French Macarons

Not to be confused with coconut macaroons.

Have you ever seen these little cookies? I think they are becoming trendy. Maybe they'll be the next fad. Like cake pops. But better.

Max and I first tried macarons last year when I bought a box of them from a local French cafe. We were instant fans. We have been wanting to try making some for awhile, but I'd heard they are tricky. So we studied up a little before attempting to make them.

I don't know what all the potential pitfalls are, but I thought they were actually fairly easy. Our batter came together just fine, and piping them onto the pan was easy enough (although messy). I have large tube cake decorating tips, but I imagine you could just cut the corner off of a zip lock bag and that would work fine.

We did have one problem when it came to baking. Our first pan of cookies, baked on a dark teflon coated pan, came out perfectly. Our second and third pans, light-colored aluminum pans, came out gooey and we couldn't get all of them off the pans without destroying them. We cooked them longer, but I think we still didn't cook them long enough. They looked set, but they sank as they cooled. So make sure you wait till they are brown around the bottom edges. Next time, we'll err on the side of overcooking instead of undercooking our cookies.

If you're interested in trying them, these are helpful resources.

Demystifying Macarons (PDF -- Includes recipe we used)
Joanne Chang demonstrates (YouTube)




We added lemon zest to our batter and made lemon buttercream frosting and lemon cream cheese frosting to go on them. I preferred the lemon cream cheese frosting because it wasn't quite as sweet. I also tried using some leftover chocolate ganache frosting I had in the fridge and it went together surprisingly well. I think some kind of a raspberry frosting filling would have been fantastic. Maybe we'll try that next time.

There are so many flavor possibilities with macarons that I can't wait to try them again!

Classic Sugar Cookies

This week's recipe is the Classic Sugar Cookies on page 148. I love sugar cookies. These were simple and easy to make. They are a nice, chewy cookie with a delicious lemon glaze. A lot of sugar cookie recipes make a ton and I get so tired of cutting out shapes. This was the perfect amount of dough.

Recipe notes: I didn't want to wait 4 hours for the dough to cool in the fridge so I put it in the freezer for about an hour. I think they turned out great. I did as the recipe suggested and piped the frosting with a small tip. If you don't have a piping bag you can just use a gallon size baggie and cut a hole in the corner.

Whiteout Frosting

I made this frosting and put it on cupcakes from a white cake mix for my niece who turned 19 today and is visiting. There is really something special about this frosting! There is part of me wondering where the sweetness is that I am used to, but still knowing it is perfect the way it is. It is the same experience I had while eating a cupcake from Cupcake Jones in Portland, OR...my most favoritest ever cupcake place. But be warned...do not make this frosting if you are on a diet...man...it is loaded with butter. I think it could have done with a bit less.

Heading Cami's warning of runny frosting I let mine reduce extra long...about 20 minutes. Then I mixed it for a while to get all the heat out and then I put it in the freezer for a couple minutes. My butter was room temperature and mixed in well. I was worried about my white chocolate being lumpy because it didn't look like it was melting smoothly, but it mixed in well. My frosting was smooth and light. I put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes before frosting my cupcakes.

I was relieved to read your post, Cami, because I had just returned from Treasure Island and Village Foods...neither of whom had cake flour. TI usually carries it, but was out...should have more tomorrow. VF didn't seem to carry it at all. I got a white cake mix. The task of finding these special ingredients is kind of cramping my cooking efforts lately. It is rewarding when I find everything I need and make yummy food, but can be frustrating. Oh well...like Walt Disney said..."keep moving forward."

Whiteout Cake

Oh the Whiteout Cake. I have to admit. This recipe was a dud for me. Twice. I made it last weekend as a cake. The cake was dense and not very good. The frosting was great, but lumpy and thin. I was mortified. There was no way I was taking a picture of that.

So, I was determined to try again yesterday. I whisked the egg whites longer, making them fluffier. I chose to do cupcakes instead of a full cake. I did as the instructions suggested and added an extra yolk to the batter. The batter looked so much better. I was hopeful. Unfortunately the cupcakes came out looking good but tasting and having the consistency of corn bread. Yikes. I was so discouraged I didn't even attempt the frosting again. I will though. I will. I think I've had it with the cake recipe. I'll find another white cake recipe to use the frosting with because it was really good.

So, that being said, I am curious if other people have the same problem I do with this recipe. Maybe it's my stove. Maybe I over mixed it. Maybe I under mixed it. Maybe I didn't get the butter temperature just right. Maybe I over or under baked them. I don't know. I would love to know if this works for you. If I've scared you off and you don't want to try it, I understand. I would encourage you to at least try the frosting. It was delicious. I think I didn't have the butter cool enough, causing the frosting to be runny. I also think I didn't mix it enough, causing it to be lumpy. Please try it. Make a cake mix and throw this frosting on it. Whatever you do, please try it and tell me how it worked for you.

On to the questions:

When did you start baking / cooking?
I have been cooking and baking as long as I can remember. I remember helping my mom make playdough when I was really young. I started doing things on my own when I was about 8.

What is your favorite kitchen tool?
My KitchenAid mixer. I love that thing. I use it at least once or twice a week.

Do you have a favorite spice? If so, what is it?
My favorite spice is cumin. I discovered it within the last few years and add it to a lot of things. It has a deep, rich flavor.

What is your favorite book?
Um, I have a lot of favorites. I think Freakonomics is probably one I could read again and again.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I would love to travel to Europe.

If you had to change your first name right now, what would you change it to?
Camilla.

Where do you currently live?
Chicago, for the next 25 days and then Columbus, Ohio.

Where are you from?
Hermiston, Oregon

If you could eat one thing for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A hearty salad with turkey, black beans, corn and tomatoes with either southwest dressing or barbeque sauce and ranch.

*Updated to add a disastrous picture.