Pistachio Macarons…Addicting
I haven’t had a genuine French macaron since I was in Paris at 16 years old. What do I remember? Vivid pinks, browns, and greens adorning these delicate sandwich cookies. Crisp outside, chewy center…mmmmmm. At the time, I didn’t know they were called macarons, I just thought they were these amazing cookies.
In college I found a recipe for Chocolate French Macarons. I had no idea what they were but decided to make them. Of course, when you don’t know what the end result is supposed to look like, and when you don’t have a foundational knowledge of baking, who knows what you get? I ended up with some really delicious but decidedly sticky and cracked, flattish sandwich cookies. The frustration with the general mechanics and required amount of time made me vow not to make them again for a long time.
Come Mother’s Day, I wanted to make something special. Now knowing what macarons are, and being a bit more experienced in the baking department, I decided to attempt them again. It was doubly sweet because the macarons and that Paris trip were a fond memory for my mom. Macarons are typically made with almond flour, a giant no-no because my dad is allergic to all nuts except pine nuts, macadamia nuts, and pistachios – we don’t really get it either. I found a recipe made entirely out of pistachio flour and was very pleased with the results.
They look big in the picture, but they were slightly smaller than 1″ – still working on my measuring skills. I made about 180 halves (also brought a batch to a work bridal shower) and filled them with pistachio buttercream.
Let’s just say 90 cookies doesn’t last long in my circle of family and friends. Yum.
Want to make them? http://joakitchen.blogspot.com/2005/11/pistachio-macarons.html
Filed under Cookies, Mother's Day | Comments (3)Home for the Holidays
Ok, we were actually at 2 homes for Thanksgiving (not to mention 4 homes for Christmas…but that’s the next post). This will be the last time we travel 1.5 hours between dinner and dessert – we’re just too tired taking dessert for 35 over at 8PM!!
I don’t have any pictures, but we also made mini toast crudites and asparagus wrapped with prosciutto, asiago, and phyllo (Martha Stewart) for hors d’oeuvres.
The dessert rundown:
- Linzer cookies (butter cookies filled with jam that I reduced with some lemon juice)
- Chewy gingerbread men and trees
- Buche de Noel (Yule log) – this one was a chocolate flourless cake filled with whipped cream and topped with ganache – tore pretty easily and mine was very sloppy when cutting
- Chocolate covered strawberries
- Mini pains au chocolats (chocolate croissants) – Epicurious recipe that is simply puff pastry wrapped around a bar of chocolate and glazed with cinnamon sugar (I used turbinado sugar so it was less sweet)
Year in Review
Yes, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve updated this blog. Partly because I keep forgetting about it, partly because I haven’t decorated a cake since January!
We did manage to eat a lot this past year, though. I’ll be posting quick recaps to get you caught up.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
- Vanilla cupcakes filled with peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate ganache (and of course more frosting)
- Chocolate covered strawberries (Dove dark makes an awesome melting chocolate)
Triple Chocolate Cookies (1st Birthday Party)
Homemade sausage calzones (no, we didn’t make the sausage)
Foccacia – one with caramelized onions, one with tomato and rosemary
Happy Mother’s Day! An alternative to chicken cordon bleu: chicken stuffed with spinach, onions and swiss wrapped with bacon
More to come.
Filed under Cake, Cookies, Savory | Comment (1)C is for Cookie
Baked some chocolate chip cookies for a surprise bridal shower at work. I think I’ll need to start getting an ice cream scoop to help make them the same size, although I must say I do prefer the hand formed look. Someone from the shower ordered oatmeal raisin cookies from me!!
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No Willpower
The bad thing about being a grownup is you can eat whatever you want and no one will tell you differently. Especially when you’re feeling sick and shouldn’t eat whatever you want.
I had a big craving for chocolate chip cookies this weekend having been under the weather for awhile. So I made some. And have eaten most of them with the help of hubby and friends. Sorry, no gratuitous pictures of the cookies available. But you know what a cookie looks like, don’t you? If not, I feelfor you and will gladly eat more in your honor. 
I also started working on a pretty pricing menu for my various goods. That way people don’t have to come up to me and order something, then stop being my friend after they find out how much it’s going to cost them. No more charging based on my mood for that day.
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