Ari's Menu

Little changes making a big difference.


Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Eggnog Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling {Vegan}

· by ·

Longest title ever?

I’m officially in a holiday cookie induced sugar coma and I may never come out. I mean, I’m beginning to wonder what I will do with my life once it’s December 26th? Will I have to go back to normal recipes??? THE HORROR!!

Can we talk about the whole concept of “seasonal” foods??? I mean, it’s bad enough that honeycrisp apples only exist for like 3 weeks out of the year, but eggnog and ginger exist YEAR ROUND my friends. So does peppermint. Why do we have to pretend it is only excited in the winter time?? I want to drink eggnog from the carton in July with no shame. You may ask for world peace. I ask for eggnog in July. I fail to see the difference.

I don’t really understand the idea that if you only have something once in a while, it’s supposed to be more special or something? I guess they call that moderation. I don’t have it.

And before you judge me, let me tell you, once you taste these whoopie pies, you won’t have it either. I was a little unsure how the eggnog flavor would go with the chocolate. Oooooooomg. Why have we not been eating chocolate eggnog every day for our entire lives????? Okay, blah blah blah, heart disease… Whatever. It’s amazing.

Whoopie pies are only, like, my favorite thing ever. They’re up there with cilantro and fro yo. Is it cake? Is it a cookie? What is that delicious filling??? Oh, it’s just a freaking WHOOPIE PIE. Soft and cake-like gingerbread cookie stuffed with rich dark chocolate and eggnog that is so delicious you’ll want to lick the crumbs off your silpat. Not that I did anything like that….

 

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Eggnog Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

yield one dozen large whoopie pies

For the cookie/cake (adapted from Damn Delicious)

  • 1 3/4 cups + 2 tbs white whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • dash nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • dash salt
  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling:
  • 2 oz dark chocolate, melted
  • 1/4 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp rum extract
  • 2 tbs soy nog

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a large baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. In a large bowl, beat together applesauce, brown sugar and molasses. Beat in half of the dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture, followed by the almond milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Beat in remaining half of the dry ingredients.
  3. Using a small-medium cookie scoop, drop batter onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. To make the filling, place all ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well. If chocolate if not completely melted after stirring, continue to heat for 15 second increments until stirring melts it completely. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature or in the fridge until it has thickened and is no longer runny (about 15 minutes in the fridge, or 20 at room temp). Do not keep it in the fridge too long, or it will harden.
  5. Spread filling over 1/2 of the cookies/cakes (whatever you want to call the gingerbread part…), then top with an other cookie/cake.

DIY Mint Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream {Vegan}

· by ·

It’s true.

Remember when I told you I had some awesome things coming your way? TADAAAA!!!!

I’ve always been a sweet and creamy alcohol girl. White russians, chocolate martinis, pretty much anything with heavy cream, and I was set. What can I say? I’ve just always loved dessert. I want dessert for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and of course…DESSERT! 😉

Something about this time of year makes me crave those special dessert drinks just a liiiittttttle more. I want to curl up by a fire with a mug full of Baileys hot chocolate, or take it with me in the car to go see all the lights. It’s like the month of December takes a magnifying glass to my already enormous sweet tooth, and ya know what? I’m not going to be one of those people who tells you how to “make it through the holidays without splurging”. No. The holidays are not a time to “make it through”; they are a time to enjoy and celebrate, and you know “be merry”.

Let me tell you, if you are someone who loves Irish cream, or creamy drinks in general, you will share my love for this concoction. It’s thick and creamy, but you can taste the alcohol, and you know I’m a girl who needs to taste the alcohol. I don’t like a weak drink, and this certainly is no exception! In fact, if you like your alcohol to be more hidden in the flavor, you might want to consider reducing the whisky a smidge, but for me, it was absolute perfection.

 

DIY Mint Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream 

adapted from The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie

  • 2/3 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 cups Irish whiskey
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 2 tbs light chocolate syrup
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
Directions:
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Store refrigerated in an airtight contain for up to 2 weeks.

