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