Cookies – Page 4

Appetizers, Chocolate, Cookies, cupcakes, Desserts, Dinner, Disney, Meat, Mexican, Parties, Star Wars

Star Wars Rebels Party

December 4, 2014March 25, 2015by thebusyspatula9 Comments

It’s been a while. With Thanksgiving and prepping for Step 3’s, life has been hectic! I feel a mix of regret and sorrow that I missed out on all things fall for the blog. But, it has fast forwarded to December which means that the holidays are here and that translates to holiday goodies. But before we get started on all things Christmas, let’s get to the Rebels Party.

As someone who has watched the Star Wars movies exclusively, I was skeptical when the hype for Star Wars Rebels rose out of midair. But after watching one episode (which led to another and another…), I have to say that I’ve fallen in love with the characters and the story line. There is just the right mix of darkness and humor for all ages to enjoy.

So when Mr. L approached me about doing another Star Wars party, I couldn’t say no. (This is the second Star Wars themed party to be featured on the blog. The first one is linked here.)

We drew inspiration from Lothal, the planet where the rebels operate. Lothal is apparently the name of a real city in India and one of the characters, Ezra, really reminds me of Aladdin. Coincidence?? I think not. Anyways, a bit of yellow turf, clay mountains and a modified Lego Space Needle, made a cute tablescape that was reminiscent of the real thing.

As always, there was food with punny names.

Inquisitortilla Chips with Dual Dip (Inquisitor Tortilla Chips with Dual Dip)
Sa-Bean Burritos (Sabine Burritos)
22 Pickup-Cakes (22 Pickup Cupcakes)
Chopper Salad
“Zeb” Orrelios Oreos
TIE Lettuce Wraps
Kanan Lightsaber Kebabs
Jogan Fruit Juice
Hoth2O (A nod to the original series)
The Entire Spread

It was really fun hanging out with friends, eating good food and watching the special broadcast of “Spark of Rebellion” with the extended scene. Everyone went home with a goodie bag filled with Star Wars themed candy and a figure. Of course I got the one figure I didn’t want, the imperial commander. Boo.

Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Macarons

Domo Macarons (Chocolate Chestnut Macarons)

August 29, 2014March 25, 2015by thebusyspatula8 Comments

I’m a sucker for anything kawaii. Stick a cute face on a character and I’ll fall for it. There used to be a Morning Glory very close to my middle school and I used to spend all of my lunch money there on Monday only to starve the rest of the week. The call of the stuffed animals, sticker pictures and stationary was too hard to resist.

Many years later, I’m proud to say I quit my Morning Glory addiction but I still have moments of weakness for adorable things. The first time I laid my eyes on Domo-Kun I fell in love. The round beady eyes and his wide mouth with his sharp little teeth won me over instantly. And when I thought of decorating a chocolate macaron, I figured that his simple yet distinctive face would be perfect for it.

Macarons are the perfect vehicle for using leftover fillings and frostings. I had a bunch of leftover chestnut pastry cream from my Groot cupcakes, and chestnuts and chocolates go surprisingly well together so I suppose it was meant to be. What wasn’t meant to be was taking these photos. For some odd reason, I lost a ton of photos while transferring files from my camera to my computer. This includes the step by step pictures that I took. No one is more disappointed than me. Boo. 😦

Domo Macarons (Chocolate Chestnut Macarons)

You will Need:
chocolate macarons, filled with chestnut pastry cream (recipe below)
black fondant
white fondant
red fondant
pastry wheel/ sharp knife
water
thin paint brush (used for food only)

Instructions

Roll out black fondant thinly and using the end of a thin straw or a small, plain round pastry tip punch out little black circles for eyes. After punching it out, slightly push the circles down to flatten and smooth out the edges.
Roll out red fondant thinly, and using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut out ½ in. rectangles for Domo’s mouth.
Roll out white fondant and using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut out thin strips of white fondant. Then cut triangle shaped teeth by running the pastry wheel diagonally cross the rectangle.
Let fondant pieces dry out for an hour or more to firm up.
Take four “teeth” and attach it to the red rectangle by using a thin paint brush to moisten the edges with water.
Place black eyes on the top quarter of the macaron and attack the completed mouth to the bottom half.

