… and they’re perfect. Just perfect.

The sorry state of my first batch of macarons yesterday was rather underwhelming. But thanks to yesterday’s disappointment, today’s success is even more of a joy! I am so happy to share that after a couple changes to the recipe and to the technique, my second try at macarons was much more successful than the first. I picked up some great tips on technique along the way, which I will share with you as soon as I have a moment. In the meantime, please cheer with me! Now I can sleep at night!

Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons

Can I share a secret with you? These didn’t turn out quite as I had wanted them to be. Most cracked, and some burned. Some were far too crunchy. But some were not cracked, some did not burn, and some had just the perfect texture (in my opinion) of being airy and light in the center (with the slightest hint of chew) with a crisp outer shell.

These macarons were from the first experiment of my many experiments to come with making macarons. And this less than successful first venture has only made me even more determined to get the perfect recipe down. So just as a warning to my taste-testers out there, get ready for a deluge of macarons, because they’ll be coming your way steadily and soon. In addition to producing (hopefully) many delightful treats, this series of experimentation with macarons will be good for building up technique as well. Because the key to making these macarons is really the technique.

In addition to experimenting in the kitchen, I’ll be doing some secondary research. And if I run across any helpful tidbits of information, I’ll make sure to send them your way via this blog. So stay posted. I’m determined to come back with a success story sometime!

Red Velvet Cupcake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Today’s events have left me feeling particularly exhausted. And there is yet more to do. But before I tackle the next task, let’s take a break, yes?

In moments like these, baking becomes more than just a fun and easy way to make a yummy treat for myself or others. And it becomes something more therapeutic, because anyone who enjoys baking can tell you that there’s something incredibly ritualistic, comforting, and calming about baking. There’s something special in the measuring out of the ingredients, in the creaming of the butter and sugar, and in the gentle folding of egg whites that calms your nerves, slows your heart, settles your nervous fingers, and assures you that everything will be okay.

A simple pound cake seems suitable for a day like this – something not too demanding that is comforting, and delicious. Maybe I’ll throw some cream cheese in there as well!

Homemade Oreos

Think about some of your favorite childhood memories, and odds are that one (if not two or three) will have something to do with an Oreo. Don’t believe me? Give it a try. In my case, I remember …

… those commercials of kids and grandparents making airplane Oreos, zooming them around, dunking them into glasses of ice cold milk, giggling, and biting into them as the kid and granddad share a secret smile.

… that game gracie and I always played, where we would  each twist off a side of an Oreo, hoping to get the most cream, because that would ensure that our crush was crushing on us, too – obviously.

… and sneakily twisting open an Oreo, eating the filling, sticking the cookies back together, and running away with the sweet taste of victory lingering in my mouth.

So when I ran across this recipe for homemade Oreos, a wave of whimsy rushed over me, and I just knew I had to try it out. The recipe produced a cookie that was reminiscent of an Oreo, but the strong form of cocoa powder I used gave the cookies a more mature twist. After having done one trial run with the recipe, I think I’ll modify it the next time around in two key respects: 1) reducing the amount of sugar used, and 2) using the slice and bake method used on refrigerator cookies instead of dropping the dough so that I can better control the thickness of the cookies (if they get too thick, they get too intense). Additionally, I might consider shaving off a couple minutes from the baking time to produce softer, chewier wafers that might complement the creaminess of the filling even better.



Homemade Oreos
Adapted from SmittenKitchen
Serving size: 24-36 cookies

Chocolate Wafers
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 tspn baking soda
1/4 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg

Filling
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tspns vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.
2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture and mix until just combined. The dough should be crumbly. Add the large egg. Continue mixing until a mass of dough forms. It will be very dense.
3. Roll the dough into a log 2 inches in diameter, and slice the cookies to 1/4 inch in thickness. Place cookies on parchment paper. about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes for crispy cookies, and 6-7 minutes for chewier ones.
4. While the cookies are baking, prepare the filling by creaming together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Start on low and gradually increase speed.
6. Transfer the filling to a piping bag. Once the cookies are baked, let cool. Then put a dollop (or two) of frosting on one cookie. Sandwich it with another cookie.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

A pavlova and its namesake

If there is one thing in life you can always depend on, it is your oven … breaking the very moment you stick a perfect pavlova in it. In C and my case today, it was our oven door that broke apart. Quite literally. But a silly little thing like a broken oven door wasn’t going to stand between us and our pavlova. Had we listened to C’s dad’s adage, “You’ll never run into trouble as long as you leave the house with 3 yards of rope,” we would have been in tip-top shape. Since we lacked any length of rope, however, C and I improvised, using tape to create a little contraption.

60 minutes later, our oven was still broken, but we didn’t care. We had the most perfect pavlovas ever: delicate on the outside; gooey, marshmallowy, and utterly heavenly inside; and topped with whipped cream and tart kiwi slices on top.

The only con about these pavlovas is that they are so light and yummy, you’ll eat the entire batch before you even know it. Luckily enough, our ideals of beauty are changing during these tough economic times <http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-13/hot-and-heavy/>. So lay aside those worries about calories (at least until the Dow’s climbed into the teens), and enjoy to your hearts’ content, ladies!



Perfect Pavlova

Meringue
3/4 tspns pure vanilla extract
1 tspn white wine vinegar
3/4 tbsp (11.25 ml) cornstarch
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
Whipped cream
Tart fruit of your choice (berries are marvelous and kiwis are also delightful)

Before you start:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, make sure your utensils are spotless and wipe them down with vinegar and salt, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper

1. Measure out the wet ingredients (vanilla and wine vinegar) in a small ramekin or bowl
2. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a separate small ramekin or bowl
3. Separate the egg whites of 3 cold eggs and set aside until they get to room temperature
4. Start to beat the egg whites and salt on low speed. Gradually increase the speed to medium. Once soft peaks begin to form, start to add the sugar and corn starch mix to the eggs a couple tablespoons at a time as you increase the speed to medium high. Continue beating.
5. 4-5 minutes after all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the vanilla extract and vinegar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form and the egg whites take on a brilliant-white glossy appearance.
6. Pipe or spoon generous servings of the meringue onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper to make 3 inch rounds. Space each pavlova out about 1/2 an inch. Use the back of a slightly wet, clean metal spoon to create a well in the middle of each pavolva. This will hold the filling.
7. Put the pavlovas in the oven on the center rack and reduce the temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for about 50-60 minutes. Take out of the oven before they turn tan-colored or start to crack.
8. Fill the well in each pavlova with whipped cream right before serving and top with a tart fruit of your choice.

Meringues in the shape of mushrooms. There is a logical progression for this, I promise.

“Marshmallow” sounds like “mushroom.” And since meringues are sort of like marshmallows because they’re both … white and sugary, we can go from meringues to marshmallows to mushrooms. Thus, by the transitive theory …

So when I came across a recipe for Meringue Mushrooms, it seemed like such a logical creation that I just had to try it.If you remember my detailed post on Souffles and Love, I outlined the proper way to whip egg whites to a soft or stiff peak. This time around, I used a method that one can only call a “loose interpretation” of the proper techniques. And the kitchen gods didn’t smite me.

I started by prepping the utensils by rubbing them down with vinegar and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. I measured out the wet and dry ingredients so they would be easy to add while continuously whipping. Starting on low speed, I began to whip the eggs and salt. Progressively, I increased the power to medium-high as I added the powdered sugar a couple tablespoons at a time. I then added the wet ingredients and continued to whip until the egg whites looked glossy and brilliant- white.

Next, I transferred the mix to a ziploc bag. Putting the ziploc bag in a tall cup helps in the transfer. I snipped off a corner of the bag about 1/2 an inch across and began to pipe the mushroom caps onto the parchment paper. Using firm pressure and holding the bag upright, A. and I placed the tip of the bag close to the parchment paper and slowly drew the bag up, making a relatively flat half-dome about 1.5 inches in diameter.  Towards the end, we piped off to the side to minimize the appearance of peaks as much as possible. Using a clean wet finger, we went back and patted down the tops of the caps to get rid of any peaks. To make the mushroom stems, we used lighter pressure on the bag and slowly drew the tip up as straight as possible to make a tall-ish stem that looked like a stretched out Hershey’s kiss. As A. can attest, making extra stems is a good idea, as things tend to go wrong. Piping the caps and stems was the most time-consuming step. You can quicken the process, however, by taking A’s advice and making them into Portabello mushrooms.

Bake these in the oven at 200 degrees F with a wooden spoon stuck in the oven door to keep it slightly ajar. These will bake for an hour. In the meantime, melt a 1/4 cup of chocolate in a double-boiler or microwave, stirring occasionally. Once the meringues are done, take them out to cool. Drill small holes into the bottoms of the mushroom caps and spread the melted chocolate along the bottoms. Use a serrated knife to make some gills in the chocolate if you would like. Stick a stem into each of the holes. (C: “But the hole’s too small!”)  Once the chocolate has set, invert the mushrooms and dust with cocoa powder.

And there you go! Delightful Meringue Button Mushrooms. For presentation, you can assemble the mushrooms in a basket or you can put a dot of chocolate on the bottoms of each of the stems and stick them onto a plate in an arrangement of sorts. These are not only whimsical additions to any tea setting, but are also tasty little morels. The meringues are light and crumbly in your mouth, and the slight bitterness of the unsweetened cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate balance out the sweetness of the meringues.

Enjoy!

Walnut M&M Cookies

There are a couple of things in the world that immediately conjure feelings of warmth and comfort: the smell of dinner on mom’s hands at the end of the day, dad’s echoing laughter and singing, the thought of gracie’s half run/skip, d’s big bear hugs, the smell of em’s house after school, and … cookies! Most of these things are hard to replicate over here on the east coast, so whenever a wave of homesickness comes over me, I make do with what I can and whip out my trusty mixing bowl to bake chocolate chip cookies. Luckily enough, this recipe is easy and I only have to wait moments until the apartment is filled with the scent of freshly baked cookies.

D and I have been on the hunt for the “best” chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this one is our favorite by far. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, and the texture is ideal: crisp on the outer edges, and chewy on the inside until everything just melts on your tongue. If you want to get that cracked top that you see on a lot of cookies at bakeries, just add a pinch of cream of tartar.

Here is the recipe in case you want to conjure up a little bit of home at your place, too!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tspns vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (this time around, I used 2 cups flour + 1 cup rice flour, which gave the cookie a nice texture. Make sure to cut down on the sugar if you do use this substitution!)
1 tspn baking soda
2 tspns hot water
1/2 tspn salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until creamy
3. Add eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated
4. Stir in vanilla
5. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter with salt
6. Add flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Mix until just incorporated
7. Drop by medium spoonfuls onto parchment paper
8. Bake for about 9-10 minutes in the preheated oven