French
#COOKING: CHOCOLATE FUDGE MACARONS RECIPE
Chocolate Fudge Macarons. I was hesitant to try Macarons again since they gave me so much anxiety, but my dear friend Angela enjoyed the last batch I made so much, I couldn’t let her down! She literally said those were the best Macarons she’d ever had. She even went out of her way at nine months pregnant to buy me more Almond Flour so I could make more. Say what you will about the look of these which I know need a bit of work still in terms of piping, but they were phenomenal. That fudgy Butter Cream center is to die for.
Macarons:
1 cup Almond Flour, sifted three times
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted three times
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsps cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
6 tbsps cocoa powder
2 tbsps whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate/Rainbow Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions:
1. In large bowl, combine 1/2 tsp salt, almond flour, cocoa powder and icing sugar. Ensure these are all sifted three times.
2. In separate bowl, beat egg whites and 1/2 tsp salt with handmixer till stiff peaks form. You should be able to flip bowl over and nothing moves. Gradually add granulated sugar.
3. Add flour mixture into egg white mixture bit by bit and combine gently with spatula. When ready, you should be able to lift spatula and draw a “figure 8” with batter.
5. Scoop into piping bag with a circular tip and pipe each corner of baking sheet. Place parchment paper over it, using paste on corners to secure it.
6. Pipe Macaron batter evenly in circles over parchment paper. When done, take baking sheet and tap it on counter 3-5 times gently to rid of air bubbles and even out batter. Distribute sprinkles on-top.
7. Let sit for one hour.
8. Preheat oven at 300°F. Bake for 17-21 minutes depending how large your Macarons are. You’ll know they’re done when they don’t stick to the wax paper.
9. Allow to cool about 20 minutes out of oven and gently use spatula to remove from parchment paper and transfer to a tray. If they stick to paper, peel them off gently, taking a sparing amount of warm water and rub against back of cookie till paper peels off. Be gentle and do not over-wet.
10. Cool in fridge quickly for 20 minutes while you prepare Butter Cream.
11. Whip butter in large bowl till creamy. Add icing sugar, cocoa, vanilla and cream till you get a thick icing.
12. Scoop into piping bag and pipe onto “foot” of Macarons leaving a bit of space around the edge. Place another Macaron on-top and gently press into a sandwich.
13. Place in air-tight container overnight, room temperature before serving.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#COOKING: MACARONS RECIPE
Macarons. Happy Pride! To celebrate inclusion and diversity, we thought we’d finally conquer our fear of baking Macarons. These gave me major anxiety but I am pleased with the results first time out. Pride is about being fearless, being accountable and embracing yourself and all your flaws. While these weren’t perfect and smooth, on the inside and taste wise, they were the real deal. We loved them and these festive treats certainly embody that spirit! To be a better baker means having a deeper understanding of processes and ingredients and while we appreciate the process, we are just as happy supporting our local bakeries when they’re re-opened and buy them there! Shout-out to Tasty whom we got a few ideas from. Believe me, a lot of research went into this before I decided to give this a go! 🌈
Macarons:
1 cup Almond Flour, sifted three times
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted three times
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated organic sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
4-5 drops red food colouring
Butter Cream:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsps whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Rainbow Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions:
1. In large bowl, combine 1/2 tsp salt, almond flour and icing sugar. Ensure these are all sifted three times.
2. In separate bowl, beat egg whites and 1/2 tsp salt with handmixer till stiff peaks form. You should be able to flip bowl over and nothing moves. Gradually add granulated sugar.
3. Drop in food colouring and vanilla into egg whites and fold gently with spatula till colour is even.
4. Add flour mixture into egg white mixture bit by bit and combine gently with spatula. When ready, you should be able to lift spatula and draw a “figure 8” with batter.
5. Scoop into piping bag with a circular tip and pipe each corner of baking sheet. Place parchment paper over it, using paste on corners to secure it.
6. Pipe Macaron batter evenly in circles over parchment paper. When done, take baking sheet and tap it on counter 3-5 times gently to rid of air bubbles and even out batter. Distribute sprinkles on-top.
7. Let sit for one hour.
8. Preheat oven at 300°F. Bake for 17-21 minutes depending how large your Macarons are. You’ll know they’re done when they don’t stick to the wax paper.
9. Allow to cool about 20 minutes out of oven and gently use spatula to remove from parchment paper and transfer to a tray. If they stick to paper, peel them off gently, taking a sparing amount of warm water and rub against back of cookie till paper peels off. Be gentle and do not over-wet.
10. Cool in fridge quickly for 20 minutes while you prepare Butter Cream.
11. Whip butter in large bowl till creamy. Add icing sugar, vanilla and cream till you get a thick icing.
12. Scoop into piping bag and pipe onto “foot” of Macarons leaving a bit of space around the edge. Place another Macaron on-top and gently press into a sandwich.
13. Place in air-tight container overnight, room temperature before serving.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#COOKING: FRENCH ONION SOUP RECIPE
French Onion Soup. In addition to washing those hands and exercising Social Distancing, a strong immune system is needed to navigate this period ahead. We all need a good dose of Vitamin C, but instead of oranges, how about onions?
We adore French Onion Soup, which notoriously is tricky to make. With all the time in the world right now, when better than now to finally tackle this savoury sensation? 🇫🇷🌰
Ingredients:
6 large white onions, chopped thinly
8 cups of beef broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons organic cane sugar
Black Pepper to taste
Sea Salt to taste
1 cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
1 French Baguette
Instructions:
1. Chop onions thinly.
2. In large soup pot on medium heat, sautée onions in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring frequently for 15 minutes.
3. Turn-up heat to medium-high, add butter and one tablespoon olive oil. Cook another 15 minutes, stirring frequently as onions start browning.
4. Add-in sugar and one teaspoon of sea salt (or more if you like). Cook another 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add-in garlic. Cook for one minute.
6. Add wine and scrape brown bits from bottom of pot.
7. Add beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, add pepper and salt to taste. Simmer for 45 minutes or longer.
8. Skim excess oil, herbs and remove bay leaves.
8. When about ready to serve, heat oven to 450°F. Cut baguette into approximately 2-inch thick slices. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Bake about 7 minutes.
9. Flip bread pieces over and stack grated Gruyere on-top and return to oven, baking until cheese and bread are golden-brown.
10. Ladle soup into bowls and top with piece of toasted cheese bread and serve. Dunk bread into soup for that gooey, cheesy texture.
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