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Leena Bakes: Banana Bourbon Chocolate Muffins!

Leena Bakes: Banana Bourbon Chocolate Muffins!

Best muffin of 2012 thus far! Sweet banana with a kick of bourbon and a hint of milk chocolate.

Not too long ago, a pal and fellow food blogger Emily Hanhan of Nomnivorous hosted the first of many supper clubs called Whisky and Salt in the NYC area. In her awesome and drool-inducing post about it, she revealed that she made whisky and chocolate chip muffins as take home gifts from the supper club. I have been looking for an excuse to pop these bad boys out, and a small party with some fellow parents and babies on NYE gave the perfect excuse. But let’s be honest, vacuuming the living room is the perfect excuse for these muffins, they are that damn good.

The recipe and heaps of food porn after the jump.

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January 25th, 2012
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Posted in Breads, Desserts, Fruit, Leena Bakes, Muffins, Recipes | 2 Comments »

Leena Bakes: GF World Peace Cookies!

Leena Bakes: GF World Peace Cookies!

My take on gf world peace cookies! Chocolate dough, dark chocolate chunks, and no gluten--a certified celiac mouth boner!

Last year when I had gestational diabetes, I had a real taste of what life is like for people with health-related eating issues–it sucks. Sure, there are “alternative” foods for all your unhealthy favorites (fyi–everything but Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are CRAPPY), but generally speaking, most of the world, from restaurants to food blogs, don’t really consider these people.

I had an incredibly difficult time finding restaurants that even knew if their food was diabetic-safe or not, and forget about baking. And that was only for a few months—how the hell do people with celiac disease or dairy allergies function on a day to day basis without going crazy?

They or other people in their lives research their butts off until they find food that is safe AND crave-worthy. If you read my last post, you know that my sister in law is a celiac (allergic to gluten). She also happens to be a kick-ass person that deserves a delicious food any time of year, so I’ve decided to start including the occasional gluten-free recipe on my blog. This week–gluten-free world peace cookies (crumbly chocolate salty dough with chunks of dark chocolate). My recipe and food porn after the jump!

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December 21st, 2011
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Posted in Cookies, Desserts, Gluten-free, Health food, Leena Bakes, Recipes | 3 Comments »

Leena Bakes: Cranberry Gingerbread Sorbet Sandwiches!

Leena Bakes: Cranberry Gingerbread Sorbet Sandwiches!

My cranberry gingerbread sorbet sandwiches! A kick-ass treat for any winter occasion.

Rumor has it Turkey day is just around the corner, so I thought this would be the perfect time to roll out my new favorite winter dessert recipe: cranberry gingerbread sorbet sandwiches. Technically, I made these for my pre-Turkey day chili cookoff, which you’ll read about soon. But since cranberries only seem to appear in the market from November-December, this is a really great way to enjoy the short but delicious cranberry season.

The recipe and more food porn after the jump!

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November 23rd, 2011
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Posted in Cookies, Desserts, Leena Bakes, Leena Cooks, Recipes, Sorbet | Comments Off

Leena Bakes and Eats: Iron Cupcake SF October 2011- Candy

It’s been a few months (and a baby) since I last participated in Iron Cupcake SF (January 2011, as a matter of fact). But with most of the baby weight and ALL of the gestational diabetes gone, I was ready to take on Iron Cupcake by storm. The monthly challenge: candy. Something I have made into an entire food group for the better part of my life! So I got to work creating my dream candy-inspired cupcake. Heaps of food porn and a killer cupcake recipe after the jump.

