An Ode to Tiny Pies

(Sung to the tune of Lyin' Eyes by the Eagles)

Tiny Pies

This city girl, she tries to find out early

When the brand new stores are comin' 'round

When one opens, she gets there in a hurry

To see what tasty treats can there be found

This pastry shop was much anticipated

And when it came it did not fail to please

One bite and she was instantly elated

The caramel apple brought her to her knees

A mixed assortment of six different flavors

So hard it was not to devour them all

Every bite she forced herself to savor

Wishin' all the while they weren't so small

You can't hiiiiiide your Tiny Pies

You might just try, but it ain't wise

I thought by now you'd realize

There ain't no way to hide your Tiny Pies

Tiny Pies

5035 Burnet Road

Austin, TX 78757

512-916-0184

Their website

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Austin Sweets for your Sweetie

That most sugar-coated of Hallmark holidays draws near once again. If you're looking for a local sweet treat for someone you love (and no, it doesn't have to be someone other than you - you love yourself, right?!?), here's a guide to a few of my favorite Austin-made confections.

1.  Frosted sugar cookies from Curious Confections

I was lucky enough to win a dozen of these Curious Confections frosted sugar cookies from Melissa over at Red White and Blueberries when she celebrated her 2000th Facebook fan. Aren't they beautiful? And they're as delicious as they are pretty; nice and soft (as all cookies should be), and the frosting is delicate and not too sweet. 

2.  Macarons from Macarons by Jane

You should pretty much ignore this lame photo and go check out Jane's website. Not only is she a talented baker, but she's also an excellent photographer (oh, and she's gorgeous and weighs about 70 lbs, all of which make me want to hate her, except she's much too sweet for that). I first discovered Jane's macarons at a bake sale for Austin Bakes for Japan. I was so enamored with the first bag I bought that I hurried to another location and bought more.

3.  Brigadeiros from b.o.m. bakery

Brigadeiros are Brazilian candies, somewhat similar to truffles only they're more gooey in texture.  They contain sweetened, condensed milk - one of my favorite ingredients - and are the perfect size to satisfy a sweet craving. My friend Barbara sent a box of these to my office on my birthday last year - they were such a lovely surprise!

4.  Chocolates from Delysia

Not all chocolates are created equal. Delysia's are, as far as I can tell, perfect. Intriguing flavor profiles engage your taste buds (everything from five-spice to prickly pear, bourbon to earl grey) and modern graphics ensure the treats are as fun to look at as they are to eat. 

What's your favorite Austin-made confection?

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Easy-Peasy Molten Chocolate Cakes

I can't tell you how many times I've had molten chocolate cake at an upscale restaurant and wondered how they created a cake with such a lovely, melty center. So when I stumbled on this recipe for a molten chocolate cake, I figured I'd take a look. I was surprised at how easy it sounded (and how little flour there is in the recipe!).

I have a bad habit of only trying new recipes when either company is coming or I've agreed to bring something to an event - I guess because there's really no reason to whip up a big batch of food for just two of us. So I of course decided to try this recipe for the first time when we had friends over this weekend. Fortunately, it (mostly) worked and was pretty darn delicious.

The hardest part is figuring out how long to bake them. The original recipe says 6-7 minutes; I baked mine for 10. However, the first one leaked when I tried to unmold it (thus the "mostly" above), so another minute or two in the oven probably would have been good (the other three came out of their molds perfectly; I think because they cooked a little more in their ramekins while we were fussing with the first one). When they just barely start to pull away from the edges of the ramekins, you'll know they're ready to be unmolded.

I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit based on my experience and some of the comments to the original recipe, so I'm re-creating it here.

A seemingly-fancy dessert that is really remarkably easy to make. I'm definitely keeping this one in my repertoire.

Easy-Peasy Molten Chocolate Cakes

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 (1 ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. If you use chocolate chips, 2/3 cup is equivalent to the four ounces you need for this recipe).
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Butter four 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups and dust them with cocoa powder. (I have 6 oz ramekins, and they worked just fine.)

2. In the top half of a double boiler set over simmering water, heat the butter and the chocolate until chocolate is almost completely melted. You can also melt the chocolate & butter in the microwave, if you'd like - microwave in 30-second increments until it's melted.

3. Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until light colored and thick.

4. Beat together the melted chocolate and butter. While beating, slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour and mix until just combined.

5. Divide the batter between the four ramekins and bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes, until the cakes just barely start to pull away from the edges of the ramekins. The centers of the cakes will still be quite soft. Invert cakes on serving plates and let sit for about 15 seconds, then unmold. Serve immediately with fresh whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Just prior to ummolding. The cakes will rise to form a little dome.


Mmmmm...moist, warm, chocolatey goodness.

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Peanut Butter Butterscotch Bars, or "Are You a Better Cook Than a Fifth Grader?"

Anyone who knows me at all probably knows that I am famous (infamous?) for being constantly on the go. But I'm well past the age where I feel totally comfortable showing up at a potluck with something store-bought (which is not to say that I don't do this, because I do - frequently). Yet, I'd much rather arrive with something homemade, even if it is something really easy to make.

This recipe falls squarely in the "easy to make" category. If the game show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" were turned into a cooking contest, and I was pitted against a fifth grader with this recipe, I would undoubtedly lose. Hell, a kindergartner could probably make it. But it's homemade, and it tastes good, so that makes it a winner in my book.

I adapted this recipe from this one for almond butter butterscotch squares. I really thought the bars needed a more crunchy texture, and for some reason, almonds didn't feel quite right. So I changed the nut butter to peanut butter and added in some raw peanuts. Then I multiplied the recipe times 1-1/2 so I could use a 9x12 pan and make more bars in one batch.

So, here's the recipe as adapted:

* * *
1-1/2 c chunky peanut butter
1-1/2 sticks butter
1-1/2 bags (11 oz) butterscotch chips
1/2 bag raw peanuts
1 bag (11 oz) mini marshmallows

Melt butter and peanut butter in bowl in 30 second microwave bursts until melted, mixing well between bursts.

Add butterscotch chips and continue to heat in 30 second microwave bursts until melted, again, mixing well between bursts.

Add marshmallows and raw peanuts and mix in thoroughly.

Line a 9x12 baking dish with wax paper along the bottom and up the sides.

Spoon the mixture into the dish and spread evenly across the pan and into all corners.

Refrigerate for at least two hours until firm (they will hold up better if you give them overnight).

Using the wax paper, lift the whole batch of bars out of the dish and onto a cutting board. Cut into squares.

* * *
Voila.

Will you win any cooking contests with these bars? Nah. Will people eat them up and come back for more? I did.

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