Vanilla Macarons with Lemon Curd Filling

Macarons are just the cutest, sweetest little pastries. Everyone loves them! They are even my 2 year old son's favorite treat. :) They are perfect for gifting. Perfect for parties. And, of course... perfect for eating! The crisp exterior and chewy interior of the macaron paired with a delicious filling make for a really special treat. 

Don't be too intimidated by what you already know about making macarons. Yes, they are a bit technical and time consuming. But, they are very do-able and even if they don't end up looking perfect in the end they will still taste amazing! 

 

Recipe:

2/3 cup (3 oz.) ground almonds

1 1/2 cups (5.25 oz.) powdered sugar

3 large egg whites, room temperature

5 T. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a food processor, grind almonds and powdered sugar together to a fine powder. Sift the mixture twice through a sieve. Set aside.

In a stainless steel mixing bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until they are foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar (sprinkling one tablespoon at a time into the whites) as you beat the egg whites. As you start to get a stiff meringue add the vanilla and food coloring if you wish. Continue beating. When the meringue has reached stiff peaks and is glossy it is done!

Add half of the sifted flour mixture. Stir it with a spatula, scooping it up from the bottom of the bowl. When fully incorporated add the rest of the flour and repeat the process of scooping up from the bottom. When the flour is incorporated press and spread the batter against the bowl's sides. Scoop the batter from the bottom, turn it upside down and press into the bowl (pressing all the air out). Rotate the bowl and continue about 15 times. This technique is called Macaronnage and it is really important in order to achieve the "pied" or the little foot that you see on the bottom of each macaron. 

Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large, round tip. On parchment lined baking sheets, pipe the batter into small rounds (I trace circles onto parchment paper ahead of time as a guide). Gently rap the baking sheet against the counter to smooth the surfaces of the macarons and get out any air bubbles. Dry the batter at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes. 

Stack the baking sheet on top of another baking sheet (using two trays prevents over baking the bottoms). Bake in a 375ºF oven for 15-18 minutes, until slightly crisp and before browning occurs. Remove tray from oven and place on a cooling rack. When the macarons are fully cooled, remove them from the baking sheet. 

Fill with any type of filling you wish: lemon curd, ganache, buttercream frosting, etc. Store macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Silent Night Cake

As most of you know I have been (slowly, but surely) working on my Baking and Pastry Associates degree. I only have a few more classes until I finish the entire program and I will officially be a Certified Pastry Chef. I am so excited! This semester I took the Advanced Bread Production class and the Beginning Cake Decorating class and I finished this semester 8 months pregnant with only 3 weeks until my due date... cutting it pretty close, I know! 

For my final project I made a yellow butter cake with chocolate swiss meringue buttercream filling. After crumb coating the cake I covered it with white fondant that I brushed with pearl dust to add a little shimmer. Then I used royal icing to pipe the pearl border at the bottom. I mixed a little vodka with black food coloring to paint the music staves (the black, horizontal lines that the notes go on) and I used black royal icing to pipe the treble clef, the bar lines and the music notes. I actually piped out the song "Silent Night" since it was a really simple, easy song to pipe.  

For the poinsettia... I made each leaf out of gum paste that I food colored with red and green.  I rolled each leaf, inserted wire into them, pressed them with a leaf to make a more natural look and let them dry on a curvy surface. When they were completely dry I used floral tape to wire the bouquet together. 

I am planning to serve the cake at my Christmas music recital this week. I am so proud of all my music students so I thought a special cake would be a fun way to celebrate their accomplishments. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Dark Chocolate Dipped Peanut Cookies

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped peanuts, divided
10 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a large bowl, mix butter and peanut butter on medium speed. Add 3/4 cup flour and the next 5 ingredients (up until vanilla) and mix just until combined. Add remaining flour and mix. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped peanuts.

Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten each scoop with a fork in a criss cross pattern.

Bake 7-9 minutes until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes on the pan and then transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling cookies.

Place dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments (stirring well between each) until fully melted. This will probably take 2 minutes or so.

Once cookies are fully cooled, dip in the chocolate and place on either parchment or wax paper lined pans. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

Pumpkin Pie Pecan Granola

One of my pregnancy cravings has been greek yogurt with granola and fresh berries. Not a bad craving, huh? Well, I have been on a granola making kick for months now and have come up with loads of delicious granola recipes. This one is a front runner. for. sure. I love it! 

And... now that fresh berries are out of season and a bit too pricey for my taste, this granola is just perfect on it's own! No fruit needed. :) Even my picky toddler will eat this stuff by the bowl full with milk. 

Recipe:

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
3 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup honey
3 T. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In large bowl mix nuts, oats, salt, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.

