fruity cheerios macarons

hello again! yes, i know it's been forever since the last time i posted something here. i haven't been baking a whole lot lately just because i'm trying not to eat too much sweets these days. anyway, i did however get around to baking some french macarons for mother's day and actually remember to take some photos. :)

what i have here are fruity cereal french macarons. who says you can't use kiddie cereals as a macaron flavor? of course, the only not so great thing about this is i have no idea if the cereal is gluten-free or not. mostly likely not in my case. of course, if you want to make some cereal flavored macarons, you can always check your cereal to make sure if it's GF, or else keep in mind these macarons may not be so GF friendly.

okay, so these have become my favorite flavor at the moment. i'm not a big cereal fan but i do love my fruity sugary cereal. this is one way to eat it, you can say. actually, it may be one of the best ways to enjoy those colorful sugary cereals. so if you're up for baking up a batch, why not give this a try?! enjoy and happy baking. :)


this is my new favorite macaron flavor. who says crunched up colorful kiddie cereal can't make for some good-tasting and looking macarons? in love with these.

fruity cheerios french macarons with fruity cheerios buttercream filling

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tsp gel food coloring (optional – i didn't use any here)
1/4 cup crushed fruity cereal (i used fruity cheerios but i'm sure you can use fruit loops or equivalent), for sprinkling on top of piped macaron batter

fruity cereal buttercream:
1/4 cup crushed fruity cereal
2-4 tbsp milk
1/2 stick of butter, room temperature
1 to 1-1/2 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. set aside.
3. in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or if you prefer, you can use a bowl and hand mixer – this is my prefer method), 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. optinal: 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. then sprinkle the piped batter with crushed fruity cereal.
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 fruity cereal buttercream filling:

1. in a medium bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until incorporated. then add in the crushed fruity cereal and mix until combine.
2. next, add in the milk (1 tablespoon at a time) 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 milk. 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 in an airtight container) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors.

store in airtight container for up to 5 days. makes 20-24 macarons. enjoy! :)

baked goodies perfect for a tea party!

ummm... so, i sort of hosted a mini tea party at work this week. any excuse to bake some yummy baked goods, right? i'm not big on tea or anything, but i'll take all the goodies that come with it. :)

for our initial afternoon tea party kick-off, i settled on some coffee nutella macarons as well as some lemon cream cheese macarons (thanks to all the lemons in my garden), some mini lemon cupcakes with lemon icing, multi-berries scones, jam thumbprints and what better way to top it off then your not-so-typical savory bites, spam musubi. yup, you heard that right. we didn't have cute little tea sandwiches. we opted for spam musubi instead and those were delish! spam musubi is quite a hit with my coworkers and me. we'll take it any time of day, any day of the week, just as we'll take any of the other baked goodies.

anyway, the recipes are below if you'd like to bake any for your tea party or any party or just because. yeah, when you think about it, who needs an excuse to bake? i sometimes just bake because i wanted to. okay, enjoy and happy baking! :)



multi-berries scones
recipe adapted from smells like home's blueberry scones

ingredients:

• 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
• 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (i used a mix of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 egg, for egg wash

directions:

1. adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425° F. grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater. if using fresh berries, place the berries in the freezer until needed. whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. whisk to combine. add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.
2. add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball. add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking.
3. roll the dough into a 12-inch square. fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps). fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square. transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.
4. return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12-inch square again. sprinkle the berries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface. using a dough scraper, roll the dough up to form a tight log. lay the log seam side down and press the the log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. using a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar. if freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed. bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes. transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

makes 12 scones (or however big/small you cut it)




mini eggless lemon cupcakes
recipe adapted from yum'e'licious

ingredients:

for the cupcakes

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk (or do what i do; add 1 tbsp lemon juice to 1 cup of milk, stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes before using)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• zest of 1 medium sized lemon
• few drops of yellow color, optional

for the lemon icing drizzle

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

directions:

1. if you don't have buttermilk, this is when you mix the lemon juice and milk together and set it aside while you do everything else.
2. preheat oven to 350°F. then sift the flour, baking powder and the baking soda in a good size bowl and set that aside.
3. in another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. then add in 1/3 cup buttermilk and beat again until fluffy. repeat again with another 1/3 cup. then add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well. now, if you want to use some yellow food coloring, this is where i add it in.
4. now add in the dry ingredients and mix well before adding in the remaining buttermilk; mix again until incorporated.
5. fill the mini cupcake cups to 2/3 full (makes about 20-24) and bake it in the oven for 14-15 minutes. or if you'd rather do a loaf cake instead, pour the batter into a greased loaf tin (9"x5") and bake it for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. let the mini cupcakes (or loaf) cool completely before drizzling the icing over. to make the icing, just mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. if it's too runny, just add more powdered sugar; and if too thick, add more lemon juice.

