Honey & Chia Yogurt Topped with Honey + Cardamom Pan-Fried Bananas

"Just because I have a disability doesn’t mean that I’m disabled."

Hello, friend.

These kind of posts seem to be the harder ones to write. Not due to any particular depth or grittiness, but due to the shear lacking of inspiration. I’ve written about being uninspired before on the blog. For me, it seems to come in cycles. Inspiration is like riding a rollercoaster. The trek to the top can be long, arduous, and emotionally crippling at times. Your heart feels heavy. The world close and boxed in. As creators, what we crave more than anything is the mental sense of falling. The moment when you’re looking over the edge of the coaster, the drop just inches from your seat. Time slows down as your mind races to comprehend the situation. And just as the thoughts trickle in, you drop. A crescendo of sensations come racing up. Speeding downwards, the winds of inspiration ripple back across your face as every known emotion comes flutter up like a cage of butterflies just released. This sensation is how inspiration feels. What seems to be the only problem is that I’m terrified of rollercoasters. 

Southern-Style Whoopie Pies with Cardamom-Marshmallow Buttercream

There is something indescribably comforting about the South. Look past the stereotypes (and the people who fit them) and the South is truly an inspiring escape.  The land is breathtaking, with rolling hills and scenic views for miles, and the culture is homebound and family-centered. When I think of the South, I think of chirpy old church women making cherry pies, acres of cotton fields, rustic outdoor weddings, and the soundtrack from O Brother Where Art Thou? The food, and the mentality towards it, in the South, speaks to me as a learning chef, writer, and photographer. The way that food centers around family, memories, and joy guides me in the direction of how I want to work with food.

Final exam week is finally over. Compared to previous exam weeks, this one was less stress-infested. My last exam was in Astronomy 101, with a teacher who I truly adored. She had such a love and passion for astronomy. It made me want to be just as passionate and excited about the stars and constellations as she was. We learned about the moon and all its phases, the stars, the planets, the Sun, and all the infinite we call our universe. The class made me realize how small and big we all are and how time and distances are relative. Human time is irrelevant compared the time of the universe. Space runs on a very different clock than we do. The way we view our time here on Earth is vastly insignificant compared to the age and growth of the universe, our solar system, and even our planet. 

This thought of space and relativity got me thinking about the term legacy and how I want to leave one. I think most people want to bestow some form of impact on the world after they die. Death is inevitable. Sorry! Spoiler alert. Everyone understands the process of life and death. We live and then die. A simple process. The circle of life. One of my greatest fears in life is leaving behind a worthless legacy or not leaving one at all. I fear not being the man I want to become because of my internal fears of rejection, betrayal, failure, etc. I fear that I won’t be able to do the things I want to do, accomplish all my dreams, and make the biggest impact on the lives I strive to influence because well, time is fleeting. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and see my legacy as mere scribblings in the Book of Life.

If you can get over the existential crisis I just put you through, I’m going somewhere with this. The universe is big, time is infinite, and everything is dying, hooray for fun blog time! Seriously though, this astronomy class made me realize something: we have the chance to leave a legacy. Maybe I won’t be the next Martha Stewart (but I don’t see why I couldn’t be. I have the hips for it) or the next Bobby Flay or Jamie Oliver or Mario Batali. I’m already someone though, me. As human beings living on this planet at this exact moment in time, we have the opportunity to leave a legacy in our daily lives. A legacy that creates a positive presence to the world.  

Opening the door for a mother-of-four with her hands full, complimenting someone on their new hairstyle, smiling at a stranger at the bus stop, or just simply being a genuinely kind person. These are all steps to leaving our legacy. Maybe you won’t be the next JK Rowling, or the next Oprah, but you are someone even better, YOU. Your ability to impact another person’s day, even if it’s for a split second, will still have an impacted in their life in one way or another. Being able to love ourselves, others, and the situations we all find ourselves in are the first steps to self-acceptance, reassurance, and true happiness. 

Well, that wasn’t what I expected to write. Sometimes my mind goes to some crazy places when I start writing these blog posts. Now how does this pertain to moon pies? In honor of my last day of astronomy and my brother and I’s birthday this past week, I decided to make Southern Whoopie Pies.  I misunderstood and thought whoopie pies were the same as Moon Pies. Apparently they are not which was an emotional blow to me. 

These whoopie pies turned out beautifully. My experience with cake-type baking hasn’t always been the prettiest, but this time was a complete success. I may or may not have patted myself on the back. These cookies were warm, fluffy, light, and just had the subtle hint of sweet and cardamom essences that rounded out all the flavors beautifully. It was bursting with chocolate, marshmallow goodness, and pure deliciousness. I took a few to work, and they were a massive success. Everyone loved these little clouds of heaven. I want to make these again, maybe using a different filling and flavorings. These are perfect for a birthday party or special event coming up. Adapted from the recipe at allrecipes.com

Southern-Style Whoopie Pies with Cardamom-Marshmallow Buttercream

Ingredients

           

• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups marshmallow cream
• 1-2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Directions

Ponder the meaning of life while curling yourself up in a ball, swaying back and forth in the corner.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. To Make the Cookie: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it is all combined and resembles wet sand. Add the egg, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Mix well. Note: this mixture will look like “the morning after”, but fear not, it improves after adding the dry ingredients.
3. In another large bowl, add the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix with a fork to combine. Add the flour mixture slowly to the sugar mixture, about 1/3 increments. Mix until all ingredients are combined, and it resembles a thicker cake batter (for a reference: molten lava consistency).
4. Drop the dough onto the greased cookie sheet in 1 tablespoon amounts. Leave at least 3 inches between the drops because these cookies expand while baking (just like the universe!) Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the baked. Test this by lightly pressing on the cookie and if it bounces back into place, they are done. Let cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour before filling.
5. To Make the Marshmallow Buttercream: In a large bowl, mix the butter, confectioners’ sugar, extract, and marshmallow crème. Mix until smooth. It may take a little while due to the marshmallow crème being a sticky son-of-a-gun. Add the cardamom and stir to combine.
6. To Assemble: Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on the flat side of the cookie. Sandwich another cookie on top, pressing together slightly. Serve immediately.