Chocolate Macarons

Ingredients:
184 g. almond meal
184 g. powdered sugar
56 g. Dutch-processed cocoa powder
172 g. egg whites, divided to 82 g. and 90 g (aged, if possible)
236 g. sugar, plus a generous pinch
158 g. water

Instructions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the almond meal, cocoa powder and powdered sugar and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Sift the mixture over a large mixing bowl, throwing out the lumps as they appear. Add 82 g. of the egg whites and stir until you get a thick paste.
In a small pot attached with a candy thermometer, combine the sugar and water over medium heat and boil until the syrup reaches 200˚F.
Once the syrup reaches 200˚F, start whipping the remaining 90 g. of egg whites with a generous pinch of sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Once the syrup reaches 248 degrees, remove the pot off the heat and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl with the egg whites on medium speed.
Once the egg whites are fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium high until egg whites form glossy, stiff peaks. Add two drops of the yellow gel food color and mix until batter turns a light shade of yellow.
Mix a ⅓ of the egg white mix to the almond mixture and stir together until the batter is slightly lighter and less pasty. From then on, fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture at a time until the mixture “flows like magma”. The mixture should be smooth and run thick ribbons off the spatula.
With a pastry bag fitted with a ½ in. plain tip, pipe 1¼ – 1½ in. rounds.
The piped batter may have peaks but should smooth away in a minute or two. Let the batter stand until the tops of the macaron batter are dry to the touch, about 30 mins to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 275-325˚F. If your oven tends to run hot go for 275˚, if not then 325˚.
Bake 10-13 minutes, until the feet are formed and the tops are smooth. The batter is done when you slightly wiggle it and it starts to come off of the parchment paper / silicone mat.
Let cool and fill.

Chestnut Pastry Cream

Ingredients
2 c. milk
¼ c. sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg
¼ c. cornstarch
¼ c. sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
320 g. chestnuts, roasted and peeled
¼ c. heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, bring milk and ¼ c. sugar to a boil.
In another medium bowl, mix egg yolks, egg, cornstarch and ¼ c. sugar until a paste forms.
Using a ladle, drizzle a ladleful of milk while continuously whisking the egg mixture. Continue to drizzle in hot milk a little at a time until you mix in ¾ of the milk.
Take the egg milk mixture and pour it into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
Cook the mixture while stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture is thickened and pudding like.
Remove saucepan from heat and mix in butter and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a food processor, puree chestnuts until very fine.
Add the pastry cream and process until a smooth paste forms.
Add the heavy whipping cream and process until completely mixed in.

Chocolate macarons adapted from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller, Sebastien Rouxel

Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Macarons, Vanilla

Chocolate Frosted Flake Macarons

May 30, 2014March 25, 2015by thebusyspatula13 Comments

I tend to pair certain foods with particular people. Frosted Flakes is one of them. My grandmother started every morning with a bowl of frosted flakes while doing her daily Bible reading with her red pen. I woke up particularly early yesterday morning and that certain memory came to mind. Plus, the weather was unusually cool and dry and perfect for macarons. Call it fate, but that’s how this macaron flavor was born. Chocolate Frosted Flake Macarons 7 I know, I know. Frosted Flake macarons? It sounds odd, but it’s really good! I even brought them out with me yesterday and someone noted that it might’ve been the best macaron he ever had.
It starts with a vanilla macaron base. (The speckles are from the almond skins my almond flour had.) Then, it’s filled with a salted milk jam* filling, to mimic that sweet milk you get when you eat Frosted Flakes. The tops are dipped into melted sweet chocolate and garnished with a few Frosted Flakes. I really love how the Frosted Flakes stand up and add an architectural look to them. They’re pretty to look at and they’re grrrreat to eat.

