-
cocoa cinnamon cake
there’s this little coffee shop here in durham called cocoa cinnamon. they have the whole industrial chic / exposed brick / gluten-free pastries thing going on. word on the street is sarah mclachlan said it had the ‘best coffee on tour’ during her DPAC show. though they have spice cake and chocolate cake, they don’t have a…
-
pink lemonade cake with lemonheads and strawberry preserves
have you ever gone to an amusement park or the zoo and gotten one of those frozen lemonade things you squeeze out of a tube? at first they’re so cold they paralyze your front teeth and brain, and then a few minutes later they’ve completely melted into warm sticky goo. there is a sweet spot, however, where the…
-
spicy black bean sliders with swiss and guacamole
this is for all the vegetarian dads out there! maybe you feel excluded by the other dads at neighborhood block parties, flipping burgers and wallowing in their own masculinity. or maybe you’re just sick of eating frozen amy’s burritos while the rest of the family dines on steak and potatoes. black beans, rice, and chipotle…
-
honeyed clove cinnamon rolls
did you know that cinnabon sells a cup that’s full of exclusively ‘the center of the roll?’ it’s a nice concept, but i think it’s important to experience the anticipation of slowly pulling back the outer layers, the dough getting increasingly pillowy and gooey with filling until hitting the jackpot in the middle. the filling in these rolls is…
-
happy sunday!
over the week, my attitude toward orange is the new black season three progressed from ‘pretty excited’ to ‘uncontrollably jittery with anticipation.’ netflix released it on friday, and i’m proud to say that i have watched all thirteen episodes. the jitters were partially due to the daily consumption of the huge cookies and cookie sandwiches shown above. i’m interning…
-
tomato can birthday cakes
here’s what i did: 1. made this birthday cake recipe in a half sheet pan. i used canola oil instead of grapeseed, and all butter instead of shortening. 2. made the soak, frosting, and crumbs. i omitted the glucose and citric acid from the frosting, and subbed cream cheese in for the shortening. 3. removed…
-
happy sunday!
is it even sunday? i’ve settled into a blissful summer stupor that includes (but is not limited to) ignoring the days of the week, watching the price is right, forgetting that makeup is a thing, and eating way too many of these cookie dough brownies. i’m currently in new jersey to celebrate my grandparents’ 80th…
-
star-spangled cheesecake bars + popcorn pops
on with the themed b’nei mitzvot! this one was broadway-based. the centerpieces were displays of playbills and it was so classy/cute/something my thirteen-year-old self would have very much envied! i tried to keep the desserts aligned with the color scheme (black, white, and red) and somewhat broadway related. popcorn pops – aka popcorn-balls-on-stick – for the ‘audience,’…
-
sea salt caramel pretzel blondies
blondies are THE most underrated dessert. bars in general, actually. people tend to go for cupcakes because of their aesthetic, but i would much rather indulge in a massive, dense slab of brown sugar and butter. the combination of salty pretzels and cloyingly sweet caramel feels both gourmet and nostalgic. these can easily be made…
-
chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter bacon frosting
i have a friend, cy, who eats like no one i’ve ever seen. he’s happiest in a state of food coma, stomach contentedly protruding and eyes drooping shut. he readily devours the leftover baked goods i bring to school on a daily basis. unless they contain a trace of banana. the curved, yellow, potassium-rich fruit is…
Got any book recommendations?
LENA'S LUNCHBOX 