Lunchtime Links for February 27th, 2015

• Oh, Sweet Basil: BBQ chicken grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Creme de la Crumb: Flourless fudgy peanut butter brownies.
• How Sweet It Is: Pepperoni pizza pull apart muffins.
• BGSK: Cappuccino marshmallows.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Banana pancakes.

Georgetown Cupcake - Chocolate Cherry Cupcake

Sooooo... cherry.... yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Part of me wanted to just convince myself that it's a Red Velvet (they do look identical to me), but the cherry flavor won out in the end for this Chocolate Cherry cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake.  The chocolate base is studded with cherry pieces, and topped with their regular vanilla frosting.  If I actually liked cherries, I'm sure this would be a fantastic cupcake, since the other parts are all delicious on their own.  I can't say that I would go out of my way to buy this if it's ever on the menu, but I'm glad I got to try a new (to me) flavor!  

Lunchtime Links for February 26th, 2015

• Oh, Sweet Basil: Corn flakes baked chicken.
• Averie Cooks: Salted caramel peanut butter chocolate chip bars.
• I Heart Naptime: White chicken lasagna with pesto.
• Handle the Heat: Crescent rolls.
• Kirbie's Cravings: 5 minute homemade Chinese buns.

Bakers & Baristas

A few weeks ago, my friend R and I met up for a weekend lunch at Bakers & Baristas in DC.  I thought they sold sandwiches and other "lunch" foods, but apparently they aren't selling them yet.  Since we were already there, we decided to pick a few items from the lovely-looking pastry case to try out!

Along with some coffee, we ordered a Cinnamon swirl bun (left) and Butterkuchen (right) which consists of custard, toasted almonds & pastry cream.  Both were tasty but I really loved the Butterkuchen.  As someone that is a big fan of custard breads (especially from Japanese bakeries), it was no surprise that I would like this custard-studded fluffy bread.  It's a cute spot to grab a pastry and a latte to go, or sit down in the shop and catch up with friends. It's always nice to have a new option for a casual coffee/pastry shop in the area! 

Bakers & Baristas

501 7th Street NW

Washington, DC 20005

Lunchtime Links for February 25th, 2015

• Damn Delicious: BBQ chicken French bread pizza.
• Picky Palate: Crispy brown butter chocolate chunk cookies. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: 5 ingredient spinach Parmesan pasta.
• Cookies & Cups: Chipotle chicken corn chowder.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Bang Bang pasta.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bread from Cooking Light

Ok, not the best photo if you aren't really sure what you're looking at, hahah.  

This is a Chocolate chip peanut butter banana bread from Cooking Light magazine, which originally started as a peanut butter banana bread without chocolate.  I really liked that this recipe uses yogurt (always a staple in my fridge), and it was a tasty new way to use up bananas that have started to get soft.  In place of the chopped peanuts, I added chocolate chips to the bread batter, because I think chocolate chips are always a good addition to baked goods, haha.  I thought this was a delicious twist on a classic banana bread, and it was a big hit in the office!

Lunchtime Links for February 24th, 2015

• Damn Delicious: Garlic Alfredo Tortellini.
• My Baking Addiction: Red Velvet Oreo cupcakes.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Crispy baked orange chicken wings.
• Crazy for Crust: Mini chocolate hazelnut chess pies.
• Dessert for Two: Cowboy steaks and sprouts.

Georgetown Cupcake - Blond Banana Cupcake

Check out that shiny Blond chocolate coating!  This free secret flavor combines Georgetown Cupcake's tasty banana cake with a Blond chocolate ganache.  Their banana cake is delicious, and anyone that likes banana bread will love this cake.  The Blond chocolate ganache is almost like a caramel chocolate, and really different from a regular chocolate.  It looks like peanut butter, but it's much thinner, and more of a sweet, toasted chocolate flavor which I really enjoyed.  I loved this flavor combination! 

Lunchtime Links for February 23rd, 2015

• Damn Delicious: Garlic butter breadsticks. 
• My Baking Addiction: Homemade Funfetti cupcakes. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Nacho cheese sauce. 
• Gimme Some Oven: Creme Brulee. 
• The First Year Blog: Buster bars. 