makes about 20-24 mini cupcakes or one loaf




other goodies you can find recipes for:

• coffee nutella macarons
• brown sugar salted caramel macarons
• coral french macarons with citrust buttercream filling
• jam thumbprints
• blood orange cranberry scones
• blueberry cream scones
• traditional english scones
• cranberry scones
• white chocolate biscottis

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.

12 days of christmas baking - day 6: earl grey tea macarons

well hello there! and welcome to day 6 of my not so crazy christmas baking. i say not so crazy because this year i'm taking it slow. of course now that christmas is almost here, i'm not sure if that's quite so true now. i've worked it out and let's just say i'll be posting a new recipe every day up until christmas eve. i think that's right. we'll see. regardless, there will be 12 recipes in all. :)

today's recipe calls for earl grey tea french macarons. i'm a giant fan of macarons so it's no surprise. tea in it itself is another story (i'm not quite a tea fan, just because i've yet to acquire the taste for it). but i don't mind it in some of my baked goods. this cookie is actually quite good because i feel like you only get hints of the tea. so it's not crazy infused or anything.

as usual, if you'd like to give this recipe a try, i say go for it. enjoy and happy baking! :)


for any tea lover or macaron fan, these earl grey tea flavored macarons are spot on. i love the hint of the earl grey tea and the crispy and chewiness combo.

earl grey tea macarons with earl grey tea buttercream filling

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
1 packet earl grey tea leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon of loose leaves), plus more for sprinkling on top
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar

earl grey tea buttercream:
1 packet of earl grey tea leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon of loose leaves)
1 stick of butter, room temperature
2 cups of powdered sugar
milk or cream, if needed

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 earl grey tea leaves 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. 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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 earl grey tea buttercream filling:

1. in a medium bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until incorporated.
2. then add in the packet of earl grey tea leaves 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 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. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)


check out last year's day 6 recipe: chocolate cream cheese cupcakes

salted caramel french macarons

happy november. we're in november already?!! well, that's a-okay with me. we are getting closer and closer to THE. BEST. TIME. OF. THE. YEAR. you know what that is! christmas. actually, no. thanksgiving and christmas. best holidays ever. or two of the best. ;)

okay, so i had my second wedding baking gig last month and these salted caramel french macarons were one of the four flavors requested. i have to say it was quite the yummy request because these turned out great. the salted caramel buttercream was light and almost fluffy-like. so airy and just perfect with the right amount of salty and sweetness combo. i don't think i've made a better salted caramel buttercream than this one.

below's the recipe for these good-looking french macarons should you want to make some. i say why not?! salted caramel is quite the hit these days. you cannot go wrong with it. and especially with the holidays coming up, these would make for a great holiday gift to anyone and everyone. i know i plan to bake some goodies and give them away this holiday season. you can too! :)


i think i've found the perfect salted caramel buttercream recipe. these cute little french macaron cookies are so good and tastes even better as you age them longer. i say at least 3 full days.

french macarons with salted caramel buttercream

for the macaron shells:
1 cup (100g) powdered sugar
3/4 cup (60g) almond meal
2 large egg whites (60g), at room temperature
5 tablespoons (65g) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp golden yellow or any gel food coloring of your choice
salted caramel buttercream (recipe below)

for the salted caramel buttercream:
1/4 cup salted caramel sauce (recipe here)
1 stick (8 oz) butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup 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. 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. then 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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 (okay, if you can't wait 30-60 minutes, i say at least 15 minutes to let them settle a little. just make sure the humidity isn't ridiculously high or your macarons won't turn out so pretty). about 10-15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350°F. bake for 15 minutes.
7. once the 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.

to make the salted caramel buttercream:

1. make the salted caramel sauce according to the recipe and cool to room temperature.
2. in an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium high, speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. then gradually add in the 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce.
3. put the mixer on low and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. then increase the speed to medium and beat until fully incorporated.
4. your buttercream should be good and ready for use!

