Accidental Peanut Butter Cookies

I had half scribbled notes on a scrap piece of paper. Not a full recipe. Didn't even know how much peanut butter was suppose to go it. Honestly, I wasn't sure about these until they cooled off and were ready to be eaten. Peanut Butter Meringues are what they really are, definitely far from the average peanut butter cookie of my youth. Whatever they are, they were fantastic.

Accidental Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Egg White
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Chunky Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 350.
Beat egg white to stiff peak.
Beat in sugar and vanilla.
Fold in peanut butter--streaks of it are ok. The overall batter consistency will be of peanut butter stirred into Fluff.
Dollop heaping tablespoon on to parchment lined baking pan
Bake 15-20 minutes.
Cool on rack.

I doubled the recipe and actually used about 1/4 cp of batter for each cookie. I loved how they puffed up a bit and then collapsed, creating these crunchy pockets in the cookie that exposed small pools of whole swirls of peanut butter. Definitely great with a cup of dark roast coffee.

Edible Pages

Through the luck of the draw, I recently received a free Medium sized Kodak Gallery Photobook from Foodbuzz's Tastemaker Program. The process, to say the least, was interesting as I have over 6 years of photos--at least 1/3 of them food--on my hard drive. I have thought about making a book documenting some of my food related images of Maine but never wanted to sit down and wade through gigabyte after gigabyte of photos.

It's amazing how much a free gift like this can be a motivator.




From start to finish the process took me nearly four hours and almost half of that time was spent trying to move one single picture from one frame to another. I don't know if it was my mind at the late hour or a hiccup in the system, but there was a point when I was so frustrated that I was going to scrap the whole thing. Free gift be damned!



So, the overall layout was kept modest. Black cover, black borders. Single sentence captions beneath pictures ranging from the cat at Harbor Fish Market(at the top), a two page layout dedicated to meat, and a picture my youngest nephew cracked out with a S'mores in hand and covered in chocolate--fittingly, the last image in the book.



I'm glad that my momentary frustration didn't get the best of me because the final product, while simple, made me extremely proud of many of the shots that I've taken over the years. So, thank you to Kodak and Foodbuzz for giving me the opportunity to create an archive of memories that I'll have around for quite some time.

Kodak is also kind enough to be giving a 40% discount to readers, until the end of August, to create their own photobook (food, family or otherwise).

Slice of Humble: Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

As I recently posted, fellow blogger Jennifer Perillo, recently lost her husband and asked people to make one of his favorite dishes, a Peanut Butter Pie, and share it with someone that they love. Like so many that have participated, I did not know Mikey or Jennifer and only came to know about them when I read her heartbreaking story online. Her request was moving and simple. It resonated with me greatly.
So, I am sharing this with my Missus, in honor of Mikey and Jennifer.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie
serves 10 to 12
8 ounces chocolate cookies
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.



Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.



Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream). Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if using, and refrigerate for three hours or overnight before serving.

Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

From Food In Jars:

As so many of you know, food blogger and writer Jennifer Perillo‘s husband Mikey died swiftly and unexpectedly this last Sunday...

Earlier this week, Jennie asked that people take a moment to make Mikey’s favorite peanut butter pie and share it with someone they love. I made mine last night. It’s deeply imperfect, with a crust that won’t stay together and a chocolate layer that’s too thick.

Still, when I cut a messy slice for Scott last night, I did so without apology and with gratitude that he was standing right there to receive the plate.

Lots people have made pies in honor of Mikey, Jennie and their girls today. The FN Dish has been keeping track and has a comprehensive list here.

Charcutepalooza: Heirloom Tomato Terrine

I thought I would be able to reenter the realm of Charcuteapalooza: The Year of Meat by fulfilling their call for a Terrine or Mousseline. Time and, more so, money has been a factor in not participating in the past three rounds and I found myself, again, not being to justify plunking down the money on a piece of equipment that I may or may not use again. I thought I had found salvation from purchasing a $50+ terrine mold by using a recycled Trois Petit Cochon package. It would allow me to do an uncooked terrine which I thought would be kosher--I mean, even Ruhlman throws us a vegetable one at the end of the chapter of 'Charcuterie.'

As luck would have it, Bon Appetit even published a stunning Tomato Terrine in this month's issue. Surely the God's of 'Poor Man's Charcuterie' were smiling down on me. But, they weren't. Not really.