Shake Shack - Valley Forge Freeze

One nice thing about work travel is getting to meet up with friends in certain areas - and even better is traveling somewhere with a Shake Shack!  This was my second trip to the King of Prussia, PA Shake Shack, and I enjoyed a delicious dinner there with my friends I and B.  

I definitely wanted to try another concrete that I couldn't get in the DC area, and the Valley Forge Freeze looked like a great choice.  I've had concretes at Shake Shack before with blondie pieces, and this version with cheesecake blondie chunks sounded awesome!

This concrete definitely was all that I hoped it would be - lots of sprinkles, blondies, and caramel throughout.  Clearly chocolate is the dominant flavor, but I loved all of the other components that were liberally mixed in.  It was great seeing some friends out of town and enjoying something new at Shake Shack! 

Lunchtime Links for February 20th, 2015

• Damn Delicious: Sticky garlic chicken bites. 
• Brown Eyed Baker: Ultimate triple chocolate chip brownies.
• The Kitchn: Cacio e Pepe pasta.
• Kirbie's Cravings: 3 ingredient flourless chocolate cake.
• Dessert for Two: Chocolate waffle ice cream sandwiches.

Shake Shack - Grandma's Apple Pie Custard

I'll be the first to admit I'm not much a pie person - I'll take a cake over a pie any day.  But, of course I want to try out as many of the Shake Shack custard flavors as possible, so here we have the Grandma's Apple Pie custard.  

You can see the tiny flecks of spices throughout the top of the custard, and there were nice-sized pieces of fruit and pie crust mixed in as well.  I got a lot of cinnamon from this mostly, which went well with the vanilla custard base.  If you enjoy your pies a la mode, and then blended into a smooth ice cream, this is the perfect custard for you :o)

Lunchtime Links for February 19th, 2015

• Handle the Heat: Double chocolate waffles.
• Crazy for Crust: Peanut butter cup cookie bars. 
• Damn Delicious: Soup recipes.
• Kirbie's Cravings: 3 ingredient Nutella brownie mug cake.
• Creme de la Crumb: Hot fudge stuffed chocolate chip cookies. 

Georgetown Cupcake - Chocolate Maple Fudge Cupcake

Just a litttttttttle bit melted, haha.  Here we have Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Maple Fudge cupcake, which consists of chocolate cake, fudge core, maple frosting, and (at one point) a fudge flower on top.  I've always loved their maple frosting, especially because it tastes like pancakes, haha.  The fudge components make this cupcake extra decadent and delicious.  This is a great flavor combination that I hope they bring back soon! 

Lunchtime Links for February 18th, 2015

• My Baking Addiction: Peanut butter brownie parfaits.
• The Pioneer Woman: Chocolate recipes.
• How Sweet It Is: Chocolate cream pie with vanilla whipped cream.
• Sugar & Cloth: Five ingredient Nutella brownies.
• Picky Palate: Chocolate recipes.

Georgetown Cupcake - Super Bowl Surprise + Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Earlier this month, Georgetown Cupcake had these two cute and colorful cupcakes available - Super Bowl Surprise (free secret flavor) and Raspberry Chocolate Chip cupcakes.  

The Super Bowl Surprise cupcake was a chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting, and even more frosting inside the cake as well.  The bright green frosting was fun to look at, and delicious of course.  The Raspberry Chocolate Chip cupcake consisted of raspberries, Callebaut chocolate chips, and a Callebaut chocolate frosting.  I'm not a huge fan of raspberries, but the fruit-studded cake combined with the thick chocolate frosting was very delicious.  Both cupcakes were super festive in their own ways, and a great way to welcome in February :o) 

Lunchtime Links for February 13th, 2015

• Bakerella: Valentine's day treats.
• Damn Delicious: Cheesy avocado Quesadillas.
• The First Year Blog: Valentine's day doughnuts.
• Crazy for Crust: Chocolate chip cookie gooey bars.
• The Kitchn: Nutella cheesecake mousse.

Georgetown Cupcake - Valentine's Day XO Chocolate Cupcake

I always love how Georgetown Cupcake gets really into the holidays throughout the year, and Valentine's Day is no exception!  This is the Valentine's Day XO Chocolate cupcake which has been available every day this month so far.  This is a "Valrhona chocolate cupcake with bubblegum pink buttercream and “XO” fondant".

