Macaron Madness

Behold! I'm becoming the Queenie of Macarons! =D
And while I'm at it, perfecting the blend of White Chocolate and Raspberries.

So, Last Saturday, I had tons of extra Egg-yolks (10, to be precise), so I figured I'd make ice cream. May as well - that's one of the only things that calls for straight egg yolks (aside from Creme Brulee and other custards).

So, I made it White-Chocolate Raspberry, and combined two recipes.
So, the one I'm giving you now, is both my own creation, and from memory. Dang, I'm getting good. (Note: Measurements have been double-checked ;) )

But first, Behold a "Eh" picture - it doesn't do the taste justice:






White-chocolate indeed.

Now, please keep in mind, I doubled this recipe.
White Chocolate Raspberry Gelato/Ice Cream
1 quart Milk
1.5 cups Heavy Cream
20oz White Chocolate Chips
8 egg yolks (I used 10 - didn't make much of a difference)
Some Raspberry Extract (I *never* measure this)

Bring Milk to a simmer in a medium-large saucepan. While this is heating, get your egg yolks and whisk them till they're a pale yellow. Whisk you're little heart out - your arm should be aching by the time you're done. If you've finished before the milk is at a simmer, Get a large bowl and fill it with ice water (only enough so that your pot with milk can sit in it comfortably, without overflowing).

Remove milk from the heat. Steadily add about 1/2 cup of the simmering milk into the eggs, whisking constantly. Do this until the eggs feel very warm, almost hot, or you've run out of room in the bowl. Now, combine the egg/milk mixture with the rest of the milk, whisking constantly.

Add the White chocolate, stirring constantly. Stir until white chocolate has dissolved completely. Set in the bowl of ice-water, and let cool. Once cool, add the heavy cream and add extract to flavor. You can use any kind of extract. (Note: If you want to use liqueur, use double the amount you would have used for extract)

Put in fridge to cool - until it's really cool, otherwise you'll hurt your ice cream maker. Put in ice cream maker, and voila! Magic.


So now for our next escapade.... So, I was in class last week, and a showed a few of my classmates the pictures of my White-Chocolate-Strawberry-Cheese Tart, and they said that I should bring *Them* one. And being the nice person that I am, I brought them something just as good (Because it's difficult to bring a has-to-always-be-cold dish to school all day).

White-Chocolate-Raspberry Macarons!! But Beware - these stinker-poos come with a tale.

So, I was making macarons one night, and I saw nothing Scary,
For I've never been afraid of anything - Not very.
But wrong the recipe I'd read,
And now my egg-whites were dead!

I yelled for help - I screamed, I shrieked, I howled, I yowled, I cried -
Oh save me, Kitchen Fairy, for my egg whites have died!
But did I give up? No, Not I -
I had more egg whites - enough for another try.

I whisked 8 new egg whites, carefully in my pan,
I'd make these Macarons perfect - I can! I can!
I brought those egg whites to one-hundred degrees,
In silent hope they wouldn't bring me to my knees.

The eggs-whites were great - All eight.
But as I beat them to stiff peaks, The time became late.
4 minutes, 6; 10 minutes, 16 -
"Oh Please!" I scream.

Sugar, I thought - so I added some,
And slowly, those egg-whites became one!
"Soft peaks," I sighed, but combined them anyway,
There'd be time to perfect Macarons Another day.

But lo! When they came out of the oven, they were perfect!
Off the cookie sheets the came! Then the taste - terrific!
Macaron Queenie, Am I -
Just taste one - and Happily you'll die!

Well, You'll die Happy. (Which is how it was meant ;) )

And there's the Bard's version of my escapade. =D I know, my poetry needs help - oh well. But here's to hoping you understand what went wrong.


First, I thought the recipe said to cook my egg whites to 170 degrees, not 100 - so they were overcooked. All eight (i'd doubled the recipe). So, i made them again, and the egg whites were fine this time - until I started beating them with the sugar.

Those dumb things wouldn't stiffen up!! So, I added a bit more sugar, and more cream of tartar... and it came together a bit better. But, I was expecting these things to completely flop.

So, when they had a film after about half an hour of sitting out, i was suprised. I was even more suprised when not only *every single one* looked perfect, but they tasted just as good!


Behold, my Raspberry Macaron with White-Chocolate Raspberry Ganache:

I'm brilliant, I know.

The recipe I modified, too - I'm getting adventurous, aren't I? Second time making macarons, and I'm already modifying the recipe....

Okay, so here's the base recipe: But be aware, it was doubled, and I didn't measure how much extra sugar, cream of tartar, or raspberry extract I added.

Macarons - NOT DOUBLED

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons almond flour

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

4 egg whites

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Scant 4 tablespoons sugar

1. Line two 17-by-12-inch baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a food processor, blend the almond flour and powdered sugar for 1 minute. Sift the blended almond mixture directly into a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. (This can be made up to 2 days in advance.)

2. Fill a small saucepan halfway with water. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Place the bowl over the pot of hot water and whisk quickly until the egg whites reach 100 degrees on a candy thermometer.

3. Remove the bowl from the pot of water and whisk in the cream of tartar. Place it on a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip on medium speed for 2 minutes, then gradually beat in the sugar. Continue whipping for 6 minutes until the egg whites come to medium stiff peaks and are shiny.

4. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add egg whites to the almond mixture by gently bringing the flat side of a rubber spatula through the center of the egg whites and up the opposite side of the bowl, folding the dry ingredients over the egg whites. Repeat the same motion 50 times, turning the bowl a quarter turn each time.

