Macarons!

Lately I have become obsessed with macarons. Not the consumption aspect of it but rather in trying to master a technique for making these little treats. Unfortunately I do not have the time or resources to enroll in one of the pastry chef programs available here in New York but I did get around to going to a class at Sur La Table which was terrific (although you wind up in teams of four so you don't really wind up having a lot of hands on time). In any case as I try to hone in on my macaron making skills I have also been playing around with flavor combinations. Here are a few of those flavor combinations I have tried.

 Chocolate with Blood Orange Curd 

 Chocolate Vanilla Butter Cream

 Orange with Vanilla Butter Cream - AKA Creamsicle

 Root Beer with Vanilla Butter Cream - AKA Root Beer Float

Blood Orange with Blood Orange Curd

I am really loving making these little treats and coming up with new flavor combinations. I guess that is what I love about making them, that the possibilities are endless. For those of you with gluten allergies, these little treats are absolutely 100% gluten free.

Cookies Day Five - Simple Chocolate Biscotti

I had mixed opinions about biscotti. The flavor combinations were always very enticing, but it was always the rock hard texture of these treats that made them a less desirable option. That was until I learned how to make them at home. I was able to get them to a texture that still had a crunchy exterior but would not break your teeth when you tried biting into them. I also learned that the simpler the recipe (less added ingredients) the better. Here is the recipe:

Simple Chocolate Biscotti

2 1/4 Cups Flour

2/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

3 Large Eggs

2 Egg Yolks

1 TBSP Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

Mix the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract in a separate mixing bowl. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time to ensure that they are incorporated evenly. Once all the ingredients are well incorporated divide your dough in half. place each half on separate baking sheets and shape each into a log approximately 3 inches wide by 10 inches long and about 1/2 thick. This dough will be very dense but very easy to handle so it will not be too cumbersome for you to shape.

Place baking sheets in oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about five minutes.

Slice loaves into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick pieces. 

Place the slices back on the baking sheets spreading them just slightly apart and place them back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Remove form the oven cool and serve with a nice cup of tea or some creamy hot chocolate.

Enjoy :)