Mastering Macarons

It's funny how sometimes the things that should be easiest in life are always the hardest. Take the humble macaron; although often having only three measly ingredients, these persnickety cookies have been confounding chefs for centuries. Simply one too many mixes of the batter, or uncooperative humidity in your kitchen and your cute, round cookies will turn into dry, flat wafers.

The first time a friend and I made macarons they came out perfectly.  I mean perfect. I was buoyed by our success and didn't see what all the fuss was about. I was cocky. So, a couple of months later when I planned to make macarons for a cherry blossom-themed dinner party, I didn't think twice. Big mistake. The curse of the macaron reared it's ugly head and, while still delicious, mine came out flat and chewy.

So before attempting my next batch of macarons, I decided it was time to get some help from the professionals. Enrolling in a "Mastering Macarons" class at my local Sur La Table, our class spent an instructive three hours with chef Monya Maynard learning the secrets of "macaronnage" and "macaronner." Which is French for, "how you mix the dry stuff" and "how you mix the wet stuff." What was most helpful about this class was actually getting to SEE what the macarons should look like at each stage. Often, I think we are too preoccupied with the recipe, and don't see what's really happening (Deep, I know).

For example, standard wisdom calls for mixing the macaron batter exactly 25 times. No more, no less. Clearly this is unrealistic, and Chef Maynard showed us exactly what the batter should look like (drizzle a little bit off the back of a spoon and it should disappear into the rest of the batter within 10 seconds) regardless of how many times you stirred it to get to that point.

Similarly, most recipes will tell you to allow the macaron cookies to rest 30 minutes before baking. But, as we learned in class, this amount of time will vary based on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen. Essentially, the top of the cookie needs to dry in order to form the telltale macaron "foot", which could take up to an hour. Because of the conditions in our kitchen classroom, we even had trouble getting our chocolate macarons to set. Instead of setting our macarons by the clock, we learned to look for a matte finish to tell that they were no longer sticky.

In addition to all of these helpful tips, we also got a copy of what I consider to be macaron gold...Behold: The Template. By slipping a copy of this sheet under parchment paper, you get perfectly sized macarons every time!! While you could make one of these on your own with a pencil, some quarters, and a hell of a lot of patience, I'll let you in on a little secret...you can get your very own template here from honeyandsoy. You're welcome.

When it comes down to the simple things in life, I guess you just need to know what to look for. And a good template.

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Homemade Blackberry Pop-Tarts

Let me start by saying that if you're looking for a healthier alternative to store-bought Pop-Tarts, these are not the breakfast pastries you seek. While they don't have any preservatives or fake sugars, they do have butter...lots of butter. If you are, however, looking for a toaster pastry that is infinitely tastier and more rewarding, then look no further. 

I really have no excuse for buying a toaster pastry press...which I guess is a fancy way to say "square cookie cutter" because that's really all this is.  I bought this while Williams Sonoma was having a sale, so I figured $6.95 wasn't too much of a splurge if it meant finally having a go at recreating one of my favorite breakfast treats (can I get a shout out for Brown Sugar Cinnamon?).

You could absolutely make these with any square cutter that you have, or even just a knife and a lot of patience. Where the press did come in handy however, was helping to seal down the edges of the pastry more than you could have with finger or fork crimping alone. But, as I've mentioned before, I'm realizing that with hand pies, leaks are simply a way of life if you want to have a decent amount of filling in your pastry. And, not to be out done by the Apple Butter Hand Pies, these toaster pastries were no different, so be sure to line your baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy clean up.

A couple of notes: As for filling, frosting and decorations, you're limited only by your imagination. I went with a simple blackberry jam because it's my favorite, and a confectioners'-sugar-and-milk frosting because it was quick and easy, but the possibilities are endless.

 

Homemade Pop-Tarts
     from Williams Sonoma, makes 8
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" dice
6-8 Tablespoons ice water

1/2 cup fruit preserves or jam

1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar until combined, about 5 pulses. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses.