Chocolate Frosted Flake Macarons

You will need:
yellow vanilla macaron shells
salted milk jam filling
semi-sweet chocolate, melted
frosted flakes

Basic French Macarons

Ingredients:
212 g. almond meal
212 g. powdered sugar
172 g. egg whites, divided to 82 g. and 90 g (aged, if possible)
236 g. sugar
158 g. water
yellow gel food color

Instructions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the almond meal and powdered sugar and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Sift the mixture over a large mixing bowl, throwing out the lumps as they appear. Add 82 g. of the egg whites and stir until you get a thick mixture.
In a small pot attached with a candy thermometer, combine the sugar and water over medium heat and boil until the syrup reaches 200˚F.
Once the syrup reaches 200˚F, start whipping the remaining 90 g. in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks are reached.
Once the syrup reaches 248 degrees, remove the pot off the burner and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl with the egg whites on medium speed.
Once the egg whites are fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium high until egg whites form glossy, stiff peaks. Add two drops of the yellow gel food color and mix until batter turns a light shade of yellow.
Mix a ⅓ of the egg white mix to the almond mixture and stir together until the batter is slightly lighter and less pasty. From then on, fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture at a time until the mixture “flows like magma”. The mixture should be smooth and run thick ribbons off the spatula.
With a pastry bag fitted with a ½ in. plain tip, pipe 1¼ – 1½ in. rounds.
The piped batter may have peaks but should smooth away in a minute or two. Let the batter stand until the tops of the macaron batter are dry to the touch, about 30 mins to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 275-325˚F. If your oven tends to run hot go for 275˚, if not then 325˚.
Bake 10-13 minutes, until the feet are formed and the tops are smooth. The batter is done when you slightly wiggle it and it starts to come off of the parchment paper / silicone mat.
Let cool and fill.

Salted Milk Jam Filling

Ingredients:
1 c. dulce de leche (either from a jar or homemade)
1 batch of vanilla frosting (recipe below)
a generous pinch of Maldon salt

Instructions:

Mix dulce de leche, vanilla frosting and Maldon salt until combined. If the filling is too soft to pipe, chill in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. Checking every 3 minutes for the correct consistency.

Basic Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:
½ c. whole milk
3tbsp. flour
⅛ tsp. salt
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a saucier pan, put milk, salt and flour and whisk until combined on medium heat.
Continuously whisk mixture until thickened to a pudding like consistency.
Once thickened, strain through a mesh strainer into a bowl with a spatula to remove lumps.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the flour mixture and put into the fridge until fully cool.
In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the sugar and butter on high speed until fluffy and pale about, 5-10 minutes.
Add the chilled flour mixture and continue to whip on high speed until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is no longer gritty, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Assembly

Dip half of the macaron shells into the melted semi sweet chocolate.
Place about 3 Frosted Flakes on top of each chocolate dipped macaron shell.
Let set in freezer for about 5 minutes.
While the chocolate macaron shells are chilling, fill the other half of the macaron shells with the salted milk jam.
Top the milk jam macaron shell with chocolate macaron shell and enjoy!

*I always thought that milk jam was a lighter, less caramel version of dulce de leche. But after searching the internet, it turns out they’re the same thing.
**Basic macarons adapted from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller, Sebastien Rouxel

Caramel, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts

Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel Cookies

May 28, 2014March 25, 2015by thebusyspatula10 Comments

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw I had some good eats during my weekend. I know many of you are on diet mode for the upcoming swimsuit season and I’m sorry to do this to you, but you must make these cookies, especially if you love salty/sweet desserts.
What makes this cookie so great is the sum of its parts. First, you have the moist chocolate cookie base. The secret to having it so deliciously soft is by under baking it. 10 minutes! No more! Second, you have the cocoa nibs that cut the sweetness and have a satisfying crunch. Think of it as a more cocoa-y nut alternative. Third, you have the perfectly melted caramel center. Personally, I love caramel and you can use regular caramels instead of Rolos. However Rolos have the chocolate coating that enhances it.
Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel Cookies 4 Finally, the sprinkling of Maldon salt finishes the balance of the cookie. Some of the delicate flakes melt into the cookie fusing their salty goodness while the larger chunks withstand the heat and sparkle when you take them out.
The recipe makes 12 large cookies. You can easily double it, but I kept my body conscious readers in mind as I baked this. It’s definitely not healthy food, but as the saying goes, “a balanced diet is a cookie in each hand”.
Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Makes 12 large cookies

