Cherry Blossom Macarons for Martha Stewart Weddings

I have been waiting anxiously to share these photos with all of you. It was about two months ago when I received an email from Shira from Martha Stewart Weddings blog to see if I was interested in creating a little recipe and story. I was so honored and flattered. It is Martha Stewart Weddings after all, such a big inspiration for most of us.

The magazine had not come out yet, but the story had to follow the pink theme of the Spring issue that is on stands now. It was the beginning of Spring and I was dreaming about cherry blossoms, pinks and coppers. I asked Shira what she thought of the idea without knowing it would be one of the magazine themes. She loved it and as it turns out, it matched the magazine perfectly.



You can read the entire entry here. I hope it didn't disappoint. Thank you very much Shira and the rest of the team!

Post Title

→

Cherry Blossom Macarons for Martha Stewart Weddings

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/04/cherry-blossom-macarons-for-martha.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Butterscotch Pot de Creme, Gianduja Macarons and a Farewell

Today I said goodbye to my parents who have been with us for almost two months. Time flies, doesn't it? People ask me how I manage to find time to blog after just giving birth. Well, the answer is my parents. They have been incredible help during this transition time, trying to get adjusted to having M., still tending to J., managing small projects and continue blogging. I could have not done it without them.

As I was watching them walk away, I realized how having children has made me appreciate them much more. It might be just age and the process of growing up. I don't know why, but I do.



We had freezing temperatures in Florida all last week. It was actually wonderful as I love cold and sunny days. We stayed home, cooked and baked more than ever. We made arroz con leche two days in a row as it disappears faster than what we can make it.



I woke up at 2am one night, a bit restless and unable to fall back to sleep. I got out of bed, turned my laptop on and started browsing through Shauna's recipe index looking for some gluten-free dessert recipes to make. As soon as my eyes read butterscotch, I thought "that's it". The following morning, I pulled out the eggs, cream, muscovado and demerara sugar and made these butterscotch pot de creme inspired by this recipe.

Instead of caramelizing the top, we sprinkled some hazelnut praline crunch and accompanied it with gianduja macarons we had made a few days earlier.



Butterscotch Pot de Creme

makes about 8 6 oz ramekins

500 ml heavy cream
225 ml whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
1/2 tsp fleur de sel
160 grams muscovado sugar
80 grams demerara sugar
8 egg yolks

Place the heavy cream, whole milk, muscovado, fleur de sel and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Keep it hot.

In a separate medium saucepan, make a dry caramel with the demerara sugar. Sprinkle half of it on the bottom of the pan spacing it evenly. When it starts to melt, sprinkle in the rest of the sugar and let it melt and turn to a light caramel.

Deglaze the caramel with the hot cream mixture. Be careful because it will bubble up. Whisk to make sure there are no large chunks of undissolved caramel. If there are, keep the pot on the heat for a bit to melt them.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together and temper the hot caramel and cream mixture into them. Strain the custard through a fine sieve.

Pour the custard into the ramekins. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan and bring it to the oven that's been preheated to 300F. Pour hot water on the sheet pan to make a water bath. Bake until the center of the ramekins is set. Cool and refrigerate.

Post Title

→

Butterscotch Pot de Creme, Gianduja Macarons and a Farewell

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/01/butterscotch-pot-de-creme-gianduja.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Sweets, Holidays and Wishes

We just delivered the last of our holiday treat boxes this morning with some last minute chestnut macarons in them. Now we have a full day of cooking ahead of us and the anticipation before Christmas Eve. Prawns, foie, rib roast, roasted root vegetables, chocolate mousse cake... all in the works. I am completely thrilled to be sharing the kitchen with my mom this year and to have my family close. That is the biggest gift I could ask for.

So whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I wish you all peace and laughter. Merry Christmas!...Zorionak!

Post Title

→

Sweets, Holidays and Wishes

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/12/sweets-holidays-and-wishes.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Fall Flavors, Macarons and the Daring Bakers

It wouldn't surprise me if I am indeed the last Daring Baker to post the challenge today. "Phew..." It almost didn't happen! Life has been crazy with all sorts of unexpected events, travel and finishing up side projects before baby arrives.

I made the macarons right before I went on a weekend getaway, but did not have enough time to style and photograph them. My plan was to do it right as I returned from my trip, but I should have known better. "Never leave for tomorrow what you can finish today", my amama used to say. She was right.