 

 

 

Christmas 2011

· by ·

I know it’s now December 27th and I’m super late with my Christmas recap. I thought about just skipping forward, but I had such an awesome Christmas that I wanted to rewind a little bit and talk about what a lucky girl I am 🙂

As always, I was the first one awake. At 5am, which is gross on a day off, but I was too excited! I tossed and turned for a bit before deciding 6am was the acceptable hour to wake everyone up on Christmas morning. I jumped out of bed and ran around the house shouting “It’s Christmas!! Wake up, it’s Christmas!!” I have an 11 year old sister in law and every year that I’ve celebrated Christmas with Steve’s family I have been the one to wake everyone up. For some reason, they still love me 😉 After a little persuading no time at all, we all joined in the living room to open some presents. Steve and I were mostly waiting on my mom, Hank and Charlie who were arriving around noon, but we opened a couple of things and watched Lisa, Ashleigh, Mathew and Deann open all of their gifts.

"Look!!! Santa came!!!" Looks like he brought someone a fancy new macro lense 😉

Clementine kept trying to hide from the big dogs behimd the tree so we decided she was a present. She was a present once--just not a Christmas one.

"I'm tired, mom." Being a present is hard work.

"Please don't tell me this Hanukkah sweater is my Christmas present. You can't fool me. I wore this last year!"

After presents round 1, Deann and I went out for a short run. I left my Garmin at home and was totally bummed because I originally planned on doing the Home for the Holidays 10K on Christmas day, but no dice. Deann and I took about a mile and a half loop, I dropped her back and went on an other 3ish solo, no music or anything. It was weird, but kind of awesome to run with absolutely no technology. No checking my pace, and really no clue how far I had gone. I remembered that I really enjoy running, and I’m not just doing it because I signed up for a race–something I had kinda been quietly questioning lately. Of course the second I walked in the door I hopped onto mapmyrun.com to try to figure out my distance, and figured it was somewhere between 3.5 and 4. Not too shabby.

The next part is my favorite. I have a niece that I don’t see nearly as much as I should/would like to. She’s 4 and the absolute cutest little girl EVER. Her name is Aubrianna, and watching her open presents was without a doubt the highlight of my day. Check out this cuteness.

She was so excited about her $5 bill. I want to be 4 again and feel like $5 is a lot of money!

After presents Round 2, we all hung out as I anxiously checked the door about every 5 seconds waiting for my mom. Hank and Charlie to arrive, so we could commence presents Round 3!

This was my second favorite part of Christmas. On my epic day off, Steve and I had gotten my mom a Vera Bradley purse for Christmas, almost 2 months before. Well at Lisa’s birthday, my mom starts talking to me about how much she wishes she had a Vera Bradley bag. We had only gone in the store once together and never spoken about it again until that day. I got the gift on a hunch because she seemed to really like the store when we had gone in. So she talks to me for a good 10 minutes about wanting one while I bite down hard on my tongue to contain myself from spilling the beans! I get sooooo excited when I know I’ve gotten the right gift. Holidays can be stressful, but nothing beats seeing the face of someone you love as they open something that totally makes their day!

Once she saw the name on the box, it was done! That wrapping didn't stand a chance 😉

There were also some pretty hilarious gifts.

A Clementine shirt. The rest of the dog is on the back. So freaking cute. Good work, Charlie!

Jewball. "I know you don't like to read, but it's about Jewish basketball, so if you don't read this, you're illiterate."--My mom

iPad for Dummies

Apparently if the "For Dummies" aren't dummied down enough, they have Seniors for Dummies so that even the oldest of farts...or my mom...can learn too. PS: Mom, I don't think you're old!

Then there was my awesome hubby. I think Steve took notes of every single thing I said I wanted for the entire year. You see, I always see things I like and want to buy, or talk about things I kinda need, but apparently don’t absolutely need because I never end up buying them for myself. I suck at buying new things sometimes. So this year Steve bought me everything I wanted. There were no big expensive gifts on my list this year, and honestly I loved this because I had so many presents to open and they were all things that showed he had been listening to me. Whenever people ask me what I want, I can never think of anything, but he just listened carefully and knew exactly what I wanted. I love him!

