Easter Egg Macarons

Happy Easter! I had a busy Sunday- starting at 6AM to prepare Easter brunch at the hotel, and then leading to a 4pm service at 4pointes church. It was a refreshing service filled with celebration and remembrance.

I brought some Easter egg-shaped macarons to church with me, and they were a big hit! These macarons are festive, delicious, and adorable! It's made almost the same way as any macaron, with a slightly different piping technique.

Vanilla Orange Easter Egg Macarons (makes about 30)
 Shells
100 g Almond Flour
120 g Confectioner's Sugar
50 g Granulated Sugar
70 g Egg Whites (2 large whites)
Orange and Red Gel Color

1. Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Be careful not to grind too long, because it will release all of the oils, ruining your final product.
2. Sift the powder with a medium-mesh sieve.
3. Place the particles that are too large to fit through the sieve back into the food processor, pulse, and sift again. Throw out the excess pieces.
4. In a grease-free bowl, place your egg whites and sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes to begin to dissolve.
5. Use grease-free beaters on high speed to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add in the gel color. You want a very full color because the added almond flour and sugar will dull the color.
6. Use a rubber spatula to fold the powdered sugar and almond flour into the meringue until the batter moves slowly, like lava. If you run your spatula through it, it should fall together after 5-7 seconds.
7. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (3/8 inch). 
8. Pipe rounds that are about an inch apart onto a nonstick baking mat (silpat) that is placed onto a cookie sheet. 
9. Do this by holding the bag straight up about half an inch above the silpat, applying pressure to the bag until about 3/4 inch in diameter, and then lessen the pressure as you drag backward. Once you reach the desired length, quickly move the bag in the opposite direction that you dragged it, to leave a smooth edge. Make sure there is enough space to spread.
10. Rap your cookie sheet/sheet pan on the table a few times to make sure there are no bumps on the macaron shells.
11. Let rest until dry to the touch (about 30-45 minutes, longer on rainy days).
12. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. If you have a convection oven, use convection.
13. Bake macaron shells on the second shelf of the oven for 14-17 minutes, until they do not wiggle when nudged.
14. Remove from oven and allow shells to cool completely before removing from the silpat.

Buttercream Filling
1 Egg White
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Butter 
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Orange Juice

1. Fill a pot with some water and begin to boil.
2. Place the egg white and sugar into a medium sized, heat proof, grease-free bowl. Place the bowl on top of the pot of boiling water.
3. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (110 degrees F). Check by rubbing the mixture between your fingers to feel for sugar granules.
4. Mix on high speed to make a meringue.
5. When cool to the touch, add softened butter and mix until it comes together.
6. It will break apart and look like scrambled eggs. Continue to mix until it becomes a soft paste.
7. Add the vanilla extract.
8. Reduce orange juice in a frying pan until it becomes thicker- it will look like a puree or sauce.
9. Place the frying pan into the refrigerator to cool the orange reduction.
10. Add the orange reduction to the buttercream and whip until completely incorporated.  The buttercream may become broken like scrambled eggs again, but it will come back together.


Assembly
1. Pair the shells by size. You should have about 20 pairs of shells.
2. On the surface of the bottom of the shell, place a small pinch of apple butter in the center. It should be enough for a small surprise. 
3. Put the buttercream into a piping bag with the same tip that you used to pipe the macarons.
4. Pipe the buttercream so that it is covering about 1/2 of the surface of the bottom of the shell.
5. Put the pairs together to create a "sandwich". 
6. Place in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

7. Melt white chocolate and pipe designs onto the macarons. Place them back into the fridge to set up.
8. Let the macarons come to room temperature before you serve them.

These macarons are interesting and fun. They're a great play on the classic creamsicle, with a fun twist. The piping technique takes a few tries to get just right, but it's worth practicing! How cute are these? Once again, Happy Easter everyone!

Roasted Barley Tea Cookies

My mom sent me a care package the other day, filled with lots of delicious snacks and barley tea! Roasted Barley tea is a Korean drink. It's similar to water, but has a more earthy, smoky flavor. It's a more interesting way to drink water (I think!).

I used this smoky tea to make so delicious, simple shortbread cookies. The orange peel adds a tangy, herbal flavor to balance the earthiness of the barley.