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November 9th, 2011
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Posted in California, Cupcakes, Desserts, Leena Bakes, Leena Eats, Recipes, San Francisco | Comments Off

Leena Bakes: her first post-baby project- homemade cherry pie

Leena Bakes: her first post baby project homemade cherry pie
My first ever cherry pie for Pie Party!
Hey there folks—it’s Leena, and I’m back from baby land, knee-deep in dirty diapers and enjoying a life without time for personal hygeine thanks to my new bundle of joy, Ella. My recovery has been a bit slower because I had to deliver Ella via c-section, and the last time I can actually remember cooking or baking was months ago.
So guess what I did as soon as the grandparents came over to play with Ella? A shower? Nope, but that would have probably been a good idea. I decided to bake a pie. A from-scratch cherry pie from Ad Hoc, a cookbook by Thomas Keller, a chef known for loving complicated recipes. Ain’t no Betty Crocker recipe here, folks.
And perfect timing too, because there is a pie party today! The Gluten-free Girl is hosting a day of pie posts of any shape, size or flavor (read about it here). A current favorite blogger of mine, Nomnivorous, posted a kick-ass looking chocolate strawberry pie for #pieparty that is already on my summer to-do list. But first? On to the cherry pie…before the baby wakes up and ruins it all.
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July 5th, 2011
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Posted in Leena Bakes, Pie, Recipes | 9 Comments »

Leena Bakes: Mini Carrot Cupcakes with Pistachio and Cream Cheese Frosting for other people. As in NOT her.

Leena Bakes: Mini Carrot Cupcakes with Pistachio and Cream Cheese Frosting for other people. As in NOT her.
You rock, Carrots. From hard and crunchy to soft, spicy cake, you are so damn versatile. Not like lima beans.

Yeah, I like to torture myself. I’m technically not allowed to bake, especially with sugar, due to my latest diagnosis of gestational diabetes. It was a definite bitch slap to me, as baking has comforted me through three degrees, one cross-country and one cross-world move, and 2/3s of this pregnancy.

But when my husband’s birthday rolled around, I knew I couldn’t not bake him a cake. A birthday without cake is sacrilegious in this household! So I rocked out his favorite recipe in mini cupcake form, carrot cake with pistachios and cream cheese frosting.

If and only if you’d like to see the best damn carrot cake recipe I have ever come across, if you think you can handle the awesomeness, then please. By all means–click on.

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March 28th, 2011
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Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes, Desserts, Leena Bakes, Recipes | 10 Comments »

Leena Cooks n Bakes: Leek Bread Pudding with Roasted Tomatoes

Leena Cooks n Bakes: Leek Bread Pudding with Roasted Tomatoes

My take on Ad Hoc's Leek Breading Pudding, made with challah bread and mozzarella cheese.

On a rainy winters night in the Bay Area (with lows of almost 40 F- thank GOD I missed Chicago’s Snowmaggedon!), nothing tastes better than warm, cheesy comfort food, and for me, that means rocking out some leek bread pudding with roasted tomatoes. The soft, silky sweet leeks, the crunchy bread and the eggy custard bound together by melty, stringy cheese haunts my dreams and my pregnancy cravings until I wake up chewing my own pillow. Which? Tastes like dirt and cat hair. Awesome.

Definitely time to rock out some leek bread pudding. The recipe and food porn after the click.

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February 21st, 2011
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Posted in Bread Pudding, Leena Bakes, Leena Cooks, Savory | 1 Comment »

Leena Bakes: Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies for her growing bellah!

Leena Bakes: Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies for her growing bellah!

If awesome came in a small package, it would look a helluva lot like these soft lemon sugar cookies. Tiny tangy citrus bombs!

Damn, I’ve been baking a lot of sweets lately, haven’t I? Apparently, this is the part of the pregnancy where women are encourage to go wild and eat to their heart’s delight. Which? I’m totally game for.

I’m just afraid to ask who is gonna work on losing all this weight it’s packing on for me. In the mean time, let them eat cookies! I was craving something sweet and light, and these little citrus bombs really deliver–especially if you make sure to just barely bake them through (helps them stay nice and soft).

Plenty of food porn and the recipe after the click.

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February 14th, 2011
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Leena Bakes & Eats: Iron Cupcake SF- Bake Sale January 2011

Leena Bakes & Eats: Iron Cupcake SF Bake Sale January 2011

A sea of cupcakes, in this case, vanilla cookie chunk monster, at Iron Cupcake SF January 2011: Bake Sale

14 styles of cupcakes, 672 mini cupcakes, and at least one fairly pregnant Leena: danger, thy name is Iron Cupcake SF. Held on the last Monday in January at the cute but tiny Leland Tea Company located in SF’s Tender-Nob hood, this competition featured 14 bakers and hoards of cupcake tasters gathered for one thing-the love all things tiny and cupcake-ish.

