Almost every food blogger knows of Tartelette.  An ex-pastry chef who now labels herself as “a food photographer, food stylist, recipe developer, food writer…” she is also one of the (perhaps THE) queens of the french macaron. So, when it was time for me to finally tackle the *new cupcake* I knew it would be wise to follow her sage advice.

I chose to use my dried strawberries with her powdered strawberry recipe as a base.  While she suggests allowing your egg whites to sit in a bowl in the fridge for 5 days, I only had time to leave them be for about two and a half.  I simply cracked open and separated 3 egg whites per bowl (I knew I wanted 3 batches), covered them with plastic wrap, and threw them in the fridge.  This will ‘age’ the egg whites.  They will appear much thinner after time and apparently this makes them a little more forgiving.  Though, if you’re like me, you will still take a couple of batches to figure out the perfect amount of egg whipping needed to create moist, light, and crackless cookies.

Powdered Strawberry Macarons with Orange-Vanilla Buttercream

adapted from Tartelette

Ingredients -

For the macarons

• 3-4 tablespoons of powdered dried strawberries (simply run through dried strawberries in a clean coffee grounder to make a fine powder.)
• 3 egg whites – separated and let sit covered in fridge for up to 5 days to age them
• 30 grams sugar
• 200 grams powdered sugar
• 110 almonds (if you don’t have a kitchen scale.  get one.  they are SO USEFUL.)

For the orange buttercream

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Juice and zest from one large orange

Directions –

For the macarons

1. Preheat over to 280 degrees.  In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I don’t have this and simply used a regular hand mixer), whip the egg whites to a foam (like bubble bath), gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue (think shaving cream). Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry.

2. Place the almonds, powdered sugar, reserved powdered strawberries and food coloring in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.  (Okay,  I know this all seems horribly touchy…and well, it is.  But aging the egg whites will help and it really only took me one batch of trouble to get the next two right.  And its worth it, I promise!)

3. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool completely.

4. If you have trouble removing the shells, pour a couple of drops of water under the parchment paper while the sheet is still a bit warm and the macarons will lift up more easily do to the moisture. Don’t let them sit there in it too long or they will become soggy. Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store them in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer.

For the buttercream

1. Put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like marshmallow cream.  (Okay, more like very running marshmallow cream….)

2. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the meringue on medium speed until it cools and forms a thick shiny meringue, about 5 minutes. (I, of course, just used a regular hand mixer.) Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, add orange juice and beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. Fold in orange zest.

3. Pipe buttercream onto a single macaron cookie and then top with another.

Enjoy!

I finally tackled biscotti this weekend.  I had often wondered how the cripsy cookies that taste so well dunked in coffee were created.  As it turns out, quite easily.  I turned to my favorite baking book, The Craft of Baking, and decided to try Karen’s Chocolate Walnut Biscotti.  They were fairly easy to make and the resulting confection were crisp and crunchy, chocolately but not too sweet.

A lovely addition to any cup of coffee or tea.

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

adapted from Karen DeMasco’s The Craft of Baking

Printer-Friendly Version <– (I just started adding these links!)


Ingredients –

For biscotti

• 1 c. walnut pieces, roughly chopped
• 1 c all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp coffee extract (*see below)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

For coffee extract

• 1/4 c hot water
• 2-ounce jar of instant espresso powder (I used Medaglia D-Oro)

Directions –

For coffee extract

1. Slowly stir the hot water directly into the jar of espresso powder.  Cover the jar with the lid, close the lid tightly, and shake well to combine.  Use immediately or keep in a dark cupboard at room temperature for up to 6 months.  (I actually just used 1-ounce of espresso powder and halved the water.  I didn’t want to use it all up for extract.)

For biscotti

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a second baking sheet.  Toast them in the oven, stirring occasionally, until they are lighly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and place baking tray on a wire rack to cool.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, baking soda, and salt.  Beat on low speed until the ingredients are well combined and no butter pieces are visible, about 4 minutes.  (I don’t have a stand-up mixer so I just used a regular hand mixer and it worked well.)

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, coffee extract, and vanilla extract.  Add the mixture to the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

5. Turn out the dough onto a generously floured work surface and divide it in half.  Shaped each portion into a 16×2 inch log and transfer logs onto the parchment-line baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart.  (*Dough* is not exactly what I would call the extremely sticky batter you are suppose to mold into logs.  I ended up just spooning the dough directly onto the parchment paper in a thin log shape.)

6. Bake until the logs are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the logs, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack and let cool slightly for 5 minutes.

6. Reduce the over temperature to 250 degrees.

7. Transfer the warm logs to a cutting board.  Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1/3 inch-thick slices.  Arrange the slices, cut side up, on the baking sheet.  Bake until the biscotti are dry and firm to the touch, about 1 hour.

8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the sheet of biscotti cool completely on a wire rack.

Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

recipes coming soon for….

Apple Walnut Lentil Loaf

Tofu and Collard Greens Stuffed Shells with Tomato-White Wine Sauce

I have mentioned these most wonderful cookies before…they are THE definitive chocolate chip cookies.  I originally saw the recipe in the New York Times as their reporter, David Leiti, went on a quest for the best chocolate chip cookie in the city.  He of course, chose Jadques Torres’ cookies and Torres graciously provided a recipe.

Yes, this is an expensive cookie to make.  You need two different types of flours and as with the Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies you need to use high quality ($$) chocolate.

But its worth it.  Oh my, is it ever worth it. Wherever I bring these cookies I hear the same thing: 

These are the best cookie I’ve ever eaten.

So, go on….make these and feel like a master baker.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. (We all know I don’t have a paddle attachment…I just use a regular mixer and it works fine.) Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

3. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.  (I try to let mine chill for around 36 hours.  Chilling for 36 hours makes the dough significantly drier.  It crumbles a bit when poked but holds together well when shaped. 36-hour cookies bake up more evenly and are a deeper shade of brown than even 24-hour chilled cookies.  They have an even richer, more sophisticated taste, with stronger toffee hints and a definite brown sugar presence….this is all according to the very very knowledgeable David Leite.)

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

5. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. (I make my cookies by combining two cookie scoop sized dough balls.  They must be smaller than what this recipe calls for because I only need to bake mine for around 15 minutes.)

6. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

*swoon*

My friend Henna recently sent me some of her favorite recipes…both sweet and savory.  Of course I wanted to try a sweet one first!   Below you will find her recipe (with my adaptations) for a white chocolate oatmeal cookie.  Normally, a recipe like this would not catch my eye….I thought myself to be somewhat *over* oatmeal cookies.  But if Henna, a natural in the kitchen, adores a recipe….well, I need to get over what I *think* I know and try it.

And thank goodness I did:  This cookie most certainly does not disappoint.