Surfa's + decadent sweets = this chef's fantasy!

Last night my friend and fellow blogger, Ellen, and I attended a great tasting/book signing at Surfa's.  For those of you who don't know of it, it's in Culver City and is basically a warehouse filled with chef porn.  You laugh, but if you are someone who must have the coolest new kitchen gadget or needs just about anything related to cooking or baking, including gourmet sauces, cheeses, vinegars, spices, candy making supplies, tableware, catering items, pots, pans, you name it, they've probably got it.  They also hold food related events year round.

This event was free (such a nice thing to find in LA) and was held by the Bite Me sisters, Lisa Gnat and Julie Albert.  The cute, funny and talented chefs have a new cookbook out and if all the recipes in the book are anything like the delicious fare we sampled last night, it is SURE to be a hit.

We got to try their "go to" cookie, cranberry white chocolate.  It was so tasty!  Crispy on the bottom, chewy on the inside and bursting with tart cranberries and sweet, delicious white chocolate.   This recipe is definitely something I will attempt for the holidays.

Julie holding a platter of amazing cranberry white chocolate cookies!

Apple cake with (wait for it.....).  Butterscotch sauce!!!  OMG.  This cake was moist and sweet and smelled of autumn spices.  The butterscotch sauce added an other layer of good stuff.  Being a huge fan of quick breads myself, I will try and recreate this one at home for sure. Forgot to take a pic :(

We also tried a decadent chocolate pecan pie.  I am not typically a fan of pecan pie but the addition of chocolate really put up a notch in my book.  Simple and decadent at the same time.

Chocolate pecan pie

Next up were two cupcake recipes.  The pumpkin cupcake was perfect, sweet, but not too sweet, great cinnamon and nutmeg flavor, moist and pretty to look at.  Making them in a mini muffin pan was genius.  They were adorable to look at and maybe you won't feel so bad popping two or three of those little guys in your mouth.  They would be a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving dessert table.

The secret of the s'mores cupcake is to bake the graham cracker cupcakes, then cut a small hole in top, fill with marshmallow fluff (yum!) and top with chocolate icing.  What a nice surprise inside!  They looked amazing, but unfortunately by then my sugar level had hit dangerous heights so I didn't get to try it.

The chefs gave great stories and also gave away "Bite Me" swag... I didn't win an apron or a book (bummer!), but I everyone in attendance received a Bite Me shopping bag filled with Surfa's goodies, including a couple of great kitchen tools (each bag was different, but I got a pastry scraper and a silicone basting brush, which I totally needed.)

I hope to buy this book some day to add to my collection, but until then I will savor the recipes which were shared at the event. And I plan on going back to Surfa's again to shop, taste and take a class... very soon.  Check out their schedule for more info!

Chow for now!  :)