Raspberry Macarons

You know what it's like when there's something that you really don't want to do, so you keep finding (valid) reasons to put it off, until you just can't anymore?
Well, there were these egg whites, you see. And they were in my fridge. Aging.
And I could have said that they were for Swiss meringue buttercream.
I could've, but ... talk to myself, yes; lie to myself, no.
They were for macarons.
Most people  have happy thoughts about these continental confections. I don't.
They've stumped me way too many times, but I'm cursed with persistence, and just had to try again.

So, with egg whites sufficiently aged (you really don't want to know how long they'd been waiting. Really, you don't.), I took the plunge.
In fact, I threw caution to the wind and added an ingredient: raspberry jelly powder.
If you're an amateur macaron-maker (like me), you probably don't want to play around with the macaron recipe much. But I was through being bullied by these truculent treats.
And what do you know: success!

Co-incidentally, though, on that very day, Daniela (Daniela's Deliciously Decadent) gifted me with some of her perfect macarons.
Mine looked like ugly sisters in comparison.

But, I'll share them and the recipe with you anyway:

Raspberry Macarons
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create

3 egg whites (100g-110g), at room temp. Aged for 2-3 days.
2 TBS caster sugar
200g icing sugar
125g ground almonds/ almond meal
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 TBS raspberry jelly powder (or use 1 tsp raspberry extract)
Pink gel/ powder food colour

Prepare baking trays with parchment. Make sure that the parchment is flat and that the trays aren't warped.

Put the almond meal and icing sugar into a food processor and pulse until well mixed and finely ground.  Sift into a bowl. Discard the large granules which don't pass through the sieve.

Whisk the egg whites at low speed with an electric beater until frothy, then add the cream of tartar and caster sugar.
Beat until soft peaks form, then add the raspberry jelly powder and gel colour.
Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.


Sift the almond meal / icing sugar mix into the meringue in two batches  - folding in between.
Once again discard any large granules of almond meal.

Use a spatula and a figure-of-8 motion to gently fold the batter until it is loosened and falls in "ribbons" from the spatula.

Transfer to an icing bag with the tip cut off or one fitted with a large plain round icing nozzle (not more than 1cm diameter).

Pipe small dots of batter beneath the corners of the baking parchment , to keep it in place on the baking tray.

Pipe your macaron rounds - about 3-4cm diameter, about 2cm apart. Pull your piping tip to the side - this leaves a tiny tail, which will settle.
Rap the tray twice on the counter. (Yes, really! If you don't air bubbles may crack the surface of the macaron as it bakes).

Now, turn on your oven to 150'C

Leave the macarons to stand for 15-30minutes until they form a "skin" - ie. when touched with a clean, dry finger they aren't sticky.

Bake at 150'C for 15-20 minutes.
Check that they're not browning as the end of the baking time approaches.

Leave to cool for 5minutes, then remove from the trays. If they are undercooked, they will stick to the parchment. You can pop them back into the warm oven for a few more minutes just to dry out a little more.
(Macarons are best after being filled and left for 24hrs - the filling rehydrates them a bit.)

Filling:
Dark chocolate ganache

300g dark chocolate, cut into small, even sized pieces.
120ml cream ( 35-40% fat content) 

Place both ingredients into a double boiler (a heatproof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water) OR in a microwave-proof bowl.
Heat slowly, stirring frequently until all the chocolate has melted. 

Leave to cool down at room temperature. Place some cling-wrap onto the surface of the ganache to prevent a crust forming. 

Allow the ganache to set to spreading consistency, then either spoon or pipe it onto a macaron shell. Place another macaron shell on top.

Store the macarons in the fridge, but allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

It's a lot of work, isn't it!? But now you know...
If you want macarons, contact Daniela!

xxM

Lion Moneybox

Make pocket money savings a little safer with this simple craft - using a Decopatch figure 

and can of spray paint.  

This quick and easy project is complete in a few steps and is the perfect craft for older children [supervised with the craft knife].  Decopatch have a range of animal figures, so this can be adapted to any of them, depending on the maker.  

My Goddaughter is obsessed with the Lion King, so there was no contest.