Running clothes!

A new fuzzy robe

A clippy thing!!! Such a long story, but I REALLY wanted a clippy thing for my garage door opener. Don't judge me.

A zeester!

A super fancy cutting board

And the one thing that I didn’t get from Steve, my mom ordered for me and wrapped up a picture of it because it’s not here yet hahaha. I love her.

Onion goggles!!! I really really really wanted some. My eyes cry so badly every time I chop!

 

What an amazing Christmas this year. I got a million more amazing gifts that would take hours to go into from all my family and friends. Thank you everyone for making me feel like a million bucks!! Even more importantly (even though I REALLY love gifts), I got to spend the day with the people I love. Last year, my mom, Hank and Charlie started coming to Lisa’s for Christmas, and honestly, Lisa opening up her house to my family so that we can all be together is the best Christmas present anyone could ever give me.

Okay, I gotta know!!! What was your favorite gift you received?!?!?!

 

Sugar Cookies

· by ·

There is something about the simplicity of the sugar cookie. People love it. It’s my brother’s very favorite. I wasn’t going to make any this year, but I could see the disappointment in Hermano’s face when I told him, so I made a batch up special just for him. Clearly, I am an awesome sister. I was so happy with how these sugar cookies turned out! Sometimes I’m nervous to modify more simple things because I’m worried that you’ll be able to taste the difference more, but these were fantastic and I definitely ate 2 before forcing myself to package them up for Hermano. Sorry Hermano, I couldn’t help it 😉

Sugar Cookies

yield approx 2 dozen

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup raw cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, Splenda and Greek yogurt together until combined. Beat in egg substitute and vanilla.
  4. Slowly add in dry ingredients until combined, scraping sides of bowl when necessary.
  5. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  6. Spray hands with nonstick spray, and roll dough into 1-1 1/2″ balls. Drop onto lined baking sheet.
  7. Spray a piece of wax or parchment paper and use it to flatten cookies slightly.
  8. Bake for 10-14 minutes until golden and set, but be careful not to over bake.
  9. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Top with Royal Icing and sprinkles (you can totally halve the icing recipe)!

We still have so many candy canes from all the peppermint baking so Steve got all artsy and made a heart. He's cute. I like him 😉

We tried for red icing. It came out pink. I like pink, so it's all good. Hermano, I hope you like pink!

 

Christmas Lights

· by ·

I’m sure I’ve mentioned about a zillion times that I have a thing for lights. Christmas lights are something I’ve looked forward to every year for as long as I can remember. Even my super Jewish dad used to drive me around to see all the lights because I went nuts for it! This year we’ve gone to a few locations, most notably this super awesome house on 44th St and Camelback, and this whole amazing street off just north-east of Country Club and Guadalupe. AZ folks, check it out. So for your entertainment this evening, I provide you

1) Hermano playing the Coldplay song Christmas Lights on the piano.

And

2) Super awesome Christmas light pictures.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

· by ·

These whoopie pies are intense. Believe it or not, I am not a super chocolatey dessert person. I like chocolate, but I don’t prefer it to be the base flavor. Unless it’s white chocolate. Maybe next time I will experiment with white chocolate and peanut butter. That sounds amazing. Anyway, these are rich, chocolatey and especially delicious if you are a chocolate lover. Don’t get me wrong, I would still happily eat the entire batch in one sitting 😉

Double Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

yield approx 3 dozen

For the cakes:

  • 1/2 cup light whipped butter
  • 1/2 cup fat free or reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cup Splenda
  • 1 packet Starbucks via
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup egg substitute
  • 1 cup dutch process cocoa
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 cups reduced fat buttermilk
  • 2 candy canes, crushed

For the filling:

