Gingerbread Macarons

November 21: National Gingerbread Day

Let us shine a spotlight on a spice of the season—ginger—with which we have made a variety of gingerbread recipes, from cookies and cakes to muffins and now macarons. We filled our version of Gingy Macs with basic vanilla buttercream boozed up with cinnamon schnapps! Combined with other condiments, such as nutmeg and cloves, the gingerbread spice blend adds a distinctive fall flavor to these famous French cookies. Gingerbread macarons are our unique take on a blog recipe post for National Gingerbread Day and our monthly entry into the MacAttack challenge.

Recipe

(Adapted from Tartelette)

For the macarons

• 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
• 1 cup almond flour/meal
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• yellow food coloring (we used Wilton brand lemon yellow gel icing color)

Directions

Separate the eggs and age the whites at least the night before. Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. If necessary, grind them in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Make a simple syrup to stabilize the egg whites by boiling the sugar and water together until it reaches a temperature of 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer (or until it reaches a soft ball stage).

Whip the egg whites until peaks form. Pour the simple syrup into the egg whites while whipping until stiff and glossy. Stir in the dry mixtures and fold until the consistency “flows like magma.” Tint the macaronage with a little yellow food color to create a soft ginger hue.

Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet. Let the discs air dry to develop a thin skin for at least 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to brown or burn the macarons. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the macarons from the parchment paper. Sort by size and match pairs.  Make the filling.

For the filling

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon schnapps (we used DeKuyper brand Hot Damn Cinnamon Schnapps liqueur)
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• water

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with a pinch of salt until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon schnapps. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Thin to a spreadable consistency with water. Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe in the filling and sandwich the macarons together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the filling set. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

• These gingerbread macarons were made by using the Italian meringue method because it stabilizes the egg whites better. This technique has given us more reliable results for macarons made in our kitchen.
• The medley of the gingerbread ingredients in these macarons is subtly spicy and sweetly speckled but not overpowering—delicious fall flavors are packed into these tiny treats!
• The cinnamon schnapps gives the filling a slight pink tinge. Use the leftover buttercream as an icing accent for other gingerbread recipes.
• This is our entry into the MacAttack #13 challenge. See our MacAttack page or search our blog for other macaron posts.
• The photo prop is of Gingy from the “Shrek” movie series.

Vichyssoise

November 18: National Vichyssoise Day

Vichyssoise (pronounced vee-shee-swahz), a summer soup, has its own national food holiday strangely scheduled in an off season—fall. While it may have a fancy French name, the simple potato-and-leeks cream soup was invented in America. French chef Louis Diat, who worked at the Ritz-Carlton in New York in the early 1900s, was inspired to create vichyssoise in the hotel kitchen from a similar soup that he ate as a child in his hometown, Montmarault, near Vichy in France. His recipe is traditionally served chilled, but we like vichyssoise warmed up for an autumn appetizer. Whether eaten hot or cold, enjoy potato-and-leeks cream soup on National Vichyssoise Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child and Soup Song)

Ingredients

• 3-4 leeks
• 4 medium potatoes (old potatoes recommended)
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 3 cups water or chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• salt and white pepper to taste
• 1 cup whipping cream
• chives or parsley (optional garnish)

Directions

Wash the leeks thoroughly and slice the white parts about an inch thick. Clean, peel and dice the potatoes. In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat. Saute the leeks until wilted but not browned. Turn up the heat and add the potatoes, chicken stock and milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Let the soup cool to room temperature.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender. Pour into a container, cover and refrigerate. Before serving, stir the cream into the soup and mix thoroughly. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with chives or parsley.

Notes

• We used a variety of leftover potatoes for this recipe. Older potatoes yield a starchy and sweeter taste. Chicken stock also adds richness to the soup than water and has enough salt for flavor. The whipping cream mixed into the cooled soup lightens the color of the vichyssoise for an elegant presentation.
• Search our blog for other potato and soup recipes.

Wookiee Cookies

November 17: Life Day from “The Stars Wars Holiday Special”

Chewbacca’s nickname describes these “Star Wars” themed chocolate chip cookies: chewy! The recipe is originally from The Star Wars Cookbook by Robin Davis but it is also on the official “Star Wars” and “Star Wars Holiday Special” websites. Chewie’s son, Lumpawaroo (Lumpy), ate “Wookiee-ookiees” (Wookiee Cookies) in a scene from the infamous “Star Wars Holiday Special” released on television on November 17, 1978. Bake a batch of these chewy cookies to celebrate Life Day and the upcoming holidays.

Recipe

(Adapted from “Wookiee Cookies: A Star Wars Cookbook” by Robin Davis)

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon) in a bowl and set aside. In a mixer, cream the butter with the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until the dough is well blended.

Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop an inch of the dough onto baking sheets, leaving some space apart to allow the cookies to expand while baking.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: About three dozen cookies.

Notes

• Check out Chewbacca and Wookiee Cookies from a scan of the original cookbook page.
• Search our blog for posts on other “Star Wars” recipes.