The Brookie!

That's right! A Brookie! I found this idea online. The half chocolate chip cookie, half brownie hybrid. Boss. I'm not a huge dessert person, nor am I a big fan of chocolate but it's an interesting combo and a pretty looking cookie to boot so I'm down. Well, I finally had time to make them now that finals are over and work hasn't started yet. Beyond excited. 

They came out looking great and being pretty yummy, even for someone who isn't a fan of sweets!

First I preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lined the baking sheets with parchment paper. For the brownie cookie batter I beat 10tbsp of butter, 2/3cups of granulated sugar and 2/3 cup of brown sugar together until it was smooth and creamy. Then I added one egg, one egg yolk and 1tsp vanilla and beat the mixture for a couple minutes. 

In a small separate bowl, I whisked 1 1/4 cup of flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp of salt. I added the dry ingredients to the batter in a couple batches and mixed it all together until it was smooth. Then I covered it in plastic wrap and refrigerated it while making the chocolate chip cookie batter.

For the chocolate chip cookie batter I cream together another 10tbsp butter with 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, and 2/3 cup of brown sugar until it was smooth just like the brownie batter.I blended in an egg, an egg yolk and 1tsp vanilla.

In the same small bowl as the dry ingredients for the brownies I whisked together 2cups of flour, 1tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp of salt. I added the dry ingredients to the batter with 1 1/4 cup of super mini chocolate chips and mixed until the chocolate chips were evenly distributed.

Then I pulled the brownie batter out of the fridge and uncovered it. I took a 1/2 tablespoon and started scooping out little dough balls and setting them aside on a sheet of parchment paper. When I had enough to fill a tray I started scooping the cookie dough and then mushed the two dough balls together to create one cookie! While one batched baked, I scooped and rolled more dough. Let me tell you, I had so many cookies. I set aside 5 of those containers that restaurants give you soup in when you order out for my friends and still had tons of cookies left over for me and my roommates.

I baked each batch for about 10-12 minutes and the whole apartment smelled warm like cookies! My friends loved me. Thus the brookie was crossed off my list of recipes to try!

ROC - Fuego

Being the type A foodie that I am, of course I have a list of coffee shops and restaurants I want to go to. One on the list was Fuego Coffee Roasters. 

Fuego is a cute little coffee shop on a slightly sketchy part of town. Super small but apparently great. Now I'm not a huge coffee fan but I'm always scouting new places that have a good vibe to go back to. For me, Fuego was not that place. It has a super tiny menu so those of use that don't drink coffee have very little else to choose from. Not a big deal, I'll get the tea. Apparently the coffee is bomb though so it's worth a visit. In terms of atmosphere it's super cozy and pretty cute. The problem I found was that the service wasn't super great like I was expecting from a tiny family owned kinda place. Honestly, I walked in with my friend on a Sunday morning and we were the only ones in the place - just the two of us and the barista. Now, I'm a relatively friendly person and I love going to new places like this so I was excited. She was not. She quickly took our orders, and curtly avoided all small talk with us. She took small little comments as insults and tried to get us out of there as quickly as possible. Honestly, I wasn't a fan and as cute as this place is, I probably wouldn't go back. The search continues. 

ROC - More Rice Bowls

So I kinda lied in yesterday's post. Here's another re-cap entry from yesterday. While it was eating day with e-board, I also went and got another rice bowl for lunch with my friend Uly. We've become addicted and I'm not exaggerating when I say this because I saw Uly later and he got yet ANOTHER rice bowl for an early dinner.. and I was a little jealous.. 

Anyways, for lunch I ordered the Bangkok Thai Bowl that comes with broccoli, shredded carrots, lettuce, a sesame soy sauce dressing type thing, chicken, peanuts, mandarin oranges, and I caved and tried to be a little healthier by ordering it with brown rice. Go me. 

This tasted even better than the Florence bowl I got on Monday. At least in my opinion. I think it was the peanuts and dressing that sold me. It was exactly what I was craving this morning. 

Uly and I ended up sitting in the new building that this cafe is located in and eating on the pretty glass bridge study area on the second floor, just talking and wishing that this was actually our building. These lunches are getting to be pretty sentimental and deep. Of course it would be with the two of us softies but it's all good. We're both just trying to take it all in while we still can. 

ROC - Eating Day!!

Today was Reading Day! (Aka 'eating day') for my club's e-board. Last semester we started the tradition of turning the day before finals that's supposed to be for studying and instead make the night eating day! Last semester in a span of about 4 hours we went to Taco Bell, Very Berry Frozen Yogurt (where I work), and then ordered from Zonies (aka Calios) - Rounding out the night watching High School Musical. We're obviously the best e-board. 

This semester was very similar. Tonight, in that 4 hour span, we went to DogTown, Insomnia Cookies, and watched High School Musical 2 in the apartment movie theater. So. much. fun. We may not have eaten as much but we still had a blast and that's all that matters. 

DogTown is a Rochester restaurant that serves specialty hotdogs named after dog breeds. I ordered the Golden Retriever with loaded french fries. The Golden Retriever is a hot dog on a toasted bun in between a blanket of bacon covered in melted cheddar cheese. The Fries are covered in melted cheddar and DogTown sauce aka 'Cincinnati Chili'. Alright! It was really good. I probably should't have ordered the fries because with all the melted cheese and fast food I could feel my sodium levels rising. Worth it. This was actually the first tim I ordered a dog at DogTown. Usually I get a garbage plate or the fries but I've been meaning to try a dog and man was it worth it. Salty, but delicious!

Insomnia cookies is a chain of late night cookie joints so nothing insane but sure is convenient when you want a cookie at 2am. Not that I've gone that late but I've gotten a little closer before. Today I got my favorite chocolate mint cookie, white chocolate macadamia, and they didn't have my M&M cookies so I got a snickerdoodle but those things are incredible so I'm not even a little sad. 

All and all my last eating day was a success! Also, this blog as finally caught up with my life in real time! So from now on I won't have food posts every single day (darn!) but I will update whenever I go somewhere new to eat. Hopefully, here's to a good summer of a lot of new food!      

ROC - Festival Season!!

Summers in Rochester is the best time to be around because that means it's festival season! Every couple of weeks another festival rolls around bringing copious amounts of - you guessed it! - festival food! Now I know summer is swimsuit season and it does get pretty hot which makes my appetite go away a little because who wants to eat some much food when its hot and sweaty out. Eh. 

But this is the first festival of the year and my favorite - The lilac festival. I've been going to this festival almost every year since I can remember and growing up my mom's favorite snack to get us was the kettle cooked popcorn. These bags were huge and the salty/sweet combo of freshly made kettle corn in a giant kettle right in front of you was the best thing of the summer. However, starting in high school I started this deal of getting deep fried oreos with my friends instead. It stuck. 

So, of course this year I had to get it again - my first trip in. I happened to go with this guy who had never had them before so believe me - I was on a mission. He was a good sport about it too and even bought them for me (score!). 

It was at least 85 degrees, super sunny, and a little gross but it didn't matter. I still waited in line in the sun for 10ish minutes for these guys. And they were worth it. Soft and sweet on the inside and the great funnel cake kinda dough on the outside. Just one bite and you're covered in powdered sugar but it doesn't even matter because you're just warm and happy inside. One order is plenty to share for me, and I definitely make sure I don't get them every often because there's no way these things are good for you but that's okay too because sometimes you just need a bite of happiness.

I can eat healthy tomorrow.