Yes, I had made a terrine. Yes, it worked because I didn't have to cook it. Yes, it met Mrs. Wheelbarrows plea for 'pre-sen-ta-tion.' Yes, I had justified in my head that this fit into the "Year of Meat" because of the use of gelatin. But, I hadn't read all of the rules--that it needed to be more about the binding, than the vessel. That Mrs. Wheelbarrow, herself, had published a terrine that was not cooked in the oven and, therefore, I could have too. I could have also made a cooked terrine using ramekins. I could have done just about everything else that I did and fell into the paramaters that were clearly set out before me.

Just as I was about to declare victory and felt great about what I created, I fell on my face.
At least a little.



I mean, what I made was probably one of the most visually stunning dishes I've made in my own kitchen. There were some errors, like losing too much juice to too much weight before it had time to set, making it a lot more delicate than needed.
But, the flavor equaled the visual and, for that, I do have to declare victory, even if it wasn't in the name of 'Charcutepalooza.'



From Bon Appetit:

2 carrots, chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 shallot, halved
1 garlic clove
10 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
10 black peppercorns
3 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried)
6 pounds large firm ripe tomatoes (a mix of colors but of similar size), peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup thinly sliced chives plus more
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Special Equipment

You will need two 8x4 1/2" loaf pans.

Preparation

Bring first 8 ingredients and 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until stock yields 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large measuring cup. Strain stock, discarding solids. Cover; keep hot

Uncover terrine; invert onto a platter. Remove pan and plastic wrap. Slice terrine; transfer to plates. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chives and sea salt.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over another measuring cup. Cut each peeled tomato into 4 wedges. Place wedges, cut side up, on a work surface. Cut away seeds and pulp from tomato and transfer to strainer. Place filleted tomatoes on a double layer of paper towels to drain; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Pat tomatoes with more paper towels. Let stand for 30 minutes.Press on seeds to yield 1/2 cup tomato juice. Sprinkle gelatin over juice; let stand for 10 minutes to soften. Add to hot stock; whisk vigorously to dissolve gelatin. Stir in 1/4 cup chives, vinegar, and kosher salt to taste.Spray 1 loaf pan with nonstick spray; line with plastic wrap, allowing for a 3" overhang on each side. Smooth plastic to remove wrinkles. Pour 1/2 cup stock into pan. Chill until set, about 40 minutes. Arrange 1 layer of tomatoes in pan, pressing down gently, then drizzle 2 tablespoons stock mixture over. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes and stock. Pour remaining stock over to fill pan. Cover terrine with plastic wrap. Place on a small rimmed baking sheet.

Place second loaf pan on top of terrine. Weigh down terrine by placing 2-3 small canned goods in top pan (some of liquid mixture in bottom pan may spill out). Chill terrine until set, about 6 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

I drizzled some basil oil over top of the terrine, as well as some sliced mozzarella from Vermont. A more visually stunning spin on the Caprese salad and perfect for an August get together with friends.

Goat Mole Enchiladas at Home

I've cooked llama and kangaroo, but never something a little bit closer to home, like goat. I've had it quite often, especially when my ex and I were together, favoring a Caribbean restaurant back in Albany that made a killer curry goat. But, in the seven years I've been here, I've only had it's milk and cheese. An early dash to the Farmers Market at Deering Oaks changed all of that when I had the chance to pick up some locally raised meat.
And, to give in to a hankering for some richer Mexican food (thanks a lot Zapoteca), I thought I would make a mole, a dish I've made a few times before at the old incarnation of my job but never at home. The dish took a while to prepare but the results were well worth it. The goat had a mildness to the meat, similar to veal and took on a lot of the flavors from the mole quite nicely.

For the Mole, I used the Mole Negro recipe that was featured in Saveur this past January. They paired it with a roasted pork loin and I decided to braise some local goat meat



that was shredded from the bones and set overnight in the mole to absorb the flavors. The braise was simple: mirepoix, stock, salt, pepper and goat meat. I didn't cook them directly together because I worried about the mole thickening up too much.

FOR THE MOLE:
1 large tomatillo, stemmed, rinsed, and quartered
1 small tomato, cored and halved
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 cup corn oil
6 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1⁄2 ripe plantain or banana, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1⁄4 cup peanuts, plus more crushed for garnish
1⁄4 cup sesame seeds
1⁄4 cup raisins
2 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
2 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 1⁄2 tsp. oregano
1⁄2 tsp. ground canela or cinnamon
1 slice white sandwich bread, toasted and crumbled
Kosher salt, to taste
Grated piloncillo or brown sugar, to taste
6 sprigs cilantro, for garnish

2. Make the mole: Heat oven to broil and position a rack 10" from the heating element. Toss tomatillos, tomatoes, and onions with 2 tbsp. oil in a bowl and transfer to an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet; broil, turning once with tongs, until soft and well browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer charred vegetables to a large bowl; set aside. Heat oven to 400˚. Transfer chiles to the aluminum foil–lined baking sheet and toast, turning once, until dark and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer toasted chiles to large bowl and cover with 3 cups boiling water; set aside to let soften for 15 minutes. Drain chiles, reserving 1⁄2 cup soaking liquid; set aside.