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 salted caramel buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. you can also put the buttercream in a piping bag and pipe the filling onto the cookie if you like. i do that sometimes, but most time i just spread it on.
3. let them stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors. note: i say 3 days is the magic number. they taste so good after 3 days.

store in airtight container for up to 5 days. makes 20-24 macarons. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

pumpkin spice macarons

i made my first pumpkin spice bread ever a couple of weeks ago. to make it, i had to open a giant can of pumpkin puree. okay, maybe not so giant, it was the 28 oz can though, but pretty big enough anyway. i had some leftover puree and didn't know what to do with it so i decided on making a pumpkin spice buttercream. now, what to do with the buttercream? okay, sure... why not some french macarons, just because.

so, here you have it! french macarons with pumpkin spice buttercream. what's not more fall or october than pumpkin?! okay, maybe apple pies or something (that's more fall?!). but pumpkin spice is pretty close too.

if you're a pumpkin spice lover (i'm slowly getting there, i think), you'll for sure love these cute little french cookies. as always, you must age your macarons for the best testing bite yet. i say wait at least a day or two before digging in. i typically let mine sit in the fridge for 2-3 days before consuming (of course, you gotta make sure you let them get to room temperature before eating). i love how light the texture of these macarons are. and when you bite into it, mmmm... it's perfectly chewy and soft and not mushy at all. oh, you must make sure you fill your macarons pretty good. definitely don't skimp on the buttercream. at least a 1:1 ratio of filling to cookie or 2:1 filling to cookie.

so, what do you say? go ahead and bake yourself a batch of these delicious goodies. or if macarons aren't your thing, you can just make the pumpkin spice buttercream and use it on some tasty cupcakes instead. but really, you should try the whole thing. it's yum. of course, i'm bias because i am i sucker for macarons or anything sweet (at least lately anyway). enjoy and happy baking! :)


in an ode to autumn, what's more perfect than pumpkin spice?! these macarons are for sure the ideal little treats for this time of the year.


these pumpkin spice macarons are great for fall gift-giving, especially to those pumpkin spice lovers out there. ;)

pumpkin spice french macarons with pumpkin spice buttercream

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon gel or powder food color (optional)

pumpkin spice buttercream:
1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of salt
milk or cream (if needed)

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 pumpkin spice 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. carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. if you want to color your macarons, this is when you'd want to add in your gel or powdered food coloring. the more color you add, the darker the batter or finished cookie color it will be. i typically just do 1/4 teaspoon of gel food coloring, sometimes 1/2. you could do more or less depending on your desire shade. when the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you're alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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 pumpkin spice buttercream:

1. cream butter and sugar together until well blended.
2. then add in the pumpkin puree and spices. mix until everything is incorporated and you get the right consistency for buttercream. if the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. if it's too thick, add a little bit of milk or cream (about 1 teaspoon at a time) to thin it out until you reach your desired consistency.

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 pumpkin spice 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 messy. 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. happy eating!

raspberry jam french macarons

it's been a while since i've made french macarons. actually, these ones here i made last month for sabrina and andrew's one-year wedding anniversary. there wasn't a whole lot because i only made half the recipe. i of course, made her favorite ones as well, the coffee nutella, in addition to the salted caramel macarons as well. but needless to say, i thought the raspberry jam ones turned out fabulous. actually, all of them did. i personally love raspberry jam, so raspberry jam as a french macaron filling is just yummy.

below's the recipe should you want to make some. it's pretty simple so i say if you'd like to make some, go ahead. nothing too fancy, just a little gel or powder food coloring to add some color to your cookie shells and filling it with your favorite jam, store-bought or homemade.

okay, enjoy! :)


i love raspberry jam. so raspberry jam in a french macaron cookie is just a great creation. seriously, so good. :)


these french macarons do make for the perfect gift.

raspberry jam french macarons

ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tsp red or pink gel food coloring
raspberry jam (or any jam of your choice), store-bought or homemade

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. 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. then 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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.

