Raspberries and Cream Macarons

Posted by - bakingaddict from The More Than Occasional Baker

This is a lovely recipe from my macaron book which has remained untouched until recently.  It's a great little book all about macarons. There are pretty pictures and clear instructions with step by step photos. I particularly like the recipes in this book because there is no egg wastage.  The egg whites are used for the shells and the egg yolks for the filling. I would say these were a semi-success, far from perfect but I'm glad I tried them again. I particularly liked the filling - I could just eat it on it's own! I think I can now say with confidence that I've conquered my fear of macarons :)

 

 strawberries & cream macarons ... but I've run out of strawberry jam so it's raspberries and cream for me

 I didn't have any vanilla pods either so I used a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste - smells amazing and you can see the flecks of vanilla seeds if you look closely enough

 you are supposed to mix to a ribbon like texture... so far so good.... 

 Glitter makes everything better

 A skin formed - honestly! 

 I couldn't resist peeking into the oven... looks good :) 

 ta-da! 

 look there's feet!! 

 whisking egg yolks, sugar and cornflour... 

 to make a custard like filling...

 ready for the fillings

 jam on one side, custard-cream filling on the other 

 mini macs just because everything looks better in miniature form!

 I'm so super proud of myself!! :) 

Recipe from Macarons by Annie Rigg, published by Ryland Peters & Small, photography by Kate Whitaker - reproduced with kind permission from the publisher (with minor edits from me in the method section)

For the macaron shells

200g icing sugar
100g ground almonds
120 - 125g egg whites (approx 3 egg whites)
a pinch of salt
40g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod split lengthways (I used vanilla bean paste)
red edible glitter

For the filling


Raspberry jam (original recipe states strawberry jam)
3 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
250ml milk
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways (I used vanilla bean paste)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
100ml double cream

• Blend the icing sugar and ground almonds for 30 seconds until thoroughly combined and set aside. 
• Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold a stiff peak. 
• Continue to whisk at medium speed while adding the caster sugar a teaspoonful at a time.
• The mixture should be thick, white and glossy.
• Using a large metal spoon, fold the ground almond and sugar mixture into the egg whits. 
• Continue folding until a ribbon-like texture as shown above. 
• Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe evenly sized rounds onto a baking sheet (I used a silicone mat which you can buy online here)
• Tap the bottom of the baking sheets sharply, once, on the work surface to expel any large air bubbles.
• Scatter edible glitter on top (I used a small paintbrush which I tapped gently from a height).
• Leave the macarons to rest for about 15 minutes - 1 hour until they have set and formed a dry shell. 
• Preheat the oven to 170C. 
• Bake the macarons, 1 sheet at a time for about 10 minutes.
• The tops should be crispy and the bottoms dry. 
• Leave to cool on the baking sheet.
• 
  
• To make the filling, put the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a small heatproof bowl and whisk until combined. 
• Heat the milk, along with the vanilla pod (or vanilla bean paste) in a small saucepan until it only just starts to boil.
• Remove from the heat and pour over the egg mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. 
• Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook gently over low heat, stirring constantly until the custard comes to a boil and thickens.
• Strain into a clean bowl, add the butter and stir until the butter has melted. 
• Cover with clingfilm and leave to cool before refrigerating. 
• Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold into the chilled custard. 
• 
  
• Take one half of the macaron shells and spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam onto each one. 
• Fill a piping bag with the vanilla cream filling and pipe it onto the remaining shells. 
• Sandwich together with the jammy macarons and leave to rest for about 30 minutes before serving. 

Pistachio Macarons

Posted by - Anuja @ http://simple-baking.blogspot.in/


I have a new obsession these days (and I think 8 out of 10 food bloggers are on the same platform as I m :D)...French Macarons. Having tasted blood with my first batch, I m hungry for more. I want to try every combination possible and the possibilities are endless.

Made Chocolate Macarons next and they too obligingly turned out beautiful. This is my third batch of the temperamental cookie (did I just committed a faux pas by calling it a cookie?....oh well) and I m telling you the cookie is still behaving :D.