Like most of you, I am super inspired by whatever fall has to bring. My initial intent was to make some membrillo, but quince is nowhere to be seen around here, so I chose to use asian pears, which are abundant and beautiful. Inspired by Stephane Glacier's apple tart tatin macarons, I cooked asian pears in caramel and butter. I combined both almond and pistachio macaron shells with the asian pear tatin and mascarpone cream.

I also made chestnut and praline macarons with the chestnut cream that my dear friend Deb brought back for me from Paris. I had been saving it for something special and I couldn't wait any longer. I made the praline by caramelizing the hazelnuts just like my grandmother used to do with a sandy sugar coating. Oh the memories that those smells bring!



I have several packages ready to give out to friends this week. This last month will be crazy for me and I have so many people to be thankful for. Enjoy!



The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Claudia Fleming's Macarons

Note: I made three different batches using three different nuts. Some all almond, some added half almond/half pistachio flour and some half almond/half hazelnut flour.

2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.) powdered sugar
2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.) almond flour
2 tablespoon (25 g, .88 oz.) sugar
5 (Have at room temperature) egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Post Title

→

Fall Flavors, Macarons and the Daring Bakers

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/10/fall-flavors-macarons-and-daring-bakers.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Sunday Suppers, Amy Atlas and an Inspiring Collaboration

Last week I gave you a little sneak peek into the amazing weekend I spent in New York City participating in one of the Sunday Suppers dinner/classes featuring the work of Amy Atlas and other fabulous artist women. I apologize for taking so long in posting the rest of the photos... Life has been crazy to say the least with traveling, small projects and even the chickenpox ( I will leave this for another time). This craziness is also the reason why I didn't complete this month's Daring Bakers challenge. I'm so sorry about that one too!



It's funny how life works sometimes and how I got involved with this Sunday Suppers event. Long story so I won't get into too many details, but all I can say is that I'm glad I did as I think I have found a group of super talented women I have made a lasting connection with.

The event took place in Brooklyn in the most beautiful setting and the most beautiful view of Manhattan. The table settings, the flowers, the graphic designs, the cake, Amy's vision... they were all breathtaking.



I arrived Saturday morning and spent all afternoon prepping and baking for the next day. The Moroccan theme with the acqua blue and orange colors inspired me to create macarons flavored with orange flower water, crisp white meringue cookies filed with orange buttercream and what seemed to be the favorite, panna cotta with fresh orange juice gelee. Very simple, but worked great.

Photo by Karen Mordechai Photography

Guests arrived around 4:30pm, mingled, enjoyed some appetizers and then everyone gathered around the kitchen to take part in Casey's cooking class. It was very interactive and she quickly engaged guests in the kitchen, asking everyone to participate in the prep process somehow. She is just too much fun!

The menu consisted of a first course of harissa brushed halibut over gazpacho and topped with a micro green salad; second course, chicken tajine with preserved lemons,olives and polenta accompanied by a roasted mini beet salad and finally dessert, fig and sesame compote tart with orange cardamom cream.

Afterwards, everyone sat at the beautifully styled table ready to taste the food. It was a great group of people and I even managed to snap this adorable photo of Alex and Joanna.



Of course, none of this would have been possible without the masterminds behind this concept, professional photographer Karen Mordechai and private chef Casey Solomon. The thought and attention to detail behind all of this really blew me away.

I also have to mention the rest of the artists involved whose work really contributed to the success of the night. Of course Amy (lovely, lovely, lovely... can't emphasize enough!), the flower arrangements (beautiful, beautiful garlands!) by Jessie Weidinger from Rountree Flowers, menu and graphic design by Erica Bohanon of Thoughtful Day, Archana Rao of Love Street Cakes created the breathtaking cake and Ali Kantor created a traditional moroccan cookie called kaab el ghazal.



Finally, I have to tell you that I will be going back to New York next month to actually teach one of these classes myself. I think the class is fully booked already, but you can get more information here. For those who are attending, I will see you then!

