Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Feb 9, 2012, 8:56 am
I think we can all agree that bacon makes everything better. (except maybe those brownies I posted a couple weeks ago). But how do you make bacon better? You candy it. With cardamom. Yep, candied bacon is amazing. And cardamom is one of my favorite spices. I love the citrusy, spicy flavor. ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Feb 8, 2012, 12:00 pm
Last summer, Hubby and I went blueberry picking with some friends. We came home with tons and tons of blueberries (15 pounds to be exact!). I whipped up a bunch of blueberry treats, like Cinnamon Blueberry Rolls, Blueberry Cobbler Bars, and even some Blueberry Salsa over Grilled Mahi Mahi. Even afte...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Feb 7, 2012, 12:40 pm
I saw these cookies on Picky Palate over the holidays. They reminded me of these Oatmeal Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies that I love. I decided I had to find some cinnamon M&Ms. Then I found out the hard way that getting my hands on some cinnamon M&Ms was going to be much easier said than done. I ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Feb 6, 2012, 12:00 pm
It's Secret Recipe Club time again. This group has been so much fun because it's so low pressure and I get to meet new bloggers and try new recipes. My matchup this month is Itzy's Kitchen. Back when we were dating, Hubby would order a Black and Tan on a regular basis. He was the first perso...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Feb 3, 2012, 9:53 am
After I made those disappointing Bacon Bourbon Brownies, I couldn't get the thought of a bacon-ey dessert out of my head. Luckily there are plenty of bacon filled desserts out there on the internet. I was so happy when I took my first bite of these cookies. The bacon lends a smokey saltiness that is...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Feb 2, 2012, 11:27 am
Now that you all know how simple it is to roast garlic at home, you can make all sorts of delicious treats with it. First up is some Roasted Garlic Hummus. I always like to have some fresh vegetables at any sort of party, including parties for the upcoming Superbowl. I like to give people the option...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Feb 1, 2012, 11:27 am
Today kick's off Hubby's birthday month! The crazy thing is that he's not a big birthday person. But I am. I would celebrate my birthday the entire month of June if he let me. Usually I'm lucky to get just the one weekend of my birthday dedicated to me. But that's ok. I like making a big deal out of...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 31, 2012, 10:47 am
I've been hearing that whoopie pies are the new cupcake. I'm not sure how I feel about that statement. Whoopie pies do have some similar attributes to cupcakes. You can make them with just about any cake and frosting combination you can think of. And they're portable. You can make thing big or small...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 30, 2012, 10:43 am
Well it's here. The week of the Superbowl. I'm lucky enough to have friends who don't mind me taking over their kitchen to provide all the food for their Superbowl party. Fiona and I have a pretty killer menu planned out for next Sunday. For the rest of you who might still be tweeking your menus or ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 29, 2012, 8:29 am
I was approached by the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer with an opportunity to interview one of their executives. Since I wasn't able to fit an in-person interview into my schedule, I did an email interview with Eloise Caggiano, Program Director, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Before I get to the in...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 27, 2012, 9:36 am
I'm just going to come out and say this bread is AMAZING. Seriously. If you are looking for ideas for the Superbowl, MAKE THIS BREAD. Actually, you should make it this weekend to test it out and play with what flavors you want to use as a practice run. Then make it again next weekend to share with y...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 26, 2012, 11:23 am
Have you guys been noticing the theme around here recently? That's right - it's time to start thinking about Superbowl party food. To me, football means finger foods and appetizers. And bacon. We'll get the bacon soon enough. First, let's talk about pretzels. I love making homemade soft pretzels, bu...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 25, 2012, 10:20 am
You know how certain foods can just take you back. Whether it's to a time or place, sometimes even the scent of a food can really trigger a memory. One random memory I have is eating applesauce to the tune of Jeopardy. Every time I see a jar of applesauce, that song just runs through my head. I thin...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 24, 2012, 12:04 pm
I made these little sandwiches for a party we had at our house a while ago. They were a HUGE hit and would be perfect for the Superbowl in a couple weeks. You could really use whatever sandwich combinations you enjoy in some little puff pastry buns. Making the little puff pastry buns took a ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 23, 2012, 11:07 am
I like love Frito's. In fact, I'm pretty sure they have crack in them. Especially the Frito's Scoops. They simply have a perfect amount salt and corn and crunch. They're perfect. If you've been reading for a while, you may have picked up on my love of Frito's. I made Frito Candy over four y...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 23, 2012, 2:43 am
My friend Amanda is running the Boston marathon this year. To help raise the $4,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, she is hosting an online bake sale. I donated 3 dozen of my Hot Chocolate Cookies. The bidding is open until 5pm on January 28th - so head on over to Tales from a Kitchen...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 20, 2012, 10:58 am