As much as I love the traditional almond flavor, this pistachio variation was unexpectedly delicious. More earthy and nutty.  The pistachios add an extra chewiness and also give the macarons beautiful intense flavour.

Everything is just right about these green beauties. The bottoms of the shells are flat and they rose and had "FEET", the texture is extremely chewy with a crunchy exterior, and the flavour is just amazing.

Pistachio Macarons

Refer to my first post on macarons for detailed understanding of the process and weights of ingredients

(will yield around 40 shells of 3 cm diameter)

Ingredients:

35 grams Almond meal 

30 grams Pistachio meal

80 grams icing sugar

40 grams caster sugar

50 grams egg whites (aged for a little over 24 hours on the counter top) 

 Chocolate butter cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl mix the egg whites with an electric hand beater (alternatively you can use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment) until it is thick and frothy. Gradually add the sugar, whisking all the while, until the mixture turns into a thick, glossy and compact meringue. Make sure the the meringue is not over beaten or else it will be too dry.

Process the almond meal, pistachio meal and icing sugar at high speed to achieve a fine powder. Sift (or whisk the powder by hand) to break up any lumps of powder.

Place the dry ingredients into a bowl, then add a few drops of the green food coloring. Add the meringue and give it a quick fold. You don't need to be gentle, but the goal is to incorporate the dry ingredients quickly to avoid overmixing. It's better to undermix than overmix. Continue until you get a smooth and supple mixture, thick in consistency so that when you lift the spatula in flows back in thick ribbons. Test a small amount on a plate – should the tops fall back and flatten by themselves then it is ready, if not give it a few more folds.  

Spoon the batter into a piping bag/gun with a 8-10 mm nozzle and pipe evenly onto the baking paper. Mild peaks should settle back into the batter eventually. If they don't disappear, tap the tray repeatedly on a table until the peaks have largely disappeared. Usually the batter will spread a little and any bumps will disappear.

If you want, you can leave the piped batter to dry for anywhere between 20 mins and two hours. Drying the batter helps in feet forming. Place the tray in the oven. If you're using a conventional oven, cook as normal for two mins and then open the oven door about 2.5 cm and place a wooden spoon between the door and the jamb to permit hot air to escape for the rest of the cooking time. (Your spoon might get a bit singed, so soaking it in water briefly beforehand is a good idea.) 

At the 5 minute mark the shells should have lifted and developed 'feet'. At the 6-7 minute mark they should be starting to colour just slightly. Rotate the baking sheet if the colouring is uneven. They are probably ready if a shell moves only reluctantly on its foot when you lightly nudge it with a finger.

 Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for a minute or two. Gently try to lift one of the outermost shells. A slight twisting motion or a peeling motion can help. If the shells stick badly, but are firm, try spraying or brushing a little water under the baking paper. This will moisten the paper and soften any stuck bits after 1-2 minutes. Don't use too much water or the shells may start to dissolve around the edges. Remove each shell by gently peeling away the baking paper or with the aid of a thin palette or paring knife. Another solution to the sticking problem can be to place the paper or Silpat (with stuck macarons) in the freezer for a while. Once removed from the sheet, leave the shells to cool on a wire rack, face up.

How to Assemble:

Fill the Chocolate Butter Cream in a plain tipped piping bag and pipe small dollops on one of the shells then gently cover with another. Do not press. Continue to do this until you have used up all of the filling and shells.  Leave the filled cookie to mature in the fridge for a day or two for the flavours of the fillings to mingle with the shell and to get the best results. Macarons are best eaten after a day or two of filling them.

This post is linked to Have The Cake. The theme for the month of April is French Macarons.

Beauty and the Beast

Posted by - Miss C @ Tête-à-Tête 4 Food

Macaroons look simple, the ingredient list is not long or peppered with unusual things BUT do not be fooled they are tricky things to make! However I found them really fun to create!
These are my Raspberry and White Chocolate macaroons I made for Valentines Day this year, hope you enjoy!