Post Title

→

Sunday Suppers, Amy Atlas and an Inspiring Collaboration

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/07/sunday-suppers-amy-atlas-and-inspiring.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Raspberries N' Cream Dessert Table

One of the best things about summer is probably the abundant fruit. When I was approached by Project Wedding to develop and photograph a summer dessert, I immediately envisioned something with berries, fresh and colorful. Here is the raspberries and cream themed dessert table with raspberry and yogurt mousse cakes, raspberries and cream macarons and raspberry meringue kisses.




You can get the recipes and read the rest of the story here.



Hope you like it!

Post Title

→

Raspberries N' Cream Dessert Table

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/06/raspberries-n-cream-dessert-table.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Raspberry and Pink Peppercorn Macarons and a Little Giveaway

Every time I go home, I come back with a spare suitcase full of food and ingredients. This time was no different. A few blocks of Idiazabal cheese, over a dozen large cans of tuna in olive oil, jars of cooked beans, spices, recycled yogurt containers and a large bag of freeze-dried raspberry powder. This was a bit of a surprise since this is not a common ingredient in our traditional cuisine, but a good surprise nevertheless.

So this week when I had a request for macarons, I decided to put it to good use and pair it with the sweet and delicate spiciness of pink peppercorns.



Last year, I made pink peppercorns macarons served with strawberry sorbet that ended up being a hit.

If you have never had red berries with a touch of pepper, you should definitely try it. It adds a new dimension and brings out the flavors. The pink peppercorns are so mild that when mixed with the sweet buttercream and the raspberry macarons shell, it just becomes more like an aromatic layer rather than a spicy flavor. Hard to explain, but definitely a must-try. Even my little guy loved them and he is a picky one.



You can definitely make your own raspberry powder by drying some fresh raspberries and processing them, but this stuff I brought back is very, very fine with an amazing red color.

I will be sharing some of it with you. All you have to do is leave a comment from now until Friday June 5th and I will be choosing the random lucky number over the weekend. And maybe I will throw a couple of more goodies in there as well. Good luck!



Raspberry Macarons

140 grams egg whites
3 grams egg white powder
80 grams sugar
180 grams almond flour
240 grams powdered sugar
2 grams salt
7 grams freeze-dried raspberry powder
2 drops red food coloring

Make sure that the egg whites have been separated from the egg yolks at least the night before. This bit of aging really makes a difference in the macarons.

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, sea salt and raspberry powder. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites with the egg white powder until very fluffy, almost fully whipped. Start adding the sugar slowly while whipping. Add the red food coloring and continue whipping to stiff peaks.

Add the dry ingredients to the meringue and fold with a spatula until a shiny mass forms. We want to achieve a batter that makes ribbons. You might have to test it to see if it's done. Pipe a small amount on your sheetpan. If it keeps a little bit of a top when piped, then you have to mix it a bit further, if it spreads really fast, you have gone too far and your macarons will turn out flat.

When you have the right consistency, place the mass in a pastry bag with a number 5 tip and pipe small rounds onto sheetpans lined with parchment or silpat. Let them dry at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to an hour. The tops must be dry when you touch them.

Have the oven preheated to 350F degrees. Place one sheetpan in the oven at a time and reduce the temperature to 300F degrees. Bake for 8 minutes and rotate sheetpan and bake for another 5 minutes.

Let the macarons cool on the sheetpan.

Pink Peppercorn Buttercream

100 grams egg whites
200 grams sugar
300 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp (or to taste) finely ground pink peppercorns

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites and the sugar lightly. Place over a water bath until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Bring bowl to the electric mixer and whip until stiff peaks form.

Continue whipping until the bowl feels cool. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time while whipping. It might look like it is separating but continue whipping and it will come together.

Add the ground pink peppercorns and taste.

Post Title

→

Raspberry and Pink Peppercorn Macarons and a Little Giveaway

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/06/raspberry-and-pink-peppercorn-macarons.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Pistachio and Grapefruit Macarons and a Pot De Creme Craving

When I was thinking about my Paris inspired post for Deb, I immediately went to the refrigerator and started separating eggs and scaling the ingredients for macarons. I later decided to go with croissants, but made the macarons regardless. How could I have a dessert related post about Paris without macarons?

It seems like there is always a large crowd of friends ready to taste whatever new flavor combination comes out of my kitchen. Although, I have to say, my macarons are pretty conservative compared to the new trends and all the experimentation that is going on in the world.




