Local Food

Every Friday morning, my little town has a "Zero Kilometer" outdoor market, where local vendors to come to sell their produce, cheese, honey, meat, and bread. I think these vendors have to grow/make their products in a few-kilometer radius of my town to qualify to sell here.  I love it; it's so cute and quaint, and many people show up to buy things, socialize with each other, and let their toddlers play in the town square.  I've gone for the last two weeks, and my little boy loves it.  He likes buying the food, but most of all, he likes to play on the cute little play equipment on the town square.  We've tried getting gelato once, but he wasn't interested, so I'll take the bigger kids for that.

Cauliflower, apples, fresh pasta, honey, bread, cheese.

The macarons if the first pic are actually from a bakery in the town square, right behind where the outdoor market sets up.  So they are local, too.  :)  Besides the Friday market, there is a bigger market on Saturdays where vendors from farther away come, so there are 2-3 HUGE produce stands, 2 cheese stands, assorted meats/fish, clothing, shoes, etc.  There's a roast chicken stand which is hugely popular and sells delicious roast chicken, fries, and other prepared foods for a very good price.  We tried it last Saturday.  My little town also has 3 very well-stocked grocery stores. It's such a change from where I used to live!  I can get pretty much anything in my little town.  Plus, last Saturday we discovered a bunch more things that I will talk about later (bread bakery, a few delis, wine store, etc).

The two pics above are from my first trip to the Friday market.  I had this plate all set up to take a pic, and my little boy couldn't help swiping one of the apple slices.  My kids love the food from the market; every Friday they ask if I bought some bread that day.  (The market is only in the mornings.) I look forward to exploring the little stores in my town more.

                                                                  **This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Chocolate Macarons with Pistachio Cream

I made these a few weeks ago with two friends.  We chose an easy chocolate shell and added chopped pistachios to the filling we did last time, instead of strawberries.  These are the last macarons I'll make in the Azores and this is the last post I'll do from our house here.  We move into a hotel tomorrow.  I will still post some recipes I have saved up.  

Every macaron is delicious, and these were no exception.  We only used a small amount of pistachios in the filling- about 1/4 cup, but the flavor really shined through and even the color did!  I did use a tiny drop of green food coloring to accent it, but you don't have to.  I also added a drop of almond extract to the filling, but again, you don't have to. We also piped out the shells very small, about one inch, so there would be enough to go around for all 3 of us.  (I'm not sure if you can successfully double a macaron recipe, and don't really want to attempt it.)

Chocolate Macarons with Pistachio Cream

adapted from here

Macaron Shells:
110 grams blanched almonds, ground (OR use 110 grams almond flour/meal)
200 grams less 2 Tbsp. confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
100 grams egg whites, aged at room temperature for 12-24 hours
50 grams granulated sugar

1. Using a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are finely ground. Alternatively, you can use ground almonds. Add in the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder and process until fully blended. Set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add in the granulated sugar, and continue beating until the meringue is stiff, shiny, and stiff peaks form. Add the almond mixture to the meringue mixture, and using a rubber/silicone spatula, mix swiftly but gently until no streaks remain. The whole process should take no more than 50 strokes.

3. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (I used Wilton #12) with the batter. Pipe small rounds (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) onto the baking sheets. Once you have piped out all of the batter, tap the cookie sheet on the counter to release any air bubbles. Let the maracons rest at room temperature for about an hour to allow them to harden their shells.

4. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on size. Let the cookies cool completely before removing cookies from the cookie sheet.

Pistachio Cream Filling:
4 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use reduced-fat)
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, ground semi-finely in a food processor
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, or more to taste
drop of green food coloring; optional
drop of almond extract, optional

1. For the cream cheese frosting, beat butter and cream cheese a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add pistachios. Reduce speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time and beat just until smooth. If desired, add more sugar at this point to get to the desired consistency and taste you want.  Add optional food coloring and almond extract, if you want.

2. When ready to assemble macarons, fit a large disposable pastry bag with a round tip and fill with frosting. Pipe about a tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of half the shells, then sandwich with remaining shells. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to three days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Chocolate Macarons with Strawberry Cream Filling

I made these Macarons a while ago and was so happy they actually turned out this time!!  I went with a chocolate shell, and a cream cheese filling, flavored with homemade strawberry freezer jam.  Loved these so much!  They were fun to make and when something like this turns out right, it is very rewarding.  (The pics are big; but for some reason they are either huge or tiny, and I'm going with huge today....)