As a child I loved watching Disney movies and Beauty and the Beast was a favourite. From this day I still remember the rose in the jar and my panic stricken grief as the petals started to fall one by one. I thought it would be a lovely theme for my Valentine's post. What I thought of love as a child was influenced a lot by the fairytale styled Disney films and hopefully this post portrays the sweetness and innocence of love. I sometimes still believe in fairytales!

So, I have made raspberry and white chocolate macaroons finished off with roses for decorations. The rose in the glass jar is my inspiration and I was sure to feature it as part of my presentation. I hope you enjoy this post and cherish your childhood memories. 

April Challenge: French Macarons

Posted by - Rena

photo courtesy of Pinterest (not mine)

It was bound to happen. There has been a macaron explosion in NYC for last few years. They are everywhere! The flavor combinations are endless. I've eaten a bunch around the city and they are hit or miss. Some I love, some are good but not worth the $2-$3 a cookie you have to pay. It's time to make them on our own. These are not to be confused with the macaroon which is a coconut cookie.

I can't wait to see what combinations you come up with!

Happy Baking!

April Roundup

Beautiful souffles, ladies! Thanks to everyone that participated and thanks to Brooke for the pick.

Sturdy Souffle, 2 ways

Posted by - Elena Gustavson

Souffles have become a go-to, quick and easy meal during the week for my busy household. Crazy, right? Not when you have Fanny Farmers recipe for Sturdy Souffle! Because the eggs are not separated, but beaten whole, this dish is a cinch to make. Although it does not rise as high as a traditional souffle, it does come out round, shiny and brown.

I typically serve this souffle on chilly nights and when paired with a bowl of cold weather greens (like spinach, baby kale, miners lettuce, etc.) tossed with apples, dried cranberries and goat cheese, it becomes a super fast, super healthy and super tasty meal that all three of my kids enjoy. If I have some extra time or company coming, I throw together a pot of veggie and bean soup with crusty fresh bread for dipping.

Tonight's souffle comes two ways. By dividing the same recipe, into separate ramekins, I can add tasty treats for more grown-up palates. If you have only a 1 quart souffle dish, this recipe will fit nicely into it, with or without the additions. I have also been know to hazard best guesses and put this into whatever I could find. Always comes out delicious.


Below, is my adaptation of Fanny Farmers Sturdy Souffle:

4 T butter, unsalted
1/4 cup + 2T of flour
1 1/4 cup hot milk
1/4 cup cream
pinch of salt
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
4 T blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 c finely chopped, fresh baby spinach
4 eggs, well beaten

Preheat oven to 375F. Butter four, 1 cup ramekins or ovenproof bowls/baking dishes with high sides. Sprinkle containers with some of the parmesan cheese. Place these containers into one large baking dish or two smaller dishes. You will fill these "base dishes" with water before baking the souffles.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour with a whisk, blending until smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and thick.

Carefully add hot milk, stirring constantly and quickly, for 3 minutes, until smooth and very thick. Add salt and remaining parmesan cheese, blending until the cheese is completely incorporated into the sauce. Remove from heat.

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the hot cheese base to the eggs, to temper the eggs, then return the egg-sauce mixture to the saucepan and beat until smooth.

In two of the 1 cup ramekins,  divide the blue cheese and spinach evenly. Pour the souffle base on top until 1/2 inch from the top and mix gently with a spoon. In the remaining ramekins, pour in the remaining base.

Using a small pitcher, pour water into the "base dishes", so that the water comes up about 1/2" up the sides of the ramekins. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until raised, pouffed and lightly browned.

Pairs nicely with mixed and dressed greens and/or soup. Enjoy with a classic rhone wine, hard cider or sparkling water.


