Macarons!

I have decided that 2013 is the year I take on more challenging recipes. Recipes that push me out of my comfort zone and hopefully, like this one, make me realize that yes, I CAN do it. It will also help me understand different techniques of baking that I haven't dabbled in yet. (Or I'll learn from my failure with the new techniques.)

Do you have any resolutions for this year? The baking one is the only one I have. I find that if it's something concrete like taking a comerical acting for camera class or doing a night of stand up comedy that I complete the resolution. However, if it's something a little less concrete like complementing people more, I fail at the resolution. Yes. I've done stand up and had a blast but giving more complements was just beyond me. (Not that I don't GIVE compliments, I just don't give them often. I often think them and never voice the thought. Thus the resolution 2 years ago to compliment more. But it just wasn't in my being. So if you DO get a compliment from me, it means even more! At least that's the way I justify my flaw. Ha!)

Speaking of flaws, I approached these macarons by researching a lot. I didn't want to start with a really demanding recipe, so I eased into macaron baking with a Martha Stewart recipe so as to avoid a flawed first go.

I have to say that for someone who doesn't have a whisk attachment, these sweet things turned out marvelous! I used Nutella and raspberry jam (not together) for the fillings. They are a tad on the sweet side, but got good reviews from the taste testers.

Things I plan to do for the next time I make them:
       1. Get a better food processor so I can get a really fine almond base.
       2. Not burn some of the first batch. (These things will burn quickly!
           Thankfully I only lost a couple to overheating.)
       3. Use more food coloring and maybe even change the flavor of the
           outsides.
       4. Use the French Macaron cook book my friend from Toulouse gave
           me. It's all in French.

So far 2013 is shaping up well in my kitchen. Here's to an adventurous year!

Parisian Macarons (from Martha Stewart)
1 1/4 cups plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground sliced, blanched almonds
6 tablespoons fresh egg whites (from about 3 extra-large eggs)
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
(your own filling)

To make the macarons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and ground almonds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. (Erika's Extras: This is the time to add the NON oil based food coloring. Add more than you think you need because the color will become a little dull in the oven.) Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form. (Erika's Extras: I did this with normal beaters in an electric hand mixer. It took about 8 minutes, but the peaks finally do form.) With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners' sugar mixture until completely incorporated.

 

Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. (Erika's Extra: Feel free to draw circles on the parchment paper to give a guide for perfect sized macarons.) Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch #4 round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. The batter will spread a little. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a soft skin forms on the tops of the macarons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 15 minutes.

 

Bake, with the door of the oven slightly ajar, until the surface of the macarons is completely dry, about 15 minutes. (Erika's Extras: Mine seemed to only need around 12 minutes in the oven.) Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment. Their tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macarons from the parchment. (Erika's Extras: I peeled them off the parchment paper right away.) Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

 

To fill the macarons: Fill a pastry bag with the filling. Turn macarons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich these with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Bake well and prosper!

Cherry Hazelnut Nutella Fudge

Here's another recipe I made for my birthday party. I just had to have something chocolaty at my birthday!

 

This is the third time that I've made fudge. Each time keeps getting better. This is my favorite by far! And all my guests loved it.

My birthday guests also loved the "party favors" I made. Mustaches on the end of candy canes!

And I must admit that I had a lot of fun making them. I saw a post on craftgawker and then found out how to make them via Morena's Corner. Pretty simple. Get candy canes and brown pipe cleaner aka bump chenille sticks. Hold two together and cut in the middle. Take the halves that match each other in length and twist the ends together. Then twist the middle onto the end of a candy cane and use any type of glue to glue on. Style as you wish. (For best shape, curl the ends around a pencil.)

 

Back to the fudge: The combination of dried cherries, hazelnuts, and nutella with some sea salt on top was just perfect. If you want to impress guests, try this easy and yummy fudge recipe.

Cherry Hazelnut Nutella Fudge (found on Annie's Eats)

½ cup hazelnuts
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or 1 tablespoon coffee-flavored liqueur)
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. coarse sea salt flakes, plus more for sprinkling
½ cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 250˚ F. Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly toasted and the skins have cracked. Transfer the hazelnuts to a clean kitchen towel. Fold half of the towel over the top of the hazelnuts and roll them around gently to help remove the loosened skins. Transfer the skinned hazelnuts to a cutting board and chop coarsely. (Erika's Extra: I used a paper towel and had a hard time getting the skins off. Keep with it though. They will come off!)

 

Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with foil and grease lightly with butter. Set a heatproof bowl over a pot with a few inches of simmering water (do not boil). In the bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, chocolate, Nutella, butter, and salt. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.

 

Remove the bowl from the heat. Add the toasted hazelnuts and dried cherries to the bowl and fold in until evenly combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. After it has cooled for a few minutes, sprinkle lightly with additional sea salt. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3-4 hours.

