New Year, New York

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve. Whether you welcomed the year with friends, family, or with some tipsy strangers– I hope your 2014 proves to be the best yet! By that I mean, I hope this year is full of inspiration and innovation. Trust yourself to take that adventure, push your boundaries, love the person you’ve grown into. Much better than starting that no-carb diet, right?

Throw out your ridiculous resolutions. It’ll be ok, I promise. This first post of the year is dedicated to the most iconic New Year’s Eve city… New York, NEW YORK. I wanted to showcase this magical time of year as well as pair that with a dessert that I feel best represents N.Y.C.! I’m so incredibly grateful for all of you and for the constant challenge and growth this blog continues brings to me. Cheers to 2014 and here’s to another year!

{pretzel at Tiffany’s}

momofuku milk bar exam no. 14 {compost cookies}

Of all the Momofuku Milk Bar cookies, this one is the most daring. If you love desserts that have a salty-sweet combination then this one is FOR YOU.

momofuku milk bar exam no. 13 {cheesecake ice cream}

Ice cream is not a seasonal food but it tastes especially good during the summer, doesn’t it? Eaten in a cool air conditioned room, of course.

Cheesecake ice cream is actually one of my favorite flavors (the graham crackers are a necessity) so I was very excited to make this recipe. While traditional ice cream bases require the technique of tempering egg yolks in heated cream, in this recipe the egg is baked in the liquid cheesecake thus no risk of scrambled eggs in your ice cream.

If you have an ice cream machine, it comes together in a pinch! Unfortunately, I don’t have space in my New York apartment for one so I maximized on my visit home and used my mom’s… it was a mutually beneficial exchange. My mom is actually quite the ice cream fiend– a lean mean Häagen-Dazs eating machine.  One time I found a photo of her in the late 80’s smiling proudly, showcasing a delicious Häagen-Dazs cone in one hand. And a baby (me) dangling in her other hand. The fact that the ice cream took priority only makes me proud to be her daughter.

 

key lime pie

While I consider myself a Nashville girl, deep deep down inside I’m actually from Miami. Yep, that was the first place my parents lived when they moved to the States and where I was born and raised until I was two. Palm trees, Cuban music, art deco… and I remember none of it. One of the few things that I like to think does link me to Miami however is my love of key lime pie.

Tart, creamy, with a graham cracker crust– it’s the perfect summer treat. Oddly enough I have never made key lime pie myself which is inexcusable as it’s surprisingly easy to make. Don’t take any shortcuts though. Make your own crust, squeeze fresh limes, whip the sweetened cream. You’ll thank me. As did my coworkers.