Other ideas: mushrooms, fresh thyme, gruyere; goat cheese, kale and carmelized onions; ham and cheddar;

Simple Chocolate Souffle

Posted by - Dorrie

For my simple and yet impressive chocolate souffle I turned to one of my favorite dessert books, Melanie Barnard's "Short and Sweet: Sophisticated Desserts In No Time At All". Barnard's recipe for "Buried Treasure Cocoa Souffles" is easy to make, quite yummy, and takes about 30 minutes start to finish.

Melanie Barnard's Buried Treasure Cocoa Souffles

6 chocolate truffles or chocolate kisses

2 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

8 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 Tablespoon coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Butter six 6-ounce (3/4 cup) souffle dishes and coat each with some sugar, tapping out the excess. (Note: Don't go overboard on the sugar here; it's only supposed to help the souffle "crawl" up the sides of the dishes. Too much and the souffles will be overly sugary - I learned this the hard way.) Place a chocolate truffle or kiss in the center of each dish.

Souffle dish with chocolate kiss

3. In a bowl, beat or whisk the 2 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of sugar until it becomes thick and is a pale yellow. Whisk in the cocoa, liqueur and vanilla.

4. In another mixing bowl, beat the 4 egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly add in the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar and beat until the mixture has formed stiff peaks.

5. Fold the cocoa mixture into the egg whites.

Folding in the cocoa mixture

6. Divide the mixture between the souffle dishes and place the dishes on a baking sheet.

Bake the souffles until well puffed, about 15-17 minutes and serve immediately.

I like to serve mine with a little whipping cream on top - it provides a nice cooling element to the molten hot chocolate in the souffle.

Finished Chocolate Souffle with Whipping Cream

I made this during the kids' nap on a weekend when my husband was in and out running errands. When the souffles were done I told him to have one on his way out and then I went upstairs to grab some laundry and check on the baby. With my 30-minute souffle I garnered this reaction from my beloved on his way out the door:

"Darn Good Soufflet (sp?)"

This souffle is lovely warm, with the melted chocolate kiss or truffle in the bottom being so nice. But I've discovered that when it's cold, it tastes like a brownie and that ain't bad either. Next time you want to impress some guests with a easy souffle, try this one!

Easy Cheddar Cheese Souffle

Posted by - Dorrie

Have The Cake's theme this April is souffle. I wanted to participate because I have two great souffle recipes, one for a cheddar cheese souffle and one for a chocolate souffle and both are really simple.

Souffle can be intimidating and I think the French mean for it to be that way; they do love to make their cuisine very difficult. If there is a way to make chicken soup take 12 hours and involve 10 ingredients that require a trip to a farm in Provence - the French will do it. I think it has something to do with French national pride.

But I'm here to tell you that souffle can be easy. First up, cheddar cheese souffle. This recipe comes from my mother and her September 1979 Family Circle. In that issue, an article entitled "The 6-minute Souffle" appeared, which included recipes for Cheddar cheese, Roquefort, Ham, and Banana souffles, all quick and easy. Since this article was published when I was four, I grew up thinking that souffle was always easy and was quite surprised to discover that most people thought souffle was "supposed" to be hard. Mais mon souffle n'est pas dificile!

In the battle for an easy cheese souffle, here is your weapon:

Blender!

Get your blender and your souffle dish (or 6 small dishes) and we're off!

Cheddar Cheese Souffle

5 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 lb cheddar cheese, cut into about 1" chunks

11 oz. cream cheese, cut into about 1" chunks

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and butter a large souffle dish or 6 small souffle dishes.

2. Add to the blender the eggs, cream, Parmesan, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until mixed well and smooth.

3. With the blender running, add the cheddar through the hole in the lid, one chunk at a time until all are chopped up and the mixture is thick. Add the cream cheese in the same manner. (Note - the mixture will be very thick at this time; it may be necessary to stop the blender and stir the mixture around with a spatula to fully incorporate the cheeses.)

4. Once all of the cheddar and cream cheese is fully incorporated, run the blender for 5 more seconds, just to get a little air in the mixture.