 

Use the foil to lift the fudge from the pan. Remove and discard the foil. Use a large chef’s knife to slice the fudge into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container.

Bake well and prosper! 

Soft Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

Thanksgiving is over here in America. So, is everyone ready for Christmas?

 

It seems like this time of year flies by with holidays, parties, my birthday, New Year's, and tons of baking. I am always ready for Christmas (whether I have my cards and gifts out on time or not.)

 

This weekend I started my first dose of holiday cookie baking. I took a recipe online and made some adjustments to make the Nutella flavor really prevalent. If I had green and red sprinkles, I would have made these a little more festive. But sprinkles or not, they sure tasted good and were even better with a glass of milk!

Soft Nutella Thumbprint Cookies (adapted from Kirbie's Cravings)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup+ Nutella
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy and fluffy.
3. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Mix in the flour mixture at low speed. Stir in the chocolate chips until fully incorporated into the dough.
5. Make balls of cookie dough about 1 1/2 inch in diameter and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat mats, spacing dough balls about 2 inches apart..
6. Bake for about 7 minutes and then carefully remove from oven. Mark each cookie in the middle with a spoon and then fill indents with Nutella.
7. Replace cookie sheets in the oven and bake from 3-5 minutes more. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets before removing.

Bake well and prosper!

Nutella French Toast

Last week I was eating strawberries and came across this beautiful heart shaped one:

I quickly took a photo and then popped it in my mouth. It was really good (for being a strawberry in winter.)

That pretty strawberry inspired me to make my next baking project a strawberry one. In my "recipes to make" email folder, I found a recipe for Nutella French Toast that called for strawberries as a garnish. I was sold and promptly went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients.

Well, what would you know? While I was cutting the strawberries I realized that an odd shaped one ended up looking like lips when sliced.

Don't you agree? Maybe I'm just seeing things...

Either way, the strawberries AND this recipe were super yummy! I can't wait to make it for breakfast again this week.

Nutella French Toast (found on The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife)

Ingredients

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 teaspoons sugar
juice of half a lemon
4 slices of bread (I used Italian)
about 1/2 cup Nutella
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
butter (for the pan)
powdered sugar for serving

Directions
1. Combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss to coat and set aside to macerate at room temperature.
2. Spread desired amount of Nutella over 2 slices of bread. Top each with the remaining bread. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
3. In a shallow dish or pie plate, whisk together the egg and milk. Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the heated skillet and swirl to coat.
4. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, soaking for 30 to 40 seconds per side. Add the slices to the pan in a single layer, taking care not to crowd the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until light golden brown. Flip and continue cooking an additional 1-2 minutes. Add more butter as needed.
5. Transfer to a plate, dust with powdered sugar, then top with strawberries. Serve immediately.

Bake well and prosper!

(Time Crunch) Croissants

I MADE CROISSANTS! I MADE CROISSANTS!

Ahem. So, this weekend I made croissants as part of a croissant challenge that other baking bloggers are doing. Ok, I can't contain myself. Weeee!!!! I MADE CROISSANTS. I'm very excited about the fact that I made these because I didn't think I was going to be able to. The recipe shared as the base recipe on Heavenly Housewife's site was Julia Child's recipe.

Um, I live in the city that never sleeps. How was I going to accomplish a recipe that takes a day and a half? 

Well, we didn't HAVE to use that recipe. So, as to not let my other bloggers down, I found a "quicker" croissant recipe. And I have to say, they turned out great!

I didn't dare try to make these at the end of August. It was still super humid in New York and the yeast/dough would have pffffft on my plans to make croissants. Since the weather just dropped into Fall this week, I knew the weather conditions would be better for working with yeast.

Well, Fall also means more miles to put in for marathon training and it is also the begining of opera season in NY. I am lacking time to bake even simple things!

I guess the fact that I made wonderful tasting croissants during a busy weekend helped to make the croissants even tastier to me. Maybe you would feel as elated too if you also ran 17 miles Sat morning, had an opera audition afterwards, took a 30 minute nap, recorded 2 hours worth of arias, started croissants, went to bed, made croissants in the morning, went to church, went to opera rehearsal, sang at a wedding, and hung out with friends at the San Gennaro Festival. (Are you exhausted yet from reading all of that?)

I've only baked with yeast once before. The first time was a slight disaster so I was quite nervous starting this project. Everything went smoothly and I quite enjoyed working with the dough. Very therapeutic after long days. Oh, and did I mention it's quite messy? :)

I  looked silly walking into to the laudromat with flour on my jeans. People there were probably thinking I should toss the jeans in the washer too. Or maybe they were jealous since I was obviously baking something good!

