April 11, 2011

HI Macs

Posted by HI Cookery under 04 April | Tags: , , , , , |
[5] Comments 

HI Macs

(Chocolate Macarons with Whiskey-

White Chocolate Ganache Filling)

 Chocolate Macarons

April 11: HI Cookery Blog Anniversary

When we launched our blog on April 11, 2010, we wanted to feature a recipe that represented us as Highlander and Islander (HI) for HI Cookery. Last year, our HI Pizza incorporated ingredients, such as Canadian bacon and pineapple, to honor our heritage. This year, for our blog’s first anniversary, we made macarons! Our HI Macs are a special combination of dark (Islander) and white (Highlander) chocolate. Besides the obvious skin color symbolism of our intermarriage, we made our macaron shells with organic Hawaiian vanilla and mixed the filling with Canadian whiskey. As chocoholics, we felt that these macarons befitted a recipe post to celebrate HI Cookery’s first blog-o-versary!

Recipe

(Adapted from Macaroons)

For the chocolate macaron shells (Italian meringue method)

  • 1 cup almond flour/meal (we used non-blanched ground almonds to enhance the chocolate color)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (we used C&H brand)
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (we used Nestle Toll House brand)
  • 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar, granulated white (we used C&H brand)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)

Directions

Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. Stir in the chocolate powder until well combined. Grind in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps (optional).

Chocolate Macarons

Whip the egg whites until peaks form. Mix in the vanilla. 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). Pour into the egg whites and whip again until stiff and glossy.

Chocolate Macarons

Fold in the almond flour/meal-sugar-chocolate powder mixture until the consistency “flows like magma.” 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.

Chocolate Macarons

Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to 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.

Chocolate Macarons

For the whiskey-white chocolate ganache filling

  • 4 squares (4 ounces) white chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon Canadian whiskey

Directions

Melt the white chocolate. Heat the whipping cream and add to the melted chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add the whiskey and mix well. Let cool to thicken but not harden.

Chocolate Macarons

Whip the ganache to a spreadable consistency. Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe in the filling and sandwich the macarons together. Refrigerate to set.

Chocolate Macarons

For the chocolate drizzle decoration

  • 2 squares (2 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)

Directions

Place the macarons on a wire rack atop another pan lined with foil to catch the chocolate drippings. Melt the chocolate. Fill a plastic zip-top or pastry bag with the melted chocolate. Cut a smll hole in  the corner of the zip-top bag or use a small round tip for the pastry bag. Drizzle the melted chocolate in a back and forth motion. Refrigerate the macarons to set the chocolate drizzles. Bring to room temperature to serve.

Chocolate Macarons

Notes           

  • HI Macs are also our entry into the MacAttack #18 challenge for “Decadently Chocolate Macarons.” See our MacAttack page for “maca-rights” and our Food Flops page for “maca-wrongs.” Visit the MacTweets blog, hosted by Jamie S. and Deeba R., to see more decadently chocolate macarons made by talented food bloggers.
  • Cooking with chocolate is always a challenge for Islander. With her hot flashes and a hot Texas climate, it is a surprise that our HI Macs did not melt and become a mess this month!
  • We used our new Silpat silicone baking mat as well as parchment paper to bake our batches of macarons. The “feet” were frillier and the macs baked higher with the Silpat (adjust the baking time about five minutes longer) than on the parchment paper.
  • Thanks to Lisa L. for the ground almonds and the Big Island vanilla.
 

March 20, 2011

Lavender Macarons

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , |
[8] Comments 

Lavender Macarons

Lavender Macarons

March 20: World Macaron Day

Lately, lavender and light purple have been a popular color palette at weddings we have attended. Brides have also incorporated lavender in their bouquets. The color purple is regal and romantic, magical and mysterious. The flower lavender symbolizes devotion and its fragrance can calm those “nuptial nerves.”

