Tuesday, January 4, 2011

New Years Resolution

Hi

So after a very long break I am back and in a very bloggy mood. This year my new years resolution is to blog more! I have a lot of very exciting things that are just starting and I think it is important to document all of those things!
I will be introducing new product lines via this blog. and this blog will be under going a make over itself (although I'm not sure how I will be doing that yet, it WILL happen) 

I'm also very interested in a website called pinterest at the moment. I have been finding some very good ideas for my new house on there along with beautiful crafty things and recipe inspiration. It is actually where I got the inspiration to make my first macaroons! I was very very nervous as I had heard so many horror stories about making them, but luck was defiantly on my side and some how I managed to make some fairly successful first macaroons.


Soo....

Chocolate Macaroons with a Butter Cream Filling


Ingredients

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 150g icing sugar
  • 35g cocoa powder
  • 125g caster sugar (divided into two portions)

  • Put the ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a blender and pulse until it is a fine powder.
  • Then sift the mixture into a large bowl.


  • Put the egg whites into a large bowl with half the caster sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.
  • Add the rest of the caster sugar and continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved


  • Gently mix all of the powder mixture into the egg whites. I used a figure of eight motion. You must take care not to over mix the batter.


  • Line two baking tray with parchment paper
  • At this point you should be using a pastry bag to pipe small mounds of the mixture, however i don't have a pastry bag and my next best thing didn't work so well either...... so i just used a teaspoon to dollop the mixture on to the tray. they did come out a little wonky but i think it just adds character :-) the dollops should be around the size of a walnut, i didn't see this part of the recipe, so mine were all different shapes and sizes :-)


  • Allow the macaroons to sit for 20-30 minutes before you put them in the oven, in this time a skin should form and they will no longer be wet to the touch.
  • Now bake the macaroons at 160 degrees (fan assisted) for 12-14 minutes. The shells should be smooth and shiny and they should have feet which i learnt is the bubbly part at the bottom. (i was way too over excited when i saw that mine had this)
  • Allow for the macaroons to cool for a few moments and they should come of the baking tray easily.


  • For the filling i just mixed up a simple chocolate butter cream

  • The boys enjoyed them and the pooch tried to sneak a few too :-)



This is the first recipe i have ever blogged so if anyone tries the recipe and it works or doesn't please let me know as i am very interested in any feedback.

Thanks

Charlotte x

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