually posting it. Some of the ideas were a little too fussy or involved. Others were just, "eh." So I put off figuring out what I was going to make... and then I realized that St. Patrick's Day is this weekend.

Hm.

Armed with creativity, an iron will to deliver something festive {and a few baking pantry essentials}, these materialized:

What you need:

1. Plastic Spoons
2. Chocolate or candy melts or almond bark or any edible substance that can melt & set {caramel? PB, butterscotch, or mint chips?}
3. Sprinkles, preferably festive
4. A Refrigerator

Here are the directions:

1. Melt.
2. Dip.
3. Sprinkle.
4. Set.

And if you want to get REALLY fancy? Wrap & give.

It's that simple.

Why would these make a good St. Patrick's Day treat, you ask?

Well, because they're cute. And sugary. Because you know you've got about a dozen of those plastic-wrapped utensils that come with takeout stashed away somewhere in your house. And finally because after a few authentic Irish coffees, no one is going to care if you made a cake replica of an Irish castle or set up this {adorable} spread.

Still worried your contribution isn't cute enough? Just bring them out on one of these delightful personalized trays from Palm Beach Parties and no one will even notice. {While you're at it, take a look at her shop... SO much cute stuff!}

Consider today your lucky day.

Because you get an easy idea AND you can enter to win one of these pretty little party essentials, just by clicking a few things in the widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If I made your life any easier, I'd be spoon feeding you. Ha. ;)


Dipped Coffee Spoons

Plastic Spoons
Chocolate, Candy Coating, or other Melty Deliciousness {I used white candy coating}
Sprinkles
Parchment paper or a sheet tray
Packaging materials {cello bags, ribbon, etc.}

1. Heat desired dipping substance in a microwave safe container for 30 second intervals, stirring each time you stop, until smooth and liquidy enough to dip spoons in.

2. Dip spoons in to coat.

3. Place on a piece of parchment paper or a clean sheet tray.

4. If using sprinkles or colored sugar, sprinkle while wet.

5. Allow to set. You may do this at room temperature {takes a little longer} or in the refrigerator {super speedy}.

6. Decorate with colored icing or more chocolate as desired. {You can pipe on designs, drizzle for a gourmet look... just go for it. Get crazy!}

7. Allow any decorations to set again.

8. Package up if you'd like and give as a fun treat for stirring in coffee or cocoa!

Tasty Travels: NYC {Part 5} & Coconut Dream Bars

To get caught up on my travels {in order!}:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Remember when I first started my travel recap and I thought it would be a 5 part series? Yeah, well... I totally underestimated how much stuff I had eaten and seen and done on my visits to New York. It could be because every time I'm in the city I feel like the trip is over in the blink of an eye. Or maybe because NYC is so saturated with amazing foodie experiences.

 

Regardless, I have more to tell you about. And today we're getting really foodie!

 

Ok... food-loving friends. There is a wondrous place where all of your culinary daydreams can go run wild. And it's called Chelsea Market.

 

I LOVE Chelsea Market. I loved it so much that I almost had a mini-meltdown of happiness when I walked in. Steve was worried for a second that he might have to fan me to keep me from passing out into a little puddle of joy like the girls you see in those old clips of Beatles concerts. There's just SO much to see and taste!

 

Not only is CM filled with storefront after storefront of tasty delights, but it also has a really cool history that makes it all the more intriguing. {In short, it used to be an old factory.} The architectural details of the market make it engaging to walk around and browse, even if you're not hungry. {But seriously, how could you not be with all the yummy stuff going on in here??} Plus, Food Network's office is in here. Squeeeee!

Anyway, we got there around lunchtime and it was packed. We did a sweep of the place to check out our food options, then split up to grab a bite and were lucky enough to eventually snag a table right in front of Amy's Bread. So that's where I'll start the "tour".

Our spot was perfect for lunchtime entertainment -- Amy's Bread has a large glass windows that lets you see the behind the scenes action of the bakery, and it was mesmerizing. I sure hope this fellow didn't feel uncomfortable with me gawking at him while I ate my sandwich!

 

I had read all about Amy's Bread when I was researching spots to visit, and the reviews had been nothing but flattering for this well-known NYC bakery. We did buy some bread {it was a funky-looking baguette}, but I have to say, I don't think we got it at the peak of freshness. There is crusty bread, yes, but then there is also "nearly rip your teeth out of your head" bread, and sadly, I don't think the bread we tried was worth removing a layer of skin from the roof of my mouth. I took a Coconut Dream Bar to go & hoped that maybe that would give me a better impression of Amy. {It did.}

 

Next, we strolled along, making stops at Sarabeth's, Ruthy's, Eleni's, and Fat Witch, and I even convinced Steve to let me spend some time in the Bowery Kitchen Supply & Buon Italia, which are easy spots to get lost in for long periods of time if you have an affinity for the kitchen!