Chocolate Macarons with Strawberry Cream Filling

Shells from here

Macaron Shells:
110 grams blanched almonds, ground (OR use 110 grams almond flour/meal)
200 grams less 2 Tbsp. confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
100 grams egg whites, aged at room temperature for 12-24 hours
50 grams granulated sugar

1. Using a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are finely ground. Alternatively, you can use ground almonds. Add in the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder and process until fully blended. Set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add in the granulated sugar, and continue beating until the meringue is stiff, shiny, and stiff peaks form. Add the almond mixture to the meringue mixture, and using a rubber/silicone spatula, mix swiftly but gently until no streaks remain. The whole process should take no more than 50 strokes.

3. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (I used Wilton #12) with the batter. Pipe small rounds (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) onto the baking sheets. Once you have piped out all of the batter, tap the cookie sheet on the counter to release any air bubbles. Let the maracons rest at room temperature for about an hour to allow them to harden their shells.

4. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on size. Let the cookies cool completely before removing cookies from the cookie sheet.

Strawberry Cream Filling

adapted from here

4 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use reduced-fat)

2-4 Tbsp strawberry freezer jam, to taste
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, or more to taste

1.  For the cream cheese frosting, beat butter and cream cheese a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add jam.  Reduce speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time and beat just until smooth.  If desired, add more jam or sugar at this point to get to the desired consistency and taste you want.

2.  When ready to assemble macarons, fit a large disposable pastry bag with a round tip and fill with frosting. Pipe about a tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of half the shells, then sandwich with remaining shells. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to three days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Blue Macarons with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling

After these Strawberry Macarons turned out not-so-perfectly, I wanted to try again soon to redeem myself and prove that I could do them "right"!  So a few days after the strawberry ones, my daughter and I made these blue ones.  She took the majority of them to school to share with friends, as they had all been jealous when she'd brought a strawberry macaron to school earlier in her lunch.  

I was happy to see that these turned out well!  They have the ruffly "foot", and only some of them came out with a "peak" (foot= good; peak= bad).  I used the same filling as I did for the strawberry ones, but used a bit of cocoa powder to make it chocolate-flavored. 

Blue Macarons with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling

adapted from here; filling from here

110 g almonds meal/flour
200 g powdered sugar
1 scant teaspoon powdered blue food coloring
50 g granulated sugar
100 g egg whites (about 3 egg whites), aged (left out) a day at room temperature

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2. Pulse almond flour, powdered sugar, and powdered food coloring in a food processor until evenly mixed.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to whip until a shiny, stiff, glossy meringue forms (but not dry).

4. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and add the almond mixture. Using a rubber spatula, briskly and quickly fold the almond meal into the egg whites. After a few brisk strokes, slow down and then gently incorporate the rest into the batter.You want a batter that flows and "ribbons" for at least 5 seconds.

5. Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I use Wilton 12). Pipe the batter into 1 1/2-inch rounds, spacing them about 1-inch apart. (May want to trace circles on a paper and stick it under parchment for a "key".)  Whack the baking sheets on the counter a few times, then allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until a hard shell forms.

6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 280 degrees. Bake the macarons 10-12 minutes, depending on size. (Should be dry and lift away easily from parchment when done.) Allow to cool completely on the pan before using a small spatula to remove them. Match the cookies according to size and pipe filling on half, using the other half to form a sandwich.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling

4 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use reduced-fat)

1/2 to 1/3 cup cocoa powder, to taste

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, or more to taste

1.  Beat butter and cream cheese in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; gradually add cocoa powder and  powdered sugar, 1/3 cup at a time and beat just until smooth.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Strawberries & Cream Macarons

I love making macarons, and have done so a handful of times over the last two years or so.  They've always turned out pretty well for me, until this last time I made them.  :)  Some turned out ok; I saved the best ones for the photos, but the "feet" aren't very pronounced at all, and a lot of them cracked, and many more had little "peaks" that didn't go down with the resting period.  I think this is due to two problems: this recipe called for more egg whites than I was used to; I aged 3 egg whites and I didn't realize it wasn't enough until I was making the macarons.  Also, I think I didn't mix these enough, hence the peaks that didn't flatten.  

