thursday thought + baking.

this quote is another one of my favourites.  obviously the scientist in me really loves it.  it really speaks to me because I often get people saying to me "wow, you are so smart" and "you are so lucky that you are so smart" when really I don't think it is luck at all.  of course, over my many years of education I have always gotten good grades but I have never been one that hasn't had to work for them.  and I haven't had as good of grades in subjects I haven't been interested in... I definitely don't think of myself as one of those students who just wings it and magically comes through the other side with an A.  over my past 4 years in university I have wanted to go in so many different directions and once I finally figured our where my passion was and what I was totally infatuated with and "curious" about my grades seemed to skyrocket.  I think being passionately curious leads you to great things.. and I am thankful at this point I have discovered how curious I am about this ocean of ours.

now, onto baking. I was supposed to do a lot more baking this week than I actually got around to because of this stupid cold. however here are a few things I have made over the past few days...

another batch of these chocolate chip cookies because they are just so simple yet completely delicious.
my girlfriends made a batch of this fudge while I crafted at the dining room table because I didn't want to get my germs all over the delicious baking.  it was so amazing- good job friends!
and I made these gluten free cookies for my cookie exchange last weekend...

recipe:

1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
112 g dark chocolate; about 4 squares, chopped melted and cooled
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup icing sugar

whisk almonds with cocoa, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. beat butter with brown sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy, about 3 mins. beat in egg and vanilla. stir in cooled chocolate. fold in almond mixture until combined. cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm enough to roll, about 10 min.

position oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. preheat oven to 350. line 2 baking sheets with parchment. place granulated and icing sugars in 2 separate small bowls. scoop dough and roll into tbsp-sized balls. coat with granulated sugar, then icing sugar. place on prepared sheets 1 inch apart. bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, switching and rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies crack, 12 to 14 mins. remove sheets to a rack and leave for 2 mins. cookies will look undercooked but will continue to bake as they sit. remove to a rack and cool completely. store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or freeze up to 1 month


this makes about 20-25 cookies and was a fairly time consuming recipe as far as cookies go but they turned out awesome! so soft, fluffy and moist especially for gluten free I thought.  flourless cookie success!


I leave you with this ridiculous picture of me when I was super stoked on life before this stupid cold.  I took it right before girls night and I was one happy camper...