2014 Year in Review of NYC's Dessert Offerings

The new year is in full swing and so my bakery reviews of local confections is due as well. I have to say in looking it over I hadn't ventured to as many places. Maybe I was eating "healthier" or maybe I was baking at home more. But that doesn't mean that sweets weren't had and I wouldn't take the time to tell you the good, bad, and the unfortunate.

Here goes...

Ivy Bakery - Formally a storefront in SoHo Daniellan now offers her wonderful desserts in Brooklyn at Root Hill Cafe.

Highlights: Everything gooie! The red velvet gooie has a blood red color and good texture just like a bar. The butter gooie is still my fave of the batch. The green tea pie is quite good as Daniellan's crusts are fantastically flaky and tasty. Dunno if she uses high-class butter or lard but whatever it is keep doing it Daniellan!

Dominique Ansel - I tried Ansel's stuff before the whole rat debacle happened. So I feel somewhat comfortable noting what I did enjoy.

Highlights: The magic souffle. The orange in the brioche "shell" had a nice tang but the chocolate mousse inside is the star of the show. The mousse was wet like an undercooked bread pudding it holds semi-firm and is dense and delicious and not too chocolatey or dark chocolate flavored. However it's pretty costly (and small) at $7. Also finally tried the Cronut (Milk & Honey edition)! The FauxNuts have NOTHING on this one. Perfect consistency with the interior being very much like a nice chewy croissant and the exterior perfectly fried like a doughnut so it has a nice crunch. And the cream inside was tasty, sweet, and drizzly through the flaky layers. The inside of the cream was a bit oily so it ran, but it was good. However, I dunno if this is wait in line for hours good.

Red Rooster - Marcus Samuelsson's restaurant was a place I visited on several occasions this year for restaurant week and press dinners. Usually the desserts do not blow me away, however...

Highlights: ... the sweet potato filled doughnuts were perfection. Screw munchkins, get these light and lightly sugared tasty rounds coupled with a nice frothy sweet potato cream that oozes out when squishing your doughnut so it fills your mouth with tastiness. A sweet cream was served as a dollop on the side.

Silk Cakes - Ever since Silk Cakes opened up in Forest Hills (not far from my place in Queens) I have made a point to go on walks with a friend just to stop by their bakery and reward myself post-walk with milk cakes and/or cupcakes!

Highlights: Yuzu cake (kind of citrusy with lemony/limey) with green tea buttercream and green tea truffle in the middle. The cake was solid texture, nice subtle green tea flavors in the truffle and frosting. And the frosting was perfect, super smooth, best when room temperature (not when cold) and is like velvety perfection but filling (hence the name Silk Cakes). Can I say it again? I LOVE the frosting. I also tried the chocolate cupcake with semi-sweet chocolate truffle inside and green tea icing on top. I am addicted to this icing. So good and smooth.

Another addiction? Their milk cakes! The cinnamon milk cake which was reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. It's on the light and airy inside with the right amount of a sweet brown sugar/cinnamon swirl. Much better than a dense Cinnabon roll I tell you. By years end I had tried ALL the milk cakes from the cinnamon to banana, to green tea w/ blueberries and adore them all fantastic with tea. And again, a nice post-walk treat for yourself.

Trois Pommes - This patisserie is now closed.

Lowlights: A friend said she enjoyed their red velvet twinkie and it was fine. It had a solidred velvet balance and taste and the filling is nice, not too much could actually use more on the chocolate/red velvet side since there's so much cake and is light in cream cheese taste.

Cafe Glechik - The owners have Ukranian ancestry and displayed some of their hometown food at Village Voice's annual Choice Eats event last year.

Highlights: I pretty much repeatedly passed this booth for their Napoleon Cake. It was one of those eyes are bigger than your stomach scenarios. I wish I could've eaten more of that massive phyllo & vanilla cream layered goodness. Light, yet filling. Sweet yet not overwhelming. Fantastic.

Hill Country BBQ - I go for the brisket and the green bean casserole but Hill Country is known for their award-winning desserts.

