Roasted Chestnut Cream Puffs
roasted-chestnut-cream-puffs.html
Do you want to know how chocolate is made? Watch video below:Vertical Divider
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Click on photo to read the blog about my experience making chocolate and the recipe! |
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Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie with Oreo Center
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Carrot Cake Cannoli
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French Macarons- I am going to share all I have learned about these dainty little bites of delight. Initially, they gave me a terrible time. Trays and trays trashed trying to master this technique. So many factors that come into play to produce the perfect macaron. I tried Italian, I tried French, then went back to Italian. My daughters would see the macaron templates and turn around and go back upstairs, not wanting to witness anymore of this macaron frustration! In the end if you follow the following techniques, you can use either method. Italian says that you do not have to let them dry but that never worked for me.
Dry your egg whites - make sure your container is clean of any fats and your hands are clean. Separate yolks from egg whites, making sure not to get ANY yolk in whites. That is a fat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and poke holes in top. Put in refrigerator overnight. The next day put a lid on it and allow at least two days to go by to properly dry the whites and up to one week.
Clean your mixing bowl, whisk and other bowls you are using with white vinegar and dry.
Measure on a baking scale EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT. Set aside all measured ingredients before you get started. Prepare piping bag with No. 10 plain, round Wilton tip. Line baking sheets with parchment with a macaron stencil or macaron silpat baking mat.
Make sure to grind powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor and then sift into bowl, 2-3 times. I do three, because I am obsessive.
If you plan to color your shells, use a gel food coloring. Liquid will mess them up. Add at the last 2 minutes of whisking your egg whites.
I have used cream of tartar, you don't need it.
Now you are ready to get started.
Ingredients:
Shells
107 grams almond flour
171 grams powdered sugar
108 grams egg whites, room temperature
81 grams sugar
Gel food coloring - orange, red and brown (or color of choice)
Filling
1 stick butter- softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons persimmon jam
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Prepare baking sheets with a macaron silpat baking mat or parchment with the macaron printed stencils underneath (remember to remove before putting in the oven).
Measure almond flour and powdered sugar exactly on baking scale. Blend briefly in a food processor and then sift together almond flour and powdered sugar in a sifter or fine mesh strainer. Sift a second and third time to elicit a smooth surface on your macarons.
Whisk egg whites in Kitchen Aid Mixer with whisk attachment and slowly add sugar for two minutes. Increase speed to medium (4 on kitchen aid mixer) and whisk for 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Increase again to high (8/9) for 2 more minutes, adding colored gel at this time. The egg whites should be very stiff, glossy and you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without losing ingredients.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add egg whites to the sifted almond and powdered sugar in two additions. Flatted spatula against sides of the bowl, pushing out the air. Keep stirring and pressing along the sides, about 40 strokes. You want the consistency to be like lava and able to make a figure eight with your spatula, slowly dropping batter into bowl. Fill prepared pastry bag and pipe the batter just inside your stencil. As you pipe, swirl your tip and lift straight up and the end of each macaron.
Bang the sheets firmly on a flat surface several times to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop remaining bubbles and smooth.
Allow to rest for 40 minutes and up to an hour, depending on humidity. You should be able to run your finger over the top without making a mark and you will be able to feel a dry top. I learned one rainy, summer day to wait even 95 minutes!
Bake for 13 minutes, or until tops do not jiggle. Allow to cool in pan and then put on cooling rack. Fill with your choice of frosting or filling. Wait to eat them for at least 24 hour. Macarons are best when they are allowed to "ripen" in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. This give them time for the shells to absorb all the flavors and the texture of the macaron will be perfect.
YES, this IS a high maintenance work of art. But, once you master these techniques you can make any color or any flavor. And it has, in all honesty become my favorite cookie. And it is not a Macaroon! Those are easier and have coconut! Enjoy!
Dry your egg whites - make sure your container is clean of any fats and your hands are clean. Separate yolks from egg whites, making sure not to get ANY yolk in whites. That is a fat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and poke holes in top. Put in refrigerator overnight. The next day put a lid on it and allow at least two days to go by to properly dry the whites and up to one week.
Clean your mixing bowl, whisk and other bowls you are using with white vinegar and dry.
Measure on a baking scale EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT. Set aside all measured ingredients before you get started. Prepare piping bag with No. 10 plain, round Wilton tip. Line baking sheets with parchment with a macaron stencil or macaron silpat baking mat.
Make sure to grind powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor and then sift into bowl, 2-3 times. I do three, because I am obsessive.
If you plan to color your shells, use a gel food coloring. Liquid will mess them up. Add at the last 2 minutes of whisking your egg whites.
I have used cream of tartar, you don't need it.
Now you are ready to get started.
Ingredients:
Shells
107 grams almond flour
171 grams powdered sugar
108 grams egg whites, room temperature
81 grams sugar
Gel food coloring - orange, red and brown (or color of choice)
Filling
1 stick butter- softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons persimmon jam
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Prepare baking sheets with a macaron silpat baking mat or parchment with the macaron printed stencils underneath (remember to remove before putting in the oven).
Measure almond flour and powdered sugar exactly on baking scale. Blend briefly in a food processor and then sift together almond flour and powdered sugar in a sifter or fine mesh strainer. Sift a second and third time to elicit a smooth surface on your macarons.
Whisk egg whites in Kitchen Aid Mixer with whisk attachment and slowly add sugar for two minutes. Increase speed to medium (4 on kitchen aid mixer) and whisk for 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Increase again to high (8/9) for 2 more minutes, adding colored gel at this time. The egg whites should be very stiff, glossy and you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without losing ingredients.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add egg whites to the sifted almond and powdered sugar in two additions. Flatted spatula against sides of the bowl, pushing out the air. Keep stirring and pressing along the sides, about 40 strokes. You want the consistency to be like lava and able to make a figure eight with your spatula, slowly dropping batter into bowl. Fill prepared pastry bag and pipe the batter just inside your stencil. As you pipe, swirl your tip and lift straight up and the end of each macaron.
Bang the sheets firmly on a flat surface several times to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop remaining bubbles and smooth.
Allow to rest for 40 minutes and up to an hour, depending on humidity. You should be able to run your finger over the top without making a mark and you will be able to feel a dry top. I learned one rainy, summer day to wait even 95 minutes!
Bake for 13 minutes, or until tops do not jiggle. Allow to cool in pan and then put on cooling rack. Fill with your choice of frosting or filling. Wait to eat them for at least 24 hour. Macarons are best when they are allowed to "ripen" in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. This give them time for the shells to absorb all the flavors and the texture of the macaron will be perfect.
YES, this IS a high maintenance work of art. But, once you master these techniques you can make any color or any flavor. And it has, in all honesty become my favorite cookie. And it is not a Macaroon! Those are easier and have coconut! Enjoy!