What I Used:

Decopatch Lion [£2.99 HobbyCraft]

Gold Spray Paint [£3.99]

Ruler / Pencil / Craft Knife

To start, mark on the top of the figure the coin slot, using a pencil and ruler [and the thickest 

and largest coins] to guide the size:

 Using a craft knife, cut the hole - I found small, pressured cuts rather than a sawing action 

worked best and prevented me from breaking my craft knife or cutting too far:

...neaten the cut and use small scissors if the craft knife doesn't allow you to create a clean cut.

Next, move on to the bottom of the figure to mark the opening.  

This can be as small or large as you like - but will only require three sides to be marked, 

creating a door that can be opened and closed: 

 ....cut the three sides in a similar way to the coin slot:

 Open the cut door [use a ruler on the side that has not been cut to help guide a straight hinge] - this will reveal the layers of newspaper that have been used to create the figure.  Neaten this up by coating the layers with glue and then use bulldog clips, or paperclips, to hold the layers together as they dry:

Once the glue has dried, it's gold spray time.  Get yourself in a very well ventilated area [if the 

rain holds off, the garden is best] and place your figure in a box to prevent the surrounding area.  

Spray in short, controlled bursts and coat the figure as many times as necessary and ensure the 

figure is fully coated.  Leave to dry completely:

....and he's done.  Your golden Lion King is ready to be displayed:

[the finished 'door', which can be easily opened or closed when needed and sits flush when closed]

 

He's on guard, protecting your pocket money:

see you next time x

Dry-Brushing Technique with a Stencil

"And I said what about Breakfast at Tiffany's
She said I think I remember the film..."

I don't remember seeing the film.
Which means I probably didn't, because I've got a pretty good memory for films and books.
My husband, on the other hand, could watch something three times and not recall it. Great for him, not so entertaining for me...
Don't worry, if he reads this, he won't remember it for very long ; )

But that's a complete by-the-by... Only vaguely relevant because I'm using our Breakfast at Tiffany's cupcakes to demonstrate a technique for you:

How to dry-brush a stencil design onto fondant.
(Which you might recall from a class, or might not...)

: )

Dust your surface with cornflour
Roll out the fondant
Use a cake smoother to press the stencil firmly down onto the surface of the fondant. If it isn't securely stuck down, then powder will creep under a loose edge of the stencil and spoil the effect.

Use a flat tipped brush to dry brush on the powdered food colour.

Brush off any excess powder.
Smoothly peel off the stencil.

Cut out your fondant disc.

Allow to dry before using to bedeck a cupcake swirl.

"And as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it..."

Happy decorating!

xxM 

Alphabet Magnets

 Starting as I mean to go on this week, todays post is super quick and super easy, with pretty much no tutorial required - the result of what started as a magnetic noticeboard makeover, but for now, has been a makeover of the magnets.  

I've had a magnetic noticeboard for over 10 years [from Lakeland] and I've had these alphabet magnets for a quite a while now - neither have been used since I've moved - 5 years ago.  Deciding to put this right, I looked at taking apart the noticeboard and giving that a bit of diy, but realised that the problem, really, was the magnets.  Specifically the colour of them.  Nothing a can of gold spray paint can't fix.

I didn't prep the magnets in any way, but to help me keep them all together and not spray them 

around in the process, I put large sheets of paper between them and the magnetic noticeboard, 

which also helped protect everything:

I used a can of PlasticKote [£3.99], which didn't promise to fix to all plastics, but it did work for me:

I then took everything out in to the garden and sprayed several coats across the magnets:

...I couldn't help but treat the can like hairspray and think I got a little spray-happy in the process.  I used the whole can on the 104 letters - I'm not sure had I covered them with shorter, smaller and slightly more purposeful sprays that this would have happened.  Lesson learned.

Part One of the magnetic noticeboard makeover complete:

serious work on the second part required:

...so although I was disappointed the can ran out, it's probably for the best - you know I now want to spray paint everything.  I bet they do a gold glitter version.....

see you next time x

Glitter Foam Party Decoration

Todays post is perfect for Bank Holiday reading - a simple, quick and easy craft that makes a fantastic decoration with impact - no glue, sew, time [or much effort] required!