I enjoyed my croissant making so much that with the second half of the batter I made Nutella croissants. One word: AMAZING!

So, if you've always wanted to make croissants but had some worries over the time comitment, try this "easier" recipe. Making the dough took 25 minutes (and that was with clean up.) The next morning took 2 hours, but 1.5 of those hours is just waiting around for the dough to do its thing.

I found the outcome very lovely. They were crispy on the outside, flaky enough on the inside, and super buttery altogether. (If you do a more involved recipe you will probably get more flaky layers.)

PS I used farm fresh butter and eggs and organic flour and milk. The better the ingredients, the better the croissant. (Do you really want to spend so much time making something without using the best?)

PPS If you want to see the other bloggers who participated in the croissant challenge, check them out. (Trust me, you WANT to.)

Heavenly Housewife at Donuts to Delirium

Stevie at Weird Combinations

Anna at Keep it Luce

Glamorous Glutton

Faith from An Edible Mosaic

Joumana over at Taste of Beirut

Croissants (from Serious Eats which has lovely step by step pictures)

Ingredients

2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup cold milk
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick salted butter, frozen
1 stick unsalted butter, frozen
Optional: Chocolate or other filling

Directions
1. Take the butter out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature while you work. You want it as cold as possible, but still cuttable. Put the yeast, water and sugar into a medium bowl and stir to combine. (The water should NOT be warmer than 110 degrees F.) Set aside until it begins to get foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and egg and beat lightly to break up the egg and combine it all.

2. Put the flour and salt into your food processor and pulse to distribute the salt. Cut each stick of butter into tablespoon-sized pieces, then cut each of those pieces in half. Put all of the pieces into the food processor with the flour and pulse about 10 times to distribute the butter and break the chunks just a little. You don't want small pieces as you would for pie crust; larger chunks are preferable. (So bigger than pea size is fine.)

3. Add the flour and butter to the liquid in the bowl and fold gently with a spatula until all the flour is moistened and it is well combined, being careful not to break up the butter. The butter should still be fairly hard at this point. The dough will be very wet; don't worry about it. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy your zzzzzs.
 
4. The mixture can be used the next day, or kept refrigerated for an additional day if you aren't ready for it. When you are ready, flour your work surface generously and have more flour standing by. Turn the dough out onto your work surface, sprinkle some additional flour over the top, and form it into a rough square. Working quickly, roll the dough out to an approximate 16-inch square. Because it's so wet, it should roll easily, but it might be a bit sticky. Add flour as needed on top and underneath and also on the rolling pin to keep it from sticking. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter.

5. Then fold it in thirds again, to make a square. Do the same roll-and-fold two more times. As you work, keep the work surface lightly floured, just to keep it from sticking. Since the dough is so soft, you should be able to do this fast enough that the butter won't get too soft and squishy. If the butter does soften, put it in the fridge and continue once the butter has firmed up again. After the last fold, flatten it a bit, then put it into a plastic bag and put it into the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to three days.

6. When you are ready to make the croissants, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter the sheet. The dough will have risen while refrigerated. Cut the dough into quarters.

7. Roll the first quarter into about a 6-inch square. Cut the square into quarters diagonally (so you're making an X on the dough).

8. Take one of your right triangles of dough and roll or stretch it into a pie-shaped wedge at least seven inches long. You can make it longer or a little shorter depending on how long and plump you want the croissant.

9. Starting at the wide end, roll the dough toward the the point.

10. Place the finished croissants on the prepared baking sheet with the point underneath. Form the dough into a crescent shape.

11. Cover them with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. They won't rise much at all, but they should feel puffy instead of firm. Brush the croissants with an egg wash, if desired, or leave them plain. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool.

12. Filling Variation: For chocolate croissants, follow the original recipe though Step 6, then roll the quarter of dough into a rectangle about 10 x 6 inches. Cut that into strips about 2 1/2 inches wide x 6 inches long.

13. Put your favorite chocolate at one end and roll up. (I used Nutella.) It works best to make sure the dough is just a little wider than the chocolate and fold it over to enclose the chocolate when you start rolling, so it doesn't seep out during baking. Place the rolls seam-side down on the pan and allow them to rise and bake as in the original recipe.

Bake well and prosper!

A Perfect Summer Drink - Brandy Alexander WITH Nutella

Some of y'all might remember my Brandy Alexanders from last summer. Well, I was recently talking to people about Nutella and there was one man that was an enthusiast for the stuff. I mean, we were thinking up recipes to make with Nutella for 15 minutes!

And then...

I thought of something simple. Something so divine that it made both of us stop for a moment of silence to show reverence for my idea.

Add Nutella to my basic Brandy Alexander recipe.

I know. Amazing, right?

