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beefandbrioche · 7 years ago

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Raw cherry bakewell bars (homemade Nakd bars)

Pin pointing exactly what I have given up for lent this year is a little difficult. Apart from a blanket ban on the DailyMail.com (which has been hard!) I have tried to shift my snacking away from chocolate to more natural alternatives. So whilst I haven’t had a single mini egg or twix I have allowed myself plenty of bananas, dates and the healthier end of the snack bar spectrum. But the problem is, quite frankly, I would rather a twix, most healthy snacks I have found just aren’t so darn delicious! And that’s fine during lent, I’ll manage, but after Easter has come and gone I would quite like to feel my habits have changed, even if just a little.

So over the past few weeks I have been searching for a healthy snack that I really enjoy and will keep eating. Something that I will eat and then not go straight back to the vending machine felling deprived and have my twix. And now, as we approach the end of Lent, I think I have found it in Nakd’s Cherry Bakewell bars; I can honestly say that I actually enjoy them and will keep eating them as an alternative to my beloved twix (at least some of the time!).

Recently my housemate has taken to making Deliciously Ella’s ginger balls at home so I thought why don’t I give my Nakd bar a go, after all the ingredient list is only four long (dates, cashews, raisins and flavouring). My only move away from their recipe was to include dried cherries instead of the raisins. I presume that they include them for cost reasons, but really, a cherry bakewell without any cherries is a little cheeky!

So here is my recipe, they take 15mins to make and really are delicious. Just don’t eat them all at once, perhaps have a banana after your third, I can’t pretend they are that healthy!

Recipe

Makes 10 bars

100g cashew nuts 150g pitted medjool dates (about 8) 35g dried cherries 1/8 tsp almond extract

Blitz the nuts in a food processor until they are fine and sandy.

Add in the dates and blitz again until it has all combined and is sticking together.

Then add the cherries and almond extract and pulse until the cherries have been chopped up but are still distinctive. At this point test the flavour and add more almond if you want.

Tip the mixture out onto a baking paper lined tray/ plate and form a rough rectangle. Place another sheet of baking paper and roll the mixture out into a 10x20cm rectangle (you can use a ruler to push the edges in and make it neat if you like)*

Pop it in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours before slicing into 10 bars (2cm wide each). Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

*Or roll them into balls, which are perhaps easier to take to work with you!

Raw cherry bakewell bars (homemade Nakd bars) was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Healthy #Quick #Snack #Sweets #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 8 years ago

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Mini Egg Fudge

Sitting at work the other day, during a brief moment of calm, I took a scrap of paper and started to plan my Easter baking.

As I sat there I foresaw Easter bunny macarons and a chocolate nest cake filled with mini eggs, there were individual simnel cakes and a pile of creme egg macarons, large chunks of the smoothest fudge and a basket of freshly baked croissants. I imagined I’d happily whizzed that all up in a weekend and my impending accountancy exam certainly didn’t exist.

But unfortunately the exam did and still does exist. Amongst the NPV calculations and extra reading there wasn’t quite room for the entirety of my grand vision. But there was room for some of it. And this bit is definitely worth sharing.

This is the creamiest, smoothest most delicious fudge studded with chocolaty chunks of Easter goodness.

Fudge requires patience to make but is not particularly difficult and the result is oh so worth the time.

If you don’t already have one, this is a great excuse to buy a sugar thermometer. There is a fair bit of sugar chemistry going on in fudge and you need to know where you are to avoid spoiling your attempts. Fudge is made by dissolving sugar into a mixture of milk, cream and butter and boiling it to a certain temperature known as ‘soft ball’ by which point much of the moisture has evaporated off and then cooled slowly before being beaten vigorously into what you recognise as fudge. As the solution slowly cools (this is where the patience comes in) the tiny molecules of sugar will stay just that, tiny, unless you do something to disturb them. The difference between tablet and fudge is the point at which you choose to disturb the mixture and the size of the sugar crystals formed; tablet is stirred straight away and forms large sugar crystals and its grainy texture, whereas fudge is left until it is only just warm before being touched resulting in small sugar crystals and its smooth texture. Sugar crystals, just like most crystals, form rapidly once they find another to copy and so it is important that the sugar is fully dissolved before the mixture comes to the boil and if you find a sugary rings forms on the edge of the pan (normally at the height the mixture boiled up to) try not to mix much of this in when pour the cooled fudge out to beat.

But don’t let me put you off! Yes lots is going on in the pan (and yes I get pretty excited by the chemistry) but all you have to do is watch the thermometer and that’s really not too hard!

This recipe is a slight change from my previous one which used only cream. I spotted Helen using milk over on Great British Chefs and I found that the addition helped with the dissolving of the sugar and gave an ever so slightly firmer fudge. The glucose in the recipe helps guard against unwanted tablet formation but isn’t strictly necessary – I forgot to add it last time and the results were just as delicious.

