macarons

this past week i made

peanut butter macarons.

actually i made these.

there will be no pictures of these

for two reasons:

1) they were ugly

2) they were so quickly eaten a picture would not have been possible.

let me tell you, my macarons look nothing like this

for two reasons:

1) i did not have the appropriate pastry bag tip

2) the peanuts did not get ground finely.

to avoid problem #1-

use a medium to large round tip.

to avoid problem #2-

ground the peanuts by themselves, 

then add the almond flour,

then add the confectioner sugar.

better yet! buy ground peanuts/peanut flour if you can find it.

i also filled some with Jiff, 

some with natural peanut butter

and drizzled some with melted semi sweet chocolate chips.

my next attempt at making these will include some filled with chocolate ganache.

and a less bumpy, ugly macaron. 

either way, don't be intimated by macarons 

(as I was)

they aren't that difficult to make

if you measure properly,

ground properly,

and are ready to focus!

christmas, part three

this is my third and final christmas dessert post.

three christmases is excellent for my mixer

and list of recipes to try

but not so good for my waistline!

for the final dessert i chose pavlova.

they are light

delicious

and allow you to be creative.

this recipe is incredible.

the vinegar in the egg whites makes it a bit caramely

the brown sugar in the whipped cream adds a tasty and unusual sweetness

the sugar sprinkles atop the fruit were the perfect touch

(any way to add sprinkles and I am all over it!)

obviously you may use any fruit you like.

here i used strawberries,

raspberries,

and kiwi.

blueberries would be nice.

as would mango

or peaches

or pomegranate seeds.

experiment!

*this recipe does follow instructions

for one large pavlova 

but makes 8 individual ones easily.

christmas, part two

buche de noel.
have you ever tried it?
making?
eating it?
both are fantastic!
it is super easy and quick to make...
unless (this is a requirement, not an option)
you make the meringue mushrooms.
behold!

i got the recipe from here.
the cake is sponge-y
and almost custard like.
the whipped cream/mousse is to die for.
and the buttercream...
well i am a sucker for icing/frosting no matter what.

i did change the mushrooms a little...
rather than connecting them with more meringue,
i used extra icing to make the "gills" of the mushroom.

you may want to make two of these
as people have been known to take large slices.

christmas, part one

pomegranates.

delicious. 

juicy.

vibrant red. 

truly a labor of love.

some suggest cutting the pomegranate in half

and "spanking" it to get the seeds out. 

others peal the pomegrante and gently remove the juicy jewels of deliciousness.

i cut it in quarters, submerge in water and remove the juicy jewels with my fingers.

juice squirts everywhere but it is totally worth it!

i followed this recipe...

sort of...

i skipped the cream cheese icing and opted for a buttercream.

buttercream is the favorite in my family. 

i also opted to not tackled the fondant pomegranate...

ooops! a few extra juicy jewels for me.

this girl has the most incredible sprinkles.

see here and here and here.

love. love. love!

thanksgiving...let's have chocolate!

yes, i know...

thanksgiving was nearly two months ago

but to be honest these cupcakes 

were too delicious to not share...

toffee,

swiss meringue buttercream,

ganache. 

 options.

anyone who knows me

knows that i love having options.

because of this i think everyone else loves options too

these cupcakes are all about just that.

some are stuffed with ganache.

some have both swiss meringue and ganache topping.

some only have one topping,

some have only sprinkles. (GOLD sprinkles. buy them now!)

some have only toffee bits.

some have the works! (that is my personal favorite)

stuffing cupcakes. 

the best thing ever.

sure you can use a small knife

but this takes the cake!

have you ever stuffed a cupcake? 

what is your favorite cupcake topping? 

favorite place to get a cupcake?

*what is on my sprinkle wishlist?
THESE!!!! edible gold stars!

heaven bread

anyone who eats this would agree

this is the perfect name for this bread.

it is best warm. 

it is best if shared with no more than four people.

if more than four friends are over make two loaves.

trust me. it is that good. 

it is kiiiiind of like adult monkey bread.

once again i got this recipe from Joy.

while mine may not look like hers

i have got to imagine it tastes just as good.

butter. cinnamon. sugar. pastry.

go read the recipe, make the bread, eat it all.

you will like you fingers (and maybe the plate) clean.

it is that good.

a break from baking

nearly one year ago 

i was here

st. john.

i was eating a delicious hamburger from skinny legs

(if you ever go/go back to st. john you must go to skinny legs). 

you will need to plan to spend the entire day there.

you will eat at least two entire hamburgers all by yourself.

go with good friends/family. get a beer. settle into a table. and ENJOY. 

as you leave may even see one of these guys!!

you will also only need to pack one thing. a swim suit.

don't bother with a pedicure, you will be digging your toes into the sand.

 save your pennies...

you want to go here