Home sweet... Paris

I'm talking about Paris. It's a wild guess, but I think if you're reading this you probably already know I'm obsessed with France and especially its city of lights. And beautiful language. And marvelous food. And incredible architecture. Oh and shopping..
But moving on. For my birthday I received a book called I Love Macarons, which is basically a tribute to and guide to making and decorating those beautiful little cookies that are iconic Parisian treats. They were one of my favorite discoveries during my time abroad and I am sad that they really can't be found anywhere else. But before you gasp at their 2 euro price tag (each!), let me explain that they're not exactly a mix you can whip up in 10 minutes. Achieving the perfect texture of the meringue cookies and the creamy filling is no easy feat, and I'm still mystified at how Laduree and Pierre Herme, the two most famous macaron makers in the world, do it on such a large scale.

Before Julia left to return to school, she and I decided to undertake the daunting task of making our own macarons with the help of my new book. Let's just say that there are about six pages of instructions and steps that are so precise that we laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. But we followed it to the letter, and the end result was, frankly, INCREDIBLE! We achieved the "pied," or foot, on each of the meringue cookies that is so elusive and difficult to form - after reading blogs about making macarons I was doubtful we'd get it on the first try. When we assembled them, they looked like the real thing! Unbelievable. I do not advise, however, attempting this recipe if you have less than 3 hours to spare in your day - it will take that whole time!

I've recreated the recipe below, but if you want to seriously attempt making your own macarons with different flavors I'd suggest getting I Love Macarons or something similar. You want expert guidance - but hopefully my attempt is enough!

French Macarons

Vanilla meringue
Makes about 48 individual meringue cookies (for 24 complete macarons)

2/3 C (3 oz/85 g) ground almonds
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature
5 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet. Draw 1-inch diameter circles on the paper with a pencil, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. This will be your template for your cookies!
2. Grind almonds and powdered sugar together in a food processor to form a fine powder. Sift twice and set aside.
3. In a large bowl that is completely dry (any water in the bowl or beaters will mess up your meringue), beat egg whites on high until they are foamy. Gradually add sugar, then vanilla. Beat until meringue is stiff, firm and glossy.

4. Add half of the almond/sugar mixture and fold it into the meringue. Add the rest and mix in a circular motion.
5. When the flour is incorporated, press and spread out the batter against the side of the bowl. Scoop the batter from the bottom and turn it upside down. Repeat this 15 times (less will make the cookies dull looking, more will make them oily looking).
6. The batter is done when it is firm and drips slowly from the spatula.
7. Scoop batter into pastry bag fitte with an approximately 1/2 inch tip.
8. Make small circles of batter inside the circles on the parchment, filling them in completely.

9. Rap the baking sheet firmly against the counter once.
10. Dry the batter at room temperature, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. When the batter does not stick to your finger when you touch it, it is dry enough. Don't let them sit for more than about 30 minutes.
11. Stack the baking sheet on top of another sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating tray front to back halfway through. The cookies are done when they are dry to the touch on top and slightly crisp.
12. Remove and let cool on tray before transferring to wire rack. They're now ready to assemble!

Buttercream filling
Makes enough for one batch of macarons

7 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg
Vanilla extract

Directions: Cut butter into 1/4 inch slices and place in a bowl. Microwave for 10-15 seconds or until you can press your finger into the butter. Stir with a spatula until the butter has the consistency of mayonnaise.

Put water and sugar in a heat-resistant container and stir well. Microwave for 1 minute, stir until sugar dissolves, then microwave for another 4 minutes. Use oven mitts - the glass will be hot! The mixture should be a bubbling syrup. Beat the egg in a large bowl, then slowly stream in the syrup. Beat on medium until the mixture becomes white and heavy. Beat in the vanilla and butter in two or three additions. If you see bubbles or separation in the mixture, don't worry - just keep beating until it becomes creamy! Refrigerate for 2-3 weeks if needed, and make sure to beat until creamy when liquid separates.

I decided to add about 2 1/2 Tbsp of honey to the finished buttercream, but you can add the same amount of a jam, 1-2 Tbsp of rum or another liqueur, or even 3 Tbsp of fruit puree.