For the first time, I tried a fruit flavor for the shells. To do this, I had to pulverize freeze-dried strawberries.  My oven browns macarons so much; these were such a pretty pink before baking, but oh well!  They tasted amazing.  The filling is vanilla bean cream cheese.  I do want to attempt another fruit-shell recipe, maybe with dried blueberries next time.  :)

I actually "taught" a friend how to make these; it was my first time making them with someone else besides my daughter.  I should have chosen a more basic macaron recipe!!  Lol.  It was disappointing to have most of them not come out right when I was supposed to be teaching someone else how to make these.  To redeem myself and restore my self-confidence, I made more macarons yesterday, using a much simpler recipe.  They turned out great- will share those ones sometime later.  They had pronounced feet and everything.  Note:  You'll need a kitchen scale for this recipe, able to measure both grams and ounces.

Strawberries & Cream Macarons

adapted from Tutti Dolci

Shells:

3/4 ounce freeze dried strawberries
115g almond flour
230g powdered sugar
144g egg whites, at room temperature overnight
72g sugar
2g (1/2 tsp) salt
red powdered food coloring, optional

Cream Cheese Filling:
4 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use reduced-fat)
pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, or more to taste
1 vanilla bean, optional

1.  Fit a large disposable pastry bag with a round tip. Line two-three baking sheets with parchment paper. On a third sheet of parchment paper or plain white paper, trace out 24 1.5-inch circles (use a round cookie cutter or stencil as a guide), spaced 1 inch apart. Set aside as a master guide.

2.  Process freeze dried strawberries and almond flour in a food processor until finely ground. Use a fine mesh sieve or sifter to sift strawberry-almond flour mixture and powdered sugar together twice; use a firm spatula to push any large particles through or just discard. Set aside.

3.  Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large mixer bowl fitted with wire whip attachment. Whip on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid), until egg whites begin to foam. Increase speed to medium-high (7 on a KitchenAid) and whip until meringue forms soft peaks. Increase speed to 8 and whip for another few minutes. Turn off mixer and add food coloring; whip another minute on high speed to evenly distribute color until meringue is stiff. The meringue should clump in the center of the wire whip attachment; knock against mixer bowl to release.

4.  Add dry ingredients to meringue all at once. Use a rubber spatula to fold dry mixture into meringue.  After 25 folds, your mixture may still look lumpy. Continue to fold about 10 to 12 more times, checking texture after each fold. The batter is ready when it holds its shape when spooned onto itself and slowly flattens out and "ribbons" after 15 to 20 seconds. If the batter is stiff and doesn’t flatten out, it’s undermixed. If the batter is runny and fluid, it’s overmixed and won’t hold a shape.

5.  Transfer half the batter to pastry bag. Slide master guide of circles between baking sheet and parchment paper. Hold piping bag vertically and pipe batter to within 1/8″ from the edge of the circle. Carefully remove master guide from underneath piped circles and transfer to second baking sheet, repeating with remaining batter. Remove guide and save for future use. Tap pans sharply on counter; rotate 90 degrees and tap two more times (to deflate air bubbles and prevent cracked shells).

6.  Let shells sit out at room temperature about one hour to harden.  After 40 minutes, preheat oven to 280°F.  Bake for 12-20 minutes, until you can cleanly peel the parchment paper away from the macaron. Place pans on wire racks and cool completely before removing shells*. For the cream cheese frosting, beat butter, cream cheese and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time and beat just until smooth.  Add seeds from vanilla bean and mix, optional.

7.  When ready to assemble, fit a large disposable pastry bag with a round tip and fill with frosting. Pipe about a tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of half the shells, then sandwich with remaining shells. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to three days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*My oven bakes hot and browns these quickly.  If I leave them on until they easily peel away, they will be way too brown and hard.  So I take them out when the bottoms are still a little sticky, and then let them rest a few minutes on the baking sheet.  Then I use a brownie server and firmly scrape them off the parchment without ruining the feet.
Yield – 64 shells, 32 macarons

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Pistachio Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache

I had an itch to make some macarons again and went with pistachio and white chocolate, which is a flavor I've been wanting to make for a few months now.  The shell is supposed to be bright green, but they browned to an olive color in the oven.  That's why I made the ganache with a hint of green; to give some color to these guys.  I wanted to have a bright green shell and white filling; I thought that would look nice together.  Oh well- I am still experimenting with macarons; I've turned the oven lower, but they still seem to brown too much no matter what.  