But before I give you the recipe – a note on beating. Fudge is best beaten by hand with a wooden spoon. But that is a lot of effort and so, if like me you aren’t the hulk (and you don’t have one lurking around the house), use a hand held whisk. Unfortunately I have neither a hulk nor a hand held whisk only a (very well loved) Kenwood chef and this does cause problems. Standalone mixers aren’t great at beating the whole amount of mixture and so my fudge always seems to split. And yes, before you say it, I do have the scraping attachment but the silicon does nothing for my sugar crystals! So what do I do? Well I don’t give in, after all I have just spent twenty minutes carefully bringing my mixture to the boil and another hour waiting for it to cool. So I beat it for a couple of minutes with my beloved machine (any attachment seems to work) and then, when I have a buttery mess before me, I have a quick go at it by hand with my wooden spoon. As if by magic the solid part of what is before me turns dull and fudge like! Yes this glorious sight is still swimming around in butter but at least half of it looks right! So I whack it back on the stand mixer and give it a good whisk, scrapping any deserting butter back in and within seconds (ok maybe twenty) it will have all come back together and you can forget what just happened. And you can now nibble a bit before you move on.

If all of this has got you craving fudge and your thermometer has yet to arrive fear not you can make my super easy chocolate fudge in the meantime 🙂

Recipe

Makes 24 large chunks or 48 more manageable sized nibbles Use a 4×6″ pan for the big chunks, or 6×6″ if you want them a little smaller. A 1lb loaf tin would work well. Lined with greaseproof paper.

Adatped from Helen Best-Shaw and Great British Chefs

350g caster sugar 100ml milk 100ml double cream 80g butter 15g glucose (optional) 60-70g mini eggs (because I have always eaten some from the packet…), crushed. Add all the ingredients, except the mini eggs, to a medium sized pan over a low heat, stirring gently as the butter melts and sugar dissolves.

Once all the sugar has dissolved remove you spoon and put your thermometer into the pan. Turn the heat up a little (still on a low heat) to bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Do not stir.

Boil until the thermometer reads 115’C (about ten minutes) and remove the pan from the heat. Do not stir.

Allow the mixture to cool to 42’C (this will take 1-1.5hrs) before beating vigourously until the shine is lost and you have a dull (but perfectly delicious) fudge. Gently stir in the mini eggs, saving a few to press into the top (stir too much and the chocolate will all melt and the pieces disappear).

Spoon into your tin and allow to set for at least two hours, best overnight, before cutting into little or large pieces as you fancy. This is best stored in an air tight container, although a little air isn’t a problem, it

will just crisp up the corners.

Mini Egg Fudge was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 8 years ago

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Miso glazed salmon with Japanese rice

This miso-glazed salmon is quickly becoming a firm favourite of mine. It’s speedy to make, delicious to eat and just as good for cold for lunch the next day.

When it comes to quick cooking salmon is a dream and although delicious cooked as it is it’s ability to speedily absorb marinades gives you so many more post-work possibilities. This miso marinade is best left on the salmon for 30 mins to an hour by which point it will have absorbed plenty of flavour but not too much of the salt and should be wiped off the fillets before cooking to avoid burning the miso. But don’t bin it- heated up it makes a great sauce to serve alongside the salmon.

But the salmon isn’t the only star here- the rice is just as worthy of mention and is the perfect accompaniment. I have used Itsu’s recipe for a Japanese rice seasoning, added grated ginger, peas and spring onions and it’s brilliant. So good in fact I was eating spoonfuls of it from the fridge the next day. Apparently you can buy Japanese rice seasoning in some supermarkets but it’s easy to make at home by mixing mirin, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt. So if you haven’t made seasoned rice before I urge you to give it a go!

I made this for me and my brother last week when he suddenly realised he was meant to be having dinner with a friend- luckily we discovered it keeps very well and was perfect cold for lunch the next day. So if it’s only you and salmon comes in a pack of two cook both and enjoy a seriously good lunch at work the next day!

Recipe

2 salmon fillets 2 tbsp white miso paste 1 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp soy sauce 1/2tsp honey

For the rice 100g rice 10g ginger, finely grated/ minced 2tsp mirin 1tsp rice wine vinegar 1/2tsp salt 1/2tsp caster sugar Handful of peas 2 spring onions, finely sliced

In a bowl whisk together the miso, mirin, soy sauce and honey for the salmon marinade. Pour this into sealable freezer bag and add the salmon fillets. Marinate these in the fridge for 30mins – 1hour

Preheat the oven to 190C. Remove the salmon from the fridge and wipe the marinade off into a small pan (it will burn if you leave it on). Bake the fillets, skin side down in the oven for 15mins until cooked through

Add the rice to a pan with 270ml cold water and bring to the boil. Turn down and simmer for 10mins until the water has all been absorbed and the rice is cooked

As the salmon and rice cook make the rice seasoning. Mix together the mirin, rice wine vinegar, grated ginger, sugar and salt. Once the rice is cooked fluff it up with a fork, add the seasoning, the peas and the spring onions and cook over a low heat until the peas are warm.

Heat the marinade in a small pan until it just comes to the boil.

Serve with pak choi and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds if you like.