 

Like Central Park, Chelsea Market is another place that could take up hours of your day if you let it, but we had lots more to see so Steve pried me away we left to do some more site seeing.

 

 



Wheeeee... can I live here??

We had been invited to check out Steve's buddy's band, Le Mood, who was playing at Spike Hill in Williamsburg that night. {If you watch Two Broke Girls, you know all about Williamsburg and it's hipstery vibe}. Before the show, we made plans to meet up with my very good friend, Lourdes, who happens to live in NYC {I've known her since Kindergarten!} & her boyfriend for dinner at a place called Sweetwater.  Between catching up with my friend and diving fork-first into their amazing food, I can't remember what I ate, nor do I have pictures to show you... but I guarantee, it was good!


Far left: Lourdes & me!, Center: Le Mood, Far Right: Steve & Corinne from Le Mood.

After the show, a group of us headed over to a charismatic little bar/restaurant called Surf Bar, a spot I'd expect to find in South Florida, not in Brooklyn! {Those funny little hipsters, they do have a sense of humor.} This place had it's own striking personality... from its sandy "floor" to the surfboards hanging overhead, its checkered tablecloths & haphazardly decorated walls, Surf Bar is never a dull moment. {Heads up: I had a run-in with a cockroach the size of a matchbox racecar in the bathroom that was most definitely memorable!} 

Click over to Surf Bar for pics... I promise, it's a must-see. :)

 

At the end of the night, Lourdes mentioned that she wouldn't mind giving us a little tour of some food spots the following day. And since there are few people I know who love food more than Lourdes, I happily accepted her offer! Be prepared to tag along on our whirlwind food tour in my next post... and to be amazed by how much food my husband can put away!

So, maybe we didn't have the very best first impression of Amy's Bread's namesake... but it was hard to find fault with these "Gooey Coconut Dream Bars" that I brought home for later. Also known as "Magic Bars" or "Hello Dollys", these layered dessert bars combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut, and chocolate on a buttery graham cracker crust. They're rich and satisfying and do have a magical way of eliciting a dreamy, "Hello!". ;)

Amy's Bread Gooey Coconut Dream Bars
Adapted from Martha Stewart, courtesy of "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread"

 

3 cups graham cracker crumbs {20 crushed crackers or so}, melted
3/4 cup butter {1 1/2 sticks}, melted
Pinch of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk {not evaporated!}

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray {or buttering it}, lining it with a sheet of parchment paper with flaps hanging over the edge so the bars will be easy to remove once they're baked.

2. In a bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and salt. Pour it into the bottom of your lined pan and press it to pack down the crust into an even layer.

3. In another bowl, mix together the chocolate chips and coconut, then sprinkle it over the crust evenly.

4. Pour the condensed milk over the top of the filling as evenly as possible. Bake it for 28-32 minutes. {Seriously, it's that easy.} Keep an eye on it to make sure it isn't browning too much or bubbling over. {Amy's recipe suggests turning it mid-way through the baking time to ensure an even browning.}

5. When it's done baking, remove from the oven and cool it completely. Then, using the nifty little overlapping flaps you created with the parchment paper, lift out the entire thing. {You may need to carefully go around the edges to loosen it from the pan.} Cut it into desired size bars.

Keep bars refrigerated if you're not serving right away, and bring to room temp to before eating.

 

Tasty Travels: NYC {Part 4} & Citrus Shortbread Cookies

Follow along with my NYC travels {in order!}:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

After a good night's sleep, we woke up hungry and ready for, well, food. Duh. Steve wandered a few blocks from the hotel while I got ready, and he returned with some tasty bagels from Leo's which was conveniently just around the corner. Perfect for getting carbed up for all the walking that was about to ensue!

Love their branding.

Since we survived the first day and night of our vacation, we decided to celebrate by doing some more wandering. This time we managed not to get lost and put ourselves in a perilous situation.

First stop: A peek at the filming of the Today Show. I used to watch Today every morning. To the point that I felt like I knew Matt, Ann, Natalie, Savannah, and Al personally. {I stopped watching when Ann -- my absolute favorite -- parted ways with the show. Boo.} It was chilly, but we managed to stay warm enough to catch a few minutes of Al Roker & Savannah Guthrie shooting a quick segment out on the Plaza.

We walked around and saw Rockefeller Center by day... still very neat, but not quite as magical as it was the night before decked out in twinkly lights and illuminated by the giant tree.

As if we hadn't had enough trees or brisk fresh air {is there a such thing in NYC?}, we decided to make our way to Central Park -- one of the top places on my list of must-see city sites. After a quick stop at a tiny corner store to grab a hot cup of coffee, we started our stroll.