2. Add 6 Tablespoons of the ice water and pulse 2-3 times. The dough should stick together when squeezed with your fingers but should not be sticky. If it is crumbly, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time, pulsing twice after each addition.

3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 dough disk into a rectangle 1/8" thick. (If using a toaster pastry press) use the outer ring of the mold to cut shapes out of the dough. Spread 1 Tablespoon of preserves onto each of 4 pieces of dough, leaving a 1/2" border. Brush the edges with the egg mixture.

5. Top each with a plain piece of dough and (if using) replace the inner ring of the mold inside the outer ring, place the mold on top of the pastry, and press the inner ring down to seal the edges. Transfer the pastries to a prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough disk and preserves.

6. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Bake the pastries until golden, about 25 minutes, reversing the positions of the baking sheets halfway through. Let pastries cool on the sheets for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

7. For the icing: in a bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar and milk. Frost and decorate as desired.

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Mad Men Vintage Gelatine Mold

Yes, I am one of those people: a complete Mad Men fanatic. When I finally heard the news that Season 5 would be premiering after seventeen long months, I knew immediately that a 1960's themed dinner and viewing party would be in order. Actually, I knew that a Jell-o mold would be in order, and that a party would have to be thrown to accommodate it.

Being somewhat unfamiliar with popular foods from that era, my relatives were more than happy to reminisce and provide suggestions, "Cocktail weenies!" "Rumaki!" "Wedge salad!" "Tang!" Luckily, at Christmas my mother gifted me my grandmother's circa 1953 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. So, not only did I have a Jell-o mold recipe, but I had a legitimately vintage recipe that Betty Draper could be proud of.

At first I was a little worried, flipping through the pages and not finding Jell-o recipes in any of the dessert categories. Then I found it. An entire cookbook section devoted to Gelatine Salads. Needless to say, while I don't think I will be trying the recipe for "Luncheon Salad" of jellied tomato soup anytime soon, this recipe for a basic fruit-filled Jell-o mold fit the bill. As with most mid-mod recipes, this one is quick and easy with few ingredients. I've included the original recipe below, but since advances in modern technology have brought us such wonders as Melon, Margarita and Blackberry Fusion Jell-o, feel free to mix it up a little bit.


Fruit Gelatine Mold
1 3-ounce package lemon-flavored gelatine
1 cup hot water
1 cup pineapple syrup and water
2 oranges, diced
1 cup pineapple, spoon-sized cubes
1 banana, sliced
1 apple, diced
1/2 cup broken California walnuts

Dissolve gelatine in hot water. add pineapple syrup; chill til partially set. Add fruits and nuts; chill until firm. Serve on crisp lettuce. Makes 6 servings.

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Martha Monday: Apple Butter Hand Pies

Apple butter has always held a special place in my heart. And, yes, I realize how completely weird it is to be sentimental about spiced fruit spread.  Growing up, my family went nearly every year to the Roscoe Village Apple Butter Stirrin' Festival--Yes, an entire 3-day weekend devoted to apple butter--in Coshocton, Ohio. A restored river town full of historical reenactors doing doing historical things like wearing bonnets and stirring enormous copper cauldrons of apple butter over open flame, Roscoe Village actually has lots of themed events throughout the year and is an awesome day trip if you're ever passing through Columbus. It's also only 15 miles from the World's Largest Basket. Just saying.

Ok, off my Ohio tourism soapbox.

I originally planned to make the apple butter from scratch as well but, unbeknownst to me, apparently one does not simply throw together an apple butter. It takes 4-8 hours (if you're using a crockpot) or THREE DOZEN APPLES (if you're being a Martha and using the stovetop). I may attempt this in the fall after another seasonal trip to Stribling Orchard, but for now store-bought apple butter will do just fine, and you should be able to find it in the jelly and jam section of your grocery store.