Highlights: A friend shared some banana pudding and chocolate nut pudding. When having the pudding you must have it with the cookies that goes with them. The chocolate comes with chocolate wafers and the banana with Nilla wafers. If you're a fan of banana then the banana chunks in the pudding will be nice and creamy. However, this has to be eaten relatively quickly as the banana tends to lose water and this makes the overall pudding consistency a bit less solid so that you'll be dealing with chunky bits versus watery surroundings. The chocolate was HEAVY but delicious with the nuts, milk chocolate pudding and the cookies inside. Would recommend sharing the chocolate, the banana I could eat alone.

Old Fashioned Doughnuts - While their storefront has closed down this place popped up at the LIC and/or Astoria Fleas over the summer.

Highlights: Joining in on the FauxNut craze OFD's version was the Cream Croughnut. To me it was one of the better fake Cronuts I have had. It's more croissant like on the interior and is baked not fried. It's not dry like the Crumbnut and not too hard yet sweet unlike Trois Pommes version. It is quite soft and there's a lot of cream so it can get messy with the powdered sugar on top. But a very good find if you don't want something fried.

Sweet Muse - This is a new pop up available for purchase online. They specialize in brownies and I got to partake at LIC Flea last summer.

Highlights: I tried their cashew and caramel fudge brownie. It's a large brownie and the caramel had hardened but was still gooey and worked well with the overall brownie. You know I am all about the texture for brownies/blondies and this one had that dense quality I enjoy. Owner Laura Siner offers a wide range of flavors to choose from. There are also inspirational messages packed with the brownie in a mini ziplock.

Two Little Red Hens - This place may be known for their pies but their cupcakes are also very, very good.

Highlights: The chocolate and peanut butter cupcake, chocolate cake that was perfectly moist reminding me of a homemade Duncan Hines texture with peanut butter inside as filling and a fantastically smooth and creamy icing of chocolate and PB swirl.

That is not to be out shined by the pumpkin spice cupcake with pumpkin apricot spice frosting. Wonderful! Red Hens cupcakes can give Sugar Sweet Sunshine a run for the money in terms of the quality of the cake. The frosting was nice, not too thick or buttercream like and I like the added sweetness alternative from the apricot in the spice frosting. Well done. Large size, wish they had a more "regular sized cupcake." But very good.

Kicky's Kitchen - Is the cupcake dead? Not in NYC apparently. New pop up I tried at Madison Square Eats last summer.

Highlights: The pina colada caketail (cupcake with alcohol). Kicky's thing is making cupcakes out of cocktails! And this entails a cake with pineapple and coconut liquer (and some shredded coconut), and buttercream with a rum floater. It is not heavily alcoholic and you'll enjoy the tropical taste. It was fluffy and a reasonable sized cupcake. The cake itself was springy and the buttercream thick and sweet. I tried a taste of the car bomb (had chocolate stout in the cake) which tasted way more alcoholic than the pina colada.

Macaron Parlour - This place is one of my favorite bakeries and makes the best range of French macarons that I've had as far as I'm concerned. But I am open for others trying to persuade me otherwise.

Highlights: I retasted the Giggity macaron, which is a chocolate macaron with chocolate, caramel and peanut filling. Kinda reminiscent of a Snickers in macaron form. Fan-tastic. But would I expect anything less from Macaron Parlour? I think not.

Molly's Cupcakes & Milk & Cookies Bakery - See my May 26th cupcake crawl post for info on these. They were by far the best things on the crawl.

Chloe Doughy - While this isn't a bakery Chloe Doughy does warrant noting. I won a sample of this dough from the NYC Bake Sale raffle. Basically you sign up for Chloe Doughy and get two doughs (one new flavor for the month and the staple of chocolate chip). I'd recommend this as a cool gift to someone who enjoys baking. Like moi!

Highlights: The chocolate chip was divine. While the process of making it is reminiscent of Duncan Hines it is also distinct in the taste, quality of chocolate, and the fantastic smell. It's a standard chocolate chip that stands out as well and the dough held up well after 2 weeks in the fridge.

