The Broke Baker

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  • Malted Chocolate Cheesecake

    Malted Chocolate Cheesecake

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    After Halloween, I did something really stupid.  I went to the store and perused the racks with the clearance Halloween candy, and ended up leaving with enough candy to last me several months.  Normally, this isn’t really a problem.  I have a candy jar at my desk at work that was always in constant need of refills.  But, then they moved me to an isolated cubicle on a mostly empty floor, and the candy jar remained untouched.

    What’s a woman to do with a bunch of leftover Halloween candy?  Eating it would be a simple answer, but so pedestrian.  Besides, I easily had at least 20 bags of candy lying around.  So, I decided to start getting creative.  This malted milk ball cheesecake was inspired by the Whoppers candies that I sifted out of a giant variety bag of candy.  The cheesecake itself doesn’t contain any Whoppers, but it’s a light chocolate cheesecake flavored with malt. (more…)

  • Mojo Donuts (A Review)

    Mojo Donuts (A Review)

    Let’s face it: if you have heard of this place, then you know that it was only a matter of time before it showed up on the blog.

    Mojo Donuts, located in Pembroke Pines, is South Florida’s first gourmet donut shop.  Before a former DJ/stripper opened this shop with his wife, the only choices for donuts in South Florida were chains like Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme.  Now, the gourmet donuts that places like Portland and New York City have been enjoying for years are finally here. (more…)

  • Bacon Wrapped Ribs

    Bacon Wrapped Ribs

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    When I moved into my house earlier this year, my friends pooled their resources and gave me a very generous wad of cash as a housewarming gift.  Naturally, I spent that money on cooking-related items.  One of these purchases was a grill and smoker, which the hardware store happened to have on sale.  South Florida has a tragic shortage of good barbecue.  I came to terms long ago with the fact that I would have to learn to use a grill if I were to ever have any hope of having accent to a decent barbecue meal.  Now that I finally have a house, and it has a space in the back big enough for entertaining, it was a good time for me to learn how to use a grill. (more…)

  • Burgerliscious 2015

    Burgerliscious 2015

    Another year of Burgerliscious has come and gone, and I certainly had no intention of missing out on this great event.  If you’re just tuning in to the blog, Burgerliscious takes place in Ponce Circle Park in Coral Gables every November.  Here, Coral Gables restaurants get a chance to compete and see which one of them makes the most delectable, finger-licking, lip smacking burger.

    I welcome these events as a chance to put my usual picky eating aside and power through flavor combinations that challenge my palette.  Sometimes, it works.  Other times, I weep tears of anguish over what just went into my mouth.  Who was memorable, and who should have stayed home?  Let’s find out!

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  • I’m BAAAAAAACK!

    Greetings and salutations, loyal followers.  As you may all have noticed, I have been gone for a while.  My sincerest apologies.  A small mishap with the blog server kind of snowballed into a bigger issue, and it took a little longer than planned to get us back up and running.  But, back we are!  Sorry to keep you waiting.

    I’m a little behind on my postings, and I owe you all quite a few!  I will make it up to you all by posting double this month and next.  So, two restaurant reviews and 2 recipes per a month for November and December.

    It’s good to be back.  And, hopefully, here to stay this time.  Stay tuned for more deliciousness, and thanks for stopping by!

  • Casa Mofongo (A Review)

    Casa Mofongo (A Review)

    My obsession with mofongo is still going strong since my trip to Benny’s Seafood ignited it about 2 years ago.  Since then, it has actually surprised me how hard it is to find a decent plate of mofongo in South Florida.  I mean, short of flying to the Caribbean, where else in the country is there such a high concentration of Puerto Ricans and/or Dominicans?  Okay, fine…New York City.  But still!

    I drove by Casa Mofongo on Miracle Mile one day while I was on my way somewhere else.  A dragged my friends there within the next few weeks.  Because, MOFONGO! (more…)

  • Cuban-Style Roast Pork

    Cuban-Style Roast Pork

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    As a native South Floridian, I have eaten my fair share of Cuban Style Roast Pork (Lechon Asado).  It’s easy to find pretty much anywhere in Miami, but can often be dry and bland.  And, since it’s not particularly difficult to prepare, it makes more sense to just make your own.  Anytime pork shoulder goes on sale at any local grocery store chain, there is a good chance that I will be making lechon asado that weekend.

    I originally got this recipe from my mother, but have since tweaked and modified it to suit my personal taste.  Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to go the same.  You can play around with the amount and types of spices to create different flavors.  Normally, you’d be roasting an entire pig in a roasting box (Caja China).  But, you can achieve the same flavor with a pork shoulder and your oven to feed a smaller crowd. (more…)

  • Taurus – A Review

    Taurus – A Review

    In a city like Miami, restaurants come and go a LOT.  Oftentimes, they close without warning.  On this particular day, that is exactly what happened.  I took a drive to Coconut Grove with a friend of mine to use a voucher for an Italian joint that we both really like, only to find that it was no longer there.  Hungry, broke, and too lazy to drive anywhere else, we scoured Groupon for any other deals nearby.  That is how we came to find Taurus. (more…)

  • Mango Madness in July – Part 2 (2015 Chapter)

    Mango Madness in July – Part 2 (2015 Chapter)

    We have reached the tail end of Mango Season here in South Florida.  And, my successful experimentation during last year’s mango season gained me a reputation at the office.  In fact, I think I got at least twice as many mangoes this year as I did last year.  They just kept them coming!  There are only so many mangoes you can eat before you kind of get tired of them.  After that, it’s time to get creative.  Mango Madness 2 was upon me before I even knew it. (more…)

  • Mango Cinnamon Rolls

    Mango Cinnamon Rolls

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    Do you ever get an idea that is just so crazy, you just HAVE to try it to see if it will actually work?  That happened to me one afternoon, as another bag of the endless supply of mangoes from my coworker’s tree appeared by my desk this Mango Season.  There I was, sitting at my desk, when something in my head just screamed “MANGO CINNAMON ROLLS” at me.  Well, there went anything else productive I could have done for the remainder of the day, because it was now the only thing I could think about.

    I thought about different ways to incorporate the mango into the cinnamon rolls.  I ruled out adding mango to the dough, because I was afraid that it wouldn’t get enough mango flavor that way.  Mango in the filling seemed like a good idea, and I opted to use diced mango instead of mango puree.  A piece of mango in a bite would be a pleasant surprise. (more…)