          
Archive for the ‘Cookies’ Category
Monday, September 19th, 2011
Ah, macarons!
As someone who has a hard time going gluten free, no matter how much my body hates wheat… French macarons have been a lifesaver of a gluten free treat for me.
I’ve never been able to get on the fake flour bandwagon, and definitely prefer things where gluten free is the default – not something that makes use of substitute flours, guar gum, or whatever to *approximate* whatever it is that the recipe was aiming for. Yes, I am a gluten free snob!
For anyone who’s ever looked online to figure out how to make your own macarons, it can be a scary thing.
| Start working on the cookies 3+ days before you want to serve them. Leave egg whites out on the kitchen table for 3 days to “age” (Um.. Gross). Grind your own nuts. Weigh each ingredient carefully. Sift everything multiple times. Make sure the temperature and humidity outside falls within a very specific range. Baby the meringue. Babysit the cookies. Follow a huge list of instructions and “rules”, or expect certain failure.
Oh, and if your cookies are cracked, lack “feet”, aren’t perfectly round, perfectly smooth, or perfectly… perfect? Well then you just fail as a wife, mother, friend, hostess, and human being. The macaron god obviously hates you.*
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At a retail price of $1.50+ per cookie though… ouch. Kinda leaves you stuck between a rock and a macaron-less hard place, huh?
So, I’m pleased to say that I’ve developed an easy, fool proof way to make perfect macarons. Obscenely delicious macarons! Oh, and I can sum the whole technique up in one word! (more…)
Posted in Cookies, Desserts, Entertaining Ideas, Ethnic, French, Gluten Free, Rants, Recipes | 7 Comments »
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
Well, it looks like I’m getting dragged to the Minnesota State Fair after all. It’s been a few years – but not long enough! LOL. Hot temps + tons of people + tons of noise + obnoxious smell of grease everywhere… not my bag, I hate to say. Back in 2009, I struck a deal with my husband that resulted in a couple years of not having to go – and in the creation of “beer battered corn on the cob.. on a stick”. Well, I don’t have the kitchen or the brainpower to come up with a deal this year, so… we’re going! LOL
Around the time of the fair, Minnesotans really focus on new, unique foods. Yes, a lot of the time this means just “X Food… ON A STICK”, but, still. It’s sometimes fun to hear of the creative ways that vendors are coming up with ways to either add calories, put it on a stick, or Minnesota-it-up with various foods. Hell, even Caprese salad can be “Minnesota’d up”, as long as you serve it on a bed of wild rice! (?)
A couple years ago, I decided to “Minnesota-up” an old fashioned dessert – the Baked Alaska. There is a HUGE emphasis on camping, camp fires, etc here – moreso than anywhere I’ve ever lived – so I decided to do a Smores themed version. Custom designed a base – a graham cracker flavored cookie – and went from there. These are individual sized servings – smaller than a normal baked Alaska.
The result was awesome. So much fun, and perfect for this coming long weekend!
Enjoy, and have a great labor day weekend!
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Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Entertaining Ideas, Recipes, Summer Favorites | 3 Comments »
Monday, August 15th, 2011
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Madeleines are a traditional tea cake – almost a cookie – from northeastern France. While there are several different variants of flavor for the cakes, one thing is pretty much constant – the shape. Madeleines are baked using a special pan with shallow, shell shaped indentations. Very pretty! Madeleine pans can be purchased at many department and home goods stores, or online.
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Traditional Madeleines are great as is… but the addition of a citrusy liqueur kicks it up a notch. If Limoncello isn’t your thing, try this with Grand Marnier, even Triple Sec for a new take on a classic! Alternatively, try omitting the zest and liqueur, and using 1-2 tsp of homemade flavor extract. Such a simple, elegant treat… but the possibilities are endless!
The recipe is one of over 165 delicious dessert recipes featured in our first cookbook, “The Spirited Baker“.
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Posted in Adults Only! (Boozy), Cakes & Cupcakes, Cookies, Desserts, Entertaining Ideas, French, Recipes, Spirited Baking, Spirited Living | No Comments »
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Remember last week when I promised a week of cookie recipes, and then … got distracted?
Well, it’s not a week worth of cookie recipes, but it’s an AWESOME cookie recipe, so I hope you enjoy it! This is my chewy black forest cookie recipe, which was a very popular item on my former holiday menus, and for gift orders. Gooey, chewy chocolate cookie with chunks of maraschino cherries and a white chocolate drizzle… what else is there to say?
Not much… so here’s the recipe!
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Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Holidays, Recipes | 4 Comments »
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