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 raspberry jam (or any jam really, of your choice) on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
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. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

macarons make the best mini gifts

i love making macarons. in addition to that lemony peach cake that i made last week to bring up to my mom, i also made these french macarons. i had some guava sitting in my fridge and decided i needed to use them up too. so i grabbed whatever was left (about 5-6 mini ones) and mashed them up. i didn't bother taking the seeds out. i figured it would add a nice unexpected crunch or whatever when you bite into the cookie. of course, should you decide to do this, you can certainly take out the seeds or leave them as is. i still have some leftover guava puree in the fridge so i may make these again. if i do, i think i'll remove the seeds from the puree. i'm sure people will appreciate that very much.

below's the recipe for the guava macarons. i also made a plain shell cocao-dusted macaron with chocolate ganache filling. i'm sure if you want to make those instead, you can modify the recipe to your liking. otherwise, maybe i'll make those again and write up a post for that in a future post. enjoy and happy baking! :)


these macarons are scrumptious. they look so pretty in these homemade origami boxes.


i say go ahead and make some macarons and give them away!

french macarons with guava buttercream filling

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pink gel food coloring (or any gel food coloring of your choice, or none at all)

guava buttercream filling:
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons guava puree
cream or milk, if needed

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. 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 brown sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. add in the gel food coloring. then carefully fold in 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 food coloring looks like it's fully incorporated, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone). note: it's very important to not overmix/fold here. it's better to go under than over because if it's too runny, you may have ruined the batter. and you can't go back. if it's too stiff, at least you can fold it a few more times.
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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 guava buttercream filling:

1. in a medium size bowl, using either a handmixer (i usually just go with a fork) mix the butter, powdered sugar and guava on low speed together until they're incorporated.
2. then turn the speed to medium and mix for 2-3 more minutes until everything is blended and you've reached the right consistency for buttercream. add in a little milk or cream if the buttercream is too thick or more powdered sugar if it's too thin. once everything looks good it should be ready to use.

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 guava buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
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. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

if the above recipe isn't for you, but you'd still like to try and make some other kind of macarons, you can certainly check out these recipes:

• coffee nutella macarons
• brown sugar salted caramel macarons
• browned butter coconut macarons
• browned butter burnt sugar macarons
• chocolate macarons with chili pepper chocolate ganache
• peppermint macarons
• chocolate banana macarons
• mango macarons

browned butter coconut macarons

last friday was one of my coworkers' last day. she's moving back to nyc to be closer with her family. as a parting gift, i decided to make her some french macarons. when making the browned butter buttercream, we had some leftover coconut milk from m's first go at chicken biryani that we had for dinner so i decided instead of milk or cream, i would add in a little coconut milk. once the buttercream was completed, i could taste the hint of coconut in it. so i guess you can say that's how i got about to the name of this french macaron. i absolutely love coconut and have recently taken a liking to browned butter, so i think i'll be making this again whenever there's coconut milk leftover available.

so, how good is it? one word. scrumptious. below's the recipe should you want to try it. and if you do make some and do feel free to let me know what you think. as always, happy baking and eating!


browned butter buttercream or anything has become a new favorite in my baking. i love how yummy it smells and tastes. the coconut and browned butter combo is perfect for this macaron! delish.

browned butter coconut french macarons

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar

browned butter coconut buttercream filling:
4 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons coconut milk
cream or milk, if needed

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. 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. 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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 browned butter coconut buttercream filling:

1. brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. i say let the butter melt and hang out until it gets to that nice golden color and your kitchen smells delicious.
2. turn off the stove and pour the brown butter into a medium size bowl. add in the powdered sugar and the coconut milk and mix the ingredients together on low speed until they're incorporated. then turn the speed to medium and mix for 2-3 more minutes until everything is blended and you've reached the right consistency for buttercream. add in a little milk or cream if the buttercream is too thick or more powdered sugar if it's too thin. once everything looks good it should be ready to use.

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 brown butter coconut buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
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. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

browned butter burnt sugar french macarons

okay, so i was trying to make that delicious smelling and oh-so-yummy browned butter toffee frosting i made a while back for these macarons. i said i would try it again since it tasted so good last time. well, i did, except for it wasn't quite browned butter toffee. this time, let's just say i didn't let the butter brown enough and the brown sugar sat too long in that saucepan that it was much darker (and tasted a little burnt or more bitter than normal sugar). anyway, i quickly took it off the stove and pour the butter mixture into a mixing bowl to see what i got. sure enough, the brown sugar was definitely so much darker and as the mixture cooled, it began to hardened a bit (just as i'd expected). long story short, i decided to go with this anyway than making a new batch of the browned butter sugar mixture. the end result? quite a delicious buttercream i would say. i love all the crunch from the hardened melted brown sugar. the hint of burnt or bitterness from the sugar and sweetness of the butter makes it quite nice also. it's like this sweet but just a tad bitter butterscotch-y taste. all the flavors actually work very well together. m said it's his favorite macaron flavor to date. he's usually a tough critic when it comes to my baking (and cooking) so i'll take it. as for me? it's pretty awesome, i'll definitely be making this one again.

