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.

 

Key Lime Pie Popcorn!

If you follow The Kitchen Prep on Facebook {Which you should! We have lots of fun over there!}, you probably saw my post about my husband & I spending last weekend in Key West celebrating our 3 year anniversary.

So, if rain on your wedding day is said to be good luck, can we just assume that cloudiness and storms on your anniversary getaway weekend are, too? Because if that's the case then chances are we are probably winning the lottery this week. The clouds never lifted for our entire 3 day stay.

The weather was not the prettiest, but that didn't stop us from enjoying island living to the fullest. And by "island living", I mean doing nothing particularly productive, wearing no watches to go by {when in doubt, it's happy hour}, and riding rented bicycles wherever the wind blew {in some cases, literally}.

Poor Steve was so looking forward to spending some time in the water, but with the way the skies were threatening, we {I} decided the last thing we needed was to end up washed out to sea. {All together now! "A three hour tooooooour..."}
 

Getting a bit wind blown at the Southernmost Point.
That gust of wind pushing my top forward is giving the illusion of a preggers belly...
I can assure you, it's just the wind!

So, instead, we spent a lot of time exploring the fine local establishments. Restaurants, bars {lots and lots of bars}, bakeries... you name it.

With the research done for you, I'm putting together a little foodie {drinkie?} recap of our weekend in Key West for you to use as a guide if you're ever in the area!  But, I'm saving that post for tomorrow, because today I want to get you in the right frame of mind.

What is this, you ask?

Oh, well, it's Key Lime Pie-pcorn. A sweet treat inspired by Key West's most famous dessert!

Even if you're not driving to Key West like we did, this popcorn makes a perfectly portable option when you need a KLP {Key Lime Pie} fix and can't have a slice of the real thing.  The white chocolate coating speckled with lime zest imitates the tart, creamy custard part of the pie. And for you pie crust-lovers, the graham cracker crumbs give you a little hint of that fabulous graham-y flavor.

Wouldn't this be a fun snack to package and have at a tropical themed party or cookout this summer? I think yes!

Whip up a batch of this stuff, sit back {preferably in a hammock}, and start getting into an island state of mind for tomorrow's Tasty Travels recap of Key West!

Key Lime Pie Popcorn

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons for thinning candy coating
1/3 cup {heaping} popcorn kernels
8 oz. white chocolate candy coating {you could also use white chocolate chips I'm guessing}
1 lime, finely zested* {about 1 heaping tablespoon zest}
5 graham crackers, crushed
Green food coloring, optional

Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet or other large pan by lining with foil. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 3 quart {or larger} pot over high heat. Add popcorn kernels and cover immediately with lid. Carefully shake the pot over the burner until popcorn begins to pop {about 2 minutes}, and continue to shake until popping slows down significantly and pot is filled with popped corn.

Pour popcorn out onto lined baking sheet.

In a heat proof measuring cup, place about 6 oz. of white chocolate candy coating pieces. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stopping and stirring occassionally until completely melted and smooth. {Be careful not to scorch} Stir in lime zest and incorporate completely. If your coating is too thick, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of canola oil and stir until a smooth consisency is reached.

Pour or spoon candy mixture onto popcorn. With a silicone spatula {and your hands, which is easier if you're willing to get messy}, carefully toss popcorn with candy mixture, coating as much of the popcorn as possible.

Sprinkle crushed graham cracker crumbs over popcorn and gently toss to adhere crumbs to wet coating. Set aside to cool down.

{Optional} Melt the remaining 2 oz. of white chocolate candy coating until smooth, and add 1 drop of green food coloring. Mix to incorporate. Drizzle onto popcorn and allow to set until hardened and no longer sticky. {You can also refrigerate for 30 minutes or so to speed up the process.}

Break up popcorn and enjoy!

*To ensure that zest pieces weren't too big, I zested a lime using my microplane, then ran through zest with a knife to finely chop.

Decadence Incarnate

I feel like I've been posting a LOT of dessert or sweet recipes lately, but that's not going to stop me from adding this one to the list because it would simply be unfair to keep this to myself any longer.

Chocolate. Cream. Espresso. Caramel. Graham cracker. Butter. What's not to love?

I decided to make Espresso Caramel Bars last Friday when we had my in-laws over because I know that my father-in-law loves dark chocolate and coffee as much as I do. {Which is a lot, in case you were wondering exactly how much.} Plus, between all the millions of other things I had going on in preparation of having an apartment full of guests for the weekend, I didn't need a recipe that would send me over the edge {which is quite easy to do when I'm already a bit stressed}. This one was just simple yet exciting enough to work.

Boy, am I glad I choose to make this. This stuff is dangerous. And I'm warning you ahead of time because I don't want you sending me the bills from your tailor when you have to let out the waist of your pants a few inches. 

Rich. Creamy. Chewy. Sweet. Enough of the adjectives. Get in the kitchen and do it.

Espresso Caramel Bars
Slightly Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Crust:

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 whole crackers)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1  stick unsalted butter, melted

Caramel:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half & half,it was just as good)
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

Chocolate Layer:

• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 3/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, optional

For the crust:
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment or waxed paper. Spray the paper and the sides of the pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and blend until the mixture forms into clumps. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing gently to form an even layer. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is golden. Cool for 15 minutes.

For the caramel:
While the crust is cooling, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of half & half, butter, sugar, and water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F, about 5 to 7 minutes. *NOTE: I didn't have a candy thermometer & eyeballed it. When the bubbling slowed down substantially and the mixture looked thickened, I figured it was ready. This may not be the best method.* Carefully pour the caramel over the warm crust. Cool for 20 minutes. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

For the chocolate layer:
Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a small bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the espresso powder. Remove the springform pan from the freezer. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with smoked sea salt, if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.

Allow the layers to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Using a warm, slightly wet knife, carefully cut around the edges of the chocolate layer. Release the side of the pan and remove the paper from the bottom. Cut into 1 1/2 by 1/2-inch bars and store airtight in a covered plastic container or put directly into your mouth. ;)