The lemon lavendar seemed to dry out a bit after two weeks and this may be because it's more a shortbread type cookie. Instructions say to add sparkling sugar and whipped lemon icing. The dough is fragrant like sorbet and the lemon in the cookie is quite light which is why the lemon icing may be necessary for taste. And to me the subtlety of the shortbread alone was enough to have me wanting more.

Sprinkles - You may know them as the place where you can get cupcakes via ATM. They have branched out form California to the fancy areas of Manhattan.

Highlights: Had the mini lemon cupcake with lemon icing and an unnecessary candy disk on top of the cupcake. The lemon flavor comes through mainly in the whipped icing, nice and frothy, and is subtle in the cake itself but definitely there. I'd get again, but a bit pricey for the mini size at $2. Would prefer it to be $1.50 at most, but then again I was in the UES.

La Toulousaine - I don't have a lot in terms of bakeries in Morningside Heights. I had stumbled upon this place and decided, what the heck?

Lowlights: I tried the pistachio and regular "madeleine's." (Notice the quotes.) They were massive and taste less like a traditional madeleine than a kind of pound cake in madeleine form. Mind you madeleine's are buttery cake but this was not the same. The pistachio was not that pistachio. Not bad but not like the formal madeleine. This is definitely not your typical patisserie. For that I'd suggest going elsewhere.

Le Maison du Macaron - I've been here before and being in the Chelsea area they don't only have French macarons but many freshly made goodies available every day.

Highlights: The key Lime Pie macaron definitely has the essence of key lime pie down. Key lime in the filling, green cookie with graham cracker crumble sprinkled on it. Good stuff. Had it twice. 

Vendome Macaron Bar - I'll admit to being a bit biased because the second time I went to their booth (or tent) at Smorgasburg the vendor got a bit testy. Could've been the heat but still...customer service.

Highlights/Lowlights: Their Reese's peanut butter macaron does taste like a Reese's peanut butter cup. Win! The claim to fame for Vendome is dying their macarons and the orange cookie captures the peanut butter and the chocolate ganache filling is tasty. I later had the salted caramel (light blue cookie) good but this one was not memorable. Their nutella macaron was okay as well. I had to freeze it after it was melting so may not have gotten the best of it as the nutella overwhelmed in the chilled/hardened filling.

Treat House - This place is known for varied rice krispy treats. And that's pretty much it.

Lowlights: For me a rice krispy treat is pretty darn simple to make. Add some more bits into it and it may not be spectacular but fine. I had a chocolate pretzel rice krispy treat that was very chocolatey with a chocolate frosting and flavorless pretzel. Chocolate chips were included in the rice krispy and it was aight. I also had the salted caramel which was fine but I'm also a rice krispy purist. And for $2 each they are small for what you get (and could easily make at home) but service is nice and they keep well.

Levain Bakery - This is the big a** cookie place. Cookies the size of your head I tell you!

Highlights: On a splurge I got the pumpkin loaf, deliciously cinnamony, moist. The perfect quality for bread with a nice crisp crust. I am also quite happy because they gave me the "butt" of the loaf so I got a hefty piece. :-)

Kitchenette Uptown - I used to go here more since it's near my job but the lack of scones in the morning (they make 6 a day) and the increasing prices for watered down cider have me going less and less.

Lowlights: Their cakes and desserts are said to be made fresh everyday. I had their red velvet cupcake and I am sorry to say people that it is not true red velvet! While it's a moist cake with creamy icing (that is also not cream cheese). The red velvet has no chocolate flavor, is closer to pink than red in color. So save your pennies if you have a red velvet fix and get something else. Now their big-as-your-hand cookies, namely PB was very good.

Epicerie Boulud - The director of my company brought two pies in from this fancy place. That means she loves us.

Highlights/Lowlights: The chocolate pecan pie was dense, super sweet, and very good. It's definitely a sinful and good dessert. The dark chocolate is so rich and wonderful...