Miso glazed salmon with Japanese rice was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 8 years ago

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Black pudding carbonara

I have a confession to make; when I made this a couple of months ago it was my first ever time making a carbonara and only my third time eating one. The first two had been courtesy of Carluccio’s and both had been horrible, I mean truly awful. I had my first after day two at a new job. I also had Gavi. I preferred the Gavi. Let’s just say day three wasn’t such fun.

But this, on the other hand, is fantastic. Perhaps not beautiful, but truly fantastic. The richness of the black pudding is cut through perfectly by the creaminess of the eggs and parmesan and the parsley lifts the dish to another level, adding freshness and well needed colour. I use Stornaway black pudding, which really is the Buluga of the black pudding world, but I am sure it would be delicious with any good brand.

The recipe really doesn’t call for a great deal of black pudding (thanks Gastronomic Girls for the tip) and I do think that beyond this point it would begin to over power and become too rich. It’s quality not quantity here. Frying the black pudding in slices before quartering and stirring through means you get a delicious contrast of crispy outer and soft middle. As you stir it in the black pudding starts to fall apart, coating the pasta and filling the whole dish with flavour.

As I mentioned I favour Stornaway black pudding and I have tried my fair share. I first had it at Field in Edinburgh, served in small cubes alongside chicken and I was sold. I hadn’t actually ordered the chicken myself, rather a delicious sea bass dish, but boy I wish I had! I now bulk buy it when I am up in Scotland and freeze it in slices, ready to have in this, added to cauliflower macaroni cheese or just fried for breakfast. Gosh it’s good.

As with any carbonara this is incredibly quick to make and surprisingly black pudding is available at my local Sainsbury’s meaning it has qualified for my Supermarket Suppers series, throughout which I hope to entice you away from ready meals and pasta pesto in favour of something that’s just as quick, far taster and made with easy to buy ingredients. I hope you enjoy.

Recipe

150g spaghetti/ linguine 1tsp oil 3 slices of black pudding (120g) 2 eggs 20g parmesan, grated, plus extra for on top 1/2 pack parsley (approximately 10g), leaves torn off and stems finely chopped

Begin by cooking the spaghetti, for two minutes less than the packet suggests

Heat a the little oil in a pan over a high heat, add the black pudding when hot and turn down to medium and cook for 3 minutes on each side

As the pasta and black pudding cooks, in a little bowl, beat together the eggs and add the parmesan along with some seasoning

Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water

Put the pasta back on to the hob on a very low heat and add the egg/ cheese mixture stirring constantly for half a minute before adding the black pudding and the reserved cooking water and cook, still stirring constantly, for another half minute before adding the parsley

Serve immediately with extra parmesan on top.

Black pudding carbonara was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Black pudding #Dinner #Easy #Italian #Main Course #Pasta #Quick #Supper #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 8 years ago

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Cracked black pepper and fig bread

There is something incredibly satisfying about baking a loaf of bread. The smells wafting from the oven, the crack of the crust and the taste of warm butter laden fluffy dough can hardly be surpassed and so I urge you to give it a go.

Cracked black pepper and fig bread is one of the first loaves of bread I remember ever baking and it’s now my favourite. We aren’t big bread eaters in the family and so I like to have a particular purpose for a hefty loaf like this one. The purpose is stilton! The soft yet chewy dough with sweet figs and spicy pepper is the perfect accompaniment in my eyes for the Christmas stilton.

We tend to buy a baby stilton at Christmas which takes a couple of weeks to get through and this bread far exceeds any cracker you could eat it with.

And if you aren’t a stilton fan fear not, this also makes some of the best toast! I would say the texture is most akin to toasted sourdough with the satisfying chew in the middle thanks to the relatively high water content.

Now whilst we are on the topic of water – water is good for this bread (and most breads really!) and gives it its irresistible texture but the amount of water you will be able to mix in will depend on two things – the protein content of your flour and whether you are kneading by hand or in a machine. Firstly the protein content – in general the more protein in your flour the more water it will be able to hold – I tend buy strong bread flour which has 12g protein per 100g which seems to be the average in UK supermarkets and it works well. I wouldn’t suggest making bread with regular plain flour but I would be interested if anyone chooses to make this with extra strong flour and see how that alters it – please let me know! Secondly, by hand or using a machine (by which I mean a stand alone mixer/ hand beater rather than bread machine) – I have made this bread many times both ways but I now stick to using my machine for two reasons – a) my arms are little bigger or stronger than a child’s and b) you can add more water if making it in a machine as it can handle much sticker dough without constantly flouring the work surface (which rather defeats the point of adding more water!). But as I said, I have made this many times successfully by hand, the kneading just takes me a while…

If you are feeling like a true Paul Hollywood you’ll want to have some steam in your oven – just before baking the bread boil the kettle, put a clean baking tray at the bottom of the oven and as you go to put the bread in pour about 2tbsp boiling water into the empty tray to fill the oven with steam. This allow the dough to rise a little bit more before a crust forms but be careful not too add too much water – when I first attempted this I must have added a litre to the oven and I ended up with a loaf with a very chewy exterior with absolutely no crunchy at all!