below's the recipe should you want to try it. these are really good, i can assure you. so make some and let me know what you think. as always, happy baking and eating!


i am in love with this browned butter burnt sugar buttercream filling. it's a little bitter yet sweet and has this buttersctoch-y taste to it and just taste really, really delicious!

browned butter burnt sugar french macarons

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

browned butter burnt sugar buttercream filling:
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
cream or milk

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. 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 brown sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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 browned butter burnt sugar buttercream filling:

1. brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. i say let the butter melt and hang out until it gets to that nice golden color and your kitchen smells delicious.
2. then add in the brown sugar and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. let it come to a boil if it's not already bubbly by now for an extra minute or two until you see the color really getting darker. it should be pretty dark by now. don't let it sit too long or else it will really burn or be too burnt! you want it to reach just burnt, not way over.
3. turn off the stove and pour the brown butter and sugar mixture into a medium size bowl. stir it a few times with a fork to cool the mixture a little bit.
4. add in the powdered sugar and with a fork (because that's what i use, but i guess you can use a hand mixer if you like) mix the ingredients together on low speed until they're all blended. you'll notice the sugar component hardening up. i just use the fork and try to break them up into bits. then turn to medium and mix until you've reached the right consistency for buttercream. add in a little cream or milk if it's too thick or more powdered sugar if it's too thin. once everything looks good it should be ready to use.

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 brown butter burnt sugar buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
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. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

brown sugar salted caramel macarons

who doesn't love salted caramel? i know i do!

so i decided to be a tad adventurous with my usual macaron recipe. instead of your good old white sugar, i went for the brown one instead. and what do you know? the brown sugar works just fine too! in fact, they actually give you a nice tint of brown to the shells and that sweet butterscotch-y flavor. it's really good, i must say. the added salted caramel filling is just scrumptious.

below's the recipe should you be interested. let me know how yours turn out if you do make them. happy baking and eating! :)


the brown sugar substitution give these macarons a nice butterscotch flavor. and to top it off with the salted caramel filling is just divine.


these macarons make for the perfect gift, for anyone and any occasion. :)

brown sugar salted caramel french macarons

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed

salted caramel filling:
1 bag of kraft caramel bits
2 tablespoons of milk (you can use water too)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 cups powdered sugar (optional, i use this to thicken my caramel a bit)

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. 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 brown sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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 salted caramel filling:

1. put the caramel bits with the milk and sea salt in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes (i usually do it in 30 second increments).
2. once it looks like the bits are melted or soft enough to stir, take it out and stir until everything is fully incorporated.
3. let it cool until it's thick enough to spread. if it's still too runny, it's not ready yet. at this point, you can add in the powdered sugar to thicken up the mixture so you can use it quicker if you like. otherwise, i say hang out for a bit until it's ready. of course, if you've gone too long and the mixture is too stiff to spread, you can pop it back in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it.

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 salted caramel on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
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. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

chocolate banana macarons

we had a bunch of bananas that were ripening so i decided to make something with them besides the typical banana bread. of course i barely used a whole banana but at least it used part or some of it! plus, the overall result was quite pleasing and very satisfying to my tastebuds (and many others). i actually made something that's not quite ordinary. i mean, how often do you have banana buttercream?

so what goes with banana? how about some chocolate! i say the pairing goes very well together. who doesn't love chocolate? and that banana sweetness is just perfect with the chocolate, especially if you give it the appropriate time for the cookie to age. it's really that good. both flavors really enhances each other.

below's the recipe should you be interested. feel free to let me know how yours turn out. happy baking (and eating)! :)


wait a day until all the flavors are melded and oh my -- they are so good! it's like biting into a little bit of that banana chocolatey heaven goodness. yum!

chocolate macarons with banana buttercream

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar

banana buttercream filling:
1/2 of a medium size ripped banana
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups 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, almond meal and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder so there are no lumps. 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 granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. 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.
7. 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 banana buttercream filling:

1. beat the banana and butter in a medium size bowl using a hand mixer until combined.
2. then add in the powdered sugar and keep beating/mixing until fully incorporated and at the right consistency. if it's too thin, add in a little more powdered sugar. otherwise, if it's too stiff, thin it a tad with a little bit of milk, a teaspoon at a time.

