tasty things…hamburger cookies

D had a birthday last month. It was a small celebration with two friends. 

What D wanted more than anything [besides Bobba Fett's lego ship] were hamburger cookies. It's a fake-out food, it looks like one food, but it's really something else. I was skeptical at first, but when I read the instructions I was up for the challenge.

These were really easy. I made the brownies using my regular brownie recipe. You'll find it on the back of the Ghiradelli sweetened powdered chocolate, and it makes the BEST brownies. Oddly, cookies are my least favorite thing to bake. So, I bought some wonderful pre-made pumpkin cookie dough at Whole Foods and that saved the whole project. Just sprinkle some sesame seeds on top before you bake for instant "buns".

TIPS:

1] Make sure to only sprinkle sesame seeds on half the cookies as these will be the tops and the rest, the bottoms  

2] Bake your brownies in a larger pan, I used about a 9 x 12, so you'll get thinner brownies and more realistic patties. I was nervous about doing this because the batter barely covered the bottom of the pan, but it worked. Make sure to adjust your baking time!

3] If you're ambitious or just like to bake cookies, the original recipe calls for peanut butter. I think the peanut butter would compliment the brownies perfectly. 

4] Go crazy with condiments! The cookies and brownies are just fine on their own, but the icing condiments add a lot of fun. I just did ketchup, but you can do pickles, cheese, mustard and lettuce too. 

5] I used a 2.5" baking ring to cut the brownies and a generous table spoon of cookie dough rolled into a ball. 

Happy Baking,

F&N

tasty things…japanese sweets

D and I have been spending a lot of time [and money!] at various Japanese supermarkets. We have such a fun time poking around and looking at the different type of foods, and the packaging is just so darn intriguing.

This purchase was all about the packaging! There is debate as to whether this is a lion or dragon, but I think it's a lion. Inside are individually wrapped mochi sweets filled with black sesame paste…yummy! The wrappers are adorable, and I've been saving them all for some yet to be imagined use.

Honestly, I'm the one who enjoys eating these. The mochi is just the perfect texture, chewy but moist and soft, and the sesame paste is a nice delicate, sweet flavor. Doc likes the flavor, but he's indifferent to the texture. D just doesn't like them…at all. 

I've got lots more sweets to share which are all lovely and tasty!

Thanks for stopping by,

F&N

around town…spork!

Isn't Spork an excellent name for a restaurant? I think so! Spork is another of our favorites. Like the utensil it's named for, Spork is simple and clever. Located in the Mission and occupying a former KFC, Spork really delivers on food, service and environment.

Super tasty and yummy food aside, the interior is what I enjoy the most. It's a great example of a project that was executed on a small budget [intentional or not], but delivers big on impact! Until you visit, I'll share some pictures.

 

Does that form look familiar? Yep, it's an ashtray filled with butterscotch pudding. It was much more appetizing in person. Despite the ashtray, our party finished the dessert in record time.

Enjoy,

F&N

tasty things…bourbon + marmalade

Sometimes, I come across something in the blogsphere that I like to share. What I'm about to share is out of this world! If you visit sfgirlbybay, you've already read about this deliciously dangerous cocktail, the bourbon marmalade sour. Here's the recipe we use from the dinner files, and here is the original from Sunset. 

I love this drink! While on vacation earlier this week, I realized my love may have transgressed into obsession when I found myself nipping tiny jars of marmalade jam at breakfast to mix with the Makers Mark in the "honor bar" of our hotel room. 

I prefer Bulleit bourbon, the same we use for our Manhattans, but Makers Mark was pretty darn tasty too!

Cin Cin,

F&N