5. Fit a pastry bag with a medium round tip (No. 4) and fill with the mixture. On the parchment-lined baking sheets, pipe 1-inch rounds (the batter will be slightly wet) by holding the bag at a slight angle and releasing small amounts of batter. Allow one-half inch between cookies; they will spread slightly. Keep the piped cookies at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours. (This will help form a skin.)

6. Heat the oven to 325 degrees, placing the racks in the center and lower shelves of the oven.

7. Bake the macarons for 12 minutes, reverse the trays on the racks and rotate halfway through. Add a couple minutes longer to cooking time, depending on your oven.

8. Fill the macarons by using a spoon with the White Chocolate Ganache (see recipe below). This is the easiest part.

White Chocolate Ganache (With Raspberry Extract)
12 oz White Chocolate
3/4 Cup Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Butter
2.5 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
~1 tsp Raspberry Extract (add to taste)
Red Food Coloring (optional)

1. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edges of the pan (I did this in the microwave - ~2 minutes). Add the chocolate, and stir until dissolved. Add the butter (make sure it's soft!), and stir until combined. Add vanilla and sugar, and stir until combined. Add raspberry extract (as much or as little as you'd like) and Food Coloring, and let sit at room temperature for ~2 hours, until thick.

See? It's Easy!! And delicious, too.

Please comment! (Even if it's only on my poor excuse for baking-related-poetic-fun!)

Love at First Taste

Lo and Behold! I'm alive and Baking!! I just haven't been posting. I've been baking quite a bit since my last post - more baklava, Mocha Cheesecake (Insanely good, albeit just as insanely rich), ice cream, Celestial bars, Pineapple-Cherry Upside-Down cakes, chocolate cakes galore, and more that I don't remember right now....

But now I'm back in full force! And I've found time to bake, *and* post pictures and recipes while whizzing through my last semester at CSUN! Thank goodness Spring Break is next week.

So now, news on the latest adventure.....

Once upon a time, there were two beings. It was love at first taste - nothing was quite so chocolately-moist goodness as one of these particular beings. But, it was not a relationship to last - for that being was doomed to be a birthday cake. And boy, did it do a dang good job of it.

So enlighten me - For all you women - Why can't we just fall in love with chocolate instead? It's *so* much better all around.... It doesn't talk back, is always eternally giving, and tastes absolutely spectacular all the time. Now, there may be a slight problem with reproduction.... but that's beside the point.

And I know it's a cliche, but - Forget Love - I'd rather fall in chocolate. Especially this chocolate cake.

Behold! A Raspberry Chocolate cake from the Taste of Home:

Delicious! And this one actually managed to stand fairly straight.

^ So help me, that's my bane of existance - most of my cakes look like the leaning tower of Piza. Meh. At least their appearance is made up for by the taste.

I made two of these cakes this weekend, Creme Brulee (Which flopped - my fault, I read the recipe wrong and added double the creme =S .... It's REALLY creamy, though!! And more like a custard than a brulee), and Vanilla Gelato. Yes, there's a difference between Gelato and Ice cream. However, next time, I think I'm going to try making it white chocolate flavored... or raspberry flavored....

Either way, I now have something to compare it to - I found out there's a Gelateria not too far from here, and it's suprisingly good! I'll admit, I was impressed when their White-Chocolate-Raspberry Gelato reminded me of the Gelato in Italy. Definitely not as good - but it's a heck of a good rendition.

And now, the recipe! Because Weeva has been bothering me about actually *posting* my recipes....

CAKE:

3 cups sugar

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons salt (I only put 1)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1-1/4 cups buttermilk (If you don't have it on hand, have no fear! Buy plain yogurt instead - it tastes magnificent, and makes it a wee bit moist-er)

3/4 cups vegetable oil

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups strong brewed coffee, room temperature (and I mean STRONG!)

FILLING:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons milk

6 tablespoons shortening (butter can be used instead)

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur**

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 drops red food coloring, optional (but recommended)

4 tablespoons raspberry jam, melted (spill this)

FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) cold cream cheese

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur**

4 cups confectioners' sugar (1 pound)

Raspberries and chocolate curls, for decorating

**Raspberry Liqueur can be substitued with Raspberry Extract - 2:1 ratio, liqueur to extract. (e.g., 2 tblsp's Liqueur, 1 tblsp extract). Or, a mixture of both, if you'd like. But, raspberry liqueur can be hard to find.

1. Line three greased 9-in. round baking pans will waxed paper and grease paper; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; add to the dry ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat for 2 minutes. Gradually add coffee (batter will be thin).

2. Pour batter into prepared bans. Bake at 350 degrees (Farenheit) for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpic inserted near the center comes out clean (They may need less time - DO NOT OVER-COOK). Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely; discard wax paper (after using a spoon to eat all the crumbs off of it).

3. For filling, in a suacepan, whisk together four and milk until Smoothe. Cook over medium head for 1 minute, or until thickened (and I mean REALLY thickened), stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and butter. Gradually add confectioners sugar; mix well. Gradually add cooled milk mixture; beat for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in liqueur, salt and food coloring if desired.

4. Level tops of cakes if necessary. Place one layer on a serving plate; spread with about 2 tablespoons jam (melted). Place remaining layers on waxed paper; spread one of the remaining layers with remaining jam. Let stand for 30 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup filling over layer on the plate to within 1/4 inch of edges. (NOTE: More filling is better, but be prepared for it to ooze out, and to cover the mistakes with the Frosting.) Top with jam-covered cake, then spread with remaining filling. (NOTE: You will probably have leftover filling.) Top with the remaining cake layer.

5. In a large mixing bown, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add cocoa and liqueur; mix well. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Frost top and sides of cake; top with raspberries and chocolate curls if desired. Store in the Fridge.

Please Note: All of the Notes in the above recipe are mine. =)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.