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 banana buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
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. happy eating! :)

chocolate macarons with chili pepper chocolate ganache

as a last minute entry, i came up with this recipe for the chocolate adventure contest sponsored by scharffen berger chocolate maker and tuttifoodie. for 2012, i believe they are looking for a delicious phenomenal chocolate sandwich cookie, using scharffen berger chocolates and one or more of the 12 adventurous ingredients. the adventurous ingredients i chose were the chili pepper and coconut milk.

below's the recipe i came up with. it's pretty simple but i think the chili pepper chocolate ganache definitely adds a kick to your typical chocolate ganache and for sure, this macaron cookie is not your usual chocolate sandwich cookie.

so if you're adventurous enough too, please feel free to try this recipe out yourself and let me know what you think! happy baking and eating! :)


the chili pepper powder adds that unexpected but very tasteful kick to your typical chocolate ganache for this macaron filling.

chocolate macarons with chili pepper chocolate ganache

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
3 tablespoons Scharffen Berger unsweetened natural cocoa powder (any brand cocoa powder will do too if you don't have this kind)
more cocoa powder for macaron shell topping (optional)
2 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

reduced coconut milk:
1/2 cup coconut milk

chili pepper ganache filling:
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 (9.7 oz) Scharffen Berger 62% cacao semisweet chocolate baking bar, cut into pieces (any chocolate baking bar or chips will work too)
1/4 cup reduced coconut milk* (see above)

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, almond meal and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder so there are no lumps. 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 granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. 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, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart. quickly after it's piped, if you wish, sprinkle some cocoa powder over each shell using a small sifter.
6. 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.
7. 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 reduced coconut milk:

1. bring coconut milk to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. reduce heat to medium-low; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes.
3. remove from heat. transfer to small bowl.

for the chili pepper chocolate ganache filling:

1. using microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate in microwave oven at medium power (50% power) for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. remove and stir. if chocolate is not melted, return to microwave and repeat heating step, stirring every 20 seconds to avoid scorching. when small lumps remain, remove and continue to stir to complete melting.
2. heat the reduced coconut milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. then add it to the melted chocolate. stir until combine.
3. add in the 3/4 teaspoon of chili powder. mix until incorporated.
4. let ganache cool completely before using. you can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process a bit if you like. i do it all the time. or if ganache looks like it's spreadable and not too thin (like in drizzle form) you can go ahead and use it to assemble the cookies.

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 chili pepper chocolate ganache on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
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. happy eating! :)

12 days of christmas baking - day 7: peppermint & coffee nutella french macarons

who doesn't love french macarons? yes, i've finally made some again since that last giant batch of macarons i made for a wedding. i can't believe i haven't made any since then. to go with the whole christmas theme, i decided on the peppermint flavor macarons, sprinkled with peppermint candy on the side. and to add to that, since i personally like to have more than one flavor of macarons whenever i'm making/eating them, i went with (almost) everyone's favorite, the coffee nutella.

i know, i haven't gotten my recipe up for these macarons yet, but again, i promise i will write a blog post soon and post the recipe here as soon as i have it written out. in the meantime, you can browse through these previous posts and get david lebovitz's recipe from one of these posts.

enjoy and happy baking! :)

***UPDATE 12/18/12***

i've finally got the recipe written up. scroll below for the peppermint recipe. for the coffee nutella macaron recipe, please click here. enjoy and let me know how yours turn out if you make them! :)


i love how festive and flavorful these peppermint french macarons are!


these peppermint and coffee nutella macarons really turned out great. so yummy and just the perfect treat for a cold day with warm coffee/tea.


i absolutely love making and eating french macarons. i really can eat all of these delicious peppermint and coffee nutella macarons. ;)


another shot of the peppermint macarons. yum!

peppermint macarons

ingredients:

macaron batter:

1 cup (100 gr) powdered sugar

3/4 cup almond meal (about 3 ounces or 75 grams)

red gel food coloring (optional)

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

5 tablespoons (65 gr) granulated sugar

peppermint buttercream filling:
1 stick of butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp peppermint extract
up to 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
3 candy canes, crushed (optional)

peppermint candy decorations:
6 candy canes, crushed

directions:
to make the macaron shells: Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.