The apple crumb pie however was dry. If you want some good apple crumb I suggest Little Pie Company's sour cream apple. Boulud's apple crumbs were a bit on the dry side and apple inside is fine and cinnamony but nothing overly special.

Fave Reads 2014 Edition

This year wasn't the strongest in terms of books I absolutely loved. Sometimes I often feel behind in terms of reading even though I read at least 1 book a week and perhaps if I could read twice as many a year I'd love twice as many. But that may not be the case. In terms of everything it's subjective and for me these books were the ones that knocked it out of the park for me and stayed with me and will continue to stay with me. I highly recommend them all. 

• The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks, Illustrated by Canaan White (2014): I read lots of fiction but want to up the ante in terms of poetry, nonfiction, and graphic novels that I read annually. So Harlem Hellfighters was major treat in terms of it being historically based and also having the heart and angst to tell the story of an honored group of military men who made waves during WWII and still dealt with all kinds of racism at home and abroad even. The last lines "Was it all for nothing? Only if we're forgotten" remind you that race relations are still very tentative in this day and age and that men who fought hard for their country still aren't seen as equals.
• NW by Zadie Smith (2012): If you didn't read any bio I've ever written which included favorite books you'll see that On Beauty always appears. I was excited for Smith's latest and also a bit cautious. But in the end Smith is one of our strongest contemporary writers today and I admire her growth and experimental nature as a writer even more in NW. Her dialogue is exquisite and her characters are fully drawn. More please, Zadie.
• Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle (2013): I'd heard good things about Nate in the first and second of Tim's books. And after reading a hilarious paragraph on pirouttes I bought the book when I swore I wouldn't purchase anything at SCBWI in LA then met Tim who is a super friendly guy. And to be on the We Need Diverse Books team with him now is a big treat because Better Nate is a feel good, real book about pursuing your dreams, disappointment, staying who you are while at the same time trying to find out who you are. It's a great, fast, fun and funny book that is right for all ages. More Nate too, please.
• The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (2014): I happened upon this line at Book Expo thanks to a coworker who reminded me that Mitchell wrote Cloud Atlas which I very much enjoyed. So it was worth being in a long, weaving line to get Mitchell's latest. Clocking in at over 700 pages Mitchell's work weaves in speculative elements, heart, and goes across time and continents to tell Holly's story. We see Holly's losses and her strength and by the last page you're glad to have gone on the journey with her.
• brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2014): Another BEA find! I got to meet Jacqueline after the We Need Diverse Books BookCon panel and snagged her book, in high demand. She's also a southerner come NYC and we have similar trajectories in terms of our family line. She's another WNDB advisory board member and simply a wonderfully kind person. bgd is one of those books I so wish I'd had as a young reader and you don't simply read this memoir in verse you fall into it. Each line, each word exquisitely chosen. It's been a major success in Jacqueline's career and I'm proud to have been a first reader clamoring for it at BEA. It's well awarded for last years' National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
• The Tastemakers by David Sax (2014): A tight and interesting read, especially if you're interested in food or a food lover like I am. Somewhat dated in terms of what's trend and what isn't due to timing of publication. Either way it doesn't take away the relevance or the unpredictability of what does or doesn't become a trend in the food world, nor does it take away from Sax's great style and vivid way of showing you the items, the competition, and even the planning that goes into attempting to create a trend.
• Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater (2014): It's inevitable that a Maggie book is going to end up on my list of favorite reads as long as she publishes at minimum one. Last year she published 3. Goodness gracious. Sinner is the spinoff book staring side characters that became more mainstays of Cole and Isabel as they attempt to be together and grow together outside of the Forever trilogy. It's one of those "quiet" books about internal struggle with fantasy elements and Maggie uses it to her continued strength. I enjoyed every minute, word, page, interaction of Cole and Isabel and automatically want more but this also feels complete. And I know I can always go back to page one to enjoy it all over again.