  • 1 10 oz bag Sunspire white chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs light whipped butter
  • 1/4-1/3 cup 2 % milk
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Beat together butter, sugar, Splenda, via, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla until smooth Beat in egg substitute. Stir in cocoa.
  3. Alternately add in flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour, scraping down sides of bowl when necessary. Mix until no lumps remain.
  4. Drop rounded tablespoon sized balls onto prepared cookie sheet and flatten slightly (I used a sprayed piece of parchment paper to flatten to avoid sticking).
  5. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
  6. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until cakes spring back when you press lightly with your fingers.
  7. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
  9. Stir in peppermint. Slowly, add 1/4-1/3 cup milk. Cool completely in refrigerator.
  10. Spread a little white chocolate on the flat side of one cookie, top with the flat side of a second and press together. Repeat with all cookies.

Soft and Fluffy Ginger Molasses Cookies

· by ·

I was going to make ginger bread cookie cake pops. I had high hopes for being creative. Then these puppies came out of the oven, and they looked soooo perfect. Then I tasted one, and I couldn’t bare to ruin it by covering it in a powdered sugary glaze. They were just so right. So here you go. Just as they are 🙂

Soft and Fluffy Ginger Molasses Cookies

yield about 3 dozen cookies

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup fat free or red fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1 tbs water
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 3 tbs raw cane sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and Splenda until light and fluffy. Beat in egg substitute, water and molasses.
  3. Gradually stir dry ingredients. Shape dough into small (approx 1″) balls and roll them in remaining 3 tbs sugar.
  4. Place on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  5. Bake  7-10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Friendmas 2011

· by ·

I have a few favorite holiday traditions

  • Spending Christmas Eve at Steve’s mom’s house and waking up there Christmas morning (and waking everyone else up at 6am because I am so excited).
  • Looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve
  • Going to the special house by Jason and Nacho
  • Friendmas

3 years ago we started having our own friend Christmas celebration. Jason and Nacho have family out of the state so they’re always out of town on Christmas, so about a week before we all usually get together, do Friendmas dinner and presents. We rotate houses each year and this year it was our turn! We invited Bethy, Jason, Nacho, Lucius and Nico over for a Friendmas extravaganza!

I made grilled cheese and tomato soup. Yummmm.

Winston and Clementine were excited to get some extra attention from their favorite aunt and uncles, and to play with Lucius and Nico.

"Love me. I'm cute."

"Come pay attention to us!!!"

"YAY! Aunt Bethy to the rescue!"

Lucius is so cute. Bethany totally plays favorites with him even though Winston and Clementine are clearly the greatest dogs on Earth.

"Tada!!!! I made dinner! What? We were talking about the dogs? Well, I'm bored, let's talk about me!"

After dinner, we gathered around the tree to open presents. I LOVE PRESENTS!!!!

Nacho has about a billion movies so we got them this cute cinema sign to put above all of the movies.

Jason and Nacho got Bethy a movie. There were lots of movie gifts happening last night.

"I love presents!!!!"

Muppets Monopoly! I love games. I love Muppets. Thanks Bethy!! Can't wait to play!

Nacho is so odd with animals sometimes.

Bethy got Nacho The Lion King in 3D so he posed with Winston, presenting him like baby Simba. Makes perfect sense, right? Nico wanted to be presented too.

 

Clementine was exhausted from doing things she wasn't supposed to all day week long.

Look! An other movie! To Jason from Bethy.

Steve got gift cards to F1 Race Factory from Jason and Nacho.

To Bethy from Me

Jason and Naco got me a baking mat from the happiest place on Earth (that means Williams Sonoma. Sometimes Disneyland, but today Williams Sonoma).

Winston, what the heck are you doing? How can that be comfortable?!

Steve and I got Nacho season 2 of Glee

Jason had been using a crappy glass cutting board that drove me crazy every time I cooked at his house. So selfishly, we got him a fancy wood one. Happy cutting Jasy!

 

Bethy was surprised to see a joint gift from the whole group.