3. Heat 3⁄4 cup oil in a 3-qt. high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add plantains (or bananas) and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 2 minutes. Add peanuts and sesame seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3 minutes. Add the raisins, the tomatillo mixture, and the chiles with the reserved soaking liquid, along with the chicken broth, chocolate, oregano, canela, and bread; bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Working in batches, purée the chile mixture in a blender to make a smooth mole.

4. Heat remaining oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mole and cook, whisking frequently, until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and piloncillo; set mole aside and keep warm.

After the mole and goat got to know each other overnight, I quickly fried up 6 corn tortillas in oil, laid down some rice and a good heap of the mole into the center and folded tightly before putting them in an oven proof dish. When I was done rolling all six, I topped with shredded cheddar cheese and cotija and baked in the oven for about 25 minutes.

The Fat Man Still Rocks

"We're like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice."
--Jerry Garcia (8/1/1942-8/9/1995)

Summer-O-Rama: Lobster Rolls and PSA's

I am both spoiled and ignorant when it comes to lobster rolls. The two--yes just two, a number that makes me feel as insecure as Charlie, of Wonka fame, did when his teacher asked how many Wonka bars he opened during Math class--rolls that I had skewed my expectations. One was from Taste of the Nation, and chef Mitchell Kaldrovich from The Sea Glass Inn and Rebecca Charles at an 'East Meets West' event at Arrows. They were fancy and complex (one was technically an eclair), something that the humble lobster roll isn't.

It's a simple formula, hardly varying from:

Cold lobster meat + Toasted New England style roll + Mayo + Lettuce = Lobster Roll

It is also something that never quite drew me in. Because, let's be honest, it's a seafood salad and those have always been my least favorite of the salads. At least in theory. I have myself convinced that I don't enjoy them until I have one. Then, I do. Thoroughly. My visit, in this last of the latest summer based topics for the 'O-Rama' series, to the much acclaimed Lobster Shack at Two Lights was no different.



If you do go, and eventually you will, take note if you dine outside. While they truly have the most stunning dining view in the immediate Portland area, they also have bastard seagulls. If you dine outside, I advise you to guard your food like a fat kid guarding the last piece of cake.


The seagulls are ruthless, as we once witnessed one snatching a lobster roll right off a kids tray as he exited the building. If you're lucky, as we were a few weeks back, try to score a seat inside and enjoy nature when you're done enjoying your meal.



And order the lobster roll. Their version is classic and unpretentious--classing it up a bit with a pickle slice. It took me a few bites to push past my inner monologue before I began to realize how much I was enjoying it.



The lobster was cooked perfectly, with nary a touch of rubber in the texture. The mayo went nice--my dollop was not overwhelming. The slightly toasted roll and shredded iceberg lettuce added a nice crunch through all of the fat and richness. It isn't high end and it doesn't try to be. It was just honest and very satisfying.

If I could give one bit of criticism to the whole experience, it would be how painfully sweet their coleslaw was. I realize that I wasn't paying $14.95 for the coleslaw but it came with the 'boat' and tasted like someone had substituted straight apple cider for the vinegar. Beyond that, I can say nothing of the Lobster Shack that hasn't been said before in a zillion other reviews. It's a great place for townies and tourists alike.



But, there's a post script to this. Something neither the Missus or I expected when we finished our meal and took a walk down to the cove, just off the parking lot. As we passed the concrete barrier, we heard someone yell, "Look, a seal!"

Sweet, right?
Some nice nature shots to show some of Maine's beautiful marine life that isn't served on a plate.
Right?



But, everything felt off and you could tell immediately that something was wrong as the seal listlessly floated closer and closer to the shore. Then it kind of started to roll over on its side and started going belly up.
Not really what you want to see standing on a beach full of children, you know?
Then, thankfully, it started to move though you could tell it was distressed. So, action was taken to move the seal out of the water and onto the beach to prevent it from being repeatedly slammed on the rock it was slightly resting on. It was then that we realized that the seal had a broken flipper and what would go on for the next 2 hours was a series of well intentioned actions, mixed with potentially disastrous results.