Roasted Barley Tea Cookies (makes about 40 cookies)
2 tbsp Roasted Barley Tea (보리차)
1 tbsp Dried Orange Peel (find it in the spice aisle)
1 Stick Butter, softened
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 cup Flour

1. Grind the barley and orange peel in a coffee grinder until it becomes powdery. 
2. Add the grinds to butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream them together. 
3. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated. 
4. Add the flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, and mix until the dough becomes crumbly
5. Use your hands to incorporate the flour the rest of the way, so that the dough comes together in one mass. 
6. Cut the dough in half, and roll into logs about 10 inches long, and about an inch in diameter. 
7. Wrap the logs in plastic and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. 
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
9. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2 inch medallions. Reshape them to be circular, and place them onto an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.
10. Add a pinch of barley to the top of each cookie. Press gently into place.
11. Bake for about 25 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes. You want the edges to be slightly browned. The cookies will not develop a lot of color. 
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing the cookies from the foil. 
13. Enjoy! :)

Although I made this with roasted barley tea, it is possible to do so with any of your favorite tea. Just grind the leaves down. If using a stronger tea (like earl grey), use about half of the amount that I used for the tea. A mellower tea (like green tea), would use about the same amount of leaves as barley in the recipe.

You can find the roasted barley tea at an Asian supermarket. It will usually come in tea bags, which you can open up and remove the barley from.

Citrus Sage Frozen Yogurt

Every so often, I fail. It sounds sad, but isn't that the case with everyone? There's always an "off" day, and it's hard to look past the flaws. The other day, I was making some citrus sage macarons to take to my relatives when I visit California over the holidays. I was having an off day... I overmixed the shells (which made them flat and made them run into each other), I made the filling too soft, and I made a huge mess in the kitchen. Although they tasted good, I couldn't post them on the blog because others should be able to recreate it (without a gigantic mess). I had to find a better solution to use the curd filling I had made than to throw it away. Add some yogurt, milk, and the result is delicious!

Citrus Sage Frozen Yogurt (Makes about a quart)
5 Egg Yolks
1 Egg
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 Orange (Zest and Juice)
1 bunch Fresh Sage (8 Leaves), chopped
2 tbsp Butter
12 oz White Chocolate
2 cup Milk
1 cup Greek Yogurt

1. Place your ice cream machine base into the freezer for at least 24 hours, or according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. In a metal, glass, or ceramic bowl, mix eggs, sugar, juices, orange zest and juice, and chopped sage.
3. Place the bowl over a pot with water on low heat. The steam will cook the eggs without curdling them.
4. Whisk until it thickens and becomes a curd. It looks like a custard at this point.
5. Remove from heat and add butter and chocolate.
6. Mix with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted.
7. Allow to cool to room temperature. Then, add yogurt and mix until incorporated.
8. Then, add milk gradually so that there is no separation.
9. Place in the fridge to chill for a few hours, until it is cold.
10. Churn the yogurt according to the manufacturer's directions. Stop churning when the yogurt looks like soft-serve.
11. Move into an airtight container and allow to harden for a few hours, until firm.
12. The frozen yogurt is ready to serve when it is firm!

If the yogurt is not freezing well as you churn it, you can hold it in the freezer for a few hours in the machine base to kickstart the process. Then, finish churning it. 

So there's one of my many failure stories. Sometimes you can take failures and turn them around to create something great. Everyone will have off days; everyone will fail, but it's the attitude and the perspective you take on when those failures occur. You just have to keep your head up and make it work!

Cranberry Sauce

THANKSGIVING! A time to be thankful, but better known as the holiday about food! In commemoration, I decided I would write a few Thanksgiving posts! I mean, this is a food blog, after all. The Facebook page also will have links to recipes you can make for the holiday dinners/potlucks, so go check it out!!!

Thanksgiving dinner is usually complete with cranberry sauce. I remember growing up, we would purchase the canned cranberry sauce. I wasn't very fond of the gelatinous wiggly thing that would fall out of the can onto a plate to then be sliced to look slightly more appealing. So, I began to make my own cranberry sauce. I like to brighten up the normal cranberry sauce by adding clementines to create a tangy, tart flavor that perfectly compliments any Thanksgiving feast. Clementines are smaller, and sweeter than oranges (but they also happened to be the only citrus at my grandfather's house). I got cranberries for $2 (so worth it!) at my local grocery store. They should be easy to find because they are in season. Try this simple, inexpensive recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner!

