Kahlua French Macarons

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am…*ahem*…brutally stubborn sometimes.

Case in point: this week-end I tried my hand at French Macarons.

I tried 4 batches.  I read up on every trick, tip and egg white dance needed to achieve perfection.

They were terrible.  It was a bad scene.  My son told me to stop telling the macarons “this is getting personal.”

Five ingredients.  How hard can this be??  Maybe not hard, but finicky.

I’m not trying to scare you off, please try these yourself.  They are worth every bite.  And, my appreciation of each bite is all the more glorious for the work that has gone into learning how to make them.

I can’t wait to share them with my Valentine.

French Macarons

*From the Giver’s Log

* I sprinkled mine with just a whisper of pearl luster dust just after I piped them.

• 2 egg whites, take eggs out of the fridge the day before and let them rest on the counter for 24 hours, critical step
• 4.5 oz of sifted powdered sugar
• 2.5 oz almond flour, as fine as you can get it, pulse for a few seconds in a spice grinder if needed
• 1.5 oz of granulated sugar
• pinch of cream of tartar

1.   Whisk almond flour and powdered sugar together in a bowl and set aside.

2.   Whip egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks forms.  Slowly add the granulated sugar.  Whip, on high for approximately 6-8 minutes until stiff peaks form.  I added gel food colouring just at the end and whipped for a few more seconds until thoroughly mixed in.

3.  Fold the flour mixture into the egg white mixture.  As fellow blogger Tartlette says, fold for 50 strokes, no more.

4.  Put mixture into piping bag with large round tip.  If the mixture does not start slowly oozing out the bag, it hasn’t been folded enough.

5.  Pipe 1 inch dollops on parchment lined baking sheet.  There should be no “hershey’s kiss tail” at all, it should immediately flatten.  This is how I knew I had finally been successful!  Let them sit for one hour.

6.  I baked mine at 295 degree’s for approx 12-14 minutes.  Some bake at 350 degrees with the oven door propped open.  You have to find what method works for you.  Let them cool on the baking sheet.

7.  Fill with Kahlua Ganache.  Enjoy every last bite.

Kahlua Ganache

*adapted from Martha Stewart

•      3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Callebaut))
•      1/2 cup heavy cream
•       1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened
•       1 tbsp Kahlua  

1. Heat cream and Kahlua in a saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling at the sides, not boiling.  Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often.  Pipe on to cookies once cool.

The Macaron Printables are from the Giver’s Log.  They also have fabulous tips for newbie Macaron makers like me.

Moms Mud Pies

My mom made these millions of times when we were kids.  Even now, people that I went to school with still talk about them (ahem…that was close to 30 years ago!).  My brother and I had primo goods to trade with our classmates who wanted our yummy snacks.  We called these Mud Pies.  I wrote down moms recipe when I left the house for my first apartment.  These are pure comfort food, a quick after school snack, super bake sale goodies and sooo easy to make.  Literally, 10 minutes and you’re a hero.  No excuses!

These never last long around our house.   Cocoa + coconut + oats = yummy….

Moms Mud Pies

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup shortening

5 tbsp good quality cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup fine coconut

1.  Combine all ingredients, except oats and coconut, in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Let boil one minute.

2.  Remove from heat and stir in oats and coconut.

3.  Drop cookies, tablespoon size, on to wax paper and allow to harden.

Got Milk?

The only time I really drink milk is when it’s dressed up like this…

After work today I rushed home to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies for my daughters class party.  Much to my surprise, someone has been in the fridge and the chocolate chip bag has only a few morsels laying in the bottom.  I think it’s time to install the ‘fridge-cam’ that I have seriously pondered inventing.  For the amount of time I spend in the kitchen, I have no idea how my chocolate supply keeps going missing!  I had no other choice but to use chocolate chunks!

Oh my goodness, these warm cookies were so yummy with a huge glass of cold milk…. I had to keep counting them to make sure I would have enough for the party!

Super easy to make too..