Recipe

Adapted from BBC Good Food

400g bread flour 6g yeast 1tsp salt 1tbsp peppercorns, crushed in a pestle and mortar (or 2tsp from a grinder) 285ml warm water 250g dried figs, chopped into small pieces (chop each fig into 6-8)

With a freestanding machine Add the flour to the bowl, add the yeast, salt and pepper to different edges of the bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 2/3rds of the water to the well, turn the machine on to bring it together into a dough, slowly pouring the remaining water in to pick up the remaining flour and knead on a medium speed for 8 mins until the dough has come together and is smooth, elastic and when stretched in front of a window the light shines through without tearing By hand Add the flour to the bowl, add the yeast, salt and pepper to different edges of the bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 2/3rds of the water to the well and use a wooden spoon to bring the flour and water together into a dough. Slowly add a little more water to pick up the remaining flour (you might not need it all) and knead on a lightly floured surface for 10mins if you are strong (20 if you aren’t) until it is smooth and elastic and when stretched in front of a window the light shines through without tearing

Lightly oil a clean bowl with olive oil, put the dough in and cover with clingfilm. Leave this in a warm room to double in size (this should take an hour)

Once the dough has risen push half of the figs into the top of the dough to pop the hair bubbles, turn it out of the bowl and add the remaining figs, trying to disperse them throughout the dough. Knead the dough by hand a couple of times so it firms up slightly and shape into an oval (don’t worry too much about the shape – a rustic look is good!). Place this onto a well floured baking tray and sprinkle more flour on top. Put this tray inside a large plastic bag, taking care to lift the bag off the dough (it should hold up on it’s own) – this is to stop a draft causing a skin to form – and leave for 45mins to double in size again

Preheat the oven to 200C (fan) and bake for 45mins (you can tell it is ready as the base of the loaf should sound hollow when tapped). Remove from the oven and cool

Cracked black pepper and fig bread was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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Teriyaki salmon with stir-fried sprouts

I’m a bit of a sucker for sprouts.. I may well have sent an excited snap chat to my fellow sprout lovers when I saw my first lot back in November. I just can’t get enough of them.

So when I found purple sprouts I’m happy to admit that I was far more excited than I should have been over little coloured veggies. But come on! Purple sprouts!

I will concede that sprouts of our childhoods often weren’t the most appealing of veggies. The little crosses Granny dutifully cut into them did little more than turn them into mush. So often were they lovingly boiled to baby food. What a waste! Done correctly sprouts are delicious!

Stir frying is one of the easiest ways to cook sprouts well and these are great, cooked with a little chilli, ginger and garlic and served with salmon and a teriyaki sauce. Stir frying shredded sprouts allows you to retain some crunch whilst removing the bitterness which is a win win.

When it comes to the salmon I tend to pan fry it as I like the crunchy skin but here the salmon could easily be cooked in the oven (180 for 20mins). If you do want to cook it on the hob salt the skin and use plenty of oil to stop it sticking – to avoid using excess oil I tend to heat the oil and place the first fillet skin side down directly onto it, wiggling it around to expel the excess oil which I place the next fillet onto and so on cooking for around 5 mins on the skin side, until you can see it’s cooked 2/3 way up, before flipping and finishing for 3 mins.

All in all this meal took me 20mins to prep and cook and I served it with brown rice that I put on at the very beginning. I’ll definitely be having it again after Christmas when sprouts are still around and I’ve eaten too many mince pies.

Recipe

Serves 2 Takes less than 30mins

2 salmon fillets 150g brown rice (optional)* 2tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp cornflour 2tbsp mirin 1tsp rice vinegar 1tsp sugar Thumb sized piece of ginger (approx 30-40g), grated 1 glove of garlic, minced or grated 1 red chilli (I deseed mine)**, finely sliced 250g brussel sprouts, shredded/ finely sliced Oil

If you are cooking your salmon in the oven preheat it to 180C and then pop the salmon in to cook for 20 mins. If you are having brown rice begin to cook it now, according to the pack instructions

To make the teriyaki sauce mix together the soy sauce with the cornflour, before stirring in the mirin, rice vinegar, half the ginger and the …

If you are pan frying the salmon heat a frying pan with a good splash of oil (1-2tsbp) over a high heat. When the oil is hot (don’t touch but hold your hand above) place the salmon fillets skin side down, turn the heat down a little to medium/high and cook for 5 mins, until the fillets are cooked 2/3 of the way up. Flip the fillets, turn the heat down to medium, and cook for a further 3 mins, until cooked through

Meanwhile heat a wok (or large frying pan) with another splash of oil over a medium/high heat (if your salmon is being cooked in the oven only start this when it has approx 7 mins left to go). Add the remaining ginger, garlic and chilli and stir fry for 30 secs being very careful not to burn it, throw in the sprouts and stir fry for 4-5mins until they are cooked but still retain some crunch

Finally heat the sauce in a small pan until it has thickened and serve poured over the salmon, sprouts and rice.

