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! :)

caramel popcorn

i have been eyeing homemade caramel popcorn for the longest time. i think i've had these down for the little kiddies birthday party 2 years ago but never really got around to it. well, i finally made some a couple of weeks ago for m's birthday party. and i have to say, they are so easy to make! why have i not just done it then? i don't know... but what i do know is, once you've got the caramel made (you'll need a candy thermometer for this), the rest is easy peasy. and besides, who says you have to use the popcorn kernels and not regular microwavable popcorn? i just went ahead with the classic microwavable bags of popcorn (because you can't beat an easy cleanup) and these sweet treats still turned out delicious. plus, doing the whole popcorn kernel thing with oil in a pot is just too much work! oh, and this recipe uses apple juice so it's even better. it gives you a nice hint of apple flavor which you cannot beat. and for sure a great way to use up those half gallons or whatever size of apple juice bottle that's been sitting in our fridge for days and days (maybe weeks even?) – because we can't drink it all!

alright, the recipe for this caramel popcorn is below if you'd like to make some yourself. i say go ahead because it's really that good. you'll literally eat half of it in one sitting if you don't stop yourself already. hahaha... that's what m and i did the night i made these. we had to remove ourselves away from the sheet pan while these goodies rest.

okay, enjoy! :)


this recipe is super easy to make. i never thought it was this simple!


simply made paper cones are a great way to distribute these sticky but super yummy treats. who says you can't have a bouquet of caramel popcorn?


make these sweet stuff for your next birthday party or any occasion. they'll sure to be a hit. these definitely were for m's birthday party.

caramel popcorn
recipe adapted from the food network

ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup popcorn kernels (or you can use two bags of microwave popcorn and omit the oil above)
• 2 cups apple juice
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• kosher salt

directions:

1. line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or a silpat will do too). if using popcorn kernels, heat the vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. add the popcorn kernels; cover and cook, shaking the pan, until the popping subsides. remove from the heat and let any remaining kernels pop for 30 more seconds. if using microwave popcorn bags, follow the directions on the package. once popcorns are popped, divide the popcorn between the prepared baking sheets, discarding any unpopped kernels.
2. make the caramel: bring the apple juice, brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. cook without stirring until the mixture is deep amber and a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees F, about 30 minutes (the caramel will bubble vigorously toward the end of the cooking time).
3. stir the butter into the caramel until melted. add 2 teaspoons salt and cook for another minute. remove from the heat. pour the hot caramel over the popcorn mixture and carefully toss with two rubber spatulas. let cool slightly, then separate the mixture into clusters while still warm. let cool completely.

note: i actually pour all my popcorn into a large bowl instead of putting them on the baking sheets. once the caramel was made, i pour those over the popcorn and tossed them while still in the bowl (kind of like making rice krispy treats). but the above method works too. i guess you can pick whichever is easiest. :)

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! :)

mixed fruit popsicles

yes, it's already june and that means the kiddies are out of school. c just finished his first year of school (kindergarten) and is moving on to first grade in the fall. he looked so sweet and proud on that last day of school last week. ahhhh… i can't believe my little baby is growing up!

okay, with school out and the weather heating up, a sweet and cool treat is definitely the perfect thing to have on a hot day. no kid can say no to a nice cold popsicle. c loves popsicles and had been asking me to make some with him for the past month or two. so one day sometime a couple of weeks ago we finally got around to making it. it was delayed so long because we didn't have any popsicle molds in the house; and yes, i didn't even have itty bitty dixie cups as a substitute for the molds. but yes, we finally got around to making it.

below are our incredible thirst-quenching cool treats. these fruity popsicles are the best thing ever for the upcoming and already hot (summer) days. c loved it and was so proud of himself (for helping me make them -- he put the fruit pieces and poured the juices in the molds) when the popsicles were finally ready to eat. i know we'll be making this again. but of course, i'd love to try a few other recipes. i'm thinking a creamy coconut would be awesome. nothing beats creamy coconut anything. i personally love coconut, so of course… it should be delicious. well, if i do make those, i'll try and see if i can snap a few photos to share on here!

below's the recipe. it's super easy to make and you can use whatever fruits you have available. the fruits we used we happened to have on hand. this makes for such a fun mini food project with the little kiddies, especially now that school's out. enjoy and stay cool. :)


these mixed fruit popsicles are the perfect things to make (with the little ones or without) for this hot summer weather.


we can't wait to make more fruity popsicles. these were so easy to make. :)

mixed fruit popsicles
recipe adapted from martha stewart

ingredients:

• 1 peach (or nectarine work too), cut into tiny chunks (or you can cut into 1/2-inch slices too if you like)
• 1 apple, cut into tiny chunks
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup cherries, pitted
• 2 pouches of caprisun fruit punch (i'm sure you can use 1-1/2 to 2 cups of any fruit juice you like)

directions:

1. arrange some of each fruit in eight 3-ounce ice-pop molds, making sure pieces fit very snugly.
2. pour enough juice into each mold to just cover fruit.
3. insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until solid, 6 hours (or up to 2 weeks).

that's it! pretty simple eh? makes 8 delicious, cool and yummy popsicle treats perfect for any hot weather. enjoy! :)