The things that I learned:

1. No matter how cute it is: DON'T TOUCH THE F'ING SEAL! It's not a cat or a chipmunk and it carries plenty of potent bacteria in its mouth. Also, you can apparently get something called "Seal Finger" which is funny to say, but very painful.
2. Don't take him out of the water, especially if its a pup because the mother could be looking for him. You don't want to be the reason they're separated and you don't want a pissed off, bacteria filled seal mother coming after you for messing with her child.
   
3. You won't get reception if you're a Sprint customer in the cove or anywhere near the Lobster Shack. This means that you cannot call the Marine Rescue (207-288-5644 ) to find out what to do.
   
4. Don't bother calling the Cape Elizabeth police, they will just tell you they'll 'Pass it on.' I'm sure they had many, many more pressing crime issues to handle... in Cape Elizabeth.
   
5. Ignore the woman on the beach who suggests you wrap the pup in a towel because it's shivering. Also ignore her when she tells you not to continuously pour water on the seal. It's shivering because of stress and the woman doesn't have a clue as to what she's talking about.
   
6. When in doubt, and everyone is unreachable, the closest person for information is the ranger at Two Lights. The ranger that was on shift was the only person anyone on the beach could contact to find out what to do. If not for her being there, our well intentioned altruistic attempts at helping the seal could have done further damage. The pup could have been distressed further by the bothersome humans and, naturally reacting to the stressers, could have taken a nice, nasty bite out of someone.
   

**you can find more lobster roll reviews here, here, here, here and here.

Maine Wins At This Years ACS Awards

Just a few hours ago, the American Cheese Society convened in Montreal and handed out awards to some of the best cheese makers in the US and Canada. Because of the wonders of interwebs, I was able to find the list of winners within hours of being announced. This is how I spend my Friday nights. One thing of note was that this was the first ACS award won by Spring Day Creamery in Durham, ME. I had the pleasure of visiting the farm for Open Creamery Day back in 2009 and spent a lot of time talking with Sarah, her family, and tasting many of the cheeses she had on hand. The cheese that won for her, I would easily compare to Bleu D'Auvergne. It's also exceptional that she came in 2nd to this years 'Best in Show' eventual winner, Rogue Creamery's Rogue River Blue--which is easily the best blue cheese being made in the US. I hope the Maine contingency, whether they won today or not, is out enjoying and celebrating in the streets of Montreal.


DC: Open Category made from cow’s milk

1st Eagle Mountain Farmhouse Cheese Co., TX
Birdville Reserve

2nd Monforte Dairy, ON
Abondance

3rd Hahn’s End, ME
Petit Poulet

FK: Blue-veined made from cow’s milk with a rind or external coating

1st Rogue Creamery, OR
Rogue River Blue

2nd Spring Day Creamery, ME
Spring Day Blues

3rd Glengarry Fine Cheese div of Glengarry Cheesemaking Inc., ON
Celtic Blue

QE: Yogurts, Plain – made from sheep’s milk with NO additional ingredients

1st Best Baa Dairy, ON
Sheepmilk Yogourt

2nd La Moutonniere, QC
Royogourt

3rd Appleton Creamery, ME
Yogurt

3rd Valley Shepherd Creamery, NJ
Ewegurt

U. AGED GOAT’S MILK CHEESES
Taupinière, Rinded Log and Pyramid Types, etc.

UG: Open Category

1st LaClare Farms Specialties LLC, WI
Evalon

2nd Chèvrerie du Buckland, QC
Tomme du Maréchal

3rd Appleton Creamery, ME
Chevre Wrapped in Brandied Grape Leaf

Cupcake Capacity--The Final Crumb

6 Bloggers
7 Bakeries
10 Cupcake varieties
4 Bottles of Rum
3 Plates of roasted vegetables
2 Gift cupcakes*
1 Adorable pup named Cashew
And a baggie of homegrown.... mint. No, seriously it was mint. There were Mojitos to be had.

There we were, on a Friday night in July, gathered at the lovely home of Vrylena. Last time Kate, Dawn and myself huddled in my kitchen, power eating a dozen sweets in an hour. When our group expanded, and outgrew my kitchen, Vrylena stepped in and offered to host us. Jillian, of From Away, and Rebecca, of Maine Foodie Finds, rounded out our cupcake 'Gang of Six.'

After Mojitos were made






and real food was consumed, we moseyed into the kitchen for an hour and a half long sugar bender.

One competitor was scratched off our list early on due to heat/transportation issues and a complete icing meltdown.