She recently started running and is getting ready for her first 5K in January, so we all chipped in and bought her a Garmin! I'm so proud of her and I help she finds the Garmin as helpful as I have!

Check out this awesome bundt pan!!! I've never seen one like it, and I've been wanting a bundt pan for soooo long! Thanks Jason and Nacho!!!

Steve also got Tron in 3D from Bethy, but was hoarding the camera so we didn’t get a picture. After presents, I decided to put my new baking mat to use and made dessert.

The best friends family a girl could ask for!


The entire night was perfect. I feel so lucky to have the most amazing group of friends. Jason, Bethy and I have been best friends for something like 12 years. I think when I met Bethany, I was still in 8th grade! We’ve all changed a lot throughout the years, but I couldn’t imagine my life without them!

What are your favorite holiday traditions? Do you do a separate friend Christmas?

It’s the Most Wonderful Time

· by ·

I’d been asking Steve if we could start decorating for the holidays since my epic day off on November 11th. He had been a big jerk kindly told me that we were not going to be “those people” and we had to wait until after Thanksgiving. Well you better believe the first thing we did Friday morning was get out the tree!

This is our Chrismukah tree. I tried to suggest we put it out sooner and call it a Thanksgiving tree, but I was vetoed.

Whoever decided trees were only for Christmas was a big dope. Didn't they know that Hanukkah is the festival of lights?! Look at those lights being festive!

Did you catch out menorah ornament? Mom? Dad??

Last year we bought some basic colorful (of course) ornaments and then a few personalized ones that we plan to add to each year. I pick one out every year that represents Steve and he gets to pick one that represents me. I bough the penguin one to represent *us* and Lisa got us the engagement one for Christmas. I think that one’s my favorite. Either that or my Lion King ornament that Bethy got me when we lived together. It was my very first ornament and our roomie Christmas was one of the best ever!

Of course we couldn't resist getting Winston and Clementine ornaments. Too bad they don't really look like them at all haha. Note the hippo--it represents my favorite Christmas song ever. "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas! Only a hippopotamus will doooo!"

We also put up some decorations around the house. Most of them are from Hobby Lobby and Target, two of my favorite stores on Earth!

Look, family, a menorah! And Steve's swear jar. He has a profanity problem. Who else thinks the proceeds should go to me?

It wasn’t until Sunday that we finally got to the outside decorations including one extra special decoration! Steve did most of the work while I played assistant and photographer. Winston was scared and hid inside and Clementine played spectator.

Just to warn you, I took a lot of pictures. It’s my first time getting to document the experience! 🙂

I.love.lights.

"Look at me! I'm cute and I hang the lights!" Somehow I feel like my interpretation of Steve thoughts must be wildly inaccurate. "Noooo, look at me! I'm cutER and I sniff things." That one seems about right 😉

"What is this fancy contraption? Can I eat it?"

"What about these? I can eat these, right???"

"Fine, I will just sit here starving to death because you never let me eat anything." In my head, Clementine is really good at the Jewish guilt.

I always feel like there is no right place for our wreath since we can't put it on the door. Does this look odd to anyone else?

Finally, it was time for the main event! You remember this guy don’t you??

THE FLAMINGO!!!!!

Putting him together was…well…interesting.

"I don't need to read the instructions!" Ugh. Men.

Clementine was very confused by the flamingo.

"You don't look like a dog."

"You don't smell like a dog."

"Lower, dad, I can't see!!"

"You don't play with me like a dog,"

"What are you????"

The best decoration ever, Clementine. That is what I am.

"See, I stand on one foot."

"What were we talking about again? SQUIRREL!"

We still have some more lights and decorating to do, but we’re off to a great start and I am pretty much puking up holiday spirit. Did I mention that I love this time of year?

What are your holiday/decorating traditions?

Featured Here

Member Of…

FitFluential Is Fitness Found
AZ Bloggers Network
az 150 photo az150_zpsfb093d32.gif

Archives


Image Map