The bubblegum pink frosting is incredibly bright and you will feel festive just looking at it.   As usual, the chocolate cake is delicious, especially with milk or a cup of coffee.  This is the perfect little cupcake to celebrate a sweet holiday! 

Lunchtime Links for February 12th, 2015

• BGSK: Peanut butter and chocolate cookie brownies.
• Crazy for Crust: Valentine Oreo bark.
• Love & Olive Oil: White chocolate and peanut butter avalanche truffles.
• Dessert for Two: Chocolate cheesecakes and salted caramel sauce.
• The First Year Blog: S'mores pudding cups

Red Velvet Oreos

Upon hearing that the Red Velvet Oreos were not a hoax, but indeed real, actual Oreos that were coming out in February, I searched high and low for them once the official release date was issued.

After four separate stores in my area, I finally came across this wonderful sight at a grocery store by my work that I don't normally shop at:

As you can see, the packaging is a little different than the standard Oreos, which are more rectangular in shape.  So if it's available, it should be pretty easy to spot even if they aren't in their own display case like the ones I found happened to be in.  

First, the color.  I think this is where Red Velvet cake and flavors really polarize a lot of people.  Some RV haters really don't like the color and find it very unappetizing, as it's sort of this weird cross between beet and brown colored, haha.  Personally I don't mind it, clearly since I love red velvet cake normally anyway.  The cookie is very crisp, and less cookie crumbly than regular Oreos usually are to me - I'm not sure if this is specific to the flavor, or the pack that I happened to buy, though.  The frosting looks the same at first glance, but definitely has a different taste than the standard Oreo frosting.  Overall I found these to be a delicious variation on the regular Oreo cookie, and I'm very happy to have had a chance to try them out! 

Lunchtime Links for February 11th, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: Soft chocolate chip cookies. 
• Kevin & Amanda: Red Velvet Oreo truffle brownies.
• Averie Cooks: Fudgy peanut butter cup brownies.
• The Kitchn: How to thinly slice raw meat.
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Double dark chocolate cookie cups.

Kit Kat - Strawberry Cheesecake

These Strawberry Cheesecake flavored Kit Kats from Japan are definitely one of the top Kit Kat flavors I've tried so far!  Right off the bat, they smell a lot like cheesecake when you unwrap the bars.  The strawberry flavor is there, but a little muted - almost like there's just a little bit of strawberry folded in.  Which is great for me since I prefer the cheesecake portion to the fruit portion, haha.  I hope they make more cheesecake variations in the future! 

Lunchtime Links for February 10th, 2015

• Dessert for Two: Mini chocolate layer cakes. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Chinese lo mein.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Chocolate pudding cake. 
• How Sweet It Is: Creamy chicken and buttermilk dumplings.
• The First Year Blog: Heart shaped classic cheesecake.

Georgetown Cupcake - Christmas Butterscotch Cheesecake

Mmm, this was one delicious Georgetown Cupcake flavor! This is the Christmas Butterscotch Cheesecake that was available in December, but this flavor would be delicious any time of the year.  It consists of a "Callebaut butterscotch cheesecake with a graham cracker crust topped with a butterscotch frosting and fondant holly".

The cheesecake is delicious as usual, and the gigantic swirls of butterscotch frosting really took this to another level.  The butterscotch cheesecake was a nice change from the usual vanilla cheesecake, and I hope they continue to make different versions of the cheesecake from now on!

Lunchtime Links for February 9th, 2015

• Kirbie's Cravings: 4 ingredient flourless chocolate mug cake.
• The First Year Blog: No bake XOXO Oreo cheesecakes.
• A Kitchen Addiction: Fudgy flourless brownies with sea salt ganache.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Chocolate peanut butter delight cookies. 
• Creme de la Crumb: Cream cheese chocolate chip brownies.

Shake Shack - Peanut Butter Marshmallow Swirl Custard

Peanut butter and marshmallow is always an awesome pairing, yum! Shake Shack definitely got the perfect ratio of both flavors in this custard flavor.  The peanut butter is swirled throughout the custard, and I love how much of it is in each spoonful.  Personally, I've never tried a fluffernutter sandwich but I imagine that this is just like it, in deliciously cold ice cream form.  This is a flavor that should definitely be on the menu all the time! 