What I Used:

Glitter Foam Numbers ['6', '0', 99p each, HobbyCraft]

Candle Stones [£1.99, Sainsburys]

Skewers [50p, pack of 100, Asda]

Milk Bottle

In preparation for my Dads big 6-0, I'm trying to get together some easy-to-travel decorations 

as we'll be celebrating away from their home - these prove to be perfect for taking away with us

 and from some simple items, make great high-impact decorations.  

Simply, I took two skewers and pushed them in to the bottom of each foam number:

...with the candle stones, I filled a milk bottle, these then become a perfect base for the sewers:

 ...they hold the skewers in place, but they can be moved about if you need.

 Lastly and to make more of a feature of the decorations, I placed them in front of a chalkboard 

frame [DIY here], which will have a few notes to Dad written on on the day:

The foam numbers also come in letters - perfect for any larger/longer personal messages or banners.
see you next time x

dreamy/practical

What are your plans this long weekend?  We really don't have many plans.  Mostly it's just exciting to be on the last 3 day weekend of the school year.  Summer is looming!  Here are my thoughts:

Dreamy

:: drink coffee with half and half and have a second cup.
:: watch an eye shadow tutorial and learn how to do the technique (I like Hot & Flashy's videos)
:: have a date night with Ken.  Any movie recommendations?
:: read a book.  I'm reading The Goldfinch but honestly haven't devoted much time to it.
:: have a little back yard barbeque with just the family.
:: head to the beach.  That photo above is making me long for the ocean!

Practical

:: do my Sunday routines with the boys--wash the car, get gas, stop by the local market.
:: laundry (that is always on my list).  My goal is to attack this early in the weekend.
:: cook (but that is sort of dreamy too, because I enjoy it).  I'm trying a new recipe for veggie enchiladas.
:: do a bit of cleaning.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!

Colourful Cookie Pops

When I first started working with cookies and royal icing, I was fascinated with colour-flow techniques or wet-on-wet work. But then I got hold of some tiny icing nozzles (Ateco 00's weren't widely available in this country until recently, and PME's still aren't.) And I got caught up in fine lines: the challenge of detailed work.
Recently, though, I've re-discovered the delight of wet-on-wet work; not least of all because it's so jolly quick and effective!
So, these were some cookies that I did (jolly quickly!) for my niece's carnival themed party last weekend:

You'll need:
Round lollipop cookies. For the technique see here and here.
Royal icing - flooding consistency; in several colours.
A toothpick.

Icing technique:

Flood cookie.

Immediately (while the icing is still wet) fill in the spokes.
It's easiest to start with a cross,

 then do another cross at 45' to the first one,

 and a third and fourth.

Using a toothpick, pull through the icing clockwise around the outer circumference of the cookie.

Then, about 1cm in from that, pull through the icing in an anti-clockwise direction.

Continue alternating direction until you've reached the centre of the cookie.

Allow to dry completely (24hrs) before packaging or serving. 

Have a colourful weekend!

xxM

White Chocolate Croissants

During the week, I am a terrible breakfast person.  It is always grabbing an apple/banana that I eat on the short walk to the train station, followed by much coffee as soon as I get to the office.
At the weekends, it's a different story [mainly beacuse breakfast is at 11am and I can organise myself by then].  One of my favourites is a Bacon and Brie Twist, but adding to that and a Bacon Sandwich, I'm all about the croissant.  The white chocolate croissant.  As it's bank holiday weekend, why not treat yourself with this calorific, sort-of-handmade breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack?  

What I Used:

Croissant Dough

White Chocolate spread

Butter

Add a spoonful of white chocolate spread in the centre of each croissant triangle and spread

 it across the dough, leaving a generous 2cm edge: 

Around the edge of each triangle, spread some melted butter and then starting from the shortest

 side of the triangle, roll the dough to the point of the triangle as tightly as possible [this will make

 sure as little as possible of the white chocolate escapes during baking]:

Arrange the croissants on a tray, coat the tops in a thin layer of melted butter and pop in the oven:

....once golden brown, remove and serve straight away:

see you next time x

P.S - it's the Bank Holiday weekend, so you are totally allowed these guilt-free.