The filling on these is a white chocolate, campari and a citrus ganache that I adapted from Pierre Herme's "Macarons". I am not a big fan of white chocolate, but I do enjoy it when paired with citrus or any sour fruit. I added a bit of grapefruit zest to the shell along with pistachios.

Because I have been in an inexplicable craze for all things custard, I made small pot de cremes scented with lemon thyme. It is time for me to replant all my herbs. Unfortunately, the chamomile plant I very much love didn't make it through the winter, but the lemon thyme is still hanging in there.



Grapefruit and Pistachio Macarons

180 grams almond flour
240 grams powdered sugar
140 grams egg whites, aged
3 grams egg white powder
2 grams fine sea salt
80 grams sugar
1 tsp grapefruit zest, finely grated
few drops of red food coloring
few drops of yellow food coloring
chopped pistachios

Make sure that the egg whites have been separated from the egg yolks at least the night before. This bit of aging really makes a difference in the macarons.

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar and sea salt. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites with the egg white powder until very fluffy, almost fully whipped. Start adding the sugar slowly while whipping. Add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring and continue whipping to stiff peaks.

Add the dry ingredients and the grapefruit zest to the meringue and fold with a spatula until a shiny mass forms. We want to achieve a batter that makes ribbons. You might have to test it to see if it's done. Pipe a small amount on your sheetpan. If it keeps a little bit of a top when piped, then you have to mix it a bit further, if it spreads really fast, you have gone too far and your macarons will turn out flat.

When you have the right consistency, place the mass in a pastry bag with a number 5 tip and pipe small rounds onto sheetpans lined with parchment or silpat. Sprinkle the tops with chopped pistachios. Let them dry at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to an hour. The tops must be dry when you touch them.

Have the oven preheated to 350F degrees. Place one sheetpan in the oven at a time and reduce the temperature to 300F degrees. Bake for 10 minutes and rotate sheetpan and bake for another 5 minutes.

Let the macarons cool on the sheetpan.

Grapefruit, Campari and White Chocolate Ganache

adapted from Pierre Herme's "Macarons"

10 grams lemon juice
55 grams grapefruit juice
22 grams orange juice
25 grams campari
210 grams white chocolate

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Make sure not to heat it too much or it will burn.

Combine the juices and campari and warm them to about 110F (45C). Add the juice mixture slowly into the chocolate while whisking. Mix the ganache with an immersion blender for about 3 minutes to obtain a good emulsion. Pour onto a quarter sheetpan or square cake pan. Place plastic wrap directly on the ganache and refrigerate overnight.

Lemon Thyme Pot de Creme

1 liter of heavy cream
10 egg yolks
200 grams sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 grams (about 3 Tbs) of fresh lemon thyme leaves

Place the heavy cream, lemon thyme leaves, lemon zest and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar. Temper the hot cream over the yolks and whisk until well mixed. Strain the custard through a fine sieve to get rid of any coagulated egg yolk.

Place the ramekins you are using on a roasting pan or a sheet pan. Pour the custard into the ramekins and bring them close to the oven. Pour hot water in the roasting pan or sheet pan and place in the oven.

Bake in the water bath at 300ºF until the center of the custard doesn’t giggle when we shake the pan.

Let the ramekins cool a little bit, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.

Post Title

→

Pistachio and Grapefruit Macarons and a Pot De Creme Craving

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/03/pistachio-and-grapefruit-macarons-and.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Meyer Lemon Semifreddo and Some Macarons

As you know, I had a bag full of meyer lemons that I received over the weekend. After reading all your suggestions, all I can say is that I wish I had a couple more bags. My brain was spinning with all of those ideas. Sometimes I wish certain fruits were available all year round but again, there is something so exciting about waiting. It makes us appreciate that moment even more.

I have been having fun lately playing around with different presentations of the same recipe and for some reason, I keep coming back to frozen desserts and macarons. It must be the Spring-like weather we are having.

Sometimes I think that I could really just spend my days making macarons. All colors and flavors, a la Pierre Herme or Stephane Glacier. Have the windows wide open, a cool breeze coming in and piping all day long while I listen to The Beatles' "White Album".



I decided to make a simple meyer lemon curd with all those lemons and turn that curd into a meyer lemon semifreddo. Some in ring molds and some in my over-used recycled yogurt containers. Yes, I know. Overused. But so lovely.

