After what has felt like nonstop traveling, I am BACK in Boston 😀 It was an awesome three months do doubt, though it’s nice to finally have a moment to relax and enjoy my own apartment. I feel like I haven’t blogged in forever! Of course, the traveling has meant little to no chance for foodie adventures and photography…thankfully, I had photographed some sugary treats a while back that had yet to be featured on this blog!
Chocolate Truffles are perhaps one of the most luxurious sweets, and yet they are so easy to make! My recommendation: use THE best chocolate that money can buy – Ghirardelli, Godiva, Scharffen Berger, Green & Black’s, etc. It’s the main ingredient, and will make all the difference in the world (especially if you don’t plan on using any added flavors). Adding a flavor is where the fun really begins – peppermint, pecans, bourbon, cinnamon, Grand Marnier, espresso (I could go on…). Just be sure to stick with ingredients that won’t entirely overwhelm the taste of the chocolate (after all, these are chocolate truffles).
From there, you can roll them in any coating (that’s edible) – we went for a combination of sprinkles, chopped nuts, powdered sugar, and even coconut! Some other ideas might be crushed cereal, decorative sugar, pretzels (but don’t get crazy!) The result was is quite stunning, and so rich! They can be a little messy, but I was recently given a trick: coat your hands in cocoa powder, then roll them into balls – so simple! Have several bowls set out with your desired coatings, and I would quickly washing your hands in between coatings, unless you want a truffle that is covered in every one…which is OK! Click HERE to read more about these bite-sized treats.
These Cinnamon Bun Cookies were such beautiful cookies! At first I was skeptical, and not really convinced that they would work. It can be a little tricky slicing the rounds, so be sure to use a good, sharp knife. I rolled the dough as tightly as I could, then placed it in the freezer overnight. The next morning, I carefully sliced the logs using a chef’s knife. I also would recommend making a touch more of filling than you need (just in case!)
The original recipe calls for icing, yet I felt these already have the perfect balance of sugar and spice. For fans of a sweeter cookie, then you would love the icing – and it would also bring these even closer to their pastry inspiration. If you are bringing these to a party and want to box them up, I would recommend icing the cookies once you arrive. Just make sure your guests don’t steal any while you’re working – I can guarantee they will be tempted to try. Click HERE to read more about these beautiful cookies.
All I can say about these Peanut Butter & Fudge Oatmeal Cookies is that they are dangerous – once you’ve had one, you’ll want at least 3 (or 12) more. They are actually gluten-free, which is a great option if you or a friend is sensitive to gluten products. Everything else about them is pure indulgence: peanut butter, chocolate fudge…they are just really good. I could talk more about them, but wouldn’t want you to accidentally drool on your keyboard – click HERE to read more about these chocolatey bites.
Since this large chunk of  tours that was practically taking me across the country, I felt like a bit of storyteller with friends and colleagues by sharing “tales of distant places” (heck, even the middle of nowhere Ohio can feel like a fairy tale…) Needless to say, this thought inspired my musical pairing for this blog – Aleksandr Glazunov’s Chant du ménestrel, Op. 71 pour Violoncelle et Orchestre. This is a piece I only recently heard performed, and have ultimately fallen in love with. A minstrel was a medieval bard whose songs of faraway lands and heroic feats were highly sought by Europe’s high society. The minstrel tradition was eventually replaced by court composers and musicians, which led many of these bards to travel for work – hence the “wandering minstrels”. The picture of a traveling performer is a romantic ideal (and, in a small way, define my own work in the arts world!) A number of artists have drawn inspiration from this ideal, including poets…

O for the gentleness of old Romance, the simple planning of a minstrel’s song! (John Keats) 

playwrights…

Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an
thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but
discords: here’s my fiddlestick; here’s that shall
make you dance. ‘Zounds, consort!
(Romeo and Juliet: Act 3, Scene 1 – Shakespeare)

And painters…(to name a few!)

So where is the connection to these cookies? Cookies in and of themselves are edible stories – each has its own history, whether it be your mother’s beloved chocolate chip recipe or from a holiday cookie swap at your office that was a lot fun. The original below recording is with cellist Yuli Turovsky and the chamber orchestra I Musici de Montréal – enjoy!

Sources Cited:
“Minstrel,” Wikipedia.com
“John Keats quotes”, Thinkexist.com
“Romeo and Juliet” Shakespeare.mit.edu
“Supper With The Minstrel And His Lute,” Gerrit Van Honthorst: The Complete Works