Macaron Mania!

A new, adorable macaron pastry shop opened up recently in nearby Delray Beach. Naturally, I've already gone twice and spent an embrassing amount of money on flavors that include basil white chocolate, passionfruit, and Colombian coffee. Yum! Check them out over at Le Macaron.

Juice Day 7 & Macarons!

Inspired by my work ladies who make far more superior juices/smoothies then I, I packed my grocery cart with feel-good fruits and veggies after work today. I made an easy one to sip on before dinner, using 1/2 pint of blueberries, 2 bananas, and 1/3 cup of vanilla almond milk.

My dad came back from a business trip to Manhattan today and brought me back macarons from my favorite NYC bakery, Maison Laduree! There are two coffee, two chocolate, and one pistachio. The coffee is my favorite.

Macarons Galore!

My one true culinary love will always be the cupcake, but running a close second is definitely the delicate and intricate beauty that is a macaron. The embarrassing part of this story is that I traveled to Paris twice in my life before becoming infatuated with these fancy French cookie treats, but c'est la vie! I did however visit Maison Laduree in Manhattan last November, and it made for a glorious birthday breakfast moment!

I think macaron-making has to be one of the biggest challenges for an amateur baker. I have attempted them twice, first with Strawberry Macarons and later with Choc Espresso Macarons.

But I digress. There is a lovely 'culinary boutique' in Miami called Mr. Ganache. Last night my friends and I went out to dinner to celebrate the end of the spring semester (we are all in various stages of post-bachelor's studies) and my friends gave a wonderful box of mixed flavors of macarons that were almost too pretty to eat! Almost...

Chocolate Espresso Macarons!

Chocolate Espresso Macarons!
Made on 12/21/11.

Here are the ingredients for the macaron shells:
(slivered almonds, confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, white sugar, egg whites)

Grind slivered almonds in the food processor:

Add in confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder and combine.

Whip egg whites on medium speed.

Whip until stiff peaks form.

Incorporate the almond-cocoa powder-sugar mixture into the egg whites.

Fold the two mixtures into each other quickly.

Fold batter into a large ziplock bag and cut off the corner.

Pipe out small rounds onto a silicone baking sheet and leave the shells out for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Put the sheet in the oven heated at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Cool the shells on a wire rack.

Assemble the ingredients for the espresso ganache:
(cream, butter, sugar, espresso powder, bittersweet chocolate)

Heat cream, butter, and sugar until combined. Chop bittersweet chocolate.

Whisk together the cream mixture and chocolate, adding in the espresso powder until well mixed.

Match the cooled macaron shells by size and spread the espresso ganache in between.

Spread the filling evenly so it doesn't ooze from the sides.

Here they are!

Yay! :)

Thanks Annie's Eats!

Strawberry Macarons!

Strawberry Macarons!

Made on 12/17/11.

Thanks to Tartelette! :)