conversation heart pots de creme

How fitting is it that Friday the 13th falls the day before Valentine's Day this year? Hell yeah, morbidity!

Just in case your day goes to shit  and your boyfriend dumps you, I've got you covered. (That's what internet friends are for, right?) 

Pots de creme are my absolute favorite desserts. They are so so so simple to make and, let's face it, there are very few things as satisfying as digging into a rich, creamy, personal-sized custard. I've made them plenty of times before, but I wanted to keep it extra-indulgent (because #loveyoself) this time around, so I added in a little too much white chocolate and vanilla bean. Can you say, best mistake ever? 

Conversation hearts, on the other hand..... not my favorite. I often consider them the culinary equivalent of a stick of chalk. But really, they're just too damn cute not to make their way into my pantry every Valentine's Day. To make them more palatable, I ground them in a food processor and infused some heavy cream with the powdery dust. A pinch of salt, a good helping of vanilla, and a quick whip with the help of my stand mixer = the least Pepto Bismol-y, fluffiest conversation heart whipped cream to ever exist! I could bathe in this stuff. 

---

The recipe for these bad boys is up on west elm's Front + Main blog today! Check it out here!

candied rose & crushed pistachio brownies

We're three weeks away from Valentine's Day! For those of you who know me pretty well, you'd probably think that I absolutely hate Valentine's Day. At this point, I've convinced myself that I'm probably going to be eternally single and die alone; but really, any holiday that revolves around the consumption of sugar is a great one in my eyes.    

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorites. One of my absolute favorite memories of elementary school was coming home from school with a huge box full of candy and valentines every year. Seriously, why did we stop doing that after like 5th grade? Okay, yeah, maybe that would've been a little discomforting at my all-boys high school but damn, sometimes a boy just wants some chocolate. Can we please bring that back? Sure I'm a senior in college, but who wouldn't want to receive One Direction valentines (WITH STICKERS!!!!), candy, and some freshly baked brownies? Nobody. 

Over the past few years, I've always made an effort to do something fun on Valentine's Day. Usually, this just means going to dinner with a few of my friends and then gorging on way too much chocolate because you know, it's always nice to forget about your loneliness by stuffing your face with fifteen mini Reese's hearts! 

This year, I teamed up with my friends at West Elm to create three different Valentine's Day recipes for you to make for your boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, ...yourself. Make sure to tune back in the next two Fridays for some delicious recipes!

It’s undeniable — Valentine’s Day is synonymous with roses and chocolate. Though the two are often gifted together, most people aren’t eating their roses.

To prove your love in the best way possible (i.e., food), whip up a batch of these sinfully fudgy brownies, topped with chocolate ganache, crushed pistachios, and candied roses. 

I find that the thought of eating flowers usually sends people into a bit of a panic. Rest assured: yes, roses are edible. And no, you will not die. For this recipe, please use organic roses — pesticides and other chemicals are not very romantic, in my opinion. 

---

Candied Rose + Crushed Pistachio Brownies 

siiiiike! The recipe is on West Elm's Front and Main blog!

Strawberry White Chocolate Cookies

Hi friends. Yes, it's me!  My life has been crazy hectic lately. Right now I'm gearing up for midterms and every single one of my professors has decided to throw  homework assignments and tests and quizzes and papers all at once. Can I just have a second to breathe, please? This is honestly the semester from hell. Between all of the work, meetings, service learning, and time spent commuting, I haven't found much time to bake lately. 

Considering that Valentine's Day is coming up, I've been bursting at the seams, just itching to get back into the kitchen. That's been my personal mission for the week, even if that means baking when I get back home at 8:30 p.m. 

I've made these strawberry and white chocolate cookies twice this week. The first time, they all disappeared before I could photograph them to share with you guys! So last night, I decided to bake up another batch just for y'all! :) 

I took one of my favorite cookie recipes that includes the addition of instant vanilla pudding for extra vanilla flavor and perfect texture. From there, I added pulverized freeze-dried strawberries into the dough to for a sweet, strawberry flavor throughout. To top them off, I folded in chopped dried strawberries and mini and regular-sized white chocolate chips. Delicious. 

Seriously, make these — they're the perfect V-Day inspired treat! If you're doubting me, just know that I ate five of them in one sitting. (No shame!)

---

Strawberry White Chocolate Cookies 

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries, pulverized
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 cup good quality white chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup dried strawberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients, combine. Fold in dried strawberries and white chocolate chips.

Place medium-sized scoops of dough on the prepared sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.