Things are hectic here in Cooking in Stilettos land. However, continuing with Day 5 of the 12 Days of Giftmas, here are a few things that would be a great gift for the baker in all of us.
Things are hectic here in Cooking in Stilettos land. However, continuing with Day 5 of the 12 Days of Giftmas, here are a few things that would be a great gift for the baker in all of us.

I love Cinco de Mayo – the flavors, the fun and plenty of margaritas are a must in my book. While I know that my favorite Pork Tinga is on the menu for tonight, also these lovely s’mores are the perfect way to cap off a wonderful evening. You have the spicy smoky flavor of the chipotle with the warmth of the cinnamon that sets these s’mores apart from all the rest.
One of my fave PR pros, Robin Caldwell, gave me a heads up about the fabulousness that is the Nate Berkus Show some time ago. After watching a few eps, I found that watching him at night was the perfect way for this gal to de-stress. He had Food Network’s Anne Thornton on recently and she did a spin on s’mores that got my attention almost immediately. I often add chipotle or cayenne to many of my chocolate treats to give it that za za zu factor and when I saw this recipe I knew it was a must. Recently, I brought these to a friend’s 40th birthday soiree and these spicy smoky s’mores were a hit. Now, when I’m making a plate of treats to bring to friends, these are a tried and true right along with the Mexican chocolate cookies and the lemon ricotta cookies that are often the most requested. Plus – who doesn’t love s’mores? These are just a tad more chic and grown-up than the campfire favorite.
What tried and true recipes are your favorite go-tos when you have to bring a sweet treat to a get-together?
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Recipe adapted from Anne Thornton
Ingredients:
Directions:
Gather Your Ingredients
My Secret Weapons – Chipotle and Cinnamon
Butter Brings Everything Together
Time to bake the graham crackers
Adding the smoke (chipotle) and the spice (cinnamon)
Resist the urge to channel your inner Nigella and lick that spatula
Broiling Before & After
The end result – smoky spicy s’mores – a bonafide hit!

I had quite the baking doozy over the holidays. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and make Anne Thornton’s Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie from scratch. Not many people know this but my favorite way to eat apples is with a bit of sharp cheddar – the flavors just work SO well together. So, I took my spiffy new Emile Henry pie plate out of it’s safe nook in the cupboard, prepped my ingredients, broke out my lovely marble pastry board and rolling pin and decided that even I could master the impossible – a flaky pie crust. Well – after following the instructions to a “T”, I realized that I need to start baking in training wheels because I messed that crust up to within an inch of its flour dusted life. I couldn’t understand where the hell I went wrong until one of my dear friends Bec – who is a baking goddess – asked me “Did you put too much flour on the board? You know flour dries out dough, right?” I think I used every colorful word in my vocabulary when I realized my oops. Well, I hope the baking powers that be don’t kick my proverbial stiletto-wearing behind because I did the unthinkable and used the premade pie crusts as I didn’t have the luxury to start all over again. I was on a tight deadline and had to transport that pie up to my mother’s house for the holidays. Well, can I say this pie ROCKED – even with my stupid oops – and I have to attempt this again, but I promise to watch the flour dusting. Oh – and to watch my mouth next time I make such a stupid mistake as over dusting that pastry board. Clearly, I have much to learn about baking.
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Anne Thornton’s Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie
Recipe courtesy of Anne Thornton, Food Network
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
Note: Or if you screw up with me, two store bought pie crusts with the cheddar cheese (I used Pillsbury)
For the Filling:
Directions:
For the Crust:
For the Filling:
Assembly:
Gather Your Ingredients
Mmmmm – Apples
Time to make the Dough – sorry no nuts
Shall We Roll?
And My Utter Fail – No Way This is “Lightly” Dusted – oops!
I could smooch that doughboy right now…
All Glossed Up With Somewhere To Go
And, May I Present My First Quasi Homemade Apple Cheddar Pie
Note: I heard it was even good for breakfast the next day – not that I attempted that. *cough cough*