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown (2014): A new trilogy and automatic NYT bestseller that's a sci-fi revenge story. Darrow lost his love and starts to lose himself as he infiltrates the higher tier of society from Red to Gold. There are elements I didn't like, for instance lack of diversity and also rape used against women in battle, but Darrow is someone who's rise (and fall) you can relate to and the writing itself sticks to the emotions and the action going on around Darrow. So I'm invested enough to read the sequel coming out next week.
• Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (2010): I'm late to the Kitchen Confidential train and I don't usually read, um listen, to audio books. But Bourdain narrating Kitchen is the best thing and really sucks you in. He hits the right notes for his writing and isn't necessarily a performer but the right reader for this book. Again, I'm into food as you know so hearing about the underbelly and his rise, though I noticed he skipped over parts, is interesting. I will never eat seafood on a Sunday again in a restaurant, of this I am fairly certain.
• When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago (1993): The first of three memoirs that Santiago wrote about her childhood in Puerto Rico and then her entrance to New York City hits on all cylinders. Santiago's prose is fantastic, lush, and packs a punch. She does well to keep the restrained knowledge yet deeper understanding of the destructiveness of her parents relationship (not even marriage) and how her mother could love her one moment and smack her upside the head the next. Santiago's willfulness as a child, the eldest, and the humor that lies in her and her siblings relationship and her growth is wonderful. Looking forward to the next two memoirs.
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013): One of the most lauded books last year to publish in 2013 Americanah made a lot of "Best" lists and also won the NBCC award. Not without merit of course. This is one of the more honest explorations of race in America from the Non-American Black (NAB) perspective also incorporating the American Black (AB) perspective as well. I had some qualms with the main character of Ifemelu but the fact is she is human, flawed, rough, emotional, and all. She is a woman we can identify with in terms of the good and the bad and that's always been one of the biggest strengths of Chimamanda's writing.
• Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos, Illustrated by Joy Ang (2013): Adorable about sums this picture book up. I met the agent for this book at SCBWI in LA and bought this book for a coworker who was expecting his first child. A baby with a mustache that can be either a good or a bad one? Come on how cute IS that?! And Ang's illustration adds a soft and additionally sweet touch to the story as the titular character goes through his own good/bad mustache phase. And there's more Mustache Baby to come too, people.
• Kindred by Octavia Butler (1979): Yes, what took me so long to get onto the Octavia Butler train?! Kindred was one of the first books I read this year and I loved every second. It was written almost 4 decades ago and everything Butler wrote still has pertinence today in terms of race relations and perception and our connections to history. Butler has that magic touch of taking the everyday and twisting it on his head and for the character of Dana to have to go back and save her family line while meeting a sociopathic ancestor is a lot to handle, but addictive to read.
• Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang (2013): A nominee for the National Book Award Young People's Literature last year Yang's two (yes two) graphic novels looking at the Boxer Rebellion is great, especially from the two different perspectives. I highly suggest you read them both back-to-back to get the full weight of those on the side of the fighters and the side of the perceived "devils."
• Astray by Amy Christine Parker (2014): I'm not adding this to the list because Amy is my CP or because it's awesome, though those reasons help. It's because Amy's sequel to her debut Gated takes on the aftermath of being "rescued" from a cult and deals with the truth of how assimilation or attempting to find normal is not an easy thing and acceptance isn't always ready with open arms. Amy challenges her main character and readers to see beyond the smoke screen of a "happy ending."
• Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (2011): I'd been wanting to read this book and winning a copy a la Goodreads was a great way to do so. I'd heard rave reviews for this book and it took a few pages but once I was in I was all in. The futuristic world, the narcissism of society, the dependency on others to make you feel like a better person while at the same time trying to find self and all this woven around a love story between middle-aged likable schlub Lenny and the youthful and often unawares Eunice. Like Oscar Wao the title will let you know what to expect but the journey to get there is very good storytelling.

So here's to another year of great books, new and previously published! And provide me any recs of things you've loved and I'll add to my ever growing list.