For the macarons, I used my regular macarons recipe but added yellow food coloring and some zest. For the filling, I mixed about two thirds vanilla buttercream with about a third of the lemon curd and some extra zest. So refreshing and colorful. Can you tell I love yellow?



Meyer Lemon Curd

100 grams eggs
35 grams sugar
100 grams meyer lemon juice
Zest of 1 meyer lemon
10 grams butter, room temperature

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, juice and zest. Cook this mixture in a double boiler until it thickens (84C).

Strain into a clean bowl and chill it over an ice bath until it is about body temperature. Add the room temperature butter and mix with a hand blender until an emulsion is form (it will turn a bit lighter in color). Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pate a Bombe

110 grams sugar
30 grams glucose
55 grams water
40 grams egg yolk

Place the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer and start whipping until light and thick.

In the meantime, place the sugar, glucose and water in a small saucepan and cook to 240F. Add the sugar syrup to the whipped yolks in a slow and steady stream pouring on the side of the bowl. Continue whipping in high until egg yolks thick and cooled.

Meyer Lemon Semifreddo

110 grams pate a bombe (about the full recipe described above)
6 grams sheet gelatin
80 grams meyer lemon curd
Zest of 1 meyer lemon
220 grams heavy cream, soft peak

Soften the gelatin in ice water for 5 minutes. Add about 3 Tbs of the heavy cream to the softened gelatin and microwave for about 10 seconds until the gelatin melts into the cream. Add this gelatin into the rest of the soft peak heavy cream and whisk rapidly until the gelatin is incorporated.

Fold a third of the heavy cream into the pate a bombe and mix well. Fold in the rest gently.

Fold the meyer lemon zest and curd into the base leaving some streaks visible.

Pour into molds and let it set in the freezer.

Post Title

→

Meyer Lemon Semifreddo and Some Macarons

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/02/meyer-lemon-semifreddo-and-some.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Strawberries and Vanilla Bean

I know to some of you, it might seem strange that I am using strawberries in the middle of winter, but here in Florida, we have a funny strawberry season that starts in December and lasts through May. The peak of the season and the best strawberries will be around next month and into March, but I couldn't wait to start eating them and baking with them. So I made a strawberry pate de fruit to go inside these vanilla bean macarons that I filled with a white chocolate and vanilla bean cream.




I had an eventful week filled with positive things and not so fun ones (like having my car broken into and my handbag stolen while picking up my son from school), so I am looking forward to a camping trip we have planned for this weekend. I will be taking some of these macarons on our trip and sharing the rest with friends who really deserve a thank you for all the support I have been getting lately.

I just realized yesterday that this little blog of mine will be turning one next week. Time flies, doesn't it?

Thanks everyone for your kind words, comments, votes, support... have a great weekend!



Strawberry Pate de Fruit

120 grams strawberry puree, strained
3 grams yellow pectin
15 grams sugar
150 grams sugar
30 grams glucose
4 grams lemon juice

Puree about 175 grams of strawberries to get 120 grams of seeded strawberry puree (it might vary a bit).

Mix the pectin with the 15 grams sugar.

Place the strawberry puree in a small saucepan and bring to a light boil. Add the pectin and sugar mixture and whisk. When it comes to a boil, add the rest of the sugar. Whisk and let it come to a boil again. Add the glucose and cook to 106C. It will take about 3 minutes or so on medium heat. Stir so the sugar doesn't burn on the bottom.

When it reaches the desired temperature, remove from heat, add the lemon juice and cast into half sphere silicon molds (or any mold that you would like). let it sit for a few hours until it hardens completely.

Cut into small pieces that will go inside the macarons.

Vanilla Bean Macarons

180 grams almond flour
240 grams powdered sugar
140 grams egg whites, aged
3 grams egg white powder
2 grams fine sea salt
80 grams vanilla sugar
few drops of red food coloring

Make sure that the egg whites have been separated from the egg yolks at least the night before. This bit of aging really makes a difference in the macarons.

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar and sea salt. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites with the egg white powder until very fluffy, almost fully whipped. Start adding the vanilla sugar slowly while whipping. Add a few drops of red food coloring and continue whipping to stiff peaks.