A couple of notes: I am coming to realize that for any type of folded, or poptart-type it is nearly impossible to get the desired amount of filling in your pie without having it leak out into a splendid mess on your cookie sheet. Just something to keep in mind, as I actually reduced the amount of filling called for in the recipe and still had trouble. Just something to keep in mind and, when it says to crimp the edges, crimp like you've never crimped before.

Leaks waiting to happen

Apple Butter Hand Pies
     makes16
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Apple Butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and zest.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg, and beat until just combined.  Add cream cheese, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and beat until smooth. Form dough into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap; flatten into a disk and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight, or freeze up to 1 month (thaw in refrigerator before using.)

3.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8" thick. Using a 4 1/2" round cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds. transfer rounds to parchment-lined baking sheets, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Spoon about 2 tablespoons apple butter onto half a round, spreading evenly to about 1/2" from the edge. Brush ice water around the circumference of the dough, and fold round in half, creating a half-moon shape. Using your fingers, press down on edges to seal and flute edges. repeat process with remaining dough rounds and apple butter. Place hand pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes.

5. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon a small bowl. Lightly brush hand pies with water and sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until hand pies are golden brown and crust is just slightly cracked, about 20 minutes. Transfer pies to a wire rack; let cool slightly before serving.

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Pie Sisters, Georgetown

I'm no longer in denial that my love of pie has recently been gaining on my love of cupcakes. Unsurprisingly, I think this is because I love them for the same reasons: portability, nostalgia, and virtually endless flavor combinations.

And when it comes to pie, I think nostaligia is the key; as Washingtonian dining editor Todd Kliman recently opined in his hilariously observant rant against the deconstructed pie trend, "Do you really want your confections to awaken an intellectual appreciation of what can be done with flour, sugar, and berries? Wouldn’t you rather make me swoon over every bite? Send me back to my childhood on sugary waves of nostalgia?"

And nostaliga is what you'll find in spades when you step into Pie Sisters, a new gourmet, pies-only bakery in Georgetown. Full of wood accents, candles, live music and pie, you can't help but want to stay and reminisce when the server at the counter ask, "Would you like a glass of milk with that?" I have to say, it pretty much takes an act of God to get me to go to Georgetown, but this heavenly pie is worth the trip.

Mmm...sugary waves of nostalgia...

Serving up whole pies and "cuppies" (pie served in a cupcake-shaped crust--it's like they know me!) Pie Sisters offers up all the traditional flavors as well as seasonal favorites and a savory option. If you're enjoying your pie in-house, take them up on the offer to have it heated. Trust me. Thinking they would simply stick my cuppies into the microwave, I was pleasantly surprised when they were popped into the convection oven and served piping hot. For a double scoop of nostalgia, you can also have it a la mode.

Though the cuppies are a little pricey, it's a great way to sample several flavors and not feel like you're eating the equivalent of an entire pie by yourself. For the next party when everyone expects you to show up with cupcakes, mix it up a little by ordering ahead and bringing a Pie Sisters pie instead. They even come in a glass dish so just say it's homemade...you don't have to elaborate exactly whose home it was made in ;)  I tried the Chocolate Pecan and Classic Apple on my trip and will definitely be back for more! 

If you go

Pie Sisters
3423 M St.
Washington DC, 20007

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Chocolate and Cream Cheese Red Velvet Doughnuts

I know what you're thinking, "But no one likes the cake doughnuts!" It's true, like the kid always picked last for kickball, it seems as if the sad cake doughnut is always the last to go whenever someone brings in a box of doughnuts to the office. But anyone who says cake doughnuts are boring simply suffers from a lack of imagination. From cinnamon sugar, to powdered sugar, to glazes, frosting and nuts, cake doughnuts--like their cake brethren--are easily adapted to any topping combo your heart desires. I will admit that cake doughnuts usually fail because they're dense and quickly dry out, but because this recipe uses cake flour, these red velvet rings come out soft and fluffy, closer to a bite of cake than a true doughnut.