Fave Reads in 2015

I didn't quite make my Goodreads reading goal last year but what can you do? I read lots more books by POCs though, as I kept tally of it this time around and thought "Dang, what was up with me not reading as diversely as I had thought I was?" Anywho, here are the gems of the year that I heartily recommend. Gonna keep it short & sweet y'all:

Digest by Greg Pardlo (2014): Digest won the Pulitzer for Poetry this year. I happened to be at a great reading organized before the Brooklyn Book Festival and Greg read from it. His pieces are fantastic. Poetry as a form tends to be incredibly visceral and Greg's was that in addition to having bits of humor, history, and also elements of expedition into the narrator's mindset for each poem none completely the same. Fantastic. Savor each piece carefully.

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy (2015): Angela happened to also be at the same reading Greg was at pre-BKBF. And I was lucky enough to be in a reading with Angela over the summer where I snagged a copy and got it signed. I had been hearing about Turner House all year as a book to watch out for. And the accolades (congrats Angela!) are absolutely worth it. This is a fantastic piece looking at a Black family in Detroit simply struggling with themselves and their continuous growth dealing with their demons. The emphasis is on characters and family and also community. I couldn't get enough of this book when I was on my makeshift residency in fall.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina (2014): This was a hyped book and winner of the Pura Belpre Award last year for Young Adult fiction and so well deserved. I adored this book, not just because it took parts in places of Queens I had lived in but the whole story being about Piddy's growth in a new situation and how bullying affects this for her to really come to terms with who she is and wants to be. The struggle, y'all.

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (2009): As you can imagine this is not a feel-good book. The statistics are not something you can ignore nor are they something you should ignore. The fact of the matter is that systemic racism has it's grips in so many aspects of society that Black males in particularly are targeting for incarceration at ridiculously high rates. This is necessary reading for anyone in politics, social justice, law, in general really. I'd encourage you to sit with what Alexander presents in harrowing chapter after harrowing chapter of real life instances and data. Like I said, it won't be an easy read (great selling point, I know) but it's a highly enlightening one.

Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton & Sona Charaipotra (2015): Drama, dancers, diversity. Nailed it! This was a quick read that I enjoyed for the tension and mystery of what would happen and also who could or couldn't be trusted in the end. The sequel comes out later this year so if you haven't read TPT definitely do so now in preparation for Shiny Broken Pieces.

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu (2014): Another hyped book and a longlist for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature last year. This was one of the many books discussed by the disabled community as being a great and solid representation of autism. So I had to delve in and was amazed at the fantasy world Ursu created as well as how the hero of Oscar can be a hero without being "cured." The cool twist is that those who seem the most pristine are the most broken. Loved it.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae (2015): There's a hole in my heart where Issa Rae's web show Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl should be. I miss that show terribly. So obviously I jumped all over the book once it came out. It's a funny and quick read of vignettes from Issa Rae's actual life and childhood as well as adulthood. One of the best chapters is her breakdown of the different types of co-workers. I had to make copies for my own co-workers of these groups. It comes in handy.

Native Guard by Natasha Tretheway (2006): Another Pulitzer Prize winner! I aimed to read more poetry this year and read 4 so I need to up the ante next year. But I enjoyed much of what I read and the poetry I read was by all POCs. Native Guard is expressly historical and looks at race. It is pretty damn heartbreaking but so, so clearly seen. Tretheway knew her topic and the story she wanted to convey over the course of the entire book to tie themes together so you could see a full trajectory of the enslaved, soldiers, constant fighting and colonization.

Endangered by Lamar Giles (2015): I enjoyed Giles' debut Fake ID and felt he nailed the voice of Panda in his second book. What I like most about this book and his other one and why I often recommend his books is because of the confidence & strength of the voice of his narrators. In this one Panda is out for revenge to try and even the score when it comes to those who bully others. But from the beginning we learn that perhaps she's in over her head this time and what makes Panda that much different in terms of what is considered a bully?

Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple (2012): When I was in a slump this was one of the first books I really liked early in the year and I was glad to find this one. It's a best-seller and what I heard most often about this was about the style and structure in terms of it being from different perspectives in emails, text messages, telegrams, memories, and so on. It helped move the story along and give so much variation and levity yet balance to the overall story that held me from beginning to end. Bernadette is a bit of a mess but there's a method to her madness that I enjoyed and had me side with her for much of the book in terms of feeling like she was misunderstood more so than a whack job.

