Saturday, July 28, 2012

Macaroons

Hello sweet treat lovers! Today I am going to share something I have been wanting to try again for awhile. My first attempt over a year ago didn't turn out so well. It was time to over come that disaster.

Macaroons by Love Food
30 recipes for perfect bite-size treats


I love bite-sized treats! It was very hard to decide which one to make, they all looked so good.

I decided on Mint Chocolate, mainly because I had all the ingredients.


Ingredients:

3/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup powdered sugar
2 extra large egg whites
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1tsp peppermint extract
green food coloring paste or liquide
chocolate sprinkles

Filling:
4tbsp unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2oz milk chocolate melted and cooled for 15 minutes

Lets get started...

Place the grounds almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and process for 15 seconds. Sift the mixture into a bowl. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whip until holding soft peaks. Gradually beat in super fine sugar to make firm.


Beat in the peppermint extract and green food coloring.

Using a spatula, fold in the almond mixture into the meringue one-third at a time.


When all the dry ingredients are incorporated, continue to cut and fold the mixture until it forms a shiny batter with a thick, ribbonlike consistency.

Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch/1-cm plain tip. Pipe 32 small circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Tap the baking sheets firmly onto the work surface to remove air bubbles. Top with chocolate sprinkles.


Here is the most important part (which I failed to follow the first time)...Let stand for 30 minutes. If you do not follow this they will crack in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Carefully peel the macaroons off the parchment paper and let cool completely.

To make the filling, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat thoroughly until smooth and creamy, then fold in the melted chocolate.



Perfect! YAY :)


Use the chocolate filling to sandwich pairs of the macaroons together.


This was a lot of fun and requires a little patience. You should all stock your cook book collection with this book. It has great flavor and filling combos.

I hope you Saturday is sweet!

P.S. Checkout last weeks Dot Candy post for a sweet update :)

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Dot Candy

Today I am bringing it back to my childhood. I was inspired from my adventure to ItSugar...it's kind of hard not to be, that place was amazing!

We all remember this fun candy from our childhood. Paper and all :)


Here is an easy version on how to make your own.

You will need freezer paper, royal icing mix, food coloring, ziploc bags, grid paper and a black marker.


The part that makes this simple is the royal icing mix. Which you can find at your local cake supply store or Michaels.

First start by mixing the royal icing by following the directions on the bag. You want to mix until it is stiff and not runny.


Next color your icing. I used neon food coloring.


Then fill your ziploc bags. I found that if you place the bag in a glass it is MUCH easier to fill...only looking out for your best interest :)


Now we are ready to dot! To make the grid I used a grid I had as a guide. If you do not have grid paper you can make your own template. The dots are an inch apart in both directions. I did 8 across and 11 down. Then I cut the paper in half. You will want to make your black marker dots on the shinny side of the freezer paper. Then turn over and dot away!


This was a lot of fun and could be great for any occasion. You could even color coordinate for sporting events or your kids birthday party favors. The list can go on and on.

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday...don't eat too much paper :)

Update:


My friend Brandelle (Hi Brandelle!) had a sweet tooth and wanted some dot candy. See the packaging can be a lot of fun too. I ended up making the sheets smaller and the dots closer together. I think it came out better than the first time.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Adventure #2

I can't believe a week has gone by. We have had a lot of fun in the sun and we even had time to do a little shopping. Look what we stumbled upon...quite possibly the sweetest place on earth...literally.


Then we stepped inside. Everything was gigantic!!!


I love nerds. These boxes would take me a life time to finish!



Chocolate milk anyone? Go get the cows...


This place was definitely a sweet adventure. You must make it a point to stop by and experience it for yourself at Broadway at the Beach. Myrtle Beach. On our way out this caught our eye. Can you imagine the man hours?!


Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday! I will try to make mine as sweet as possible as we make our way back home. The few bags of candy we purchased should help.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Beach Bound

I am beach bound!!! Here in a few hours we are headed to the beach. I am so excited, I have a very deep love for the sand, the waves and the sun. What a great combo. We will be driving about 11 hours. That can get trying at times so what better to sweeten the mood than some oatmeal raisin cookies. They are one of my favorites! So among the packing and cleaning and more packing and more cleaning I found time to make cookies :)

I secretly wanted to play with my mixer...I'll be gone from her for a whole week...I know it's heart breaking.


I should let you all in on a little secret. I am obsessed with my mixer and the color...Ice. I want everything to be that color. My walls, my furniture, my car, even clothing. My boyfriend and I went shopping yesterday for a few things before vacation and I was trying to talk him into getting a shirt in that color! It's an addiction. Should I be worried?


OK back to the cookies. I use the Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe. You can find it here: http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/content/recipes/recipe-detail.aspx?recipeId=474



I may have added a few more raisins...mmmmm. I love this recipe. It is easy, quick and very yummy. People always have great compliments when I make them. You should try them out for your Sweet Tooth Saturday! Stop by next Saturday for a sweet adventure you will not believe.