Maple Syrup Glazed Cookies

Last fall I went to a cool event called Brooklyn Skillshare. It was basically a day of classes taught by people who wanted to share their passions with others. The range of topics was really large — everything from how to mix and apply henna to how to fix your bike (this is Brooklyn we’re talking about, after all). I took some great classes, including one by the brain behind one of my favorite blogs, Eat Make Read.

Her class was all about infusing your own alcohols and making party snacks, which was really interesting and pretty damn tasty too! I started reading her blog frequently after that class, and found this recipe, which is hands-down one of my favorite cookies of all time. I decided to make them last weekend since we had all of the ingredients in the apartment, and in honor of the second Brooklyn Skillshare which is right around the corner on October 9th.

Since I originally hail from New England, the price of maple syrup here in NYC is shocking to me! My roommate bought some to make some pumpkin-maple cupcakes this weekend (yes, all we do is eat), so I nabbed a little to make my cookies too! I’ll definitely have to stock up when I visit home so that we don’t have to pay almost $10 for a tiny bottle next time!

These cookies couldn’t be simpler to make, but the end result is so fantastic — a buttery soft cookie with thick maple glaze and topped with the slightest sprinkling of salt. Eating just one of these is really not an option. Visit Eat Make Read for the recipe!

Film Inspiration: Funny Face

I recently renewed my subscription to Netflix and in order to make my monthly fee totally worth it, I’m watching pretty much every movie that I’ve ever thought about watching. Right now, I’m on an Audrey Hepburn kick since I haven’t seen most of her films. On tonight’s agenda was Funny Face, in which Ms. Hepburn played a New York City intellectual who gets swept up into the world of fashion after she’s promised a trip to Paris (where she hopes to meet a famous philosopher) in exchange for modeling.

The film itself isn’t terribly compelling (especially as her character decides that fashion actually is better than upholding her philosophical beliefs, after all! Oh, brother.) but you can’t beat Audrey in cool, beatnik-style clothing and Fred Astaire being, well, Fred Astaire.

Here is a video of my favorite music sequence in the entire film, mainly because it contains a large number of occurrences that would never happen in real life. Such as: People singing and dancing on arrival in Paris instead of passing out from jet lag, a fashion magazine editor acting as if she hadn’t been to Paris a million times before, Parisians shaking hands and greeting tourists (hah!), and our happy trio proudly announcing that they are tourists. But how can you not love Audrey’s cropped black pants and her anorak?

I love this anorak by Aqua for a similar look!

Midnight Snack: Spot Dessert Bar

On Friday night, New York City was overtaken by fashionistas for Fashion’s Night Out, an annual event created by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. My friends and I roamed the streets of SoHo, ducking into boutiques to (window) shop and have a glass of wine to celebrate New York Fashion Week. We had fun people-watching and spotting celebs (Kanye West, Jimmy Fallon, AND Anna Wintour!), but it was crowded and we were hungry after a few hours! Luckily, Spot Dessert Bar isn’t too far away.

Spot opened last winter in a below street level location on St. Mark’s that used to be one of those shops that sold dragon and fairy figurines and incense. I find Spot to be a much better tenant! They are open until 1am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so you can grab something sweet if you are out late! The desserts are really innovative and fuse classic plates with Asian flavors. Some of the “dessert tapas” incorporate unsuspected ingredients like yuzu or miso, and there is an avocado parfait on the menu that I’m dying to try!

I went for a make your own sundae dessert: a scoop of sweetened condensed milk ice cream (words cannot describe how much I love this flavor), a scoop of chocolate ginger sorbet, caramel sauce and chocolate pearls. Et voila! Pretty ice cream masterpiece!

Something else that I really love about Spot is that their ingredients are fresh and natural, and they are very eco-conscious with their serving utensils and their decor. My only complaint is that it’s a little expensive (my ice cream was almost $8), but once in a while you have to splurge on something tasty, right? Check out their website here for the menu and location information!

Good Vibes

As I was leafing through my Time Out New York magazine this evening, as is my weekly ritual, I came across this image in the fall fashion feature. I’ve got to admit that the dress and jacket combo aren’t really tickling my fancy, but what caught me was the scarf — I’d recognize it anywhere! It was designed by a super-cool Danish designer named Vibe Johansson.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Vibe for MOCK Magazine a few months ago (you can read the article on pages 44-47, here). In addition to being a very nice person to talk to, Vibe has a really great eye for design and she plays a lot with textures, which I think is key for fall. I love the look of this AMAZING leather jacket paired with the soft, versatile scarf:

Vibe’s line is quickly making its way into US retailers, so check out the list of locations to find out where to nab some for yourself!

A Few Fall Essentials

I’m always the kind of person who goes shopping too late after the stores have sold out of everything that I want. I mean, I saw the first bits of Fall back in February at New York Fashion Week, but I usually still wait until the weather has already turned cold to do my actual shopping. But not this year. I’ve already started stocking up on cozy sweaters and new scarves, and I’ve got a running list for the rest! Below are just a few essentials that I’m hoping to cross off of my wish list (check out that parka with leather trim from ASOS — amazing!) before I even get into some of the trendier pieces. What’s on yours?

Longsleeve Tops by Rugby
Cropped Pants by Gap

Macaron Success!

After seeing this post on Cupcakes and Cashmere about macarons, I decided that last weekend was the perfect time to make a batch for myself. It’s been too hot and humid all summer to make a good meringue, but the weather cooled off just enough that I thought it would work.

After one frustrating batch that didn’t work out because of my laziness (should have gone to the store to buy parchment paper because the cookies completely stick to waxed paper!), I managed to churn out two batches of lovely French delicacies. Please note the signature “pied” (“foot” en français) on the cookies too! That’s the part that looks crispy, and it’s formed when the almond flour properly settles through the meringue.

I tried out the salted caramel recipe, and it was a big hit! Everyone who tried them loved the combination of sweet and salty. For the second batch, I made a simple rose buttercream by adding a tablespoon of rose water. I love rose-flavored sweets, and these have such a delicate flavor that you only taste a hint of floral.

When making colored and flavored macarons, I usually consult my copy of “I Love Macarons” by Hisako Ogita. Besides being a really cute and colorful book, it has a lot of great tips for customizing flavors. Everything ends up being sort of trial-and-error though — meringue is extremely fickle, and sometimes even adding one too many drops of food coloring to it will make it runny and flat. I’m interested in trying to do a plum flavored macaron next! Anyone have other suggestions?