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

*adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter (unsalted)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups good quality semi-sweet baking chocolate, cut into chunks

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375°.  In mixing bowl beat butter and shortening until combined, approx 1 min.  Add 1 cup of the flour, both sugars, eggs, vanilla and baking soda.  Mix until well combined.  Add the last cup of flour and beat for one minute.  Stir in the chocolate chunks.

2.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoon on to parchment lined cookie sheet (about 2″ apart).  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden at the edges.  Cool on a baking rack.

If At First You Don’t Succeed….Use Fondant

My husband is opening the pool today.  Yay!  I’m hoping that at some point in the next few weeks we will be able to enjoy it.  We have had nothing but rain for weeks.   I think my feet are beginning to web…I can’t get the wet dog smell out of my house!

ENOUGH  ALREADY….!!!!

Ok, complaining done.   I’ve closed my eyes, said a little prayer, taken a few deep breaths and am hoping the sun will shine.

In the meantime…I really enjoy making and decorating sugar cookies.  I said I enjoy it, but haven’t quite mastered the decorating yet.  Icing is trickier than you think (hence the fondant comment…)!  This is my 3rd time making them this week (practise makes perfect!).  We’ve had footballs, raindrops, flip flops and daisies.  These sugar cookies are pretty yummy and pretty cute.  The cookie dough is VERY easy to make.  Endless cookie cutter possibilities!  If decorating is not your thing these cookies taste great on their own too.    Enjoy….

Amanda’s Super Duper Amazing Sugar Cookies

*from I Am Baker

Heat oven to 350°

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

4 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp almond extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt (I use kosher salt)

1 tsp baking powder

1.  In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and eggs until well combined (2-3 mins).  Add in eggs, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined.

2.  In a separate bowl, sift together the remaining ingredients.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture, slowly, and mix just until combined.

3.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.   Roll out dough (to about 1/4″), cut out cookies and bake for 6-9 mins.  Cool on wire rack before icing.

*I rolled my dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, then placed the dough on a cookie sheet (before cutting it out) and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.  It is much easier to handle when well chilled.

Amanda’s Frosting Recipe

*recipe from I Am Baker

1 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp corn syrup

drop of lemon juice

1 tbsp milk

Mix first 3 ingredients adding milk a drop at a time until you reach desired consistency.  Food colouring/gels can be added when you add milk.

Keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days.

*rolled fondant is easy to use as an alternative.  Just roll it out, use the same cookie cutter to cut out the shape and apply with a touch of corn syrup.

Ultimate Comfort Foods

Today is a comfort food kind of day.  It’s been raining off and on since…forever…and it’s cold and very windy out.  One of my sons woke up with the sniffles this morning- I’m betting from too many football practises in the rain.  What better way to warm up the house than to turn the oven on?   Everyone has their own preference for comfort food and for me it’s a no brainer.  Moms Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding and her Ginger Cookies.  I’m sure these cookies are the reason for my love of baking because I can vividly remember rolling these as a little girl.  With a hot cup of steeped tea they can brighten even the darkest day.  I have added my own twist to moms recipe with some crystallized ginger.  The rice pudding warm out of the oven drizzled with a tiny bit of cream is “the best” as my kids say.  And, both sweets make an excellent snack for lunches too.  Enjoy,

Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

* moms recipe

Pre-heat oven to 325°

Combine in a 1-quart buttered casserole:

1/2 cup uncooked regular rice

3 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp pure vanilla

sprinkle of nutmeg

1. Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Bake for one hour stirring every 20 minutes.  At the end of the hour add 3/4 cup (less if you prefer) raisins and bake for another 20 minutes.

Serve warm with a drizzle of cream.

Ginger Cookies

Pre-heat oven to 325°

In a small bowl sift together:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

In stand mixer with paddle attachment cream together (until light and fluffy):

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1/4 cup molasses

1. Slowly add dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger.   Shape into 1″ balls and roll in sugar (no need to flatten).

2. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2″ apart.  Bake for 14 minutes (exactly!).  Cookies will still be soft when they come out of the oven.  Leave cookies on pan for 2 minutes then move them to a cooling rack.