Sugar Cookies & Royal Icing

The rainy weather drove me into the kitchen for a little cookie decorating.

I got a few tips from this site before beginning.

I'm still a long way from pastry shop perfection, bear with me.

I used Glorious Treat's recipe for sugar cookies- plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest- and Alton Brown's royal icing- plus a pinch of cream of tartar.

Whip up the icing

Set out your cookies

Decorate to your heart's content

Eat 'em up.

Quack!

Happy Wednesday :)

Coconut Cake for Everyone

This blog revamp has been a long time coming.

I will literally start with a clean slate, because my canvas is a white on white cake.  Perhaps the most delicious cake flavor known to man, coconut, originated in the south.  This recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen - aka the most reliable recipe source.

Without further ado, the coconut cake.

Enjoy.

Really.


Just some ingredients

Mix it up, put it in the oven

Cool those cakes down

Make the buttercream, get to frosting

Hide a little coconut in between and start the crumb coat

Decorate it

Fertig!

Sliced and ready for eating

And my work here is done.

Healthier Brownies: She's a Genius, I Tell You

Have I ever ranted before about how much I love Martha Stewart?  Sure, I know she doesn't come up with all of the stuff in her magazines.  I realize that it is in fact quite likely that she comes up with none of it.

However, she does make it possible.  For that I respect her.  Even if she has served time.
Delicious food and adorable crafts can overshadow a multitude of sins.

Enough about Martha.  Let's get down to the point.

And that point is that it is possible to make brownies (from scratch) that do not completely demolish your waistline.

I know, you're probably thinking that I'm just a huge liar.

"It's too good to be true," you say.

I respectfully ask you to shut up and believe.  It is indeed possible.  Not that these are exactly healthy, but they aren't exactly horrible.

That's where Martha Stewart comes in.  She made me believe in low-calorie, absolutely delightful brownies.

Any guesses as to what makes the brownies low-cal?

Going once...

The secret ingredient is pureed black beans!

Crazy, right?  Can't even taste 'em.  Plus, they bring a little fiber to the party.

Recipe (adapted from Everyday Foods)

-1/4 cup unsalted butter
-1/4 cup pureed black beans (rinsed, too much sodium otherwise)
-3 ounces semisweet chocolate
-2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
-1 1/4 sups sugar
-2 eggs, plus 1 egg white
-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
-1 cup flour
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon salt

-Preheat your oven to 350 (F) and grease a 9x9 baking pan.
Melt chocolates, butter and bean puree together over double boiler or in microwave.
When melted, whisk in sugar.  When the mixture has cooled a bit, whisk in eggs and vanilla.

-In a separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients.  Stir them into the wet mixture and pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is set and a few moist crumbs stick to a tooth pick inserted in the center.  Let cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy your 155 calorie brownie! I know I did.  Four times.

Straws courtesy of My Little Otter

No Machines Required: Simple Pasta

Here's how it began.
I had never made pasta before.  I found myself with 4 leftover egg yolks.

I searched Pinterest and Google for recipes to use up said yolks.

PASTA.

It is the answer.

Also, people make fun of me for pronouncing the "L" in yolk.
People can be mean.

You'll Need:
-2.5 cups flour
-4 egg yolks
-2 T. olive oil
-1/3 cup water
-cornmeal for surface

First.


In a large bowl, place flour and create a well in the center.

Second.


Mix 1/4 cup of the water with yolks and olive oil.

Third.


Pour the wet ingredients in to the center of the flour and mix with a fork until everything is incorporated.

Fourth.


When the dough has come together enough to knead, place dough on a surface sprinkled with corn meal.

Fifth.


For about ten minutes or until dough is smooth and easy to work with, adding water as necessary (you may not need more, it just depends)


Sixth.


Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.  Roll out an cut into desired shapes. I made Pisarei.  Boil water with salt and cook until pasta floats and is tender.  You can also freeze the uncooked pasta shapes!

Vanilla Macarons with Ganache Filling

I've been determined to make French macarons for a while now.

It happened today.  They take some time.  It was worth it.


You'll Need: (adapted from Brave Tart)
For the cookies:
- 4 oz. almond flour (or ground blanched almonds)
- 8 oz. powdered sugar
- 5 oz. egg whites
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (regular also works)
- 1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch cream of tartar
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup milk
- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
- 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch

First.

Prep your dry ingredients.  Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together.  If you're making your own almond flour, grind blanched almonds with powdered sugar until it will go through a strainer.

Second.

Split your vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds.  Add seeds to the eggs whites, caster sugar, cream of tartar and salt which should all be in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Starting on a medium speed, whip the ingredients for 3 minutes.  On a medium high speed, whip for about 4 minutes.  Finally, push your mixer to the limit for about three minutes or until the mixture sticks inside the whisk when lifted.

Third.

Dump all the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.  Fold until smooth and barely stiff. (no need to be too careful, you want the whites to deflate) Then, put the mixture into piping bags without filling them all the way and pipe onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Tap the cookie sheets on the counter, use some force as this is supposed to release bubbles.  If you see any bubbles on the surface you can pop them using a toothpick.  Bake at 300 (F) until the cookies lift from parchment without breaking.

Fourth.

Now, as the cookies cool, prepare the ganache.
Put the chocolate, corn starch and Grand Marnier in a bowl.  Heat the milk until simmering and pour over chocolate.  Whisk until smooth.  Pop in the freezer for about 10 minutes.  Then, spread on cookies and smoosh together.  YUM.