No one will blame you if you happen to Aww out loud at this:

I recently met with the chocolatier of Gearharts Fine Chocolates (a Virginia-based artisanal chocolate company), and was introduced to these adorable little treats they call Peanut Butter Pups. Their made with premium Valrhona milk chocolate, cream, dark chocolate for the eyes and nose, and local Virgina small-batch peanut butter. Even the floppy ears are edible almond slices!

But what I love most about a gift box like this is 5% of sales go towards Companions for Heroes — an organization that provides companion animals and service dogs from shelters (who might otherwise be euthanized), to veterans and first responders, and free of charge). Turns out Tim Gearhart, the founder and chocolatier, is a veteran himself so the cause is even more personal to him. Plus, the chocolates themselves are divine. All I want to do now is try the rest of their other unique flavors — earl gray, mint julep, maple pecan, Taj (bittersweet chocolate ganache with candied ginger, cardamom and rose, dipped in dark chocolate). What.the.heck. I wants.

Check out the rest of their chocolates at gearharts.com.

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I have a very keen weakness for pastries that pair well with my chai. Madeleines and biscottis top that list (take these pics from the whimsical-themed bridal shower I attended as a reference). How did Donsuemor read my mind? Maybe because they’re the experts, but I practically squealed in delight when they sent over a box full of the aforementioned from their bakery in Berkley, CA.

And they are DIVINE. They bake chocolate dipped madeleines, French almond cakes, scones and biscottis in different variations (a box of 60 madeleines sell for $30!). If you’re looking for a unique gift for Valentine’s (or a nice gift for the hostess), check out their website: www.donsuemor.com

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Our family get-togethers are like a Very Brady movie with a lot more food and an army of kids running around. The night ends up getting divided into a few parts: early dinner, real dinner, post-Taboo-playing snacking, and the after midnight meal. Something like that. But as you can imagine, with that many people who come with big appetites, we’re pretty good at making sure there’s no shortage on the food front. For our holiday potluck dinner, Heba (our resident fashionista/stylist/PR maven), said these Sugar-Dusted Macaroon Trees were the only dessert she was set on making from the beginning. Not only are they are delicious, she said they were extremely easy to make. And they make a festive presentation for a holiday party, so I had to share!

SUGAR-DUSTED MACAROON TREES
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living
Prep Time 15 minutes; Total Time; 40 minutes; Makes 18


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly combine coconut, granulated sugar, egg whites, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl using your hands or a wooden spoon. Form 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time into 2-inch-tall trees with your hands, using your fingertips to make pointed tops. Transfer each tree to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.

2) Bake until edges are golden and trees are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack at least 15 minutes. Cookies can be made up to 1 day ahead; dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

All photos courtesy of the Hebs.

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A couple weeks ago, I was invited to join a panel of judges for a community Iron Chef competition. It was truly one of the most fun, and inspiring events I was asked to be a part of. I lucked out by having the easy (and fun!) job of taste-testing appetizers, entrees, and desserts, all creatively using the secret ingredient: kiwi. That included dishes of tilapia, sea bass, roasted chicken, even lamb chops! But more than that, I was completely blown away by all the talent in one room. There were over 20 dishes to judge, and every single team used the ingredient in such complicated, interesting ways.

There was definitely some stiff competition, but in the end, a few teams came up on top (and I’m hoping to share all their recipes here soon!). This dessert, Cheesecake topped with a Kiwi-Berry Chantilly Cream, won the People’s Choice award that evening. Every layer of it, from the roasted-almond crust, to the kiwi-berry chantilly cream, and the cheesecake itself, was like a symphony in my mouth. Try it yourself at home!

Team 19 – Participants:
Noosheen Chaudhry
Hussam Ghazzi
Khurram Ali Khan

CHEESECAKE TOPPED WITH KIWI-BERRY CHANTILLY CREAM
Roasted Almond Crust
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 cup of butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup almonds
A few tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

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I almost lost faith in myself when I thought I never wrote about Levain Bakery before, but alas…I had (two years ago but still. Read: Levain Bakery Makes Cookies From Heaven). While much has remained the same from that post, I still thought this would be a good reminder of its deliciousness:

My friend Archana has come back from traveling the world for a year (a YEAR!), and this was our first stop on her trip back to NYC. Pretty sure I couldn’t have granted her a better reception. I suggested that maybe we should share one because the cookies are practically on steroids and a lot to eat in one sitting. Yeah, not sure what I was thinking because after a few minutes of sitting on the bench outside the bakery, we pretty much inhaled our own.

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Magical things happen when beauty brands team up with bakeries. Consider the latest: MacarOn Café and Korres are getting together to celebrate “Have an Extra Dessert Day” [sidenote: this is every day for me] tomorrow on Tuesday, September 4th.

For one day only, MacarOn Café’s Manhattan locations will be giving away one free Korres Lip Butter (no calories) with any purchase of six macarons or more. Only 1 per customer though, but if you can’t get enough, the collection (availble in Wild Rose, Pomegranate, Guava, Quince, Plum, Mango and Jasmine) are available at Sephora and Sephora.com for $12.00 each.

Details:
WHEN: TOMORROW, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
WHERE: MacarOn Cafes
3 MANHATTAN LOCATIONS
*750 Third Avenue (Between 46th + 47th Streets)
*625 Madison Avenue (At 59th Street)
*161 West 36th Street (Between 6th + 7th Avenues)

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