In small microwaveable bowl mix honey and coconut oil. Heat in microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir to combine.

Pour the honey coconut oil mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated.

Spread the granola in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes. Stir the granola around and spread in single layer again. Bake another 7 or 8 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once fully cooled break the granola into clusters using your hands and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Over the summer I spent some time out west visiting family... and at my family gatherings everything revolves around food. :) Almost every night after a full day of delicious meals we would whip up some kind of sweet treat to accompany our game or movie. Sounds pretty great, right?

This chocolate turtle cookie recipe (from Mel's Kitchen Cafe) was one of the many delicious recipes we tried together and there wasn't a single adult or child who didn't just LOVE these cookies! We were all dying over them.

Each cookie is a perfect, little, delectable, chocolatey, pecan and gooey caramel goodness! 

Recipe:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg whites
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
20 soft caramels
3 T. heavy cream

In small bowl combine flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In medium sized bowl beat the soft butter and sugar until light (about 1 minute). Add the yolk, milk and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping sides occasionally. Add the flour/cocoa mixture and mix just until combined. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

In small bowl whip egg whites until frothy and foamy. Place chopped pecans in a separate bowl. Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in egg whites, then in pecans (gently press pecans to help them stick if needed) and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Use the back of a teaspoon to press a teaspoon sized hole into the cookies.

Bake at 350º F for 10-12 minutes.

As cookies are baking, place all caramels and cream into microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments (stirring between each increment) until completely melted and smooth.

As soon as cookies are out of oven use the back of the teaspoon to re-press the hole into the baked cookies. Spoon 1 teaspoon of caramel into each "well" of the cookies. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan to finish cooling cookies on cooling rack. When cookies are mostly cooled and caramel is set the cookies are ready to be devoured! If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container.

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Rich chocolate muffins filled with chocolate chips and sprinkled with a brown sugar cinnamon streusel just before baking... delicious. There is really nothing more to say about these muffins except that you will love them!

Recipe:

Muffins:

2 cups or 9 1/2 oz. all purpose flour
3/4 cup or 3 1/4 oz. cocoa powder
1 T. or 1/4 oz. baking powder
1/2 tsp. or 1/8 oz. baking soda
1/2 tsp. or 1/8 oz. salt

1 1/4 cup or 9 1/2 oz. sugar
8 T. (1 stick) or 4 oz. unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup or 8 oz. buttermilk
2 tsp. or 1/3 oz. vanilla

1 cup or 6 1/2 oz. chocolate chips

Streusel topping:

1 T. brown sugar
1 T. white sugar
1 T. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease your muffin tin or fill with liners.

Combine all dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients on list) in a bowl and set aside.

In large bowl combine sugar with all wet ingredients (the next 5 ingredients). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Each cup should be full. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar streusel on the tops of all the batter in the cups.

Bake for 18- 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Remove from oven and immediately place muffins on cooling rack to cool.

Yield: 12 standard muffins

*Adapted from Chocolate Muffins #7 recipe by Alton Brown.

French Silk Pie

Every year on my brother, David's, birthday I would make and give him a pie. He LOVED pies. His face always lit up when I brought in a fresh apple or triple berry pie. What a typical guy, huh? ;)

Since his passing almost 4 years ago I have carried on this tradition. Every year on his birthday I make a pie to honor and remember him. This year for his 29th birthday I made a french silk pie.

This recipe is a Whitney family favorite. I grew up eating this pie and it still hits the spot for me today. It's light and airy (almost like a mousse) filling is rich and chocolatey and oh, so smooth! Served in a flaky, buttery pie shell with a heap of whipped cream on top is the only way to have it! Although, I could really just eat the french silk filling plain... spoonful after spoonful.





Recipe:

French Silk Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 heaping T. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat butter until smooth. Very gradually add the sugar (about 1 T. at a time) and beat each addition until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add 1 egg and beat 4-5 minutes. Add 2nd egg and beat another 4-5 minutes. Now the mixture should be completely smooth and not grainy. Add cocoa powder and beat until completely combined. Add vanilla and combine.

Spread the silk into a cooled pie shell. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Cover with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, etc.

Pie crust:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup water, cold

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add shortening and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until shortening is pea-sized. Add the ice water and stir. Mix and knead into a ball. Knead as little as possible.

Place on a lightly floured counter and press ball down gently. Sprinkle top with flour and roll out with rolling pin. Fold into quarters to transfer to pie pan. Unfold and gently press dough into pie pan. Trim edges and shape as you wish. Poke holes in shell with fork to allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake at 400ºF for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before filling with french silk.