Lavender is a lovely hue as well as an interesting herb to sweetly spice up our macarons. We also filled them with a floral-fruity dark chocolate ganache made from the Dagoba brand organic chocolate bar flavored with lavender and blueberries. This macaron mix matches the MacAttack Challenge #17 with the theme for “Sugar and Spice and Everything Fruity.”

Make lavender macarons with lavender-blueberry dark chocolate ganache as favors for bridal showers and weddings or for World Macaron Day celebrations.

Recipe

For the lavender macarons (Italian meringue method)

  • 1 cup almond flour/meal
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar, granulated white (we used C&H brand)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)
  • purple food coloring (we used Wilton brand’s violet concentrated gel icing color)
  • dried lavender (we used AKL Maui brand culinary lavender)

Directions

Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. Grind in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps (optional). Whip the egg whites until peaks form. 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).

Lavender Macarons

Pour into the egg whites and whip again until stiff and glossy. Mix in the vanilla. Fold in the almond flour/meal-sugar until the consistency “flows like magma.”

Lavender Macarons

Tint the macaronage with purple to make a lavender shade. Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet.

Lavender Macarons

Sprinkle a few dried lavender on top. 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 15-20 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.

Lavender Macarons

For the lavender-blueberry chocolate ganache filling

  • 2 bars (2 ounces each = 4 ounces) Dagoba brand dark chocolate lavender-blueberry flavor
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Break the chocolate bar into small pieces to melt. Heat the whipping cream and add to the melted chocolate. Stir until smooth. Let cool to thicken.

Lavender Macarons

Whip the ganache to a spreadable consistency. 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.

Lavender Macarons

Notes

  • Learn more about the meaning of lavender and other colors from About.com’s Desktop Publishing topic.
  • Learn more about the symbolism of lavender and other flowers from Wedding Themes and More.
  • Mahalo (thank you) to Lisa L. for the vanilla extract from the Big Island of Hawaii.
  • Search our site for more macaron recipes. Or click on our MacAttack page to see our macaron entries. Happy World Macaron Day!

 

February 27, 2011

Strawberry Macarons

Posted by HI Cookery under 02 February | Tags: , , , , |
[13] Comments 

Strawberry Macarons

Strawberry Macarons

February 27: National Strawberry Day

The pride of Poteet is the annual Strawberry Festival. The tiny town has a Texas-sized celebration of the luscious red fruit. We have a “berry” good time sampling the shortcakes, breads, pies, cheesecakes, ice cream, shaved ice, jams/jellies/preserves and many other strawberry delicacies. But we have not seen strawberry macarons anywhere on the menu yet! In the meantime, we can make them at home with a farm-fresh filling from pureed strawberries organically grown in Texas. And even though the Poteet Strawberry Festival and strawberry season are still a few months away, we can still enjoy strawberry macarons on National Strawberry Day and throughout the year.

Poteet Strawberry Festival

Recipe

(Adapted from I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita)

For the stawberry macarons

  • 1 cup almond flour/meal
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 egg whites (aged overnight at room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon strawberry flavoring/extract
  • pink food coloring (we used Wilton brand)

Directions

Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. 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).

Strawberry Macarons

Whip the egg whites until peaks form. Pour the simple syrup into the egg whites and whip again until stiff and glossy. Stir in the almond flour/meal-sugar mix until the consistency “flows like magma.” Stir in the strawberry flavoring.

Strawberry Macarons

Tint the macaronage with pink food coloring. Make the desired shade slightly darker as the macarons will bake a lighter color. 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.

Strawberry 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 strawberry buttercream filling

(Adapted from Sprinkles)

  • ¼ cup whole strawberries
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a blender, puree the strawberries. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with a pinch of salt. Gradually blend in the powdered sugar until well combined and fluffy. Mix in 1 ½ tablespoons of strawberry puree (reserve the rest for another recipe). Stir in the vanilla. Fill a piping 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.

Strawberry Macarons

Notes

  • Click on our Mac Attack page to see more macarons.

 

 

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