Add the dry ingredients to the meringue and fold with a spatula until a shiny mass forms. We want to achieve a batter that makes ribbons. You might have to test it to see if it's done. Pipe a small amount on your sheetpan. If it keeps a little bit of a top when piped, then you have to mix it a bit further, if it spreads really fast, you have gone too far and your macarons will turn out flat.

When you have the right consistency, place the mass in a pastry bag with a number 5 tip and pipe small rounds onto sheetpans lined with parchment or silpat. Let them dry at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

If you want to sprinkle them with anything, you must do it right after piping while the batter is still wet. If you want to paint them, wait until they are dry and before they go in the oven.

Have the oven preheated to 350F degrees. Place one sheetpan in the oven at a time and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes and rotate sheetpan and bake for another 5 minutes.

White Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Cream

125 grams heavy cream
60 grams white chocolate
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

Chop the white chocolate nto a bowl. In a saucepan, boil the cream and the vanilla bean and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Let this ganache sit in the refrigerator overnight and whip the next day until a thick cream is formed.

Pipe onto the macarons shells and place a piece of strawberry pate de fruit in the middle. Top with another macarons shell.

Post Title

→

Strawberries and Vanilla Bean

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/01/strawberries-and-vanilla-bean.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Turron Macarons and some Christmas Memories

Growing up, one of the first things that really signaled the beginning of Christmas season was the display of all the different varieties of turron on the shelves of grocery stores, pastry shops and pantries. Turron duro is a hard nougat covered in wafer paper and normally comes from Alicante. Turron blando on the other hand, is a soft paste also made with ground almonds, honey and sugar and this usually comes from Jijona.

My fondest memories come from sitting down in my family's pastry shop and watching everyone peel the blanched almonds for the turron by hand. Sacks and sacks of almonds were ordered, blanched, peeled and ground by hand in the pastry kitchen right before Christmas. We all helped as much as we could, even us kids. This was a very busy time and still is, with tons and tons of holiday orders to fill. My family still makes turron every year and how I wish I could be there to help.




So I really wanted to make some macarons with those flavors in mind. Although I have talked about making nougat in this blog several times already, I did not make the turron this time since it is available in our store straight from Spain. I made a paste by grinding it in the food processor and mixed it in with buttercream to create a nutty and creamy filling for the macarons. I hope you try them.



Turron Macarons

180 grams almond flour
245 grams powdered sugar
140 grams egg whites
3 grams egg white powder
2 grams of finely ground sea salt
80 grams granulated sugar
edible gold luster or chopped almonds for the topping

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg white and the egg white powder. Whip in medium speed until egg whites start to increase in volume. When the egg whites are almost fully whipped and very fluffy, slowly start adding the sugar. After all the sugar is incorporated, continue to whip the meringue in high speed now until semi stiff peaks have formed. Add the food coloring now and whip.

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the meringue. Fold until we achieve a shiny mass that is a bit runny but still leaves ridges. We are looking for a mass that spreads a little but not too much otherwise our macaroons will be flat. Test a couple to see if you need to mix some more.

Pipe the mass onto half sheet pans lined with silpats. Sprinkle the wet macaroons with chopped almonds or edible gold luster. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes so they dry. We want the tops to not stick to our finger when we touch them. This will ensure a crack-free macaroon.

Preheat oven to 350F. We will bake one sheetpan at a time. When you are ready to bake the first one, lower the oven temperature to 300F. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate and bake for another 8 minutes or so. Check to see if they are done by lifting one from the silicon mat. It's ok if they stick a bit, but just a bit. As they cool on the hot sheetpan, they continue to dry. It's a matter of trial and error.

Turron Buttercream

50 grams egg whites
100 grams sugar
150 grams butter, room temperature
50 grams of turron paste

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites and the sugar lightly. Place over a water bath until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Bring bowl to the electric mixer and whip until stiff peaks form. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time while whipping. It might seem like the buttercream breaks, but continue whipping as it will come together. Add the turron paste and mix until combined.

Post Title

→

Turron Macarons and some Christmas Memories

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2008/12/turron-macarons-and-some-christmas.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Chocolate Macarons and a Tropical Storm

This is what happens in my family when we are stuck indoors for hours on end due to bad weather. We eat, cook, bake and eat some more... and we particularly like to eat chocolate. Call it emotional eating, but we cannot help ourselves.

