French Macaroons

 Infamous Macaroons, I REALLY struggle when making them, I used this book and they never worked using these recipes. The mix was always too runny and all it was helpful with was diagnosing what I had done wrong, not overly helpful. I have tried both the French and Italian methods for making Macaroons and I do not recommend the Italian version, I found it impossible, it was like a chemistry class not baking fun. Anyway, for these Macaroons I used  this recipe and I found it worked quite well.

Ingredients:

140g egg whites
70g caster sugar
230g icing sugar
120g ground almonds
pinch of salt

So tips to start, older eggs work better than fresh eggs and climate apparently makes a difference so if you are doing a lot of baking in one day I would start with the meringue base because baking other things before whipping your egg whites will make your kitchen humid and might effect the rising of the meringue. Macaroons are such women, so fussy and difficult. Anyway, recipe:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C

Weigh egg whites into a bowl (I used a metal one because I heard it helped the meringue hold it's shape more) and whipped with electric mixer while adding the caster sugar gradually. I stopped once it made stiff peaks, you could hold it upside down over your head but that is optional.

 In a separate bowl I sifted the ground almonds, icing sugar and salt twice, ensuring that this dry mixture was well mixed. Then fold the dry mix into the egg whites, only mixing between 30-50 times because apparently this matters. The mixture should remain viscous and not too runny as well as smooth. Then carefully place the mixture into a piping bag trying to limit how much air you lose.

I highly recommend this Silicone mat for the Macaroons (seen above). I ensures that the Macaroons are uniform in size, and I don't know about anyone else but I can make the mix but I can never get the Macaroons off the baking parchment, this mat is amazing as they just peel off and it really easy to clean. I actually tested this mat out by piping some of the same Macaroon mix onto baking parchment and well as on the mat and the parchment ones did not work at all, they just fused to the paper. So for people, like me, that have not cracked the Macaroon this aid is amazing as all your efforts will not be wasted.

Once on the mat or baking parchment tap the tray on the table to get out air bubbles and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes. This recipe is good, ones I have tried previously asked the macaroons to be rested for 30 minutes to give them a foot, others told me to leave the oven door slightly open... I didn't do any of this and the Macaroons still had a foot. 

I made a chocolate ganache filling, to do this just warm 30ml of double cream in a saucepan and add 100g of dark chocolate to the cream and mix until combined. If you were fancy you could pipe the ganache in, I didn't, a spoon worked pretty well!

If anyone makes them, take a picture and tag me on Instagram (Highland_Fling) so I can see them! I'd love that!

With love from,

Emma x

Peanut Butter cupcakes

Adapted from this recipe from Sally's baking addiction.

Chocolate cupcakes:

• 4 ounces of unsalted butter
• 5 ounces of light brown sugar
• 4 ounces cup cocoa powder
• splash of vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3.5 ounces plain flour
• Some chunky peanut butter

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line muffin tin with paper cups.

Step 1: Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl then whisk with an electric whisk to make the mixture light.

Step 2: In one bowl mix the two eggs with the vanilla extract, in another sift the flour, coco, salt and baking powder.

Step 3: to the sugar and butter alternate between the wet and dry mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Step 4: Fill the cupcake cases 3/4 full and cook for 10 minutes, check they are fully cooked by inserting a knife into the centre of the cupcakes, if it comes out clean remove from the oven. Leave the cakes in the tray for a few minutes until slightly cooler then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Step 5: once cooled use an apple corer to cut a chunk out of the center and put the excess in a bowl (after trying a little bit to make sure it isn't horrible). Then add chunky peanut butter in the hole. It is important for the cupcakes to be cool otherwise they will melt the butter in the peanut butter. 

Step 6:Break up the excess cupcake to crumbs.

Step 7: Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle over the cake crumb to finish. A nice added extra would be chocolate covered peanuts, add two to the top.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 8 ounces of smooth peanut butter
• 4.5 ounces confectioners sugar
• 2.5 ounces of unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• some milk to add if frosting is too stiff

Step 1: mix together the peanut butter with the unsalted butter with a electric whisk.

Step 2: Add the sugar, fold in slowly by hand and once roughly incorporated whisk again with the electric whisk.

Step 3: Add some vanilla extract and if the frosting is stiff and isn't smooth when stirred add some milk gradually until smooth, just a splash at a time as you don't want make your frosting too wet.

Step 4: refrigerate if slightly on the wet side and pipe on cool cupcakes.

Tip- I advise not using reusable fabric piping bags as when used for icing it sometimes pushes the butter out of the bag which makes the bag really greasy and hard to control. Buy some disposable piping bags as the plastic prevents this and saves on the washing up.

If anyone makes them send me a photo! I'd love to see them! And if you have any questions just ask away!


With love from,

Emma x