coral french macarons with citrus buttercream filling

okay, i finally got around to posting the recipe for these coral shell french macarons with citrust buttercream. yeah, as mentioned before... i've just been busy with life in general. ;)

a few weeks ago i test baked some coral color macarons for a friend's baby shower (that's the link for the awesome photos she took of the baby shower) she was hosting. i haven't made any in that particular color before so i wanted to make sure i got the color right before doing the real thing. well… the test macarons turn out fantastic! the coral color was spot on and super vibrant. the shells were baked perfectly and the whole cookie flavor combination was pretty good (i only say pretty good because i'm not that fond of citrus buttercream or citrus baked goods too much). if only the ones i delivered was just like these test versions, i wouldn't have had to bake 3 consecutive nights just to get them to par. yeah, it sucked the first two nights getting hollow cookie shells after hollow cookie shells. on the surface they look perfect… yeah, until you break into them and all you see is an empty shell. boo. so yeah, i tried correcting them as much as i could and finally was able to get some decent ones. just sucked it took so long and so many batches. a lot of macaron shells ended up in the garbage. some, i did save and kept them as is (without filling) to have them available for a sweet treat.

alright, here's the recipe. now, just don't over whip the egg whites or fold too much okay? that way your shells will come out perfect and not crazy hollow or spread like crazy and have no feet. good luck and enjoy! :)


for any citrus flavor fan, these should hit the spot. try adding in some marmalade and it's even better. the ones i delivered for the baby shower had a little spread of kumquat marmalade on top of the buttercream.


here's a photo of the macarons (vanilla, mint-chocolate and citrus) i made for the baby shower. notice how the coral color isn't as vibrant as the test ones above? yeah, i did try! photo via sabrina ko.


here's a shot of the coffee nutella french macarons. these are always a hit. photo via sabrina ko.

coral macarons with citrus buttercream filling

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
1/8 tsp pink and 1/4 tsp orange gel food coloring (or any food coloring of your choice)
1 tbsp citrus (orange, lime & lemon) zest
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar

citrus buttercream:
1 tbsp citrus zest
2-4 tbsp citrus juice
1/2 stick of butter, room temperature
2 cups of powdered sugar

directions:

to make the macaron batter/shells:

1. line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.
2. sift together the powdered sugar and almond meal so there are no lumps. add in the citrus zest and stir it to make sure it's fully incorporated with the sugar and almond meal mixture. set aside.
3. in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or if you prefer, you can use a bowl and hand mixer), beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. while whipping, beat in the sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. add in the gel food coloring.
5. carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. when the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white and the colors have combined, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
6. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
7. rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons. then let it sit for at least 30-60 minutes depending on humidity before baking them in the oven. about 10-15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. bake for 15 minutes.
8. once macaron shells are out of the oven, let them sit for 30-60 seconds before removing the hot baking sheet underneath. let the macarons cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper.

for the citrus buttercream filling:

1. in a medium bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until incorporated.
2. then add in the citrus juice (1 tablespoon at a time) and zest and mix until combine and you've reached the right consistency for buttercream. if it's too thick, thin it out with a little bit with more juice or milk or cream. if too thin, add in a little more powdered sugar.

to assemble the macaron cookies:

1. before assembling these cookies, make sure to pair up all the cookie shells so they are as close as possible in size.
2. using a knife, spread a good amount of the buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. note: you can certainly put the buttercream in a piping bag and pipe the buttercream onto the cookie. it's a lot easier i think and less mess. but i can't be bother to do this so i almost always just spread it with a knife.
3. let them stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors.

store in airtight container for up to 5 days. makes 20-24 macarons.

vanilla biscotti teething biscuits for the little one

so my last teething biscuits for v didn't turn out the way i thought it would. like i mentioned in that blog post, the texture of the biscuit itself was unexpected and not in the (good) way i had hope. i expected it to be more of a crumbly cookie-like texture, but instead it was very doughy. i decided i try a different recipe and see how those turn out.

well, let me tell you, these vanilla biscottis turned out great! they are exactly like the regular kind the big kids can eat, firm but crumbly when gnawed, except that they're not as sweet. of course if you'd like to add more sugar in your version, go ahead. i'm sure you can even substitute whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour if you want. i didn't substitute the flour because i didn't have any whole wheat handy or added a whole lot of sugar because i figure this is for my little one, a little hint of sweetness will do just fine. plus, the small amount of butter is giving this cookie that yummy buttery taste. i hope my little one will enjoy them as much as i'd enjoy making them for her.

below's the recipe should you be interested.


these homemade cookies are great for the little ones and so easy to make


a side view of these goodies


this recipe sure makes plenty! i know v will be so happy to see something else different for a change ;)

teething vanilla biscotti
recipe adapted from here

ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tbsp butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour, 1/4 cup extra if needed

directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cream the sugar with the butter and beat in the egg. Add the vanilla extract, 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt and mix the dough well. It should be fairly sticky, but you should be able to gently mould it with your hands. If it's too sticky, add the extra 1/4 cup of flour. Form the dough into a long "log" shape (around 8-10 inches long) and bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet/cookie sheet.

Allow to cool, then carefully cut into 1/2 in slices with a sharp knife. You should get around 16-24 slices. Place each slice, cut side down, on a baking/cookie sheet, then bake for another 15-20 mins, turning the Biscotti over half way through the cooking time. If they still feel soft, lower the heat and cook for an extra 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool completely - they get harder as they cool. Store in airtight container. Should keep for 2-3 days.

teething baby biscuits for the little one

i finally got around to making these teething baby biscuits for our little one. i have no idea what homemade teething biscuits are like, so i don't really know what to say about these. i guess i've always kind of imagined them sort of like a shortbread cookie, but these are nothing like that. they're a bit doughy. but that could be because of the ingredients used. it is a very simple recipe. please feel free to chime in if you know what they're supposed to taste like because i really have no idea.

below's the recipe should you like to try them for your little one(s). overall, i think this is a good starter recipe. you can adjust the ingredients to your liking. i personally like it because it's very simple and uses no added sugar. you can substitute regular flour for whole wheat or rice flour (gluten-free friendly). actually, you can even use barley or oat flour. your pick. ;)

Banana Teething Biscuits
recipe from here

- 1 cup whole wheat, all-purpose, rice, barley or oat flour
- 1 cup dry infant rice or oat cereal
- 1 very ripe banana, mashed until smooth
- 2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. 
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and cereal. In a small bowl, stir together the banana, oil and about 2 Tbsp. water; add to the dry ingredients and stir until you have a soft dough, adding a bit more water or flour as needed until the dough comes together and is not too sticky. (It will depend largely on the size of the banana, and how juicy it is.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/4-inch thick and cut into smooth shapes. i had a heart-shaped play dough cutter on hand so i used that. you can of course do circles or sticks (without pointy edges – squish them a bit with your fingers). Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely and store extras in an airtight container.

Note: Instead of the infant cereal, these can also be made with oats, ground in the food processor to a coarse flour.