Last Monday, we were hit by tropical storm Fay and although we didn't get significant damage in our area, some communities north of us were impacted pretty badly. It rained heavily, we had five tornado warnings in a row and the wind blew strong for a few hours. Luckily, we did not lose power so we were able to enjoy a cozy afternoon with movies and lots and lots of baking.




After all the ice creams and custards I had made prior to the storm, I had an enormous bowl of egg whites in my refrigerator that needed to be used. I always find that macarons are the best way to use up all the egg whites because everyone I know loves them and nothing will ever go to waste.

This time I had to fulfill my neighbors' request for chocolate macarons with salty peanut butter cream, but I also saved some for me to fill with milk chocolate and passion fruit ganache. One for you, one for me.

I really wanted to call this post "Anatomy of a Macaron" because I wanted photograph close ups of what the macaron feet should look like, the bottom of the macaron, the before and after... This week a reader that emailed me about macaron was able to successfully replicate them in her own kitchen, which definitely makes my day. It's hard to explain all the little details in an email but she mastered it.



Chocolate Macarons

100 grams egg whites
25 grams sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
225 grams powdered sugar
125 grams almond flour
15 grams cocoa powder
pinch of salt
Cocoa nib for topping

Separate the egg whites at least 24 hours prior and even let them sit at room temperature for a few hours before starting to make the macarons. This will help them get rid of some moisture and become more acidic, which will help form a stable meringue.

Whip the egg whites and the lemon juice until they are almost fully whipped. Sprinkle in the sugar while still mixing. Continue to whip to a full meringue.

Sift the powdered sugar, salt, almond flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the meringue into the dry ingredients and fold until a shiny mass is formed. We want it to spread a bit but not too much.

Pipe the macarons onto a silicon mat and sprinkle with cocoa nibs. Let the macarons dry at room temperature for 20 minutes or so. Bake them in a 300F for about 8 minutes. Rotate the sheetpan and bake for another 8 minutes.


Salty Peanut Butter Filling

125 grams creamy peanut butter
70 grams powdered sugar
25 grams softened butter
25 grams heavy cream
5 grams vanilla extract
3 grams fine sea salt

Cream all ingredients together for a smooth filling.

Milk Chocolate and Passion Fruit Ganache

100 grams milk chocolate
40 grams passion fruit puree
20 grams heavy cream
15 grams butter

Chop the milk chocolate into small pieces. Boil the passion fruit and heavy cream together and pour over chocolate. Stir until incorporated and the ganache forms. Wait a couple of minutes for the ganache to cool a bit and add the softened butter. Stir to create and emulsion. Let it harden a bit until it is pipeable and fill the macarons.

Post Title

→

Chocolate Macarons and a Tropical Storm

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2008/08/chocolate-macarons-and-tropical-storm.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Meringue... the Difference that Folding Makes

I am always intrigued by technique and how the simple action of folding ingredients together can completely change the texture and consistency of a product. Such is the case with meringue. The infamous macarons are usually nothing but egg whites with sugar and ground up nuts. But how do they get their tiny feet and the crunchy exterior with the moist interior? I was showing a friend of mine the macaron folding technique or "macaroner", when it occurred to me that I should also show her how a similar meringue can yield a different kind of cookie.

We made a batch of pistachio macarons with pistachio buttercream and a batch of hazelnut success with salted caramel ganache.

I decided to make some hazelnut success, which are nothing more than baked meringue with sugar and hazelnut meal gently folded in. Success is barely folded compared to the way macarons must be almost turned into a paste. The macaron batter is "worked" into a shiny mass, however, success must be folded with a light hand and gentle touch.



I understand that macaron recipes contain more dry ingredients that the rest of meringues, which also contributes to the completely different texture, but I would say, that is mostly in the hand. When macarons are under-mixed and much of the air is left in the mass, they turn into light crispy meringues and not the chewy interior we all desire.

I think at the end of the day, the reason why all this intrigues me is because it means that a recipe or a list of ingredients don't really mean all that much unless there is care and touch behind it.



Pistachio Macarons

100 grams almond meal
80 grams raw pistachio meal
243 grams powdered sugar
138 grams egg whites
3 grams egg white powder
81 grams sugar
few drops of all-natural green food coloring

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, pistachio meal and powdered sugar. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg white and the egg white powder. Whip in medium speed until egg whites start to increase in volume. When the egg whites are almost fully whipped and very fluffy, slowly start adding the sugar, sprinkle it in. After all the sugar is incorporated, continue to whip the meringue in high speed now until semi stiff peaks have formed. Add food coloring.

