These are genius.

I've been playing around with the idea of customizable food in my brain (BRAINS!) and already found a few already-implemented business ideas to observe.

The first I found on the intertubes via some links in my Daily Candy NYC newsletter (I think). It drove me to this: Chocri

And it's not just normal old chocolate ideas. They have things like dried apples and bananas to coriander and chives to nuts, gummy bears, and "rice crispies." You can choose any type of chocolate (milk, dark, white, and a mix of milk and white). And voila! You have your own chocolate bar. It's a little pricey ($6.50 for the base 3.5 oz chocolate bar plus toppings), but what do you expect for customizable chocolate bars! YUMMMM.

The second thing I came across was while I was watching a new show on Food Network called "Kid in a Candy Store," which is essentially the televised travels of a really lucky guy who gets to go to all the unique dessert locales in the country, and came across the most genius idea: customizable ice cream.

 iCream Cafe

Using science, they allow you to make your own types of ice cream based on their flavors, mix-ins, and even food coloring options. They make it all right in front of you with an every-day standing mixer and a blast of nitrogen. On cold days - hey, it IS Chicago - they you can also make your flavor of pudding that they boil on the spot with an espresso machine milk steamer. Pretty awesome, no?

And, I just found out from an awesome friend that there is a place in NYC that also does this called Lulu and Mooky's: http://www.yelp.com/biz/lulu-and-mookys-liquid-nitrogen-ice-cream-new-york

Must go check it out!!!

I have to do what?

After a 2 week hiatus from baking due to packing and vacation in the Land of Awesome with Jeremy Cooks Dinner (aka Mr. Boyfriend), I am back and better than ever.

As I mentioned a bunch of entries ago, my mom got me a new baking book called Ready for Dessert the title of which I am in full agreement with (ooooooh, I ended a sentence with a preposition). 

Once I had unpacked and done my laundry, I decided to crack it open and see what kinds of fancy cookies I could make in a small amount of time with the smallest number of un-purchased ingredients. 

Twees?

Twills?

I have no idea how to pronounce this.

Sesame-Orange Almond Tuiles

Requires:

- Butter, check

- Sesame oil, check

- Freshly squeezed orange juice, ugh

- Zest of an orange, ok

- Sugar, check

- Flour, check

- Sliced almonds, fine, fine

- Sesame seeds, got them!

Ok, so that's not so bad. I only need to purchase an orange and sliced almonds (because I'm certainly not going to attempt slicing the whole almonds I already own). So, I go off to the store and pick up the necessaries after purchasing some sushi noms for dinner.

Post fishes, onto baking!

First I mix the first five ingredients in a pan over low heat until melted. Easy enough.

Then I stir in the dry stuff and let the batter rest for an hour on the counter (and watched my DVR-ed episode of True Blood.)

Post True Blood...

Baking is always easy! Just put it in the oven! 

And take it out after said designated time (or when it looks done because my oven is a nutball).

P.S. I was really unsure if I had done this cookie drop correctly. The recipe said only 4 cookies per tray and this thing makes 20 cookies. It's a good thing I believed the recipe and didn't go with my gut 'cause...

Yeah, that's what they looked like after 8 minutes in the oven. 

Slightly unexpected.

Well, that wasn't so bad. I did burn myself rotating the pans in the oven, but whatever. Comes with the territory.

Let's see, what's next... 

Uh. 

I have to do what? 

Right. 

...

I have to remove the cookies from the burning hot pan that I already singed my wrist on and place them over a rolling pin to cool?

And, if they don't start to mold, I have to put them back in the oven and start the burning-myself process all over again?

????????????????????????

??

?

Awesome.

Overall, the cookies came out well and looked pretty much like the photos in the cookbook, though I think they were on the large side. Next time I won't flatten them out so much.

Mr. Boyfriend really enjoyed them.

And so did Arthur.

My Icing: Tool - Undertow ("It was the cries of the carrots.")

I promise there's one coming!

Sorry for the 2 weeks off! I was preparing for my trip to the Grand Canyon with Jeremy Cooks Dinner and then spent a week in AZ and UT gallivanting around canyons and hiking and whatnot.

I did bake on Sunday and have pictures and narrative to post! Hopefully tonight.

Catch ya later!