For the pistachios, I just used regular, shelled, salted pistachios that my husband keeps on hand for eating.  The shelled ones may be hard to find- I think Trader Joe's used to have them, but we order ours online from Nuts.com.  They are expensive, but delicious and worth it!  They ground up just fine in my food processor.  

I've never been able to get a ganache solid enough for macarons- no matter how long it is in the fridge, it's leaky and too liquidy.  So now, I always whip it.  Whipping ganache turns it into an airy, more solid, spreadable and pipe-able confection.  Macarons are supposed to sit up on their sides (pictured above) without the filling leaking.  

Note:  You'll need a kitchen scale to make macarons, and to measure everything very precisely.  

Pistachio Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache

adapted from Annie's Eats

For the macarons:
225 gm confectioners' sugar
60 gm almond flour/meal
65 gm pistachios
3 egg whites (about 100 gm), aged (left out of fridge, covered) 1 day at room temperature
25 gm granulated sugar
Green powdered food coloring (optional)

For the ganache:
8 oz. good-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)

1.  To make the cookies, combine the confectioners' sugar, almond meal, and pistachios in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the nuts are very finely ground and the mixture is well blended.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy.  Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.  Mix in the powdered green food coloring, if using.  (Start with only a little bit at a time.  Remember, you can always add more but you can't take it away.)  Add the ground nut/sugar mixture to the mixing bowl and gently fold in to the egg whites using a wide spatula.  The mixture should remain shiny and flow easily.

2.  Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip.  Pipe rounds (approximately 1 inch in diameter) onto baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats OR parchment paper.  Let rest for 60 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 315˚ F.  When they are finished resting, bake for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool completely before carefully removing from the baking sheets.

3.  To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan, just to boiling.  Immediately remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.  Allow to sit for 3 minutes.  Using a whisk in small circular motions, combine the cream and chocolate until a thick ganache forms.  Whisk in the butter until well incorporated and smooth.  Stir in the almond extract, if using.  Let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until firm enough for piping.  (Speed the process up by chilling in the refrigerator or freezer, whisking every 10 minutes or so.)  If desired, thicken the ganache by whisking in a stand mixture or with a hand mixer.

4.  To assemble the cookies, match up the cookie shells by size.  Pipe a dollop of ganache onto the flat surface of one cookie of each pair.  Top with the other cookie and sandwich together, pressing gently to push the ganache to the edges of the cookies.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Orange Halloween Macarons

I was pretty excited how these Macarons turned out.  They are not pumpkin-flavored; just a plain shell colored orange with powdered food coloring.  If you wanted pumpkin flavor you could add some pumpkin pie spice; I'm not sure how much though.  I did a dark chocolate ganache filling so it would be close to a black color for Halloween.  One needs to used powdered food coloring in the shell, rather than liquid or gel, or the macarons might have too much liquid and not turn out.  I wasn't sure how much to add, so I used a scant teaspoon, and probably could have gotten away with less, but they turned out well. 

My daughter helped me make these and even helped pipe them out.  We want to make pistachio ones next!  Happy Halloween!

Orange Halloween Macarons

Shells adapted from here and here

110 g almonds meal/flour

200 g powdered sugar

1 scant teaspoon powdered orange food coloring

50 g granulated sugar
100 g egg whites (about 3 egg whites), aged (left out) a day at room temperature

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2. Pulse almond flour, powdered sugar, and powdered food coloring in a food processor until evenly mixed.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to whip until a shiny, stiff, glossy meringue forms (but not dry).

4. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and add the almond mixture. Using a rubber spatula, briskly and quickly fold the almond meal into the egg whites. After a few brisk strokes, slow down and then gently incorporate the rest into the batter.You want a batter that flows and "ribbons" for at least 5 seconds.

5. Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I use Wilton 12). Pipe the batter into 1 1/2-inch rounds, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Whack the baking sheets on the counter a few times, then allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until a hard shell forms.  (While you wait, prepare ganache, below.)

6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 280 degrees. Bake the macarons 10-12 minutes, depending on size.  (Should be dry and lift away easily from parchment when done.)  Allow to cool completely on the pan before using a small spatula to remove them. Match the cookies according to size and pipe filling on half, using the other half to form a sandwich.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

6 oz. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

1.  Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat and stir the cream until it barely comes to a simmer.  Immediately pour over chocolate in bowl and cover bowl.  Let stand for 5 minutes. 

2.  Then, whisk until combined and smooth.  It might take a little bit, but it should turn dark, smooth, and shiny.  Set aside to cool until needed.  I set it in the fridge, since it needs to be on the thick side for the filling. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Vanilla Bean Macarons with Raspberry Mascarpone Filling

These Macarons were supposed to be pure white, but I had a hard time getting them cooked through and not browning them at all.  I found it pretty much impossible, even though the oven temp was low.  I even took some out too soon, but later I realized I shouldn't have done that, because they were all sticky.  Oh well.  The powdered food coloring I ordered is here, so next time, I want to make some brightly colored ones! 

For the filling, I just combined Mascarpone cheese with a good-quality, seedless raspberry jam.  Then I stuck it in the fridge to firm up a bit before piping.  These were fun to make.  They are my second macaron attempt, and they turned out just as good as the first! 

Next I want to try a pistachio with maybe white chocolate filling.  These are so fun!

PS:  I'm SO tired of people saying "Yes please!" all the time.  As in "Two something for the price of one?  Yes please!"  Or something similar; my brain is too fried by the Yes Please's to think of more examples.  It's all over FB and blogs.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you are one of the lucky ones.  I've seen it so much that it gives me word rage now.  Please stop saying it, people!!

Vanilla Bean Macarons with Raspberry Mascarpone Filling

shells adapted from Pink Parsley; filling from a few ideas I saw on the web

Shells:

110 g almonds meal/flour
200 g powdered sugar
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
50 g granulated sugar
100 g egg whites (about 3 egg whites), aged a day at room temperature

1.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

2.  Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor until evenly mixed.  Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape the seeds out using a paring knife. Add the seeds to the granulated sugar and whisk to combine.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to whip until a shiny, glossy meringue forms (but not dry).

4.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and add the almond mixture. Using a rubber spatula, briskly and quickly fold the almond meal into the egg whites. After a few brisk strokes, slow down and then gently incorporate the rest into the batter.You want a batter that flows and "ribbons" for at least 5 seconds.

5.  Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the batter into 1 1/2-inch rounds, spacing them about 1-inch apart.  Whack the baking sheets on the counter a few times, then allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until a hard shell forms.

6.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake the macarons 8-10 minutes, depending on size. Allow to cool completely on the pan before using a small spatula to remove them. Match the cookies according to size and pipe filling on half, using the other half to form a sandwich.

Raspberry Mascarpone Filling:
1 cup (about) mascarpone cheese, room temp
2-4 tablespoons good-quality, seedless raspberry jam

1.  Stir ingredients together until well-combined.  Add more or less jam to taste, and to get the consistency you want.  Refrigerate until thickened a little.  Let sit at room temp again for about 10-15 minutes to soften enough to pipe.  Fill a ziplock bag with the filling, snip a small hole in the corner, and pipe it out onto the macaron shells.

**This post and photos are property of dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Look What I Made!!!

I finally jumped on the Macaron bandwagon and gave them a try!  I especially wanted to try them after sampling them in France.  I was browsing recipe blogs one night last week, looking for a treat to make for a get-together at my house.  I stumbled upon Portuguese Girl Cooks blog, and her chocolate macarons looked so perfect and cute, I just had to try them!  I set my egg whites out right then so they'd be "aged" the next day when I went to make these. 