I know, right?!? Bacon + Bourbon + Brownies = sounds amazing. Too bad these brownies were a bit disappointing... I wanted to post this recipe because I think it has a TON of potential and should be perfect for the upcoming Superbowl. For whatever reason, when I think of Superbowl food, my mind goes ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 19, 2012, 10:13 am
I have confessed my love of avocado many many times. I freaking love those things. I believe that avocado is one of those foods you can add to almost anything and it'll taste better. I love using avocado to add creaminess to salads. Obviously one of the best ways to enjoy avocado is on top o...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 18, 2012, 11:18 am
I rarely make biscuits. They're really easy to throw together but I just don't think of it. I saw this recipe on Foodgawker and it caught my eye. Mostly because it had ginger beer in it. I have been loving a good Dark and Stormy recently. The fizz and spice from the ginger beer is awesome. Yo...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 17, 2012, 8:44 am
We're past the halfway mark and it's time to check in on my 30-while-30 list. I marked a couple things off the list this month!! Still quite a few to go, but that's ok. Food / Blogging Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake - Done! I made a holiday version by adding peppermint! Gnocchi Donuts  E...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 16, 2012, 11:21 am
I saw this Sweet Potato Soup in my Google Reader and it inspired me. I went home that night and whipped up this soup. I didn't follow Amy's recipe, but I just kept imagining that picture of the bowl of warm creamy soup. I used homemade pumpkin puree and ambercup squash that I had in the frid...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 13, 2012, 11:32 am
Cream cheese frosting makes everything better. This recipe has appears on my blog so many times, I decided it deserves it's own post. I've used it to top cinnamon rolls, Oreo cupcakes, Carrot Cake Cheesecake, and everything in between. When you're making cream cheese frosting, make sure you g...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 12, 2012, 11:18 am
It's definitely that time of year. The bitter cold wind outside makes you crave foods that will warm you from the inside to the out. I first made this soup a couple months ago. I didn't have time to make it in the crockpot like Erin did, so I just made it with canned beans in a large pot. Since then...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 11, 2012, 6:00 pm
I've got a handful of giveaway winners to announce today. If you won any of these giveaways, please email my by the end of the day Friday, January 13th with your mailing address so I can get the goodies sent out ASAP. First, remember the $100 Serve credit giveaway from a couple weeks ago? I re...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 11, 2012, 10:11 am
I love putting a new spin on a classic recipe. I had the pleasure of enjoying these Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownies when I was hanging out with my friends Fiona, Aimee, and Katie one night a couple months ago. Fiona had whipped up quite the unique recipe. Her recipe involves cutting the brownies in...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 10, 2012, 11:54 am
It's that time of year where everyone is eating healthy to keep up with their resolutions. I wasn't planning to jump on the bandwagon, but when I saw this recipe the other day, I had to make it. It was so colorful and chock full of some of my favorite fruits. Even when I was mixing it togethe...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 9, 2012, 12:00 pm
Secret Recipe Club is going through a transition period right now. So you might not see as many posts this month as you normally do for SRC. I decided I definitely wanted to participate even though it was optional in January. Once again, I was lucky enough to "meet" a new Blogger. Kate blogs over at...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Jan 6, 2012, 12:01 am
I've got another ATK cookbook to giveaway today. Remember when I participated in the America's Test Kitchen Food and Friends campaign? Hubby and I hosted some friends for an AMAZING Rack of Lamb Dinner. The dinner party was to help promote one of their new cookbooks called The America's Test Kitchen...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Nov 2, 2011, 10:55 am
Remember when Hubby and I went to Canada a few weeks ago? It was a GREAT trip. We had so much fun hanging out with our friends and their baby. We ate a lot of great food, drank quite a few cocktails, and played more than our fair share of Settlers. (Yes, we're nerds). Since we rented a cute l...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Nov 1, 2011, 1:37 pm
Have you guys seen America's Test Kitchen's The Feed? It's a great website that was launched this summer to provide free recipes and food stories by the people at America's Test Kitchen. They've done all sorts of blogger challenges and contests in the past few months. Remember when I did this chocol...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 31, 2011, 10:42 am
Well guys. We made it. One whole month of pink food (well, there were a few exceptions). Today is the last pink recipe for a while. Hubby was a good sport, but I think he's sick of it. This was honestly one of my favorite recipes of the month. The pumpkin pancakes are fluffy and light. And t...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 28, 2011, 8:00 am
How has everyone's week been going? We got SNOW last night. Not enough to stick or anything, but it was downright COLD here. That makes me very sad... For today's Friday Favs, I bring you Amber from Sugared Whisk. Amber is a fellow Hoosier - while I love Boston, sometimes I really miss Indiana and t...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 27, 2011, 10:42 am
Being a Foodbuzz Tastemaker has been a lot of fun for me. Through the partnership with them, I was able to host a Boston Cupcake Crawl and enjoyed participating in the Foodbuzz Project Food Blog last year. From time to time, they offer us the option to try out various products. When I saw the email ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 26, 2011, 10:46 am