Ingredients:
4 oz. butter, room temperature
½ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 c. all purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
¾ c. cocoa nibs
12 Rolos, unwrapped
Maldon sea salt

Instructions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until lighter in color and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla on medium speed and mix until glossy.
Add cocoa and mix until homogeneous.
Change the speed to low and add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined.
Fold in cocoa nibs.
Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour. This step will make it easier for you to roll the cookies.
Preheat oven to 350˚F and line large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Form two, 1 tablespoon balls of cookie dough.
Sandwich a Rolo in between the two balls of cookie dough and completely encase the Rolo by rolling it around in your hand.
Repeat steps 8 and 9 until all of the dough and Rolos are used.
Sprinkle Maldon salt over the tops of cookie dough balls.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pan 180˚ halfway.
Let cool and enjoy.

Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Fruit

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Meringues

May 15, 2014by thebusyspatula4 Comments

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day! Chocolate chips are such a simple concept yet so pivotal in the world of baking. It’s so versatile and can be subbed for chocolate in a lot of recipes. I always wondered if Ruth Graves Wakefield kicked herself for exchanging her invention for a lifetime supply of chocolates. I know chocolate chips are synonymous with chocolate chip cookies, but since I just posted a recipe involving a cookie cake, it seemed redundant. Usually chocolate conjures up rich, heavy and decadent desserts and I ran the opposite direction with it this time. It’s a light chocolate chip studded meringue cookie sandwiched with fresh whipped cream and raspberries. It melts in your mouth, but still has a chewy middle. It’s so yummy and easy to make, yet fancy enough to serve to guests. In other words, a win-win-win.Chocolate Chip Raspberry Meringues

Meringues

Ingredients:
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 c. sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. mini chocolate chips, divided

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200˚F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a small pot, fill it with an inch of water and let it come to a simmer.
In a bowl of a standing mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar.
Place bowl over the small pot and whisk until the mixture reads 160 degrees.
Whip with a stand mixer until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Add in the vanilla and fold in ¾ c. mini chocolate chips.
In a piping bag fitted with a plain tip, pipe half of the batter as 2“ round, flat bases and the other half as 2” round, domed tops.
Bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until the cookies are firm and dry to the touch.

Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar

Instructions:

In a bowl of a standing mixer with the whip attachment, add the heavy cream and whip on high speed until soft peaks are just about to form.
Add the vanilla extract and sugar and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
Do not over whip! The cream will turn into butter.

Assembly:

On a round, flat meringue cookie base, arrange raspberries around the circumference of the cookie.
Put about 2 teaspoons of whipped cream in the center of the cookie.
Finish with a domed meringue cookie top.

Cakes, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookie Cake

May 1, 2014May 1, 2014by thebusyspatula7 Comments

First thing I need to say is… this Sunday is Star Wars Day!! You can be sure that I’ll have a post on all the goodies I’ll be making for this year next week. Now back to the cookie cake, this cookie cake is everything I would want in a cookie: sweet, salty, crispy, chewy, marshmallow-y… I could go on about it. The last time I served this was during this year’s Super Bowl and while people ate this, it was very quiet. It was that good.
To be honest, this recipe is like my baby. This cookie recipe has been over 5 years in the making! I almost didn’t want to write it down because well, it’s mine and I didn’t want to share. But I figured someone must be having a day somewhere and this cookie would be sure to cheer them up. So whip up a batch, and make yourself or someone smile because a smile is free therapy.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookie Cake