Assembling les macarons 
Spoon cream filling into a pastry bag fitted with a narrow tip. Squeeze a small dollop of filling onto the flat side of a meringue cookie, then press on another cookie with the flat side down. You want enough to raise the two cookies apart but not enough to gush out the sides. Next step? Let them sit! The texture isn't right until the filling and cookies have had a chance to set for a couple of hours. Trust me, the wait is much shorter than a plane ride to France - and much cheaper!

Late night inspiration

There were a few days there when I was having a lot of trouble staying asleep. For some reason, I started waking up around 2am - and I think everyone can agree that at 2am your body is hungry... In one of these instances I started brainstorming something that would be wonderfully decadent and incorporate the bananas we had sitting on our countertop. The result was kind of a hodgepodge of different recipes and ideas and I think it was entirely successful!
If you don't like chocolate, bananas or peanut butter, this is not the dessert for you. But if you love a crisp peanut butter cookie crust with a soft, chocolate banana filling on top of more peanut butter cookie, this is what you've been waiting for.

For this recipe, make the dough/mixture for the three layers first and then follow the instructions at the end. It's easier when everything's laid out in front of you! 


Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bars

Peanut butter cookie layer
From Joy the Baker 
 1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1/3 C packed brown sugar
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk
3/4 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt 

Directions: Cream butter, sugars and peanut butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Beat in milk, egg and vanilla. Sift together the flours, baking soda and salt, then gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 

Chocolate banana layer 
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 C chocolate chips or chopped chocolate 

Directions: Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add mashed bananas and blend well. Gradually beat in flour, baking soda and salt mixture, then chocolate. 

Dark chocolate ganache layer
Melt 1/4 C butter and 1/4 C chopped dark chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. Cook for 30 seconds, then stir and repeat until mixture is liquid and well-blended. 

Assembling and baking the bar
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and nonstick spray an 8x8 baking pan.
2. Spread half of the peanut butter layer into the bottom of the pan, using your fingers to make an even layer that covers the entire surface.
3. Pour chocolate ganache on top of peanut butter layer, using spoon to spread it evenly. The recipe makes a lot so add ganache to taste - you probably won't use it all.
4. Spread banana chocolate layer on top of ganache, spreading it using your fingers and making sure not to stir up too much of the ganache layer
5. Because the peanut butter dough doesn't spread easily, crumble the remaining dough on top of the last layer, trying to evenly cover the surface. It will spread a little bit, and also allow some of the other layers to peek through (pretty!).
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the mixture is set when you slide the pan back and forth. Let cool completely - the middle will be a little soft. These are actually best eaten the day after, so you'll have to at least let a few pieces last till the next day!   
 

Another birthday, another cupcake!

It's technically not Ian's birthday until the 28th, but he leaves tomorrow for Oregon and we decided to take him out to dinner for his birthday this week! Obviously I had to start the celebration with the gift of a dessert, and we all definitely enjoyed the concoction I developed. On his request I found a recipe for mocha cupcakes, and put together a Kahlua frosting with dark chocolate ganache underneath. I must say that the end result was one of the prettiest if not most delicious cupcake I've ever made - light, fluffy and sophisticated in flavor.

It's definitely up to you how much coffee and chocolate flavor you want to add to the cake and the frosting. I think the frosting could have had some melted dark chocolate added to it in order to enhance its richness, but the buttercream with just cocoa powder and Kahlua was still excellent.

Also, I put a thin layer of dark chocolate ganache on top of the cupcakes before frosting them, and decided that it would have been even better with a thicker layer. This requires the ganache to be pretty cooled, so in general try to cool the bowl in the fridge before using (but obviously don't cool it too much)!

To assemble these amazing little creations, make the cupcakes, let them cool, then top with a thick layer of ganache and let that cool. Finally, frost with Kahlua frosting and top with shaved dark chocolate!

Dark Chocolate Mocha Cake
From Evil Shenanigans
Makes about 9 cupcakes

3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C sugar
1/3 C cocoa powder
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 C buttermilk
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp strong coffee (I used freshly brewed espresso)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake pan with liners or nonstick spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk together with sugar. In a separate bowl, beat together butter, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and coffee. Gradually add in dry ingredients and beat until well blended. Pour into pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched and tester comes out clean.


Dark Chocolate Ganache
Makes enough to top 12 cupcakes (plus some extra - great to reheat and serve over ice cream!)