Lunchtime Links for February 6th, 2015

• Crazy for Crust: Red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake bars.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Baked Mozzarella sticks. 
• Handle the Heat: Red velvet molten lava cake. 
• Dessert for Two: Chocolate chip cookie sundaes. 
• Cookies & Cups: Snickerdoodles. 

Georgetown Cupcake - February Flavors

Since it's February, it's not surprising that the special monthly flavors at Georgetown Cupcake focus on super cute and pink cupcakes. I especially LOVE the strawberry frosting here, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it this month.  These are all delicious and a great way to celebrate the loves in your life :o)

Strawberry Lava Fudge: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a rich fudge core topped with a strawberry icing and a fudge star drizzle

Strawberry Cheesecake: Classic madagascar bourbon vanilla cheesecake baked with fresh strawberries and topped with a fresh strawberry frosting and a fondant heart

Strawberry: Classic madagascar bourbon vanilla cupcake baked with fresh strawberries and topped with a fresh strawberry frosting and a fondant heart

Raspberry Chocolate Chip: Classic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcake baked with fresh raspberries and Callebaut chocolate chips, topped with a whipped Callebaut chocolate ganache frosting and a double heart fondant decoration

Valentine's Day XO Chocolate: Valrhona chocolate cupcake with bubblegum pink buttercream and “XO” fondant

Valentine's Day XO Vanilla: Classic Madagascar vanilla cupcake with bubblegum pink buttercream and “XO” fondant

Lunchtime Links for February 5th, 2015

• Creme de la Crumb: Roasted red pepper ravioli.
• Vickii Ma: Matcha lava cake.
• Damn Delicious: Honey garlic Little Smokies.
• The First Year Blog: Chocolate cheesecake Oreo parfaits.
• Handle the Heat: Lava brownies. 

Japanarama: Baked Pudding Kit Kats

I always love trying out the fun Japanese Kit Kat flavors, but this one was especially interesting with the interactive component to it.  It's a pudding flavor (likely a Japanese flan, which is usually called "Purin"), which in itself isn't that unique, but there's also a big picture of a toaster oven on the front of the bag suggesting that you toast them!

Pudding flavored Kit Kats are already delicious, but the extra step of toasting them in the toaster oven adds a tasty touch to the bars.  You definitely have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't totally melt away/burn, but it's also sort of fun to see them brown and bubble up through the toaster oven window.  It adds a slight caramel-y taste as well, like a quick and easy creme brulee.  I'm so happy I got a chance to try these, and I hope they come out with more unique flavors and preparation ideas as well! 

Lunchtime Links for February 4th, 2015

• Crazy for Crust: Red velvet blondies. 
• My Baking Addiction: Snickerdoodle bars.
• The Pioneer Woman: Chicken nachos.
• Bakerella: Cinnamon rolls.
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Slow cooker Minestrone soup.

Georgetown Cupcake - Maple Chocolate Chip Cupcake

As you can see, Georgetown Cupcake's Maple Chocolate Chip cupcake came out around Thanksgiving of last year, but it's a great flavor to enjoy any time of the year! 

The sweet maple cake is studded with tons of mini chocolate chips, and topped with a creamy maple vanilla frosting.  Their maple flavors always remind me of pancakes, and you will love it too if you're a fellow pancake fan! 

Lunchtime Links for February 3rd, 2015

• BGSK: Chicken chili.
• Good Life Eats: Arrabbiata sauce. 
• Crazy for Crust: Fluffy potato rolls.
• Creme de la Crumb: Old fashioned sour cream doughnuts.
• Averie Cooks: Easy pizza dip.

Shake Shack - February Custard Calendar

Happy February everyone!  A new month also means new custard flavors at Shake Shack, woo hoo!

Week 1: Big Easy Banana Caramel
Week 2: Boston Creme Pie
Week 3: Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter
Week 4: Coconut Tres Leche

I definitely want to try the Week 1 custard because it sounds like a fun and unique flavor, but week 2 and 3 are fantastic flavors as well!  Be sure to head to Shake Shack during the corresponding week to try out these month-long specials.

Lunchtime Links for February 2nd, 2015

• My Baking Addiction: Chocolate chip pudding cookies. 
• Oh, Sweet Basil: Philly cheese steak nachos.
• The Kitchn: Enamel kitchen canisters.
• Simply Happenstance: Cheesy game day dip.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Bang Bang cauliflower.