Other books I'd recommend that I read are Blue Talk & Love by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan and Ghost Summer: Stories by Tananarive Due.

Here's to another year of some amazing books! Always a lot of books but never enough time.

#ArtistTherapy: Measuring "Success"

"I don't feel like I've accomplished anything..." Yes, it's that time of the year. End of year review, year in review, summation of goals, whatever you'd like to call it and you start to consider what have you actually done. Especially in terms of your art. Let's call it what it is: pity party time.

Every year I write a list of goals/aims for the next year. This is for me to be accountable and also seems a way to punish myself. I am a checklist person. Someone who needs to be able to scratch things off and then see what's next to tackle. The idea of taking items off a To Do list is nice. Makes me feel productive. But also when looking at the year-round results I see I didn't do as much as I aimed and also took on a bunch more than I'd envisioned.

And there in lies the rub. Events, activities, volunteer work, new ideas, heartbreak, and so on can sneak up on you and derail your goals completely. Yet, you're still accountable for what did and did not happen. And when it comes to your art did you pursue it as heavily as you swore you would on the last days of the year as the clock steadily ticked down to a new year, new month, an anticipated new life? Maybe not.

If the answer veers toward the negative do you consider yourself successful?

The measurements of success are so varied for so many people. I consider success doing what I said I was going to do and being satisfied with the final product. I also consider success getting something I believe in published at a place that understood my goal. I consider success someone enjoying a cookie I developed. I consider success finishing something, anything. I consider success being respected by my peers for what I do know and being open to additional knowledge. See? The scope is wide.

What I am taking away from 2014 are the things that have brought me a better understanding of myself and my work. I am glad for being a part of We Need Diverse Books, for starting a podcast to continue the lack of diversity in publishing/art conversation, I am hopeful that my latest draft of my collection will be done before 2015 is officially here. I am glad for the small wins and consistency of life in being employed. Still being passionate about my work. Having a continuous slew of ideas hit me. Of having my work celebrated with acceptance for a future publication or winning an award that allowed me free attendance to a conference that gave me renewed faith in my work. I am glad for the success of panels and cookie competitions I participated in and for being able to work on my writing even if I didn't make as much time as I had (continually) promised myself. I consider 2014 successful in some areas and not so much in others but that's what the culmination of days helps with. Making sure that you are building towards that bigger goal that overall feeling of success that may not be accomplished with crossing off a task in a day but more so the accumulation of knowledge and heart and passion for the work you are pursuing.

Maybe you want to make a Goal list for next year. Maybe you want to hold yourself accountable day to day. Maybe you want to engage in said pity party and sulk over the "lack" of success you had if there's no agent contract, no book deal, no show in the works. But consider that if you've made progress, that same forward movement we talked about earlier this year that was so easy to stay stagnant in that any steps could be considered a success because we're looking forward, not back.

Third Times the Charm at #CookieTakedown

This is what my cousin said to me a couple times on our way to the 2014 Sunday edition of the Brooklyn Cookie Takedown I was not wholly optimistic. For me, baking is somewhat therapeutic. I couldn't imagine baking full-time as some of the love would be chipped away. Whereas writing is a passion, and something I consider work, baking is a hobby. And like any hobby why the heck not make over 200 cookies for people to consume and judge at the annual Cookie Takedown? Matt Timms organizes the slew of Takedowns that goes on, and not just in Brooklyn. The cookie version is the only one I've dared to enter because of my love for baking.

I found I was pretty uninspired for cookies. Wanting to do something different, and without chocolate, like in previous years. 2012 was maple cookie with a candied almond. 2013 brought a toasty coco-lime shortbread. This year...I was blank for a bit.

In the end I knew I wanted to try shortbread and perfect what I did last year in a way. Shortbread is a good try for several reasons. One of which is that it is so full of butter that it freezes well and is easy to roll so moisture and texture can retain if you make dough ahead of time.

