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!

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!

Raw Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites

I'm going to tell myself (and you) that this next recipe is for some healthy little guys that are also DE-lish. To all my gluten-free and vegan friends, this one's for you! The chocolate I use for everything is Trader Joe's 72% dark chocolate "pound-plus" bar in the red wrapper. It's the best chocolate I've found if you don't want to pay a million dollars per ounce (if you do, try Valrhona). 
This recipe is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. The recipe is pure dark chocolate and almond butter, so it's extremely rich and even I had to admit I was satisfied after one or two... or three. I also ended up with chocolate and almond butter up to my elbows, but I'm not complaining. I also didn't let it cool before trying to divide up the mixture, so I was kind of asking for it. I'd advise removing the bowl from the double boiler and letting the chocolate cool a bit before rolling the balls, or divide it up and let it set on parchment and then roll it (like I did). 

Anywho, enjoy! FYI, you can substitute rolled oats for the slivered almonds if that's more your thing. You're missing out on the monounsaturated fats though :) 

Raw Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites
Adapted from a recipe from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Makes about 36 bites

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C dark chocolate chips (8 1/2 oz if you're using a bar)

2 1/2 C blanched slivered almonds, chopped a little bit

1/2 C honey

1 C unsweetened shredded coconut

1 C almond butter or natural peanut butter

1/3 cup raisins (if desired)

Directions: Melt chocolate, honey and nut butter in a double boiler. Remove from heat and add almonds a little at a time, stirring to mix thoroughly. Add coconut and mix until combined. Add in raisins if desired. Stir all together until well mixed. I'm impatient so I scooped out the mixture while it was still pretty warm, so I had to make little piles on the parchment and wait for it to set a little before rolling it into balls.

Roll into balls or flatten into cookies. Chill in refrigerator or freezer until set, then store in an air tight container in the fridge to keep them set.