Central Park is one of my absolute favorite places I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. It is such a paradox... a welcome inconsistency in the busy, bustling city. Sure, there's movement and activity in the park itself, but there's something pleasantly eerie about the sense of calm that Central Park elicits in the middle of a place known for moving at warp speed.

There are so many little nuances to the park -- hidden nooks and crannies that are waiting to be discovered, statues and exhibits to stumble upon unexpectedly, gorgeous vistas to happen upon that seem to be affixed onto a metropolitan backdrop of skyscrapers in the distance. Central Park is a little oasis smack dab in the middle of the city.

If my waxing poetic hasn't already tipped you off, I was charmed to pieces. Given the opportunity to have an extended stay in the city, I could probably spend an entire day meandering around Central Park.


Oh, hi. I love it here.

With a wholesome nature walk in the park checked off our list, we moved on to browse a beauty of a less organic nature: The Plaza Hotel.

What do you think of when you hear "The Plaza"? Home Alone 2: Lost in New York? Opulent celebrity weddings? Bride Wars? The Eloise books? Yeah, me too. Since I figured I'd never be back here for an extended period of time {Hint/Foreshadowing: I was wrong.}, I wanted to get lost in The Plaza's fanciness, whether or not I had to literally drag Steve along its shiny marble hallways or not.

Since it was around Christmastime, The Plaza was decorated even more beautifully than normal with wreaths, and trees, and festive floral pomanders. It was dreamy. {And so worth having a pouty husband who couldn't care less about crystal chandeliers in tow.}

We hit the pavement once again and, while I already had Steve in a fancy frame of mind, I thought I'd take a quick look at the elaborately decorated store windows on 5th Avenue... something I had always wanted to do.

I didn't want to torture the hubs with girlie site seeing any longer, so I suggested we take a little break to rest our tootsies at a place I had read about in my trip research a few weeks before: The Knave Care & Bar at Le Parker Meridian. {I didn't say I was done being fancy. At least there was food involved here.}

So, this place... such an unexpected spot and exactly what I needed to relax from the break-neck pace we had been keeping. The Knave is literally a nave which I thought was super geeky play-on-words-cool. You walk in from an unassuming street entrance and find yourself standing in the middle of what looks like part of a cathedral; swathed in rich velvet curtains, low lit with medieval-looking chandeliers, and filled with cozy tufted booths.

We chose a snug little spot to sit and were immediately greeted by a friendly server who asked what we'd like. I had read that their prices were steep {$6 for a latte}, but being a sucker for atmosphere and experience {and knowing that we weren't planning on dropping a big chunk of change anywhere else for the remainder of the trip}, I happily ordered the Cafe Mocha. The server's eyes lit up at the mention of my order... she proceeded to tell me that The Knave is known for their mochas and that she quickly became addicted to them when she first started working there. Good choice! 

My coffee arrived -- complete with foam art & a delicious little shortbread cookie -- and while I can't say it was the best coffee drink I've ever had, I enjoyed sipping away while Steve and I planned out the rest of the day as the sound of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1- Prelude {my favorite, surely they knew I'd be there} floated through the room.

I sort of didn't want to leave...which seems to be my personal theme when it comes to NYC.

In Part 5 {yes, there's still more!}, I'll be telling you all about my second favorite spot in the city and take you along on a little food tour that was put together by one of my very good friends.

It's easy to get caught up in all the frills of the finer places in the city. While it's true that I enjoy luxuriating in the lavish from time to time, some things can be just as elegant and special without all the fuss. Take these shortbread cookies, for example.

Inspired by the little cookie that was served with my Mocha, these little melt-in-your-mouth bites are a reminder that sometimes simple really is best. Buttery, and just sweet enough with a delicate orange scent, these Citrus Shortbread Cookies are pure perfection with just a handful of every day ingredients.

 

Citrus Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Joy of Baking

1 cup butter {2 sticks}, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt


1. In the bowl of a stand mixer {or with your hand mixer}, cream together softened butter and confectioners' sugar. Add the vanilla extract and orange zest, and mix well.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and salt.

3. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until it's fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl every once in a while.

4. Scoop the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk. {I like to fold the plastic wrap over onto the dough and lightly roll the dough out to the thickness I want the cookies to be to save myself some time later when I'm ready to cut out the cookies.}

5. Refrigerate the dough for about an hour, or until firm.

6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you are going to use it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

7. Using a cookie cutter of your choice {I actually use an inverted champagne flute because it's the perfect round size... I should probably invest in a cookie cutter of that size.}, cut out desired shapes and place onto the lined cookie sheet.

8. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until the cookies look "set" and the edges are slightly golden. {Don't let them get too brown.}

9. These are crumbly little bites, so let them cool down before removing them from the cookie sheet and cooling them completely on a rack.