Funfetti Mini-Cinnamon Rolls with a Maple Sugar Glaze

Last Tuesday was Marti Gras, which has nothing to do with this post. Side note: I didn’t know it was called “Fat Tuesday”. Why is that? Who comes up with these names? The world is strange. What I am really getting at is that everyone likes a good party (good over-generalized statement, Nate. Love it!). Parties are fantastic ways to get out into the world, meet new people, connect with friends, and just be all around a social member of society. This sounds great in movies and on Twitter, but for anyone who has been to a party of any degree before, knows how anxiety infested they are. Wear the wrong socks, make an inappropriate joke, or bring a vegetable tray (never be that person for the sake of humanity) and you will be instantly annihilated by judgmental stares and passive-aggressive tweets from the other party guests. This is why I choose to stay home and find solace with the Internet, where is never any judgment. 

All kidding and self-deprecation aside, I really enjoy a good party with friends and/or family. As I get older, and more experienced with cooking/baking, I find myself, as I’m going to a party, feeling obligated to make something for the occasion. Even if the host says “Don’t worry about food, just bring yourself and a positive, party attitude”, what I hear is, “I demand food and I demand it now.” Inevitably, my subconscious bullies me into making guilt-tripped baked goods. My twin brother, Jon, and I were invited to a birthday party this past weekend. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be able to make the party due to work commitments, but I knew I had to send something fun, creative, delicious, and something that everyone would enjoy. My answer: bite-sized cinnamon rolls with multi-colored sprinkles (keeping to the birthday theme). Nothing says party like baked goods. My other option was banana bread, but I didn’t want to be the short guy and the loser who brought banana bread to a birthday party. 

The cinnamon roll recipe I used is incredible. It comes from Momma Crawford who, after finding a recipe for it online, has made it for my family and me for years. These cinnamon rolls are buttery, soft, warm, and have that sugary-sweet aroma that everyone craves on a Saturday morning. I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee lingering in the air as mom pulls a tray of gooey cinnamon rolls out of the oven. The icing is laced ever so evenly over the tops, melting together beautifully with the rest of the roll. Perfection.

The maple-sugar icing drizzled on top literally, and figuratively, “wraps” the whole roll together. It’s soft, ambrosial, and warm with delight. Imagine the center of a gooey cinnamon roll, but the entire thing being that. This cinnamon roll is that fantasy. I know, your mind is blown. I usually make these rolls bigger (woah size queen), but since I was sending these with Jon (who I personally can’t trust around anything sweet because he’ll just devour it and leave it left for dead), I wanted to make these bite sized. Plus, nothing says party like multi-colored sprinkles (seriously, ask anyone.) On a snowy day or a Saturday morning, these cinnamon rolls are practically perfect in every way (okay, Mary Poppins). 

 Funfetti Mini-Cinnamon Rolls with a Maple Sugar Glaze 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk
• 1 packet active dry yeast (2 ½ teaspoons)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted  
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 ½ teaspoons if voiding or avoiding the maple extract)
• ½ teaspoon maple extract (optional)
• 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• Flour, for dusting
• 12 tablespoons softened butter (1 ½ sticks)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cardamom
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• Rainbow sprinkles, for topping

Directions

Pre-Step: Get ready to roll with the punches! Cinnamon rolls that is. What are you gonna do about the haters?

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Over low heat in a medium saucepan, heat milk until it reads 100°F on a candy thermometer.  Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the yeast (it’s the yeast you could do) and sugar. I know you will be tempted, but don’t stir this mixture. Let it sit for about five minutes. After five minutes, whisk in your melted butter, egg yolk, vanilla and maple extract.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and nutmeg. Making a well in the flour, slowly pour in your yeast mixture. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix together until a rough dough forms, about 3-5 minutes. Once your dough begins to come together, take it out of the bowl and form it into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and set on the stove top for 1 hour 15 minutes. 
3. On a floured surface, roll your dough out using a floured rolling pin, about ¼ inches thick. The dough should look like an edible rectangle. With a butter knife and a delicate hand, spread the soften butter on the dough. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and ground cloves. Distribute the sugar mixture evenly over the dough.
4. Starting from the length end, gently roll the dough into a cylinder. If you take it slow and believe in yourself, your cinnamon rolls will be rolled perfectly and look beautiful. Cut into one inch slices. Take two buttered muffin tins and place the cinnamon rolls into the tins. Cover with a towel and place on the stove top for 45 minutes. 
5. Bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes. Note: if you are making these rolls bigger in size, add about 10 more minutes on the bake time.
6.  In a medium size bowl, whisk together your confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream and maple syrup the desired consistence you want is achieved. Take a spoon and drizzle the icing over rolls. Let set before transporting.