1/4 lb butter
1/2 C dark chocolate, chopped


Directions: Put butter and chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until mixture is melted. Use a spoon or whisk to blend together until well combined. Refrigerate until ganache is stiff enough to spread thickly on top of cupcake but not hard.

Kahlua Frosting
From 30 Chocolate Treat Recipes
Makes enough for 12 cupcakes

3 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 lb powdered sugar (1/2 box)
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Kahlua
2 Tbsp hot coffee (I used espresso)

Directions: Cream butter with electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and cocoa, then gradually beat in Kahlua and coffee. Store in refrigerator if needed.

A little refreshment?

As part of my birthday weekend in Napa, Marissa, Julia and I went champagne tasting at Domaine Chandon. We toured the winery and were amazed by the stainless steel tanks that hold thousands of gallons of champagne during the first aging process. Apparently the carbon dioxide emitted during the first fermentation in late fall is enough to make people pass out! Because "champagne" is reserved to wine produced in the Champagne region of France, anything made here is called sparkling wine made in the "methode champagnoise" (champagne method). But it's bubbly and delicious and Chandon definitely makes a fantastic bottle :) Our tour concluded with a champagne cocktail lesson, where we learned to mix three different drinks with champagne. I knew I had to share, especially the last one, even though it's not technically "baked." After a glass of one of these drinks, I think you'll forgive me :)





Classic Champagne Cocktail
Slightly spicy and bitter - a nice contrast to the sweetness of the champagne

Pour a small amount of champagne into a glass, then place a sugar cube on top of an absinthe spoon over the glass. Saturate the sugar cube with bitters (4-5 drops). Pour more champagne over the sugar cube to fill the glass, then drop in the sugar and stir to dissolve some of the sugar. Enjoy!

Love Potion 29
Named for Highway 29 that runs through Napa Valley. Not strongly flavored but very pretty and a nice refreshing hint of rose.

Place a hibiscus flower in the bottom of a champagne flute, then fill with champagne. Add 1 drop of rose water. Simple!








Ginger-Lime Mojito
Hands down the best drink I have ever had. If you want to do it the traditional way with white rum, add some club soda or ginger ale to keep it light and bubbly.

Place a few sprigs of mint and a couple of slices of lime in the bottom of a highball glass. Add a small amount of champagne and muddle to release the juice from the mint and lime. Add a splash of ginger juice, a squirt of agave nectar, and about 1/2 oz of ginger liqueur (Domaine de Canton). Stir gently. Be prepared to have your mind blown.

A very happy birthday

I have to begin this post by raving about my friends. I don't know where I'd be without them, other than a very unhappy and not fun place. My boyfriend is also kind of the coolest person I know. They are without a doubt the greatest birthday present I could ever receive, and I get to have that gift all year long! The second greatest present I could receive (besides a trip to Paris, which I don't expect anyone to get me because that's ridiculous) is...

THIS BAD BOY

Let's just say that I was more than a little excited and speechless, and I'm really glad I didn't have to get married in order to register for this Kitchenaid mixer as a gift. Seems like a lot of trouble for an appliance, but it certainly crossed my mind...

I'm going to save you my ravings about it and simply say this - it is the single most useful thing a person who bakes can own. I've had a hand mixer for a long time, but this will expand my baking escapades considerably!

My birthday was a spectacular weekend spent at home with friends and family and in Napa with my two best girl friends. In celebration (and because I really wanted to try this experiment), I made two different kinds of cupcakes. It was a very successful endeavor and I will definitely be keeping these in my cupcake arsenal! I love summer fruits and berries, and my two absolute favorite are raspberries and peaches. There was no other logical choice than to bake with both of them, and I created raspberry cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting and "peach cobbler cupcakes" (cinnamon and peach cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting). I used the same white cake and cream cheese frosting base for both of them, and added ingredients as needed after both were made. Light, refreshing and absolutely fantastic :)

White Cake base 

Makes about 12 cupcakes

 

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butter and eggs until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Alternatively beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk.

For RASPBERRY cupcakes: Rinse about two cups of fresh raspberries and pat dry. Add to batter and beat until berries are slightly broken up and the batter has turned light pink.

For PEACH cupcakes: Skin a ripe peach and cut into small cubes. In a food processor, puree the fruit. Add peach puree and 1 tsp cinnamon to the batter and beat until incorporated.

Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes enough frosting for about 12 cupcakes

16 oz cream cheese (2 packages), softened

1/2 C butter, softened

2 C powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar gradually until frosting is formed. Beat in vanilla extract. You can refrigerate/freeze this as needed!

For LEMON frosting: Beat in approximately 1/4 C lemon curd (to taste).

For CINNAMON frosting: Beat in approximately 1 tsp cinnamon (to taste).

  

The easiest cookies in the world. I promise.

It's a challenge cooking with an 8 year-old. My niece Jade always gets excited about baking with me, but as soon as we get the bowl out she gets a little distracted and long story short, I bake by myself and she watches Diary of a Wimpy Kid. These cookies, however, are the closest to successful I've been with her because they're so darn easy! Five ingredients, no prep, short baking time. Bonus: they're GLUTEN FREE.

They're also very flexible in terms of the flavors you want to add. These are the most basic form - chocolate chips only - but you can add coconut, chopped walnuts or almonds, dark chocolate chunks, even white chocolate or dried berries. Experiment (and share)!

Puddle Cookies
From Mrs. Smith Cooks
Makes about 18 cookies

1 1/2 C mix-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, dried shredded coconut, etc.)
2 C powdered sugar
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites

Directions:  Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir until completely mixed together. Drop large spoonfuls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until puffed and cracked on top. Be sure to let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before you move them because they need time to set. You're done!

Good morning Los Altos!

It's always a good morning when you start with a scone. And coffee, but that goes without saying. Adding something sweet to your breakfast is not the most healthful choice but I say that if it's homemade, it doesn't have calories... I absolutely love scones, and there are a few basic recipe bases that you'll find out there. All of them use basically the same proportions of white flour, baking powder, salt and butter, but the differences lie in the form of dairy - milk, buttermilk, cream or even sour cream. I think that unfortunately the heavier the ingredient the better, so although I haven't tried it, I imagine cream is the best. I made these with homemade low fat buttermilk (lemon juice in milk), and they are definitely delicious and a little less guilt-inducing.
When you attempt these, make sure the butter is super cold and DON'T blend it past the size of small peas. You don't want it to be a uniform dough, it will screw up the texture and make the scones tough. Also, this basic recipe can be modified to fit any taste. Add cinnamon or nutmeg, take out or add in more lemon, exchange cranberries or chocolate chips for blueberries, whatever your heart desires! I wanted to try adding granola to the dry ingredients, and I don't know how much of a difference it made in the amount I added.

Also, scones can manifest themselves in a few different forms such as rolled and cut into circles (the classic British way), sliced into wedges or dropped like cookie dough. The drop scones are super easy and don't require rolling out, so if you're lazy like me and/or don't have the space to cover with flour and dough, I highly recommend that strategy!

I used a cup of incredibly fresh, huge, juicy blueberries and there's really no substitute for their tart sweetness that explodes (literally) with each bite. Dried fruit like raisins is another popular add-in, but you lose the fresh flavor and texture. However, frozen blueberries are just as good - one approach that saves my life in winter time is freezing a quart of fresh blueberries from summer. They taste just as good as they did in July!

Blueberry Granola Scones
Adapted from Feasts and Fotos
Makes about 12 medium-sized drop scones

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

1/2 C whole wheat flour

1 C granola (optional)

1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 C fresh blueberries

zest of one small lemon

1/2 C buttermilk (or 1/2 C milk with 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice - let sit for 5 minutes at room temp)

1 egg (plus 1 egg lightly beaten for optional egg wash)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

raw sugar for sprinkling

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture has the texture of coarse meal and still has pea-sized granules. Pour from food processor into large mixing bowl, then stir in blueberries and granola.

In another bowl whisk together buttermilk, egg , lemon zest and vanilla.  Drizzle over flour mixture and stir lightly with a fork (or knead lightly) until the dough comes together but a small amount of flour remains in bowl.  It’s important to not overwork the dough.

If you want to roll out and cut your scones, turn out dough onto work surface and gently knead once or twice just to incorporate the flour.  Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick round.  Cut the round into approximately 10-12 wedges or cut with a round cookie cutter.  Transfer to baking sheet. If you want drop scones, treat the dough like cookies and place a large spoonful on the parchment for each scone.

If you want, brush the top of each scone with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with raw sugar.  Bake until golden brown and cooked through, roughly 25 minutes.  Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.