Another way I prepared to make these was looking up information from other sources.  Here is a good tutorial, with a ton of info.  I recommend reading it all before starting.  I found out some things: they are not spelled, or called "Macaroons" with two o's, but "Macarons", pronounced like the word "Macaroni" but without the "i" on the end.  They are made out of egg whites, two kinds of sugar, and ground almonds!!  You can fill them with anything your heart desires.  To color the meringue shells, the best thing to use is powdered food coloring.  I have some on the way.  :)  

Everything went well until I started piping them out onto my baking sheet.  I realized I didn't know the "right" way to pipe.  As a result, I was "swirling" the batter, and that isn't the correct way.  Youtube to the rescue!!!  View this super short vid to make everything clear. 

After piping, your shells will "rest" for about an hour before baking.  This is to harden the shell.  I think it has something to do with the "foot" of the macaron as well.  (The foot is the ruffly, little sticky-out part on the bottom of the macaron).  I had some errands to run, so my macarons rested for more like 2 hours, oops.  Next time I'll remain home and do exactly an hour! 

Like Portuguese Girl, I filled these with a ganache.  I used mostly milk chocolate along with some semi-sweet, since I love milk chocolate.  I increased the amount a bit, to make sure I would have enough.  It wasn't thickening fast enough, even though I stuck it in the fridge, so I whipped it with the whisk attachment in my Kitchenaid.  This thickened it nicely, and I was able to pipe it neatly into the Macarons. 

I'm SO excited I finally tried Macarons, and that they turned out decently!!  Now I just have to find uses for the leftover egg whites.  I used to have the opposite problem when I made homemade ice cream all the time- trying to use up those egg whites!  (My ice cream maker is sick now :( )

It's important to use a kitchen scale with Macaron recipes.  Also, a food processor is good to have on hand, along with a stand mixer, and piping bags/tools.

Chocolate Macarons

adapted from Portuguese Girl Cooks

Macarons:

110 grams blanched almonds, ground (OR use 110 grams almond flour/meal)
200 grams less 2 Tbsp. confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
100 grams egg whites, aged at room temperature for 12-24 hours
50 grams granulated sugar

Ganache:

6oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used milk + semi-sweet)
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Using a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are finely ground. Alternatively, you can use ground almonds. Add in the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder and process until fully blended. Set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add in the granulated sugar, and continue beating until the meringue is stiff, shiny, and stiff peaks form. Add the almond mixture to the meringue mixture, and using a rubber/silicone spatula, mix swiftly but gently until no streaks remain. The whole process should take no more than 50 strokes.

3. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (I used Wilton #12) with the batter. Pipe small rounds (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) onto the baking sheets. Once you have piped out all of the batter, tap the cookie sheet on the counter to release any air bubbles. Let the maracons rest at room temperature for about an hour to allow them to harden their shells.

4. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on size. Let the cookies cool completely before removing cookies from the cookie sheet.

To make the ganache:

5. Chop the chocolate and place in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium high, heat the heavy cream and let it come to a simmer. Remove and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes. Gently whisk until the ganache forms. Set aside to cool until it is thick enough to pipe. May want to place in the refrigeratot for faster cooling/thickening.

Assembly:

6. Once the cookies are completely cooled, match them up according to size. Pipe or spoon a layer of ganache onto the flat side of one of the cookies. Sandwich together with the remaining cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

French Pastry Wonderland

During our trip to the Alsace region of France, we had the oppurtunity to visit many Patisseries and sample some delicious things.  We found these French macarons; I've never seen them in real life before, but I've seen them ALL over the internet for years!!  I was SO excited to see them in person!  We had to buy some; they are so delicious.  Light, delicate, with creamy centers.  My favorite flavors were Salted Butter Caramel, Raspberry-Vanilla, and just Vanilla.  The Raspberry-Vanilla had a real raspberry in the center of the filling!  There were so many flavors and colors; it was hard to choose.  We bought a box of seven and shared them all with each other and the kids. 

Here are some other treats made by the Macaron Pastry shop (below).  Works of art!

Before the macaron place, we hit an old favorite.  We've been to this other shop at least 3 times in the past few years.  They have delicious Eclairs and other treats, and very, very good baguettes and croissants.  Our "old favorite" shop is pictured below.  I have another similar pic on my blog from a few years ago.  Below that, a photo of the eclairs we bought and ate in a park. 

The Eclair shop also featured hand-made chocolates and special cakes made in the Alsace region.  They are baked in special pans that look like mini bundt pans.  We wanted to sample more, but one can only eat so many pastries before one explodes.  :) 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **