I ♥ Macarons

I've jumped on the macaron band wagon and have become an adoring fan. I guess late is better than never. According to wikipedia.org, "Larousse Gastronomique cites the macaron as being created in 791 in a convent near Cormery. Some have traced its French debut back to the arrival of Catherine de' Medici's Italian pastry chefs whom she brought with her in 1533 upon marrying Henry II. In the 1830s macarons were served two-by-two with the addition of jams, liqueurs, and spices."

Last Christmas, my brother gave me I ♥ Macarons, by Hisako Ogita, and it launched my adoration for macarons. There are a variety of websites that have great macaron recipes, instructions, and images, but this book puts all of the basics in one place for you. The book introduces macarons at a beginner level and explains the baking process step-by-step. It also has helpful suggestions for various flavor combinations, gift wrapping, presentation, and left over egg yolk recipes.

A critical step in baking macarons is making the perfect batter. The goal is to make a batter that has a "magma-like" consistency, being careful not to over mix it. I'm not quite sure what magma looks like and haven't quite refined my eye for "magma-like" consistency, but this batter seemed to work well enough.

Chocolate Macaron Batter

I did some additional online macaron research, and discovered there are many ways you can skin a cat. Each baker has their own special trick to achieve consistent macaron success. Some used aged egg whites, rap the pans, dry the macaron batter, bake with double trays, baking with the oven propped open, etc. I think you just have to find what works best for you and your oven.

Drying My Macarons

My oven tends to run a little hot, so I choose to dry the macaron batter, bake them double trayed, and rotate them halfway through their baking time. I have found that my macaron results vary based on the consistency of my batter. A thicker batter tends to yield a better shape and macaron texture. While a thinner batter tends to yield flatter and less chewy macarons.

Chocolate Macarons with Dark Chocolate Mousse

The great thing about macarons is that in any case, perfectly shaped and baked or not, they are still delicious! I truly do ♥ Macarons.

Mangia Mangia!

MH and I consider pizza a treat. There is something about the ooey, gooey, goodness that makes our mouths salivate and our tummies rumble when we decide we're going to have pizza for dinner.

Sometimes when we want something homemade that is quick and easy, we make french bread pizzas. Cut a loaf of french bread in half, spread some tomato sauce, cover with toppings of your choice, bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes (till lightly browned) and voila! French bread pizza!

French Bread Pizza

Later in the week, MH and I used the tomato sauce we made for our pizzas with some pasta and made chicken parmesan and rigatoni. I love how tomato sauce can be so versatile.

Chicken Parmesan & Rigatoni

I think MH's cooking specialty is Italian cuisine. We'll have to post the next time he makes lasagna!

Sweets Beads

While MH and I were eating our Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches on the sidewalk, I noticed we were standing outside of Sweets Beads. We popped into the store and discovered strands and strands of beautiful beads, gems, and stones. I could easily spend a small fortune in there! As I walked around the store, my mind kept spinning around all of the beautiful jewelry to be had. Check out the newest addition to my collection modeled by our wooden giraffe.

If you are looking for a bead store in Los Angeles, I would recommend you check them out. Sweets Beads: 7763 1/2 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Coolhaus!

This week Coolhaus partnered with the USA network to promote it's Emmy campaign. Coolhaus gave out free ice cream sandwiches and MH and I caught up with the truck this evening at Beverly & Fairfax to get our sweet treats. MH got a chocolate chip cookie mint chip ice cream sandwich and I got a snickerdoodle cookie cinnamon ice cream sandwich.

Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches

The ice cream was better than the cookies (in both cases), but they were great ice cream sandwiches nonetheless. Coolhaas is better than Diddie Reese. Then again, you can buy 3 Diddie Reese ice cream sandwiches for the price of 1 Coolhaas ice cream sandwich. You can pick which one you would rather have.

A Reminder

*You're (dogs aren't great with grammar)

Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh What A Lollipop!

After trying Just a Bite Cake Pops, I was inspired to make my own. Bakerella has a great posting on how to make red velvet cake balls, so you can put them on a stick and voila, cake pops!

Red Velvet Cake Pops

I am not convinced that they are better then a regular slice of cake, but they are novel and a fun twist to something traditional. Give them a try if you are looking for something a little different to bring/share at your next event.