*Or white rice **Only use half if the chilli is large

Teriyaki salmon with stir-fried sprouts was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Easy #Fish #Main Course #Quick #Salmon #Supermarket Suppers #Supper #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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Salmon terrine

Some recipes are so simple to make and yet so delicious that it seems like you are giving away a true secret every time you are asked for the recipe. A little bit of you wants to hold on, to leave the illusion that the culinary triumph is a result of your hard work and not admit to the simplicity. I have definitely felt that with this recipe; in a short space of time a small pile of ingredients is transformed into the most wonderful dish. A dish so wonderful that it really does deserve to be shared.

From start to finish it takes under 30 mins to prepare but is closer to 15 if you have someone reading the recipe to you and washing up – you pulse cream cheese, with smoked salmon and cooked salmon in a food processor until combined but still lumpy, pop it into a bowl with more salmon, spring onions and dill, stir, season and spoon into moulds lined with cling film. Easy!

If you don’t have a food processor don’t be put off you will just have to do a little more chopping- take half of the smoked salmon and half of the cooked salmon and chop it until it resembles mince before stirring it in with the rest of the ingredients.

When I am making this for dinner parties I tend to make this a night or two in advance so there’s no last minute cooking- or washing up! Although leftovers are rare if you are lucky enough they can be eaten for brunch or served on little toasts as a canapé.

I made this terrine for my brother’s birthday dinner last weekend and saved a small amount to take photos here- the recipe makes a much larger amount which is enough to fill a 1lb loaf tin and serve 12 generously as a starter. Again don’t worry if you don’t have a loaf tin as this can be made in whatever you have- cereal bowls would work well (probably two for this amount) as would any other cake tin or Tupperware. Just line with clingfilm as I mention below. If you are concerned by volume the amount here will fill the approximately the same space as 1l of water.

I suggest serving it with bagels, brushed with a little oil, scattered with dill and salt crystals and toasted under the grill- the salty sweetness is amazing. I found the mini bagels in the photos at a large Sainsbury’s but normally I settle for the regular ones which I slice into three or four rounds and halve into semi circles.

I hope you enjoy 🙂

Recipe

Serves 12 people (normally with leftovers) Adapted from BBC Good Food

Small pack of dill – the prettiest fonds pick off, the rest pulled off stalks and finely chopped (but only when ready to use – you’ll need 1/3 for the terrine and 2/3 for the bagels) 360g smoked salmon (I use trimmings as they are cheaper, otherwise chop up normal) 3 salmon fillets – cooked and cooled or pre-cooked – then flaked* 600g light cream cheese 6 spring onions – very finely sliced 8 bagels (or 16 mini bagels) Olive oil for brushing bagels Salt flakes for dusting bagels

If you are cooking your salmon – bake it in an oven at 180C for 20mins and allow to fully cool before using (make sure you remove the skin after cooking and don’t add it!)

Grease a 1lb loaf tin** with a little oil and line with cling film (the grease will help the clingfilm stick to the edge). Pick off the best dill fonds and place these at the bottom, followed by some attractive bits of salmon. Use enough to almost cover the bottom.

Put half of the remaining smoked salmon, the half of the flaked fillets and all of the cream cheese into a food processor and blitz – you want some lumps to remain.

Fold in the rest of the smoked and normal salmon, a third of the finely chopped dill and the spring onions and season well – you want to add lots of salt and pepper

Spoon the mixture into your mould and pop in the fridge to firm up for at least 4 hours or overnight.

For the bagels

If using full size bagels slice them into three circles, four if they are already halved. If you have found mini ones slice into three circles

Place the bagels on a baking tray (you’ll have to do batches), drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle over some of the remaining dill and some chunky salt and toast until, well, toasted

Flip over and toast on the other side (no need to add more oil, dill or salt)

Allow to cool

*If you want to go all out using hot smoked salmon is incredible! **If you don’t have a 1lb loaf tin a 2lb one will do as would a couple of cereal bowls

Salmon terrine was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Easy #Fish #Healthy #Salmon #Simple #Starter #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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Santa macarons (with salted caramel chocolate ganache middles)

Is there a broken one I can try?

Look, there, that one’s not quite round, surely I can taste that one now?!

There’s one little problem with making macarons in my house. You have to wait. Unlike brownies and bread you can’t eat macarons straight from the oven. And you have to wait a while- personally I insist on two days before they can be tested! You see macarons just aren’t so nice when they are freshly baked, the shells are too crispy and sweet and the filling is lost. Eating a macaron straight after it’s been made is like eating a sandwich made with stale bread- looks the part but just isn’t quite right. And after all that effort I won’t be having it wasted on impatient housemates!

So I have a halfway house for them- I always make a little more ganache than I need. Whilst they sit there eating it with a spoon there is never any complaining!

