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Young & HungryIf you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen! |
| 24 March |
Bon jour!
As mentioned before, I’ve gone macaron crazy! Here is a recipe I took from my I (Heart) Macarons by Hisako Ogita. I highly recommend purchasing the book if you’re serious about perfecting this craft as it is incredibly detailed, with step-by-step instructions and photographs. Below is a recipe that I slightly simplified and decided to tint blue to help usher in spring (note: make the batter darker than the desired color as they will lighten while baking—reference my weirdly light blue / green result.)
| 16 February |
As a college student studying abroad, I spent a great deal of time sauntering around the streets of Spain, on the hunt for local bakeries hiding in the copious nooks and crannies of European boulevards (because, let’s be honest—study abroad consists of little actual study.) I had two favorite delicacies that I found myself ordering time and again despite bountiful trays of new, exciting delicacies luring me in with their elaborate architecture or powdered sugar finish.
OMG, I made macaroons!
One of my favorites was the Spanish merengue, thin sheets of flaky pastry piped sky high with cloying, white meringue so light and ethereal it was served with a tiny spoon on the side…..a true caviar dream for a sugar fiend such as myself. My other favorite was a dessert borrowed from neighboring France, the Parisian macaroon (or macaron): tiny, beautiful, colorful gems that are celebrated throughout Europe and beyond. If you’ve never tried a French macaroon and have visions in your head of the more common coconut macaroon, erase them immediately. French macaroons are in a class of their own…two delicate nut-based cookies sandwiching a complimentary filling (typically a ganache or buttercream) that bake up al dente, yielding their slight bite to a chewy center, and offered in a dazzling and dizzying array of flavors such as chocolate, pistachio, lemon, mocha and on and on and on.
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