5. Pour the mixture into the buttered souffle dish(es).

Cheese Souffle - post blender

6. Bake the souffle for 40-50 minutes depending upon your preference. The original recipe says that either you can bake the souffle for 40 minutes and use the "liquid center as a sauce to spoon over the rest of the souffle", or you can just do what I do and bake it for 50 minutes to get a nice firm souffle all the way through.

The souffle will have a lovely brown top:

Finished Cheddar Cheese Souffle

This souffle is heaven with a soft cheesy center and a crispy edge. It is a great vegetarian and gluten-free main course (hence why it is often served at the book club meetings at mine and my sister's houses), and isn't too bad the next day as leftovers. I have an aunt who likes to eat the leftovers with salsa...

Now see wasn't that easy? No slaving over a pan, separating eggs and beating egg whites to stiff peaks. If anyone wants the recipe for the Ham Souffle for their Easter leftovers let me know.

Next up - easy chocolate souffle for dessert!

Back in the Game

Posted by - Ellebee

I have been a baking slacker for the past several months, but I decided to turn it around this month when I saw we were doing souffles. I've always been intimidated yet enchanted by souffles, and I've always wanted to try to make one. I feel in love with the photo of the lemon souffles baked in actual lemon rinds and decided to try that. In fact, I decided to make it for Easter dessert! At the in-laws!

Beautiful, beautiful lemons and spring tulips - nothing about this spells disaster, does it?

If this sounds like more than my usual recipe for disaster, it was. When I mentioned to my mother-in-law that I'd both be bringing a coconut cake and making the souffles, she visibly shuddered. So, it was for the best that I decided the souffle recipe was too complicated to try to make in an unfamiliar kitchen. Relieved, my MIL e-mailed me that the coconut cake would suffice. Still, I didn't want to give up the challenge this month, so today I decided to make both the coconut cake and the lemon souffles to serve after dinner with some close friends this evening. All in the two-hour window during my daughter's nap. I'd read that you could make the base of the souffle and just add the meringue when you were ready to cook it, so I decided to go that route.

I tackled the lemons as the coconut cake was baking. It quickly became apparent that Martha Stewart has a superior brand of grapefruit spoon to mine. Her recipe advocates using a serrated grapefruit spoon to dig out the lemon pulp. I used a grapefruit spoon, a paring knife, AND a melon baller, and the stringy white pulp on the bottom of the lemon wasn't budging. So, I decided to switch to making the souffles in ramekins.
Piper eats the icing for the coconut cake while I make the souffle base - bad mommy!

I made the base with no problems, and after dinner, I made the meringue. The souffles went into the oven and at 12 minutes they were rising well over the edge of the ramekins. At 14 minutes, the were browning on top. I pulled them out of the oven, sprinkled them with powdered sugar, and they immediately fell. The photo is about 30 seconds after they came out of the oven.
Souffles before disaster hit.

Also, they were, unfortunately, too lemony to eat. I really had to wing the recipe, because of switching serving dishes and whatnot, as well as a few other things that I won't get into here (mostly not having the proper kitchen equipment or being unsure about how to use the equipment I had). That said, I AM going to attempt another souffle, and another, and another. The savory souffles sound particularly appealing. But I may give up on Martha Stewart.

Souffles

Posted by - Cindy

Well, I finally got a chance to make my souffles! I chose a lemon souffle.This was my first souffle & the first time I zested a lemon. My recipe is from http://bakingbites.com/2011/02/lemon-blackberry-souffles/. The only change I made was to use strawberries instead of blackberries. These souffles turn out nicely. This dessert doesn't leave you full and feeling guilty. I thought it was light & not too sweet. I'm glad I can say I made a souffle, but doubt that I would make one again.

P.S. I want to let you know that I saved one of the souffles to eat cold. Oh, I'm so glad I did! After it had chilled all day & I squirted some Redi Whip on top, ooo la la! Tastes much better chilled. Based on the taste chilled, I would most definately make these again! And soon! :)