While I try to stay away from recipes that require special equipment, you will need a doughnut pan for this recipe. I was lucky enough to get one for Christmas but you can also buy them from most stores like Target, Michael's, Walmart, Sur La Table or directly from Wilton. So, while I think I'll have to try out a few more recipes to decide whether these fauxnuts are worth skipping an early morning run to the Krispy Kreme, at least I can say I've crossed off one of my 2012 Baking Resolutions! One down, three to go...

A couple of notes: As always with red velvet, be sure to add PLENTY of food coloring. You could use a pastry bad to pipe the batter into your doughnut pan, but I found a spoon to be just as easy and less mess. The chocolate glaze I used calls for a tablespoon of *gasp* corn syrup--if you're on the super-anti-corn-syrup bandwagon you could easily use ganache instead by melting chocolate into heated cream.  The following glaze recipes make enough for all 10 doughnuts so halve the recipe if you plan to use both...or just make double the doughnuts :)

Red Velvet Cake Doughnuts
     from How Sweet It Is, makes 10 doughnuts
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup buttermilk + 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking powder, then mix with a spoon. Add in buttermilk and egg, mixing to combine. Stir in butter.

3. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar together, then add in vanilla. Add the mixture to the doughnut batter, then stir in red food coloring.

4. Fill each doughnut mold 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 7-8 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes before removing.

Whipped Cream Cheese Glaze
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4-5 tablespoons heavy cream, or more depending on texture

In a bowl, whisk cream cheese vigorously until it smoothes out. Add in sugar, vanilla and cream one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. This glaze will be a bit thicker (almost like a thin frosting), so add more or less cream depending on your desired consistency.

Chocolate Glaze
1/4 Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon hot water

Combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. Stir until completely melted, then add 1 tablespoon hot water or more depending on desired consistency.

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White Chocolate Nutella Raspberry Bread Pudding

I know it may be Superbowl Sunday, but February 5th also happens to be World Nutella Day--a celebration that is a least as important in my book.

Nutella isn't as prevalent in the U.S. as it is overseas, but it's definitely starting to catch on, and once you've had a taste I promise you'll be scouring the shelves of your local grocery store for a jar to take home.  If you've never had the pleasure of tasting Nutella and wondered if you're missing out on something, the answer is yes. Sorry. With the consistency of peanut butter, but made from chocolate and hazelnut, Nutella is the perfect compliment to everything from fruit, to ice cream, to plain old toast.  And with no artificial colors or preservatives, it's arguably better for you than some of the other things you might be having with your breakfast.

Nutella holds a special place in my heart because it reminds me of noshing on warm Nutella crepes on the street corners of Paris, and I also have a weakness for anything hazelnut, so I may be just slightly biased. but seriously, try it. You can thank me next year when you're celebrating World Nutella Day :)

P.S. Guys, Valentine's Day is coming up and this is super easy to make, just saying...

A couple of notes: 1) This recipe calls for Brioche but I used Challah--any dense bread you can find will work. 2) The recipe below also calls for "tempering," this just means once the liquids have been heated, to add a little bit to the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl before combining all of it back into the cream mixture.  This simply heats the egg yolks a little bit to keep them from scrambling when you add them to the hot liquid.

Challaaaahhhh!

White Chocolate Nutella Raspberry Bread Pudding
     adapted from Todd English for HSN

1/2 loaf brioche cut into 1/2" cubes
6 oz. raspberries
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean scraped
6 oz. white chocolate
3 oz. Nutella
4 egg yolks
2 oz. sugar

Nutella Cream Sauce
4 oz. heavy cream
4 oz. Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place half of bread cubes into a 9x13 baking dish (or 9x9 for a denser pudding). Sprinkle over 6 oz. raspberries. Top with remaining bread cubes.

2. Heat milk, cream and vanilla in a pan over medium heat until just warm.  Temper hot liquids into the egg yolks and sugar then pour into the warm cream mixture.

3. Whisk Nutella and white chocolate into the cream mixture until melted, pour over bread cubes and raspberries. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat remaining cream and whisk in Nutella until melted. Pour sauce over finished pudding.

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