Makes one 9” cookie cake

Ingredients:
6 oz. butter, divided
½ c. sugar
¾ c. brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cornstarch
¾ c. chocolate chips
¾ c. mini marshmallows

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a 9” cake pan with parchment paper along the bottom and the sides.
In a small pot, brown 5 oz. of butter.
While the butter is browning, mix sugar, brown sugar and kosher salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Once the butter is brown, add the remaining 1 oz. of butter and stir to get the brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add the hot browned butter to the sugar mixture and stir. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until glossy and homogenous.
Fold in flour, baking soda, and cornstarch until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows until just combined.
Bake 15-20 minutes until center is set and slightly underdone.
Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Cookies, Desserts, Milk Bar, Vegetables

Milk Bar Corn Cookies

April 25, 2014April 25, 2014by thebusyspatulaLeave a Comment

After hearing about Christia Tosi’s amazing creations for years, I finally had the opportunity to go to a Momofuku Milk Bar last weekend. Everything sounded delicious but I had three things I just had to try:

1) crack pie
2) cereal milk soft serve with cornflake crunch
3) corn cookie

They were all good but I think I set my bar way too high because I was not impressed for the most part. My favorite out of all three was the corn cookie and even that was disappointing because I wanted it to be more corn-y.
I had the recipe for corn cookies bookmarked from Christina Tosi’s book for years, but I didn’t want to make it before I had the real thing. So with finally having a Milk Bar experience under my belt, I gave the recipe a spin. I followed all the instructions: bought European butter, King Arthur bread flour, corn flour, and freeze dried corn, measured every single ingredient by weight, and even did two batches of cookie dough, one resting for 1 hour and another 24 hours. (FYI a 24-hour rest yielded a better cookie.)
And guess what, it wasn’t the same! It didn’t have the buttery smooth interior of the original and the flavor wasn’t all there. I’m not saying it was a bad cookie. It was delicious with a slight corn scent and a lingering crispness. I guess you could say that I was looking for a clone, but I found a sibling instead.
I’m working on my own corn cookie, a cornier and chewier version. But until then, I’ll leave you with the official recipe. (It’s still really good! I promise!)

Milk Bar Corn Cookies
From Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi, David Chang

Ingredients:
16 tbsp. or 2 sticks (225 g) butter*, at room temperature
1½ c. (300 g) sugar
1 egg
1⅓ c. (225 g) flour**
¼ c. (45 g) corn flour***
⅔ c. (65 g) freeze-dried corn powder****
¾ tsp. (3 g) baking powder
¼ tsp. (1.5 g) baking soda
1½ tsp. (6 g) kosher salt

Instructions:

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1⁄3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature–they will not bake properly.
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center; give them an extra minute if not.
Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

*European butter is recommended for the higher fat content and its characteristic yellow color.
**King Arthur Bread Flour is recommended for the higher protein content. However because of the higher protein, you must be careful when adding your flour. Once the flour is mixed, be careful not to over mix because it will easily form tough cookies.
***Corn flour can be found online or in well stocked supermarkets. I found mine at Whole Foods.
****You can make your own freeze-dried corn powder by grinding freeze-dried corn in a food processor or blender. You can find it online or in well stocked supermarkets. I found mine at Target.

Caramel, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Ice Cream, Macarons, Vanilla

Karamel Sutra Macarons (Chocolate Caramel Macarons)

April 23, 2014March 24, 2015by thebusyspatula6 Comments

I love ice cream. In high school, I used to eat an entire pint of ice cream in one sitting without blinking an eye. It was a habit that quickly stopped once I started counting calories in college. Yes the number of calories scared me, but I didn’t love it any less.
One of my favorite ice cream is Karamel Sutra from Ben and Jerry’s. Featuring “a core of soft caramel encircled by chocolate & caramel ice creams & fudge chips”, it is a sinfully indulgent treat. I’ve been haunted by the idea of putting macarons on mini ice cream cones for the longest time. So, I decided to take the plunge with one of my all-time favorites.
Sitting on top of a caramel filled cone and chocolate frosting, this macaron has a chewy caramel center that is encased by chocolate frosting. It is delightfully charming and insanely delicious. So delicious in fact, the entire batch disappeared within one night! (FYI This is pretty rare.)
Ice Cream Macarons

Karamel Sutra Macarons
(Chocolate Caramel Mini Ice Cream Macarons)

You will need:
Mini Ice Cream Cones
Macarons
Chocolate Frosting
Salted Caramel Filling
Whipped Cream (Optional)
Sprinkles (Optional)
Maldon Salt (Optional)

Basic French Macarons
Adapted from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller, Sebastien Rouxel

Ingredients:
212 g. almond meal
212 g. powdered sugar
172 g. egg whites, divided to 82 g. and 90 g (aged, if possible)
236 g. sugar
158 g. water

Instructions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the almond meal and powdered sugar and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Sift the mixture over a large mixing bowl, throwing out the lumps as they appear. Add 82 g. of the egg whites and stir until you get a thick mixture.
In a small pot attached with a candy thermometer, combine the sugar and water over medium heat and boil until the syrup reaches 200˚F.
Once the syrup reaches 200˚F, start whipping the remaining 90 g. in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks are reached.
Once the syrup reaches 248 degrees, remove the pot off the burner and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl with the egg whites on medium speed.
Once the egg whites are fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium high until egg whites form glossy, stiff peaks. Add two drops of the pink gel food color and mix until batter turns a light shade of pink.
Mix a ⅓ of the egg white mix to the almond mixture and stir together until the batter is slightly lighter and less pasty. From then on, fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture at a time until the mixture “flows like magma”. The mixture should be smooth and run thick ribbons off the spatula.
With a pastry bag fitted with a ½ in. plain tip, pipe 1¼ – 1½ in. rounds.
The piped batter may have peaks but should smooth away in a minute or two. Let the batter stand until the tops of the macaron batter are dry to the touch, about 30 mins to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 275-325˚F. If your oven tends to run hot go for 275˚, if not then 325˚.
Bake 10-13 minutes, until the feet are formed and the tops are smooth. The batter is done when you slightly wiggle it and it starts to come off of the parchment paper / silicone mat.
Let cool and fill.

Salted Caramel Filling

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
3 tbsp. water
¾ c. heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a small pot, mix and boil sugar, corn syrup and water until a golden amber color forms.
While the sugar mixture is boiling, mix the heavy cream, unsalted butter, kosher salt, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
When the sugar mixture turns amber, add the cream mixture. Be careful! It will bubble up and create a lot of steam.
Attach a candy thermometer and cook sugar mixture until the mixture reaches 235 degrees.
Promptly remove to a large glass spout cup and cool.
Once cooled, transfer into a squeeze bottle.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
⅔ c. all-purpose flour
⅓ c. cocoa powder
1 c. milk
⅛ tsp. salt
8 oz. butter
⅔ c. sugar
8 oz. chocolate, melted and cooled
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a saucier pan, put milk, salt, cocoa powder and flour and whisk until combined on medium heat.
Continuously whisk mixture until thickened to a pudding like consistency.
Once thickened, strain through a mesh strainer into a bowl with a spatula to remove lumps.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the flour mixture and put into the refrigerator until fully cool.
In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the sugar and butter on high speed until fluffy and pale about, 5-10 minutes.
Add the chilled flour mixture and continue to whip on high speed until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is no longer gritty, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate and mix until combined.
Fill frosting in a piping bag fitted with a ¼ or ½ in. plain piping tip.

Assembly:

If the filling has cooled too much at any point of the assembly, rewarm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until fluid once more.