I have been a member of this Meetup.com group for a nearly a year, but finally got around to entering the competition this January. The theme was bake sale, like items typically sold at a bake sale or church fundraiser. I was proud to rock out my version of the Ohio regional candy, the buckeye (peanut butter ball rolled in chocolate). Peanut butter cupcake, dark chocolate ganache topping, and peanut butter buttercream. Yeah. Pregnancy cravings miuch?

Leena Bakes & Eats: Iron Cupcake SF Bake Sale January 2011

My Third Place Iron Cupcake SF entry: mini buckeye cupcakes--pb cupcake, ganache, and pb buttercream. Rich enough to take down a herd of elephants!

For heaps of cupcake porn and a damn good cupcake recipe, click on!

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February 7th, 2011
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Leena Bakes: Dark chocolate pear cake with pistachio ice cream

Leena Bakes: Dark chocolate pear cake with pistachio ice cream

A slice of my dark chocolate pear cake with pistachio ice cream (recipes from Smitten Kitchen and Chow.com)

One of the worst things about being pregnant and me is that I can literally cook or bake ANYTHING I am craving at the time. Like cookies. And Chex Mix. And more cookies. It’s dangerous, really.

Mainly because I hate sharing. I blame the baby for this.

My cravings have definitely had a sweet edge to them, so when an old friend came into town, I used it as an excuse to make some delicious cake and ice cream. I have explored the use of this particular flavor combination, dark chocolate, pear and pistachio, in several desserts in the past, like this one and this one. I love the balance of the slightly bitter chocolate, the syrupy sweet pear and the salt from the pistachio, I figured it would be a good in cake form.

For more food porn and the recipes, click on!
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January 31st, 2011
Posted in Cakes, Fruit, Leena Bakes | 3 Comments »

Leena Bakes- (Gluten-free) Peanut butter cookies–or the easiest recipe EVER

Leena Bakes (Gluten free) Peanut butter cookies or the easiest recipe EVER
My sweet, melt in your mouth, super easy and just so happen to be gluten-free peanut butter cookies.

I love a good peanut butter cookie. The slightly chewy, slightly crumbly, and almost melt in your mouth texture always drives me crazy, but I hate the process of making them. Who wants to bust out the Kitchen Aid mixer to cream butter and sugar when a craving hits?

Someone not lazy, that’s who. And that person is not I.

So imagine my surprise when I found a super easy and really delicious peanut butter cookie recipe, and from the most unlikely source of all, my husband? It has only three ingredients, and I almost guarantee you have them on hand. Check out this Grenier family favorite recipe and peanut butter cookie food porn after the jump.

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January 17th, 2011
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Posted in Cookies, Leena Bakes | Comments Off

Leena Bakes: Momofuku Compost Cookies!

Leena Bakes: Momofuku Compost Cookies!

My version of the Momofuku compost cookies, with potato chips, pretzels, chocolate chips and Reese's pieces. Salty, sweet goodness.

For Christmas 2010, I wanted to find a new great cookie recipe. I had heard of the famed Momofuku Milk Bar (an NYC bakery) compost cookie recipe, which uses whatever salty and sweet bits you have lying around your place, and was vaguely aware of scores of other food bloggers giving the recipe a go on the Internet. All I can say is, I would have made this sooner, but trust me, pregnant or not, it’s never a good idea for to me bake up a bunch of cookies.

I will eat them all,blaming it on the devil child in my belly, while making little children and the elderly cry. And I won’t even care. Unless the acid reflux hits…ah pregnancy!

Long story short–this customizable cookie recipe rocks, and if you’ll kindly click below, you’ll see the recipe and some lovely food porn.

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January 3rd, 2011
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Posted in Cookies, Leena Bakes | 2 Comments »
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