Every weekend, Hubby and I eat eggs for breakfast. Some days it's on a sandwich with bacon, sometimes, just scrambled with toast, and other times, we just eat them over easy. It's our standard breakfast Saturday and Sunday each weekend. We rarely go for sweets for breakfast even considering the amou...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 25, 2011, 10:26 am
I feel like most of the pink food I've been making has been sweet. I wanted to make something savory for a change. These shrimp fritters were AMAZING. They had a great shrimp and garlic flavor without being overly greasy or heavy. I really enjoyed the Blackberry Dipping Sauce. I loved how th...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 24, 2011, 10:19 am
Being lactose intolerant hasn't been too hard for me. Luckily, I can handle goat and sheep milk products. One thing I really really miss is a warm bagel with strawberry cream cheese. Honestly, cream cheese is my nemesis. It's the one dairy product I cannot handle. Another lucky fact is that I really...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 21, 2011, 8:00 am
Who else out there can't believe it's already October 21st?!? Seriously time, stop flying by so fast. At least it's time for another weekend, and I've got a lot of fun things planned this weekend (including crossing some things off my list!) But enough about me, let's talk about this week's Friday F...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 20, 2011, 10:21 am
Remember when Megan and I had the chance to play with fondant thanks to the lovely people at King Arthur Flour? While we were at it, we figured it would be fun to do some Halloween cupcakes decorated with fondant. Megan had wanted to do the ghosts and I suggested adding the mummies as well. ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 18, 2011, 10:04 am
Oh beet smoothies. Making these was a lot of fun. For starters, I told a friend that I was going to make some beet smoothies and she thought I said meat smoothies. She just kind of smiled and said "that sounds interesting". When she told me what she had heard, I was shocked that she would think I wo...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 17, 2011, 10:46 am
Well, as of today, I'm four months into my 30-while-30 list... I still feel like I've been slacking, but I've just been having too much fun to pay attention to this silly list. Food / Blogging Chocolate Mosaic Cheesecake Gnocchi Donuts  Eggs Benedict Laminated dough (either dani...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 14, 2011, 8:00 am
Happy Friday! What's everyone up to this weekend? I'm on my way to NYC for the Avon Walk!! I've got a great guest post for this week's Friday Favs. Kelsey from Apple A Day is one of the bloggers that I met on an online food forum quite a few years ago. I've been following her blog pretty much since ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 12, 2011, 10:01 am
Holy pink deliciousness! These mashed sweet potatoes with beets are amazing. And just LOOK at that color! The cooked green onions on the top really enhance the flavor of the mashed sweet potatoes and beets. Hubby ate these in his lunch for a couple days. He said some of the guys at work asked...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 11, 2011, 10:11 am
Remember the cake from my first fondant adventure? I promised I'd provide details about the inside, so here we are. And, I have the winner of the giveaway. But first, let's talk cake. I came up with the idea for this cake a couple months ago. After the Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake got posted, ...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 10, 2011, 7:00 am
Another month has passed and it's time for another round of The Secret Recipe Club. I'm taking a break from posting pink food for just one day to bring you this awesome fall vegetable dish. For those of you who don't know about Secret Recipe Club, you sign up to participate, then are assigned anothe...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 7, 2011, 8:00 am
Happy Friday everyone!! Who's ready for the weekend? It's supposed to be beautiful here in Boston, so I plan to spend some quality time outside. For this week's Friday Favs, I bring you Jessica from The Novice Chef. Have you guys read her blog? She seriously cracks me up on a daily basis. Between th...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 6, 2011, 9:59 am
I hope you guys are as excited about all the pink food I have planned for you this month as I am. There are only a few foods found in nature that produce pink result. As we saw yesterday, beets are one of them. This Pink Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe uses beats again to provide a beautiful pink...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 5, 2011, 10:04 am
Who else out there loves beets? I think they're awesome and I'm SOOO glad I was introduced to them a couple years ago. One of the great things about beets is the vibrant pink tint they give to anything they touch. I think beets pair so well with goat cheese. So I replaced the Parmesan in the...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 4, 2011, 6:00 am
You know those big beautiful cakes that you see on all those reality baking shows? With all the different shapes and colors of fondant? I've honestly never had ambitions to make anything like that. But I've also never given it a shot. When Megan from Delicious Dishings and I were talking about our l...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 3, 2011, 5:34 pm
I've done it again. I'm donating some of my baked goods for a good cause. If you want to bid on my M&M Cookies (or any of the other delicious baked goods), head over to The Spiffy Cookie to check out her online bake sale. Bidding ends tomorrow, so definitely check it out!! Don't forget about my Powe...
Comment - Like

Jen Perez posted an article on Beantown Baker - Oct 3, 2011, 11:20 am
I know, I know, summer is over. It's sad. But if you want to take yourself right back to summertime, just make this blueberry lemonade. Remember when I went through that huge blueberry kick? Well, Hubby and I had picked 15 pounds of blueberries, so I was finding ways to use them left and right. I fr...
Comment - Like