On one cooled macaron shell, frost a round dam around the edge of the cookie.
Put into freezer to set frosting for 5 minutes.
Fill the inside of the macaron with caramel filling. Top with another macaron shell.
In a mini ice cream cone, fill about 1/3 of the way with caramel filling. Pipe a round of chocolate frosting onto the lip of the ice cream cone. It should look somewhat like a doughnut. (As shown in the above photo.)
Put an assembled macaron on top of the chocolate frosting on the ice cream cone and set in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
From here you can enjoy as is or go further with your decorations:
1. Top your macaron with another macaron for a double scoop effect. (As shown in the above photo.)
2. Top your macaron with reserved caramel filling and sprinkle with maldon sea salt (or any other flaky sea salt you have on hand). (As shown in the above photo.)
3. Top your macaron with reserved caramel filling and top with whipped cream and sprinkes. (As shown in the above photo.)

Cookies, Desserts, Fruit, Macarons

Strawberry Macarons

April 17, 2014March 24, 2015by thebusyspatula1 Comment

I cannot think of another cookie that is as beautiful and finicky as the macaron. The saying goes “beauty is pain”, and this beauty is indeed a pain. A pain in the butt to make. Why? It uses several kitchen tools (which translates to a lot of dishes), needs to dry for over 30 minutes, and after all the meticulous measuring, sifting and baking, you can still fail.

Why bother making them then? Because, when done right a macaron is indeed a beautiful and perfect thing. The smooth shell that breaks into a moist, airy center might as well be heaven in a cookie.

strawberry macaron 1 I must warn you; this is not a cookie that you bake on a whim. You must premeditate your actions and read through the recipe a few times before taking the dive. You must weigh out your ingredients, sift your flour mix, age your egg whites, and I don’t recommend making this on a humid day. Do I sound bossy? I just don’t want you to waste your expensive almond flour because those bags aren’t a dime a dozen. I love you, my readers and best of your luck on your quest!

Strawberry Macarons

Basic French Macarons
Adapted from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller, Sebastien Rouxel

Ingredients:
212 g. almond meal
212 g. powdered sugar
172 g. egg whites, divided to 82 g. and 90 g (aged, if possible)
236 g. sugar
158 g. water
pink gel food color
optional: sesame seeds

Instructions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In the bowl of your food processor, add the almond meal and powdered sugar and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Sift the mixture over a large mixing bowl, throwing out the lumps as they appear. Add 82 g. of the egg whites and stir until you get a thick mixture.
In a small pot attached with a candy thermometer, combine the sugar and water over medium heat and boil until the syrup reaches 200˚F.
Once the syrup reaches 200˚F, start whipping the remaining 90 g. in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks are reached.
Once the syrup reaches 248 degrees, remove the pot off the burner and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl with the egg whites on medium speed.
Once the egg whites are fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium high until egg whites form glossy, stiff peaks. Add two drops of the pink gel food color and mix until batter turns a light shade of pink.
Mix a ⅓ of the egg white mix to the almond mixture and stir together until the batter is slightly lighter and less pasty. From then on, fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture at a time until the mixture “flows like magma”. The mixture should be smooth and run thick ribbons off the spatula.
With a pastry bag fitted with a ½ in. plain tip, you can pipe one of two ways:
1. Pipe 1¼ – 1½ in. rounds (as shown in above photo)
2. Pipe 1 ¼ – 1 ½ in. triangles that resemble the shape of a strawberry (as shown in above photo)
The piped batter may have peaks but should smooth away in a minute or two. Let the batter stand until the tops of the macaron batter have dried*, about 30 mins to 1 hour.
Optional: If using sesame seeds, sprinkle it on top about 5 minutes after the batter is piped. (as shown in above photo)
Preheat the oven to 275-325˚F. If your oven tends to run hot, go for 275˚ if not then 325˚.
Bake 10-13 minutes, until the feet are formed and the tops are smooth. The batter is done when you slightly wiggle it and it starts to come off of the parchment paper / silicone mat.
Let cool and fill.

For the strawberry macarons, make the strawberry frosting and strawberry puree in my Neapolitan cupcakes post.

