MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT MACAROONS!

Saturday I made my first Macaroons. Well, first I must say that they do take a little time. After you have prepared everything and piped them onto a tray you have to let them sit for 1/2 an hour to set. They should feel a little firm, mine never did.

You have to tap the bottom of the tray to release the air bubbles, this apparently gives the Macaroon it's "foot". I did that but as you can see mine never got their feet. You also have to smoothe the tops with a wet finger so the Macaroon is smooth and glossy when baked. I did that but they were not glossy.

My Macaroons looked more like Whoopee Pies but I must say they were delicious. The had the crunch on the top and the soft centre and the ganache filling was heaven. I will not give up. I am planning to keep trying different recipes until I perfect the allusive Macaroon.

Drop by my other blog WICKED FAERIE QUEEN today and meet my newest family member, Rufus.

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE MACAROON!

I love macaroons! I have admired them for many years in photographs thinking how perfect they looked.

The lovely array of French Pastel colours, tempting you with their perfect symmetry, puffy and delightful.

Much like the Red Velvet Cake ( another one of my favouites) the French Macaroon is fairly new to us in Canada. I have not had the good fortune to find bakeries here or in Toronto that specialized in an array of these scrumpcious beauties. I did some research and last year I found a small bakery/coffee shop near our sons home in Toronto. Of course I had to go.

I chose a chocolate and a pink pastel to try. As soon as it bit into that pillow of flavourful delight I was hooked. The soft crunch of the first layer to the chewy centre of the cookie and then the creamy, delicous filling. Oh, heaven!

I could not think of anything more wonderful than receiving a gift of these lovely pleasures. Unfortunately they are pricey and I still only found the one shop. I know I can purchase them online but I do not trust the post so I found a cookbook with simple directions and I am going to try my own today.

In my research, I discovered that I am far from the only person in love with this yummy confection. I found this lovely blog NOT SO HUMBLE PIE and she did a whole post on the pros and cons to different techniques in the baking of the Macaroon.

They look absolutely mouth watering and it gives me hope that I may just be able to pull of my own Macaroons.

Now this could be a good thing or a bad thing. I do so much adore these sinful delights that if I am good at it I may just devour them all. If they do not turn out I will be disappointed but I will not give up until I have perfected the French Macaroon! I will keep you posted.

Images from PINTEREST.

WISHFUL WEDNESDAY...FINDING MY BLISS.

It is my birthday tomorrow, feeling a bit blue, I need to find my bliss. Perhaps these beautiful places will help me.

I wish I could go through these gates and sit in the sun on this bench for the afternoon...dreaming!

Or perhaps find this faerie swing ing the woods.

And end the day in a magical treehouse or mystically lit tent.

Ahhhhhh.....BLISS!

Images from PINTEREST.

BLACK & WHITE STRIPES.....EVERYWHERE!

I just adore black & white stripes. I love them on furniture, clothes, walls, paper and desserts. I especially love it outdoors. If I saw this shop it would not matter what they sold the awning would make me have a look.

There is just something about black & white stripes that draws me in. I just love it outside on cushions or, wow, on walls and ceilings of a porch like this one.

After seeing these umbrellas I will now be on the hunt for one. And this tent, well it just brings to mind a day at the circus and who doesn't love that.

This is a little more attainable. I have painted black & white stripes on my indoor furniture several times. My bathroom cabinet is striped. This is a cute idea for an outdoor table. I know I always have something hanging around I don't know what to do with, so I think I will just stripe it all!

I could not believe my eyes when I saw this ZEBRA CAKE from THE WHIMSICAL CUPCAKE BLOG. It is so adorable and it looked impossible to make but when I read the recipe it looks quite easy.

ZEBRA CAKE


Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Double Dutched Dark Cocoa

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9″ x 2″ round baking pan with cooking spray (you can use a 8″ x 2″ for a slightly thicker cake). Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment, and spritz again. Set the pan aside.

2) In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. On low speed blend in the oil, milk and vanilla until well combined and smooth.

3) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine on medium speed 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing.

4) Remove 2 cups of the vanilla batter and place it in the measure you used for the liquid ingredients. Sift the cocoa over this batter, and stir well to combine. Be sure to use a sifter to avoid cocoa lumps in the batter.

5) Now for the stripes. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This causes the vanilla batter to spread out. Continue to alternate batters, in bulls-eye fashion until all batter is used. You will now have thin rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan, thicker rings towards the center.

6) Bake the cake in the center of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar or frost if that strikes your fancy.

Now how yummy and moist does this cake look? I am hungry already.

You could try it in different coloured stripes too. Just don't do the chocolate and add a food colour gel to the other half of the vanilla.

Thank you Jeannette at the THE WHIMSICAL CUPCAKE for this delicious Black & White Cake which I will be making. Drop by and see her blog for a lot of really scrumpious recipes.

Images from PINTEREST.

SILENT SUNDAY!

EARLY EASTER GREETINGS.

Just in case I do not get time to post tomorrow I want send my Easter Greetings to all of you today.

I hope you all have a gorgeous, sunny day on your Easter Egg hunt and find lots of yummy eggs.

I think it would be so nice if you get to see some bunnies tomorrow, the fluffy ones and the chocolate ones.

I hope you are surrounded with sunny, spring flowers.

Do try some of this sunshine bread from BITTER SWEET. It will make you feel sunny inside and out.

But most of all I do hope that you and those you love have a Peaceful Happy Easter tomorrow.

THE EASTER TABLE, BRUNCH & DESSERT, DESSERT, DESSERT!

Have you thought about setting your Easter Table yet? If not here a some adorable ideas.

I love the cool, spring greens of this one.

If the weather is warm I will definately do something outside. I love this, it just shouts spring and Easter.

This simple country setting is just lovely.

What an Easter fantasy. I would worry about someone swinging my table though.

I don't usually get too fussy with napkins but these little cuties caught my eye. You can get the simple directions here at MARTHA STEWART LIVING.

Now onto the good stuff.

I saw these and my mouth started to water. Can you imagine making these Carrot Cake Waffles for Easter Brunch? I am going to try these and I think they will be a keeper. Get this delicious recipe from WILLOW BIRD BAKING

This Bacon, Egg and Cheese Ring from PILLSBURY.COM is super simple and looks really impressive and I'll bet it is yummy.

There is just something about putting the word "Farmer" in a recipe title that says to me " good stick to your ribs food". This Farmer's Casserole from BETTER HOMES & GARDENS says that to me. I love making casseroles. Everything in one pan.

I have made these cute birdie cupcakes several times and they always get a lot of oohs and aahs. I saw them years ago in Martha Stewart Living Magazine. They are so easy. Just ice your cupcake, toast some coconut and put it on the edges of the cupcake. With a wide pastry tip pipe some blue balls of icing and make tiny eyes with black or chocolate icing and use a leaf tip for the beak. So Cute!

One of my favourite desserts is Coconut Cream Pie. Now, I am a baker but for some reason I have never made one. I found this recipe from DOUGH PUNCHER BLOG and it sounds so good that I think that this will be either my Easter Dessert or with my birthday being April 12th, my Birthday Pie instead of cake. My husband may not like that but it is my birthday after all.

I hope you try some of these delicious recipes whether for Easter or for whatever and let me know how they turned out. And stop by my blog WICKEDFAERIEQUEEN to see how I decorated my house for Easter.

Images from PINTEREST.