Post 390 Picnic Basket

Post 390 Picnic Baskets are where it's at this September. The sun is still shining after you get out of the office, but those sweltering July and August days are well behind. Schedule a basket with an hour lead time to pick up after work - then wander over to Copley Square, the Esplanade or the Public Garden. We headed to our end of the Charles River Esplanade in Brighton. (The light was so insanely beautiful that I decided to channel my inner fashion blogger modeling with my cute little picnic basket!) Here's what's in it: 

/ Salad of Artisan Lettuces / candied pecans, dried cranberries, manchego, white balsamic vinaigrette 

/ Antipasto / prosciutto americano, sweet soppressata, marinated mozzarella, pickles, stout mustard, banana peppers, toasted baguette with sea salt  

/ Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies / soft + chewy 

/ Meyer + Tarragon Sparkling Lemonade / meyer lemon juice, tarragon, black peppercorn

All the food was delicious, however, that lemonade was my favorite! Everything was thoughtfully prepared and securely packaged, which in turn made for convenient unpacking and laying out a lovely spread with ease. The wooden utensils were a thoughtful touch, too. There are a couple different menu options - check them out here and let me know if you try one! 

*This picnic basket was complimentary, all opinions are my own*

outtakes, march

back deck sunshine and shadows and Guinness | sea salted chocolate chip cookies | a great bottle of red wine, Langhe Nebbiolo | roast chicken on Easter 

Geoff + Drew's | Gourmet Cookies

I am about to proclaim a bold statement. Take my word and read on, there might even be something in it for you!

Geoff & Drew's is a local gourmet cookie and brownie company bakes hands down some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. On a frigid Thursday evening I gathered with 1o other bloggers and Chief Cookie Girl/President Carol Spickler at Clover Food Lab in Harvard Square to taste the award winning "Tiffany" or "Rolex" of cookies.Conceptualized in 2001 as "Late Night Cookies" Carol and her two best friends, Geoff and Drew offered a cookie & milk delivery service to Boston residents, catering largely to the college student population. Renamed to Geoff & Drew's in 2003 they've put their heart and and soul into the company, baking cookies ever since. They gained popularity after a spread in Gourmet Magazine and much notoriety including writes ups in the NY and LA Times and a stint on the Today Show. Cookies this good deserve to be nationally recognized and I'm telling you they live up to the hype. The company headquarters is based in Malden, MA where they pride themselves on being not just a bakery, but a high quality gift company. You will not find these cookies sold in grocery store chains or retail of any type. Geoff & Drew's maintains freshly baked to order goods that come packaged in charming gift boxes. They were un-packaged before our very eyes to taste to our hearts content. The Brownie types range from their signature chocolate, to mini M&M's, to a toffee brownie, to a unanimous crowd pleaser: the peppermint brownie. Gooey fudge wrapped around a thick mound of soft peppermint, we could barely contain our excitement. But the real star of this show were the cookies. Slightly crunchy on the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, sweet uninterrupted flavors of gourmet chocolates, buttery goodness and pure bourbon vanilla delighted. Sheer bliss comes in the form of the White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie, followed by a sinfully delicious Double Fudge Chunk. The cookies embody a freshness and quality that surpass any cookie I have tasted as of late. I've decided I need to order more stat and keep a gift-to-myself-box in reach at all times.
I washed my cookies down with Clover's Hot Mulled Cider. I know milk would have probably been better suited, but this was perfect considering the 25* temperatures outside left a lingering chill.Elizabeth was smart to organize the event at Clover (the vegan food truck turned brick and mortar) as it provided a relaxed and bright setting where we were able to sprawl out at the large communal table. We enjoyed our cookies next to a tree that the owner actually cut down himself at a local New England Christmas tree farm.
To get in on the cookie action yourself, purchase a last minute gift, or forgo your own version of baked goods at the office holiday party, Geoff & Drew's is offering my readers 20% off using code BLOG20. See, told you there was something in it for you!

Geoff & Drew's: Baking People Happy

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wanted to make my favorite fall treat: Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies. I could not find pumpkin puree anywhere. I learned from a Foodmaster employee that it will not be present on the shelves of any grocery store anytime soon. While normally there is a surplus keeping shelves full throughout the year, all the rain we experienced last summer caused severe damage to the Pumpkin crops leaving no puree whatsoever in excess. I had no idea it was that bad! So, I kept it simple and made these chocolate chip cookies. 

Ingredients:

2.5 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 sticks butter, softened. If Jenna says 2 sticks, she means 2 sticks!

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1) Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2) Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add the vanilla and mix gently to combine.3) Add the flour to the butter and mix. Carefully stir in the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for about twelve minutes or until golden.

I got mini chocolate chips by accident. I made monster size cookies by choice.

This makes me laugh. They are HUGE.

What is happening?!? So good though :)