And this ganache is good, I mean really good! The combination of caramel and chocolate is incredible; so good in fact I plan to turn it into little chocolates as I did here to put inside our Christmas crackers this year. Ooh maybe I’ll decorate them to look this Christmas puddings… So if you’re not quite feeling up to macarons definitely give the ganache a go- I promise you that you won’t be disappointed!

But of course that’s not to say you shouldn’t give the macarons a go! You definitely should – they are divine!! The recipe below follows my usual Italian meringue method with the shells dried out in the oven which I find gives much more consistent results when the weather’s wet and wintery. I update it every time I come across a new problem so let me know if you come a cropper and I will do my best to help! It’s fair to say macarons aren’t the simplest things to bake but if you follow the recipe closely you should be ok and practice definitely gets you nearer to perfect!

These are of course great baked at any time of the year but if you want to make them into Santa macarons too it’s very simple and gives such a striking result! I made royal icing according to this recipe from Sweetopia and piped it on once the shells were paired and cooled a little in the fridge to make them easier to handle. I also wanted to ensure the colours of the belt and buckle didn’t merge so I piped the buckle on the day after once I was sure the black was dry. Not a problem when you have to wait two days!

But before I give you the recipe I must admit to something – mine weren’t all as perfect as the ones in the photos. I’m not that lucky! They are never all perfect! My first batch went in on thin reusable baking paper that’s past it’s best and wouldn’t lie flat sending my carefully piped rounds off at funny angles and the second batch, whilst perfectly round, went in on a tray that warped meaning only the middle third rose evenly whilst the others rose drastically on only one side forming cheese wedges. But hey ho (ho ho) they all tasted great! And here’s the recipe…

Recipe

Makes 20 macarons

For the macarons

Adapted from Perfecting Patisserie by Tim Kinnaird

100g ground almonds 100g icing sugar 37g egg white + 100g caster sugar 20ml water 37g egg white

Preheat the oven to 140°C

Blitz the ground almonds in a food processor to make them as fine as possible, being careful not to over blitz and turn them oily.

Add the icing sugar and first portion of egg whites to the almonds, but do not stir

Add the caster sugar to a pan with the water and gently heat, stirring carefully (wiping any granules of sugar off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush) until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat to high and leave to boil (without stirring) until it reaches 118°C

Meanwhile, as the sugar is beginning to boil whisk the egg whites to soft peaks

Once the sugar has reached 118°C pour it in a steady stream onto the whisking (medium speed) egg whites. (You want the sugar to land just to the side of the whisk- try not to land it on the metal as it will form sugar crystals, nor too far up the side of the bowl as it will cool too much before it hits the egg whites)

Continue whisking these until the meringue has cooled and is thickening. Just before it has reached stiff peaks whisk in the food colouring. Continue whisking until the meringue has formed stiff peaks (the bowl will still feel warm but not as hot as it was)- this is your Italian meringue

Spoon a third of the meringue onto the almond mixture and beat in. Once it is all combined add the remaining meringue a spoonful at a time folding in and gently pressing down to remove some of the air. Do not over mix- it should be the consistency of a thick cake batter and bumps should reduce to almost nothing in 10-15secs – too much mixing though will make it runny and make piping the macarons very difficult. Stop when the mix is just starting to flow evenly, without breaking, off a raised spatula

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle (1cm) and pipe into 3cm rounds onto baking paper/ a silicon mat* on a metal baking tray. (To help you can draw around a coin, leaving an inch between each circle, turn the paper over and pipe onto this, leaving a little room for mixture to spread out slightly as it settles). Trap the tray on your work bench to remove any air bubbles

Pop the trays in your oven and turn it off, leave for 12mins and turn it back on to 140C and bake for another 15mins. To check if they are cooked or not give one a slight push to check it is no longer stuck to the baking mat – if they seem very stuck leave them a minute or two longer

Remove from the oven, slide the baking paper off the tray onto your table and leave to cool for at least 20mins before attempting to peel off the mat (The longer you leave them the easier it will be)

For the salted caramel chocolate ganache

Adapted from ‘Macaron’ by Pierre Hermé

140g milk chocolate (40% cocoa solids) 50g granulated sugar 20ml water 10g salted butter, at room temperature 110g double cream, warmed Pinch of salt

Melt the two chocolates together over simmering water

In a separate small saucepan heat half the sugar with the water on a low heat. Once dissolved add the other half of sugar, turn the heat up and boil until it is a rich caramel colour

Add the butter in small pieces and swirl it around the pan, being carefully as it might spit

Add the cream in stages whisking constantly until it is all incorporated, still being careful as it will bubble up

Bring it back to the boil to make sure all the caramel had mixed with the butter and cream and remove from the heat

Stir in the salt

Pour the caramel onto the chocolate in very small portions, stirring thoroughly between each addition until it is all combined. (If you pour the boiling caramel directly onto the chocolate the chocolate will burn and split and you will have to start again)

Remove from the heat, pour into a clean dish and leave to cool

To assemble

Spoon the ganache into a piping bag with a round nozzle

Match macaron shells into pairs if they aren’t evenly sized

Pipe a good sized blob of ganache onto the underside of half of the shells

Carefully press the tops onto the ganached macaron shells

Store the assembled macarons in the fridge for at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours so that the flavours can develop and the shells soften (I refrigerate them overnight and then leave out of the fridge)

Enjoy!