Add the meringue to the almond flour and pistachio meal mixture and with a spatula, fold the meringue into the dry ingredients. This is called “macaroner” and is also a tricky part. It is better to fold slowly and test a couple of macaroons because it is possible to over fold this mixture. We are looking for a shiny mass. For this amount of ingredients, I would say that it will only take about 10 to 15 strokes. But again, it is better to check for consistency. We are looking for a mass that spreads a little but not too much otherwise our macaroons will be flat.

Pipe the mass onto half sheet pans lined with silpats. Sprinkle the wet macaroons with pistachio crumble or chopped pistachios.

Let them sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes so they dry. We want the tops to not stick to our finger when we touch them. This will ensure a crack-free macaroon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Bake one sheetpan at a time and rotate half way after about 10 minutes. They will take about 16 minutes total but depends on your oven.

Pistachio Buttercream

50 grams egg whites
100 grams sugar
150 grams butter, softened
50 grams pistachio paste

Mix the egg whites and the sugar and place them over a double boiler while you whisk them together. The sugar will start to dissolve and the egg whites will start to turn white and fluffy. Continue whisking until the egg whites feel hot to the touch.

Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer and whip in high speed until light and fluffy and the bottom of the bowl doesn't feel hot anymore. About 3-5 minutes.

Start adding the softened butter by the tablespoon. Keep adding more butter as it is incorporated into the meringue. It might look like it is curdling but don't worry, keep mixing. When is well mixed, add the pistachio paste.

Hazelnut Success

50 grams egg whites
40 grams sugar
40 grams powdered sugar
25 grams hazelnut meal

Whip the egg whites fully and slowly add the sugar. Whip to stiff peaks.

Separately, sift the powdered sugar and hazelnut meal together. Sprinkle this mixture over the meringue and fold by hand, slowly. Be careful not to deflate the meringue too much.

Place the mix in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and pipe long lines of the meringue on a sheetpan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they dry completely. When they cool you should be able to pick them up from the parchment no problem.

Salted Caramel Ganache

60 grams sugar
110 grams heavy cream
100 grams bittersweet chocolate (64%)
65 grams milk chocolate (38%)
15 grams salted butter
pinch fleur de sel

Make a dry caramel with the sugar. In the meantime, heat the cream and when the caramel is starting to turn fairly dark, deglaze it with the cream.

Have the dark and milk chocolates chopped in a separate bowl. Strain the caramel mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit untouched for a minute. The caramel will start to slowly melt the chocolate. Whisk gently until all the chocolate is dissolved and the ganache has formed an emulsion. When it has coioled a bit, which will happen quickly since it's a small batch, add the soft butter and mix keeping the emulsion. Add the fleur de sel.

Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it hardens enough to be pipeable. Place in a pastry bag and pipe in between hazelnut success.

Post Title

→

Meringue... the Difference that Folding Makes

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2008/07/meringue-difference-that-folding-makes.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Milk Chocolate and Coffee Macarons

I haven't made macarons in a few weeks and I wasn't planning on making them until a friend of mine requested them as a present for someone else. They are a classic flavor combination of a coffee macaron shell and a milk chocolate ganache filling. Simple, easy yet always make an impression. She was happy and that's all that matters.


What else can I say about this recipe that I haven't said before... It's the same recipe I always use but this time I added a bit of coffee extract to the meringue.

The milk chocolate ganache was made without a scale. I took two parts of milk chocolate and one part heavy cream. I like to work with ratios because it makes my life really simple. It is true that ganaches are delicate and must be perfectly balanced but sometimes, I just use quick ratios, like one part dark chocolate one part heavy cream, two parts white chocolate and one part heavy cream. Easy and quick.



So I leave you without a recipe today. Just follow the guidelines for my previous macarons recipes and the quick ganache that I mentioned above.

And why the short post you might ask? Well, we are going camping this weekend! I will see you next week and I hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

Post Title

→

Milk Chocolate and Coffee Macarons

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2008/06/milk-chocolate-and-coffee-macarons.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection