must've been beginner's luck

I had a feeling before putting these babies in the oven that they weren't going to be the beautiful little cookie I had baked only 12 hours before.

I haven't gone completely mental (I don't think), but I have to ask - does your food talk to you? You know, have personality? Maybe it's just me. I imagined my little cracked, feetless macarons telling me, "we tried to be perfect, like our predecessors. Please don't hate us, we still taste delicious".

See, told you I'd become obsessed.

Made these macarons, using the same shell recipe as last time, but a few things I did different (which I don't know if they had any effect on them) were:

• I used vanilla sugar, which is finer than granulated sugar. Oh, but does it ever smell delish.


• I started to sift the ground almonds and powdered sugar, got bored and dumped the rest in. Seriously, who does that?
  
• The first time I made macarons, I "aged" the egg whites in the microwave for 10 seconds separately. This time I dumped them all in a bowl and microwaved them.

There I was thinking I was a natural macaron baker. I need to learn about macarons' finicky nature before I begin experimenting, eh?

For the buttercream, I beat unsalted butter until creamy, added sifted powdered sugar until it was the consistency I wanted and then added orange extract to taste and a splash or two of milk (1 tsp?) as well.

They disappeared in less time than it took me to pipe them.

Chocolate. Carmel. Banana. Strawberry. Coffee. The ideas for the next batch are swirling around in my head. I don't know how much more of this I can take - I need some sleep!

walking for a cause

There are two organizations that are very dear to my heart: Susan G Comen for the Cure and National Multiple Sclerocis Society. I try to get involved with both in any way I can but so far, it has only been through donations. All that changes in April when my husband and I, along with our aunt, uncle and a few close friends will be participating in the WALK MS 2010.

We've chosen to do the 5-1/2 mile route through our scenic local park and are having t-shirts made in honor of our loved one affected by MS. We are all very excited to get the details ironed out and are really looking forward to the actual event. I imagine it is going to be a fun walk for all of us. Plus, one of our team members is going to have those yummy lemon bars we had served at our wedding baked and ready for us to enjoy at the finish line!! I simply can't wait!

What are some causes or organizations that are important to you? How do you get involved in movements that are important to you?

we finally meet

A few weeks ago, I was looking through our local guide for all the hotspots in town and saw a feature of the 12 best local cookies - and that's where it was that I saw it. #11 - Best Macaron at a downtown French Cafe I'd never heard of. For days, I fantasized about picking up a dozen cookies for myself. Finally on Friday, hubby and I put on our nicest cowboy boots and headed down for my first taste of a Parisian macaron.


I was so excited.


When we got there I quickly scanned all of the display cases - eclairs, tarts, maple bars, crossaints....but no macarons. I asked the waitress about them and she told me they were usually gone within hours of shipment and they can never predict when to expect them.


My heart sank.


It wasn't a failed mission though. Our breakfast was DE-LI-CIOUS. And I was even more determined to have a taste of that little crisp cookie.


I picked up a few of the remaining ingredients I didn't have and got to work in the kitchen. I had prepared myself with lots of research beforehand, with My Tartlette, MacTweets, Canelle et Vanille, etc.


I ended up making these Candy Cane and Eggnog Macarons. I took a peek in the oven and started jumping up with thrill "I'VE GOT FEET!! I'VE GOT FEET!!" Btw, yes my husband already knows I'm crazy :)

Once they were piped and ready to be devoured, I remembered this tutorial on how to eat a macaron.



Oh my.


They were just as I'd read - a thin, crisp layer on the outside and a cake-like, almost chewy texture inside. I could've eaten 5 more right there. But I thought I'd share with hubby, since he did indulge me in my journey earlier that morning. He wanted to put the hole thing in his mouth, but I had to remind him, they were meant to be savoured. Two words came out of his mouth "Deliciousness. Heaven."


The rest of the evening, I thought of many other macaron variations I could make. Strawberry and vanilla. Chocolate and Kahlua. Vanilla and Orange. The possibilities are endless. And so my little macaron obsession begins...

I got feet!!!!

I survived my first attempt at macarons today - details to follow....

guinness bread with molasses

I'm a bad girl. My husband found my gym membership card a few weeks ago (which, btw was my excuse for not going) and I still haven't made it to a single one of my favorite classes. Oh well, maybe tomorrow! I have been trying to make a conscientious effort to be more active, and have been doing so with Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and the Wii Fit Plus (which are totally kicking my butt!!). So, it's the second week of the new year and decade - are you keeping up with your resolutions? Or have you let them slip (I'll admit, I am having a hard time with the sweet tooth :).

Speaking of sweet tooth, for Christmas gifts this year we sent out care packages to our family and friends with homemade goods. Since I knew SIL loves dark beer, I tried to find a recipe she might enjoy - and when I saw Guinness Bread with Molasses on Simply Recipes, it instantly made me think of her! Of course, I had to bake a test bread before sending one to her and though hubs didn't care for it (he's not a fan of beer) I thought it was very moist and pretty tasty (especially with butter or jam). Hope she and her Mister enjoyed it!!

Guinness Bread with Molasses
from Simply Recipes

This is fantastic eaten fresh, and nearly as good the next day toasted with some more butter. Do not use stale beer for this recipe, you want the carbonation.


* 3 cups self-rising flour*
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/3 cup molasses
* A pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 teaspoon)
* 12 ounces of Guinness beer
* Butter for greasing the pan and painting the top, about 3 tablespoons

* If you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute using a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, for every cup of self-rising flour. Have made both ways though and got better results from the self-rising flour.
Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan well with butter.

2 Pour the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Slowly pour the Guinness into the flour mixture. (The “pub cans” are larger than 12 ounces, but they have better carbonation, so I pour most of it out and leave a swig to drink. This has never failed me, but if you are a stickler, use a 12-ounce bottle of Guinness instead.) Start stirring the beer into the dry ingredients, and when you are about halfway done, add the molasses. Mix well, just to combine. Don’t work the heck out of the batter – because that’s what it’ll look like – but you don’t want lumps, either.

4. Pour into the loaf pan to no more than 2/3 full. Pop into the oven immediately and bake for 50 minutes. Since ovens can vary, check the bread after 40 minutes and see if a toothpick inserted into the deepest part of the loaf comes out clean. If it does, you’re done.

5. Let the loaf cool a bit, maybe 5 minutes, and then turn it out onto a rack. Paint it with lots of soft butter, which will melt as you go.

Conchas (or in this case, Conchitas!)

Pan Dulce is a wonderful sweet bread often served with a morning cup of coffee. It was always a treat when I was able to go to the panederia (bakery) with my mom or Welita first thing in the morning for some fresh, warm pan dulce. One of my favorites has always been the conchas, which translates to shells, due to the the shape of the bread and its topping. I was so excited when I saw a recipe on Joy the Baker for conchas that I had to make them for my family on Christmas morning (which they were absolutely thrilled about!). These are not hard to make at all, but a little time consuming since you have to let the dough rise twice. The topping is absolutely spot on! I made 24 mini conchas and since they freeze really well, I packed some away and also enjoyed them on New Year's morning!

Conchas

Recipe by Joy the Baker

DOUGH

1 tablespoon dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup water

3 2/3 cups white bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons shortening

5 large eggs, beaten

TOPPING

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

For Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water. Let stand 6-8 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups bread flour, salt, sugar and shortening and blend thoroughly. Add yeast mixture and 2 eggs. Mix completely. Add remaining eggs and mix. Add remaining bread flour and mix until the dough forms a loose, soft, and elastic dough. It should be a little sticky but firm enough to shape easily with buttered hands.

Butter the work surface into a 4×6-inch rectangle, 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 16 medium or 24 small squares.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and let dough rise. Shape each dough square into a dome-shaped circle. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, place rolls 2 inches apart.

For Topping: In a food processor using a metal blade, add the butter, shortening, powdered sugar, 1 cup flour and vanilla. You can also use a stand mixer for this process. Process until smooth, then divide into 2 equal parts. Leave one part plain and shape into a log. You can use a bit of pink or yellow dye to color this potion of the dough before shaping into a log, wrapping in wax paper, and chilling. Add cocoa and cinnamon to the other half of dough and wrap in wax paper. Chill the 3 logs until ready to use.

Cut off 2 tablespoons of topping from the log and flatten with palms into a circle. Place topping circle on top of dough circle. It should completely cover dough. Use a sharp knife to cut a crisscross or shell design on top. Let rolls rise again in a warm place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Bake for 12- 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

parting is such sweet sorrow

Taking down the decorations is always a bittersweet moment for me - it's nice to have your space back, but sad to realize the holiday season is over.

See you in 11 months Christmas.

resolutions

January 2, 2010. Twenty ten. Two Thousand Ten. It sounds so unrealistic and futuristic. With the start of every year, naturally it feels like a mark in the line for a fresh start. I haven't made a resolution in years but since it is the beginning of a new decade, I want to start it off by being a better habit-keeper; better about telling my husband I love him everyday, better about exercising, better about walking our dogs, better about eating healthy, better about reading the Bible, better about calling my long-distance friends, etc.

Do you have a resolution? Or do you think resolutions are silly?

None of this, of course, has to do with this recipe but it was so good I had to share it! The orange zest and cranberries compliment each other so well; yum, yum, yum!!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread
recipe from Honey & Jam

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla, almond extract, orange zest and dried cranberries and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter beating at a low speed until blended.

Form dough into 2 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in parchment, and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Preheat oven to 350.

If frozen, let the logs stand at room temp for 10 minutes. Remove parchment. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.