* I find that silicon baking mats or reusable silicon paper is better than your normal baking paper as the cooked shells slide off better.

Santa macarons (with salted caramel chocolate ganache middles) was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Baking #Christmas #Macarons #Patisserie #Sweets #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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Tonka macarons

I know that this post is about macarons but it starts with a story of fudge and the most fantastic restaurant I know.

As I’ve discussed before I spend the end of every summer in the Highlands of Scotland. The land near us, sheltered by the mountains to the north and south and with the warm sea air, is remarkably fertile and the produce is fantastic. Not only are there the usual grains and potatoes, cattle and sheep, but also fantastic fruit and veg farms growing everything from raspberries to aubergines and the largest shellfish port in Europe is down along the coast. So unsurprisingly dotted amongst the fields and farms are some pretty special restaurants. My favourite of these of Boath House and this is where the fudge come in; tonka fudge to be precise.

I have only been lucky enough to visit a couple of times, but oh my! When food is that good and a seven course tasting menu is your only choice you are sure to discover something new. Last I went time it was tonka beans.

I had heard of them before, via Sous Chef which sources and stocks an incredible array of ingredients, but I had never tried them. And if anything was going to be certain to be a success in my eyes it is when it arrives in fudge form. My goodness it was the best fudge I had ever tried!

The flavour of Tonka beans is hard to describe, there’s coconut and vanilla, some say sour cherry, clove and liquorice too. The flavour is complex and quite frankly amazing. They beans themselves look like mini vanilla pods although they are much harder and are best grated with a nutmeg grater.

Unfortunately for those reading this in the US tonka beans are banned by Food Standards due to the presence of a rather toxic chemical. Fortunately for us not in the US tonka beans contain so little of it you’d have to eat more macarons than anyone would feasibly manage to see any effect. They are fantastic used in the place of vanilla all manner of recipes, ice cream and of course fudge, being my favourite. So don’t be put off!

My recipe, as I’ve posted before, follows the Italian method with the slight change being the use of my oven to dry the macaron shells before baking, which is proving successful so far given even results whatever the weather. Hopefully soon I’ll post a full hints and tips for macaron making sharing some of the lessons I’ve learnt, so if you have any questions you want answered let me know 🙂

Recipe

Makes 20 macarons

For the macarons

Adapted from Perfecting Patisserie by Tim Kinnaird

100g ground almonds 100g icing sugar 37g egg white + 100g caster sugar 20ml water 37g egg white

Preheat the oven to 140°C

Blitz the ground almonds in a food processor to make them as fine as possible, being careful not to over blitz and turn them oily.

Add the icing sugar and first portion of egg whites to the almonds, but do not stir

Add the caster sugar to a pan with the water and gently heat, stirring carefully (wiping any granules of sugar off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush) until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat to high and leave to boil (without stirring) until it reaches 118°C

Meanwhile, as the sugar is beginning to boil whisk the egg whites to soft peaks

Once the sugar has reached 118°C pour it in a steady stream onto the whisking (medium speed) egg whites. (You want the sugar to land just to the side of the whisk- try not to land it on the metal as it will form sugar crystals, nor too far up the side of the bowl as it will cool too much before it hits the egg whites)

Continue whisking these until the meringue has cooled and is thickening. Just before it has reached stiff peaks whisk in the food colouring. Continue whisking until the meringue has formed stiff peaks (the bowl will still feel warm but not as hot as it was)- this is your Italian meringue

Spoon a third of the meringue onto the almond mixture and beat in. Once it is all combined add the remaining meringue a spoonful at a time folding in and gently pressing down to remove some of the air. Do not over mix- it should be the consistency of a thick cake batter and bumps should reduce to almost nothing in 10-15secs – too much mixing though will make it runny and make piping the macarons very difficult. Stop when the mix is just starting to flow evenly, without breaking, off a raised spatula

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle (1cm) and pipe into 3cm rounds on baking paper on a metal baking tray. (To help you can draw around a coin, leaving an inch between each circle, turn the paper over and pipe onto this, leaving a little room for mixture to spread out slightly as it settles). Trap the tray on your work bench to remove any air bubbles

Pop the trays in your oven and turn it off, leave for 12mins and turn it back on to 140C and bake for another 15mins. To check if they are cooked or not give one a slight push to check it is no longer stuck to the baking paper- if they seem very stuck leave them a minute or two longer

Remove from the oven, slide the baking paper off the tray onto your table and leave to cool for at least 20mins before attempting to peel off the paper (The longer you leave them the easier it will be)

For the white chocolate tonka bean ganache

150g white chocolate 150ml double cream 1 small tonka bean

Melt the chocolate in a pan over simmering water

Warm the cream until it just begins to steam, allow to cool for 30 seconds before pouring onto the chocolate and mixing until smooth (if any lumps remain reheat the mixture over simmering water very gently – it is better to be slow here than too fast and risk splitting the ganache)

Pour into a clean dish and leave to cool slightly

To assemble

Spoon the ganache into a piping bag with a round nozzle

Match macaron shells into pairs if they aren’t evenly sized

Pipe a good sized blob of ganache onto the underside of half of the shells

Carefully press the tops onto the ganached macaron shells

Store the assembled macarons in the fridge for at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours so that the flavours can develop and the shells soften (I refrigerate them overnight and then leave out of the fridge)

Enjoy!