Sift together the powdered sugar, almond meal and 2 tablespoons of espresso so there are no lumps (usually I just use a fork to break any large lumps). If your almond meal isn't so fine, you can put the ingredients into a blender or food processor to make it finer. Personally, I'd just use the sifter and dump out any remaining crumbs that didn't make it through the sifting process.

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 granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. If you want your macaron shells to be red, this is where you'd to add in the food coloring (with the dry ingredients), otherwise, you can just skip it and use the food coloring as paint to paint it on once the cookies are assembled (like I did!). When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).

Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch (3.5 cm) circles evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart. Quickly after it's piped, sprinkle a few espresso powder over each shell (this step is optional, personally I do it because I like how they macarons look once they're baked).

Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons. Then it let sit for at 30-60 minutes (okay, I've done it with just 15 minutes before and they turn out fine, but whatever you do, do not skip this step; even at just 15 minutes) before baking them in the oven, 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

to make the peppermint buttercream frosting filling: beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed (or you can use a hand mixer). add the 2 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. increase mixer speed to medium and add peppermint extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. if your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. if your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining tablespoon of milk, a little at a time. once you've gotten the right consistency and the buttercream is complete, add in the crushed peppermint candy cane pieces and mix until incorporated. of course, this last part here is optional, you can skip it if you like. i personally like the added crunch when biting into my peppermint macaron, so i do this last step. :)

to assemble: Before assembling these cookies, make sure to pair up all the cookie shells so they are as close as possible in size. Then using a knife, spread a good amount of the peppermint filling on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy cane pieces over the filling portion of the assembled macaron. Or you can roll the cookie on the candy pieces. This last step adds a nice decorated touch to these peppermint macarons. They are so cute and delicious!

Let them stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors. Or if you can't wait to dig in and eat, I say wait a few hours, at least! (Shhhh, I've eaten them newly assembled too, and they taste just as yummy! hahahaha). But really, for the best optimal flavor and taste, you must wait at least one day. They really are THAT good and worth the wait!

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Makes about 16-20 cookies. Enjoy and happy eating! :)

Note: I typically just bake mine for 15 minutes and they turn out fine. But yours may be different as all oven temperatures vary so letting them bake the full 17 minutes may be fine. I say set your timer for 15 minutes and add on from there.

now that's a lot of macarons!

as mentioned in a previous post, yes, i did make 120 macarons (40 of each: coffee nutella, raspberry and chocolate ganache -- that's the one with the gold sparkly macaron shells) for a wedding a few weeks back. here are the photos of them and oh, they look scrumptious. i haven't baked any macarons since and now looking at them, it makes me want to bake some. hmmmm... one day soon, i'm sure. maybe i'll experiment with some holiday christmas-y flavor or something. you can't go wrong with a peppermint candy and eggnog or i don't know, something with marshmallow and hot cocoa. we'll see what i come up with the next time i bake these babies again. :)

alright, enjoy the photos! of course, if you'd like to make some macarons yourself, i do apologize that i don't have my recipe up yet. but when i do, i will certainly share it on here. in the meantime, you can browse through these previous posts and get david lebovitz's recipe from one of these posts.

mango macarons

this is the outcome of a good afternoon when you get 3 hours nap from the little ones. yes, this past sunday both my little babies slept a good 2-3 hours; and with that time i was able to make these delectable mango flavored macarons (along with the coffee nutella seen here). i think they turned out quite nice. you see i had a bunch of very ripe mangoes in my fridge that has gone a little stringy on me. instead of eating it, i decided to puree it to get most of the juices out and use it to make a mango flavored buttercream (see recipe below). i think the buttercream frosting turned out great. the color was very beautiful and the flavor of the mango really came out. you can definitely tell it was mango. i should have taken a photo of it, but i forgot, so i guess we're stuck with just the macaron pictures here. enjoy! :)


these macaron shells turned out perfectly!


the flavored mango buttercream filling is definitely a refreshing change from the typical vanilla buttercream


these look so good!


mango french macarons -- i must try them again, with added mango bits in the filling next time


mango buttercream

ingredients

2 tbsp butter, softened or melted
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1-2 tbsp mango pulp/puree

directions

using a fork or hand mixer, cream softened or melted butter with the confectioner's sugar in a bowl. once mixed (it may start to look like crumbs here), add the mango pulp/puree in. keep mixing until ready. add in more sugar if it's too runny or more pulp/puree if the buttercream is too thick. it shouldn't take too long, just a few minutes and there you have it. enjoy!