You're welcome for my sharing of the awesomeness. Enjoy summer!

Brandy Alexander (from my Mom's Best Recipes Cookbook)

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/4 C creme de cacao
1/4 C brandy
1 T Nutella (or more to your liking)
Mix as malts in blender.

For 2 servings:
2 C vanilla ice cream
1 T creme de cacao
1 T brandy
1 t Nutella (or more to your liking)

Bake well and prosper!

Banana Nutella Empanadas

A week ago I visited the cutest store in my new neighborhood, SITE. They were celebrating their 4th anniversary with discounts, goodie bags, and empanadas. The banana nutella ones were SO good that I was determined to try to mimic them as soon as possible.

This past weekend I went to my coworker's Cinco de Derby Party. I figured it was the perfect event to bring banana nutella empanandas as dessert.

To make it even more perfect, I bought (for the first time ever) butter from the farmer's market in Union Square.

About a year ago I bought eggs from the farmer's market and I am convinced that the eggs make better desserts than what I get from the grocery store. Maybe it is because they are fresher. Maybe because they are free range? Maybe because they are local? Who knows. But since they've never failed me, I decided to also try butter from a local farm.

All I have to say is that these were a hit! I'd like to thank the eggs and butter!

(Oh, and I used the eggs and butter in cookies I made last night - post coming soon - and the batter was some of the best I've eaten. Mmmm!)

Banana Nutella Empanadas from Recipe Goldmine

Yields 16 (2 per serving)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup ice water
1 large banana, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup Nutella
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions
Place the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Using 2 forks or knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a cornmeal texture. This step also can be done in the food processor, using the pulse button, making sure not to over-mix. Add the water all at once, stirring gently with a fork just until the dough comes together. Form dough into a 6-inch square, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a separate small bowl, stir the chopped banana into the Nutella just until combined. It will thicken and become stiff.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Roll out each half to a 14-by-8-inch rectangle, 1/4-inch thick. Using a square or round 3-inch cookie cutter, punch out 8 pieces per half. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the Nutella-banana mixture onto each dough cutout.

Brush the outer perimeter with water, folding the sides together to form a pocket. Pinch the edges together with a fork, brush with a little water and sprinkle with sugar.

Freeze on parchment or foil-lined baking sheets for at least 15 minutes. (The empanadas can be made up to this point and may be frozen for up to 3 months.)

Bake the empanadas until golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Serving ideas: Serve warm with cinnamon ice cream or whipped cream.

Bake well and prosper!

An Apple a Day - Last Recipe! Apple Dippings

It's the seventh and last day of

So, I know this last post isn't really a recipe, but when you have more apples on hand than you do time, think about this "recipe."

And if you DO have time to make more apple recipes, check out these blogs:

Baking Serendipity - Apple and Carrot Breakfast Muffins and Caramel Apple Crisp

Donuts to Delirium - Chai Spiced Applesauce

Susi's Kochen und Backen Adventures - Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes

Apple Dippings

Cut an apple and dip in any desired dip. Seen here: Caramel syrup, peanut butter, Nutella, and marshmallow fluff.

What's your favorite dip for an apple?

Bake well and prosper!

Gluten Free Cookies

I can't always be cutesy wootsey. I don't have kids, a dog, a husband, a huge kitchen, or a perfect life. And I'm sure not going to pretend I have a life all neatly packaged with a bow on top. Quite frankly, I'm tired of seeing that blogged about constantly. I'm not trying to be the next Betty Crocker or on the next cover of Good Housekeeping. Is there a Messy Housekeeping magazine I can be on instead?

Oh, and did I mention I'm in a bad mood today?

Well, I will try to look on the upside. At least I don't have to eat a gluten free diet. That means I couldn't enjoy this, this, or these. But, if you're a celiac like my friend from the opera I was in this past weekend, there's good news! Yummy gluten free cookies!

This is the first gluten free dessert I've made for a gluten-free eater and I was a little scared when the dough smelled like burnt peanuts after blending in a mixer. Do not fear, they turned out amazing!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Nutella Thumbprint Cookies (from bell'alimento)

Ingredients
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg – beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
9 teaspoons Nutella

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Into your stand mixer add sugar, peanut butter, egg, salt and baking soda. Mix until well combined.

3. Measure approx 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll dough into a ball and place onto cookie sheet. Gently press dough ball down using the palm of your hand. Continue forming balls until dough is gone. Space approx 1″ apart.

4. Bake for approx 8-10 minutes. CAREFULLY remove tray from oven. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, GENTLY make an indentation in the middle of each cookie. Fill each cookie with a dollop of Nutella. Return tray to oven and continue cooking for 2-4 minutes until golden.

5. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool before enjoying.

Bake well and prosper!