When you talk about bakeries in New York, BAKED in Brooklyn almost always is brought up as a “must try” spot. The products are divine, their cookbooks are amazing and they have product lines on the shelves, including one of my fave hot spots – Williams Sonoma.
Well, the co-owners, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito will be visiting the Williams Sonoma in King of Prussia this Sunday, April 3rd at 1:00 p.m. to sign copies of their new book, Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented.
I picked up my copy a couple weeks ago and I have dog-eared it to death with recipes that must be made, stat! We’re talking Sweet and Salty Brownies, Caramel Apple Cake, Nutella Scones, Orange Creamsicle Tart – have I enticed you enough to meet me at KOP to pick up a copy of your very own? Also, BAKED has another book that came out a couple years ago that I must get – Baked: New Frontiers in Baking – both of these books will ensure that I am “Baking In Stilettos” this spring.
Hope to see you there!
Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito ‘BAKED’ Book-signing
Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 1:00pm
Williams Sonoma
King of Prussia Mall
160 North Gulph Road
King of Prussia, PA, 19406
(610) 265‑5970
Ever have one of those days where you just are feelin’ “mehhhhhhh” and just want to burrow back into the pillows and head back to dreamland? Well, that was me today. Between the travel, constantly refereeing the furballs, the incessantly ever growing to-do list and lots of other things that are snappin’ at my stilettos, I just wanted to pull the covers over my head and hide.
However, I knew that I had plans to attempt baking in stilettos again – this time with the Barefoot Contessa’s Blueberry Crumb Cake. I had left out the ingredients overnight to let them come to “room temperature” because my last baking experiment didn’t go so well. I had some gorgeous blueberries that I picked up from the store and decided to enjoy my afternoon with some baking.
First of all, if I ran a bed and breakfast, you can rest assured that I would serve this regularly. Not only was it a recipe that was easy enough for this gal, but it came together perfectly. My only error was of the clumsy factor. I had a small saucepan with the melted butter cooling and, like from a comedy film, I accidently spilled the warm melted butter ALL. OVER. THE. FLOOR. Well, the pug, who is still nursing a sprained right back leg acted like he was a pup and came barreling over, tongue outstretched and the neighbors could only hear my scream of “NO WIGGY! Leave the butter ALONE! You are NOT Paula Deen!” It was a losing battle, I tell you. I think I was more worried that he would slip yet again and hurt his leg even more than him licking up the remnants of the spilled butter.
If you want to surprise your family or just be nice to co-workers, make this – and thank me later. Just watch out for the butter (and a pug wearing a Paula Deen wig).
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The Barefoot Contessa’s Blueberry Crumb Cake
Recipe courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten
Ingredients
For the streusel:
For the cake:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.
For the streusel:
For the cake:
Gather The Ingredients
Don’t Forget to Butter & Flour the pan – it’s crucial!
Making the Streusel – with butter batch #2
Lemons + Blueberries = Heaven
Sifting – another crucial step.
Ahhh – a batter that is good enough to eat
Fresh out of the oven and dusted with sugar
Now, all I need is some coffee – delish!

Correction, it’s not just The Bachelor – most of reality tv baffles me. I’m the type of gal who can’t watch a movie such as Dumb & Dumber because I don’t have patience for people acting without common sense. I have trouble watching reality “dating” shows because a) we all know that their version of “reality” is *ahem* a tad far from that and b) where else where you see so many damn people professing their “love” for someone within a few days of meeting them, ya know? I also can’t stand watching drama queens act a fool ala Nene and Kim from the Real Housewives. You see where I’m going, right?
I never succumbed to the Bachelor/Bachelorette fascination. However, being afflicted with a flu bug from hell tends to affect one’s television decisions – either that or I’m just to weak to change the channel on the remote. Tonight, while waiting for the Sudafed Triple Action to attempt to work some action on this hacking cough and utter icky-ness that has made my life hell for a week, I decided to give it a chance. Quite frankly, I am stupefied. I have never seen such a bunch of women throw themselves at a guy and cry, whine, bitch and moan over this guy who is clearly looking for camera time his wife. Perhaps I just tend to think like a guy but, quite frankly, if a relationship takes that much effort from the get-go, perhaps these women are just over-thinking it. I found myself screaming at the tv like it was a football game and, if I had the choice, I would probably slap a bunch of those wenches upside the head NCIS style and tell them to drop the manipulation, back-biting and get a clue – it’s not rocket science. I have to say, should I be compelled to watch this again, I need copious amounts of wine to deal. Have you fallen prey to the Bachelor?
To thank you for indulging me in my diatribe of my recent foray into reality tv watching horror, here is a treat courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa – her Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins. Perhaps they might provide some comfort to those girls that were left without a rose.
Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins
Recipe courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 24 paper liners in muffin pans. (Note: the recipe called for 16 muffins – I got 24 out of the batter).
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.
Gather The Ingredients
Aren’t these measuring cups fab? Love the teacup quality…
Oops – overzealous sifting resulted in phone casualty and starting all over again with the dry ingredients.
Luscious batter
The Final Result – the perfect blueberry muffin – you will never use a box mix again
This has been quite the busy holiday season for cookbook ideas and it’s only Nov. 10th. If you have an avid baker in your life, might I suggest picking up Bakerella‘s new book, Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats. Of course, for those in the Philly area, she’s coming to Williams Sonoma in the King of Prussia Mall this Friday at 1:00 p.m. From what I have heard, she’s doing a Q&A session in addition to the book signing.
I think I shocked Manouschka the other day when I admitted that I was new to the Bakerella train. She gasped as if I told her that I had bought a pair of knock off Loubous – “You don’t KNOW about Bakerella??!?!?!” was her stunned response swiftly followed by a quick dissertation about all the awesomeness that is Bakerella. See, in my defense, I’m totally new to the baking game because while I can cook in stilettos, baking in stilettos is a skill that I need to perfect. Perhaps Bakerella might have a tip or three for me so I don’t faceplant into the oven
Here’s the remaining dates of her tour schedule and if you haven’t checked out her site, you must!
KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Friday, November 12, 2010 1:00 p.m.
Williams-Sonoma – King of Prussia
160 North Gulph Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY
Saturday, November 13, 2010 12:00 p.m.
Williams– Sonoma – Short Hills
1200 Morris Turnpike
Short Hills, NJ 07078
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
Sunday, November 14, 2010 12:00 p.m.
Williams-Sonoma – 59th & Lexington
121 E 59th Street
New York, NY 10022
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