Assembly:

On a cooled macaron shell, pipe a circle around the edge with the frosting, leaving the center empty.
Once all of the halves have a frosting border, chill in the freezer for about 5 minutes until set.
Take out the macarons and fill the center with the strawberry puree. (as shown in above photo)
Optional: you can pipe green frosting on the other half of the macaron shell to imitate leaves.
Top it with another macaron shell.

Macarons taste best after aging. To age macarons, put assembled macarons in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. They should be perfect for consumption at this point.

*When you lightly touch the macaron shell, it should feel dry and not stick to your finger.

Cookies, Desserts, Fruit, Pies

Blueberry Pie Cookies

April 10, 2014March 24, 2015by thebusyspatula3 Comments

Did you ever eat something so delicious that you make an excuse to eat it again? That’s what kind of happened with these pie cookies.

You see, I made these adorable pie pops for Pi Day and they rocked my socks. The only problem was they were too small. One bite and you were done. I can satisfy myself with eating only one slice of pie because frankly, it is a whole slice of pie. But pie pops? I sat there taste testing them one at a time, and before I knew it there was an embarrassing pile of lollipop sticks.

So if figured, what’s bigger than a pie pop? From that thought, these blueberry pie cookies were born. Still small enough to be adorable but they are at least 2 bites worth, which makes them last a little longer. Unfortunately, this did not solve the eating-more-than-one dilemma because I found out that:

Bigger dough = more filling = more delicious.

I realized that the cookies don’t look very small in the photo, so here is the milk glass with my cat, Bear, for a size reference. Yes. He is adorable.

Blueberry Pie Cookies

For the Pie Dough:

Ingredients
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
8 oz. unsalted butter, very cold cut into 1 tbsp pieces
1/2 c. very cold water

Instructions:

In a bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt together a few times to mix thoroughly.
Add the butter into the food processor and pulse until butter becomes the size of peas (or smaller).
Add the cold water and pulse until dough starts to come together.
Divide the dough into 2 pieces and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
While the dough is chilling, make the blueberry filling.

For the Blueberry Filling:

Ingredients:
1 ½ c. of blueberries*, divided
¼ c. sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. lemon juice

Instructions:

In a small pot, combine 1 cup of blueberries with ¼ cup of sugar.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until all the berries burst and sugar is completely melted; about 5 minutes. The mixture should look very liquid.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until it becomes a slurry.
Add to the blueberry mixture and cook until it becomes thick. It will become almost paste-like.
Transfer blueberry mix to a bowl and rest of the blueberries and lemon juice.
Add more lemon juice if needed.

Assembly:

If the dough starts to become sticky or warm at any point, place into the freezer to firm up for 3-5 minutes before working on it again. This is very important, since the cold butter is what gives you the flaky layers.

Ingredients:

1 Egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Sanding sugar or raw sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take out half of the prepared pie dough and roll out until ¼- ⅛ inch thick on a floured surface.
Cut out pie rounds with a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter**.
Reserve half of the pie rounds and cut the rest into 4 strips with a fluted pastry wheel or a pizza cutter (a knife will do too).
Place a teaspoon of blueberry filling in the center of the reserved pie rounds and place strips of cut pie dough on top. (As shown in above photo.)
Crimp edges with a fork to seal the two pieces of dough together. (As shown in above photo.)
Fold the crimped edges together to form a seal for the pie filling. (As shown in above photo.)
Brush with egg wash with a pastry brush and sprinkle sanding / raw sugar. (As shown in above photo.)
Place into the freezer for 5 minutes to chill before baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
While the first batch is chilling and baking, start working on the second batch with the other half of your prepared pastry dough.
Cool for 5-10 minutes before consuming.

* I used frozen wild Maine blueberries. They are a lot smaller than your average supermarket blueberries which make them ideal for this filling. If you can find them, use them instead of regular blueberries. They also taste more blueberry-y than regular blueberries (if that makes sense).

** If you cannot find a 2 ½ round cookie cutter or you do not own one, feel free to use a cut out can as your cookie cutter. It works similarly, except you might not get as clean of an edge when you cut out your dough.