Y-Lime Gourmet, a new bakery in Portland supplying some of the local cafes and restaurants with her desserts, fell victim to the heat and humidity and should be mentioned because the owner, Emily Roper, even offered to deliver replacement cupcakes in case we ran into the problem that we eventually did. But we didn't get to start the tasting until after 9pm and it would have just been horribly rude to phone her up for a new batch. So, we decided it was best, because the icings texture and fillings were obviously affected, to not review her cupcakes because they weren't a true representation. She, however, wins our Customer Service award for even making the offer.

The bakeries that were represented were:
Scratch Baking Co.: Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Pistachio Frosting
Sugar Hill Baking: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Sprinkles
Bam Bam Bakery: A trio: I tried the Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Aurora Provisions: Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
East End Cupcakes: Lime Cake with Coconut Buttercream and Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
European Bakery: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Rather than do a bite by bite comparison, like I did in the last one, I'm going to make it easy on you (and myself) by simply running down my top 3.



1) East End Cupcakes: Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream.
Visually, it was beautiful--the chocolate buttercream had this great shimmer to it that really made it stand out from the others. The flavor of the frosting was almost that of a chocolate milk, not too rich or too deep. It also had the most moist crumb of any of the cupcakes in this round. It looked simple, it's vanilla/chocolate pairing was simple, but it definitely had a more sophisticated taste than the others. It is what I imagine Martha Stewarts cupcakes taste like.





2.(tie) Scratch Baking Co. with Vanilla Cake and Chocolate Pistachio Frosting/ Sugar Hill Baking Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Sprinkles.
Both participants from SoPo represented. Scratch, the winner from the first tasting, was a little underwhelming this round. But, it's Scratch, so even if it's not mind blowing it's still an outrageously good cupcake. The white cake was nice and moist, though a bit dense, but it was the frosting that elevated them for me. The addition of the pistachios, which never lost their crunch in the frosting, added a textural dimension that the others did not have. One that you don't really expect from a cupcake, either. It was a very, very pleasant surprise.

Sugar Hill Baking was someone I had tried really hard to coordinate with to include in this tasting. However, it didn't look like the stars would align this time until I stumbled upon her table at the South Portland Farmers Market. I almost walked away, opting for cookies instead of cupcakes, when common sense came back to me and I returned to her booth to pick up a few of her offered variety. I was very glad that I did. While some of the other tasters were on the fence (not enough dark chocolate bitterness for them), I loved the flavor, though I thought it needed just a little bit of something (more sugar?) in the cake. The thin glaze of chocolate was just thick enough. And, c'mon, sprinkles on cupcakes are damn near irresistible.



3. European Bakery: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
The big surprise for me was this one. At first I just wasn't sure, though. The cream cheese bite seemed to be missing in the frosting and the walnuts just seemed to have dissolved into the cake, leaving no nutty crunch. But, then I went back for a second bite later on and felt that it was just a nicely balanced cupcake. It's not 'dress up' fancy, but was probably one of the few that we tasted that came off as the most homemade tasting.



It was as messy on Vrylenas counter as it was in our minds by the time we were finished. Unlike the first tasting, this time we agreed to come to our own conclusions instead of a group consensus. Which isn't surprising because some were burned out by the end and didn't even want to utter the word 'buttercream' one more time that evening. So, what did the others think? Who was their favorite? Truthfully, I haven't a clue and can't wait to read the other reflections on the evening.

Between the two tastings Kate, Dawn, and I consumed 24 cupcakes from 13 bakeries. I think that is more than enough cupcakes for me for a while (though I will probably do a single review of Y-Lime in the near future to be fair) and I believe this will probably be the last grand gathering to chat over a counter full of cupcakes. While the food media has seemingly turned its back on cupcakes and declared them 'over,' this experiment has definitely shown me (or, perhaps, just reminded) that the cupcake is a classic and too deeply imbedded in our food memory hard wiring to be at the mercy of trends. And we are in the company of some damn skilled bakers who are eager to prove just that.

My Overall Top 5:

1. Scratch Baking Co.'s Black Forest Mega Cake: The one I wanted MORE of.
2. Scratch Baking Co.'s Banana Cream Pie: The one I wanted to recreate.
3. East End Cupcakes: The one I want to share with my love.
   
4. Sugar Hill Bakery: The one I want to have on a bad day.
5. European Bakery: The one that reminds me of most of my childhood.
   

*A. from Portland Food Map donated his gift from East End to us in hopes of sparking another tasting. The FTC requires all freebies to be disclosed. East End didn't cost us a dime. There's my full disclosure.