Cranberry Sauce
12 oz package Fresh Cranberries
2 Clementines
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp Salt

1. Rinse and pour cranberries into a small saucepan.
2. Zest the 2 clementines and add it to the sauce. If you want larger pieces, you can use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest and then cut it smaller with a knife.
3. Place the zest into the pot with the cranberries.
4. Cut the clementines in half and squeeze all of the juice from them. It is okay to have the pulp in the sauce, since it will cook down.
5. Add sugar, honey, and salt to the pot.
6. Heat on low heat, stirring occasionally. The heat will begin to open the cranberries. Remove from the heat when all of the cranberries have opened.

You can make this sauce days before, refrigerate it, and then reheat it when you're ready to serve it. You can also use this as a spread for post-Thanksgiving sandwiches (the best way to use Thanksgiving leftovers). Make this cranberry sauce as a healthy, fresh alternative to the canned jelly-sauce.

Lastly, I am extremely thankful for all of my readers! I hope that you all enjoy your holiday! Be sure to create and share these dishes with your close friends and family to let them know you are thankful for them as well! Stay tuned for more Thanksgiving recipes!

Pepero Day

11/11 is a Korean "holiday" called Pepero (빼빼로) Day! This is because the numbers look like Pepero sticks (kind of). The day is similar to Valentines Day. People give Pepero to their friends and loved ones. Here's pictures of the ones I made with my friend, Nate!

We used Italian breadsticks/crackers and coated them in melted chocolate. We put a variety of toppings for lots of yummy flavors! Try them for yourself!

 Semisweet chocolate: (from left to right) orange peel/lemon peel, toasted coconut, sprinkle, "hot" chocolate, toasted almond

 White chocolate: Coconut, toasted almond, green tea (matcha), orange peel/lemon peel


Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful Pepero Day!

Orange Marmalade

Orange marmalade is a very classic way to use oranges. It boasts a sweet, tangy flavor that perfectly accompanies toast. I find homemade jams and preserves charming. They have a unique quality that cannot be simply purchased. As strange as it may sound, the effort put into handmade goods can be tasted. This jam takes a good amount of time to reduce, but it is well worth the time. Letting it reduce slowly will allow the flavors to develop and keep the sweet jam from burning. As long as the heat is low, the jam does not have to be watched or stirred constantly. Not only is orange marmalade delicious, it is simple to make, and does not require many ingredients.

Orange Marmalade
2 Oranges
1/2 tsp Salt
4 cups Water
1/4 tsp Salt 
8 oz Mandarin Oranges (drain half the liquid)
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Water
2 tbsp Sugar

1. Use a vegetable peel to remove the zest of the orange. Chop roughly so that there are no huge pieces.  Place into a container with water to soak for 2 hours. This softens the peel and allows the water to penetrate it.
2. While it softens, cut off the peel (pith) of the orange with a chef knife. Cut the ends off the orange and then cut right where the meat of the orange meets the pith.
3. Cut out the segments, avoid the membrane (skin) that holds the orange segment, but cut as closely as possible while keeping the segment intact.
4. Save the leftover part of the orange, as it will be used for the marmalade.
5. Place the peel into a pot with water to immerse the peel. Add salt.
6. Boil on medium-high until the peel is tender. If you poke it with a fork, it should easily penetrate the surface. This will take about 30 minutes.
7. Drain the water.
8. Combine remaining ingredients in the pot, along with the peel.
9. Simmer on low heat until it begins to thicken. Stir occasionally.
10. Turn off the heat when the mixture is dark, clear, and thick. The color will be amber, and the bubbles will slow as the water evaporates.
11. Allow to cool slightly before placing to store.
12. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I love to use the orange marmalade in tea to add sweetness and flavor. You can add it to a tea, or just mix it into hot water to create a orange "tea". I, personally, really like sweet teas, and the orange adds a beautiful acidity to brighten up any tea. The vitamin C that the orange provides is also a great way to soothe a sore throat and overcome a cold.