But what to add to said shortbread? Who the heck knows? Time flew. Thanksgiving came and went. And I figured "The hell?!" I'll do shortbread dipped in chocolate with homemade caramel swirled on top. Perhaps there'll be a slew of chocolate items like the year prior. Perhaps there'd be a lot of caramel or bourbon items as well. I dunno. All I knew was that even though I was going through some personal issues and was not wholly invested that I'd make the best damn cookie I could.

Some things I learned in re-trying my hand at shortbread.

1. Use the BEST butter you can. And that meant Kerrygold Unsalted. Being part of the Kerrygold Food Blogger Network I knew I could utilize some coupons and found the texture and quality to be enhanced than with that of butter available in my local stores.

2. Confectioners over Granulated. Sugar matters when it comes to shortbread. Shortbread needs to be smooth and crisp, but buttery and not too sweet. Which is why it's important to have a good balance in that taste when you're adding items onto it. Don't just add stuff to shortbread! It has to work on all levels. So confectioners tones down the sweetness to not overpower while also being so fine that it works in the dough itself to get that crispness you want.

3. Watch. Your. Shortbread. I moved into a new place and so have a much more powerful oven. Which means I had to nurse and guard my shortbread until it turned a slight toasty on the bottom edges. Once that happens and the top is somewhat firm take it out and slip onto your wracks to cool and then seal up tight.

So I made all the cookies on Friday. And then it was time to melt the chocolate (use a pan!) and dip said cookies into chocolate. What did I find though after 2 hours of waiting for chocolate to set in my hot a** apartment? That I need to set these things in the fridge because my apartment was not having it. This meant the 200+ cookies I had spread throughout my small NYC apartment in Queens needed to go into my fridge in shifts over the course of another 2 hours so I could stack them up.

Sunday morning, right before heading out to Brooklyn, I made caramel complete with more butter, (light) brown sugar, heavy cream, and kosher salt. After making the caramel I put it into a squeeze bottle and wrapped that up in foil to retain the heat in the hopes it was not too cold out (since my apartment was Hades) to freeze the caramel and rushed off to the Takedown.

Well, after 3 years of doing this I was having fun. Eating the other participants' cookies. Friend and Takedown Queen (Ice Cream Champene) Daisy Bow was my table buddy and had my fave cookie of the day her Darth Tater potato chip shortbread with chocolate drizzle. Sooo good.

The judges tasted. One of them co-owner of Baked Renato Poliafito and a previous Takedown judge from Schnack. So, at the end of the competition you get up on stage, introduce yourself and your cookie and wait to hear the verdict. The judges choice came first and they announced the two Honorary mentions. Then came third place.

At this point one is hopeful to hear their name but not expecting it and by the time the second place was called I was waiting to hear whom I'd be congratulating for the first place prize while sweating under the Bell House lights on stage and smiling due to a sugar high and since you're being watched by many, many people.

And then, someone, Renato of Baked, calls #19 Chocolate dipped & caramel tipped shortbread and your mouth drops open and you stagger back into your friends Daisy and Emily in shock at having your name called. Then you, or I, walk slowly to gain your prizes and smile really big and goofily and when the mic is placed in front of you say "I've been in this competition three times and this is the first time I won. Yay!" And then you get a bunch of congratulations from many people with genuine smiles and must figure out how to carry a Kitchenaid mixer home from Brooklyn to Queens with your cousin.

Afterwards you eat Thai food for dinner to try and cancel out the sugar. :-)

So yay! Bridesmaid turned bride at the latest Brooklyn Cookie Takedown after a rough couple weeks and worrying about what I was making knowing I made something people enjoyed--even having Matt Timms dad Pete strike up convo about how much he liked my shortbread and the best he's had was by his wife who is English and they, you know, invented shortbread--can be enough. I really do simply like to feed people and have them enjoy it. But winning a Kitchenaid mixer and Baked cookbook is pretty damn awesome too.

Happy Baking peeps!