I am so grateful for everyone who has been supporting this blog. Help me to continue to grow as a blogger by spreading the word and visiting the page often!

Chocolate Orange Macarons

Orange and chocolate may seem like an unusual combination to many, but it creates a balance of tangy and rich. Orange has a fresh citrus flavor that cleanses the palate and refreshes the richness of milk chocolate ganache. I like to make desserts with a unique take on traditional flavors. For this particular macaron, I decided to place a mandarin orange gel in the center to add a contrasting texture and flavor. The outside of the macaron is sprinkled with dried orange peel (you can buy this in the spice aisle of your local grocery store!). The orange peel brings balance as well because it adds a slight bitterness and fragrance. I took these to a potluck dinner that my fellowship hosted for the new college freshmen. It was an exciting way to show love to the new students. Not only were they full of love, but they were also tasty :) Here's how to make them:

Chocolate Orange Macarons

Shells

100g Almond Flour
120 g Confectioner's Sugar
50 g Granulated Sugar
70 g Egg Whites (2 large whites)
Dried Orange Peel

1. Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Be careful not to grind too long, because it will release all of the oils, ruining your final product.
2. Sift the powder with a medium-mesh sieve.
3. Place the particles that are too large to fit through the sieve back into the food processor, pulse, and sift again. Throw out the excess pieces.
4. In a grease-free bowl, place your egg whites and sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes to begin to dissolve.
5. Use grease-free beaters on high speed to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
6. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until the batter moves slowly, like lava. If you run your spatula through it, it should fall together after 5-7 seconds.
7. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (3/8 inch). 
8. Pipe rounds that are about an inch apart onto a nonstick baking mat (silpat) that is placed onto a cookie sheet. 
9. Do this by holding the bag straight up about half an inch above the silpat, applying pressure to the bag until about 1 inch in diameter, stopping pressure, and then removing by moving hand in a very small circular motion to release the tip from the macaron shell. Make sure there is enough space to spread.
10. Rap your cookie sheet/sheet pan on the table a few times to make sure there are no bumps on the macaron shells. 
11. Before they dry, lightly sprinkle the shells with dried orange peel.
12. Let rest until dry to the touch (about 30-45 minutes, longer on rainy days).
13. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. If you have a convection oven, use convection.
14. Bake macaron shells on the second shelf of the oven for 14-17 minutes, until they do not wiggle when nudged.
15. Remove from oven and allow shells to cool completely before removing from the silpat.
   

Milk Chocolate-Orange Ganache

4 oz Milk Chocolate
3 oz Heavy Cream
1 tsp Orange Zest

1. Place chocolate into a bowl.
2. Heat the heavy cream until it boils.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Gently stir until combined.

4. Add the zest to the ganache and mix to incorporate.

5. Cover the ganache with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow the wrap to touch the surface of the ganache so a film does not develop.
6. Allow to cool to room temperature before using.

Mandarin Orange Gel

1/4 cup Mandarin Orange Syrup (from can)

1 oz Mandarin Orange Segments

1/2 packet Gelatin Powder

1. Whisk together mandarin syrup and gelatin powder. 

2. Allow the gelatin to bloom for 5 minutes. 

3. Head the gel in the microwave until it is melted. 

4. In the meantime, crush the segments in a bowl. 

5. Pour melted gel into the bowl with the crushed segments and mix. 

6. Then, pour the orange gel into a flat loaf pan or plastic container so that it creates a thin layer (1/4 inch). 

7. Place into the fridge to set. 

8. When the gel has set, use a paring knife to cut 1/4" squares to place in the center of each macaron.

Assembly
1. Pair the shells by size. You should have about 20 pairs of shells.
2. Put the ganache into a piping bag with the same tip that you used to pipe the macarons.
3. Pipe the ganache so that it is covering about 3/4 of the surface of the bottom of the shell. Place a piece of the gel into the center.
4. Put the pairs together to create a "sandwich". 
5. Place in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to develop.
6. Let the macarons come to room temperature before you serve them. 

Try making these exciting, interesting macarons at home! Leave comments with any flavor suggestions and results! 

A HUGE thanks to everyone supporting this blog. Continue to follow, share, comment, and like! I hope everyone is able to use food to create a story and experience the love and care that goes into creating the food as well as consuming it ;)