Tonka macarons was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Baking #Macarons #Patisserie #Sweets #Tea #Tonka #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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Tomato, chilli and red lentil soup

I made a rather disappointing soup the other day. I had a bulb of fennel and a few carrots hanging around so I thought I’d roast them and make soup. Hmm I wasn’t convinced- even when boosted by fennel seeds and plenty of S&P it was bland. I’m sure it was down to the lack of good stock but it made me convinced to find a good staple soup for the coming chilly months.

Sausages and soup are probably the only the only pre made foods I buy regularly and whilst the former is totally acceptable the latter is a bit of a cop out on my part I think.

I’ve always associated soup making with tons of effort and chosen to give it a miss. Why bother when the pots in the supermarket are so tasty I thought?! Plus given I only eat it on weekends my freezer isn’t large enough for me to batch make it which I used to see as the only time proportionate way of making it.

But then I had half a tin of tomatoes left over and coriander plant that was only just hanging in there and I decided to make this. As someone who less than a year ago fervently hated coriander my brother was a little shocked when I heaped a pile of torn leaves on top of each of our bowls but it really goes! And more than you’re first think- personally I want a leaf in most mouthfuls.

Roughly adding up the cost I would say the recipe below costs 50p to make (25p per portion) compared to the £2+ of a similar one in the supermarket. Thinking now about the 25p v £3.45 I pay for soup in Pret I should start taking this to work too!

The recipe is pretty simple and so there’s little excuse not to give it a go if like me you are a serial supermarket souper. I plan to work on a few more similarly quick and small batch soups over the next few weeks so let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to try 🙂

Recipe Serves 2 Adapted from BBC Good Food

1tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes 1tsp turmeric Vegetable oil 1/2 onion 1/2 tin (200g) chopped tomatoes 500ml chicken or vegetable stock 70g red lentils Small bunch of coriander

Fry the cumin and chilli for 15secs in a dry pan over a medium heat so that they start to release their oils and you can smell them, then add the turmeric and fry for 15secs more. Add the oil to heat it up.

Turn the heat down to low and the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every now and then, until softened (about 5 mins)

Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and lentils to the pan, bring to the boil before turning down again to simmer for 15mins.

When the lentils are tender blitz with the soup with a stick blender (or in a vitamix/ what ever processor you have) before seasoning and scattering with coriander leaves and extra chilli if desired.

Tomato, chilli and red lentil soup was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Autumn #Easy #Healthy #Quick #Soup #Winter #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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Chestnut and cinnamon turkey macarons

Gobble gobble…

When my boyfriend suggested I made ‘gobble macarons’ to celebrate thanksgiving I was a little confused. What on earth did he mean? But after a little explaining (apparently it’s the sound you make when you eat turkey) and one very quick search on Pinterest I was sold! Gobble macarons were on the weekend’s To Make list.

And here they are. Aren’t they cute!

Luckily when I popped over to New York for a day last month (yes only a day and no not at all glamorous!) I bought a bag of candy corn. I see it used so much by American bloggers on Instagram and Pinterest I thought I better have a bag in the cupboard. And it was a good thing I did – they make the perfect turkey feathers.

Don’t worry if you can’t get hold if any candy corn though- there are plenty of substitutes and they will certainly taste a lot better- candy corn is probably the first sweet I have wanted to instantly spit out and that says a lot! The ones I bought were honestly foul! At least my brother likes them… If I didn’t have the candy corn I would either try colouring fondant icing- making little orange and little yellow triangles and alternating between the two, or try to chop and mould an already coloured sweet such as Starbursts into little triangles and do the same. One definite advantage of homemade feathers (apart from the taste) is that you’ll be able to make them into longer triangular feathers, giving more to be held by the buttercream within the shell.

I filled these with a chestnut and cinnamon buttercream which was both wonderfully soft allowing the flavours to melt perfectly into the macaron shells and perfectly autumnal but you could fill them with anything you fancied – a chocolate ganache made with equal weights of chocolate to cream always works well.

When filling the shells make sure you add plenty of buttercream- you need it to go right up to the edge of the shells and for it to hold the pair of shells far enough apart for the feathers to be pushed in. I would also suggest popping the filled shells in the fridge for an hour or so before feathering so the buttercream is firm enough so hold the end of the feather.

Oh and when you take them to work try not to call them turkey macarons… people get awfully confused!

Recipe Makes 15 turkeys

150g ground almonds 150g icing sugar 55g egg white + 150g caster sugar 35ml water 55g egg white Food colouring (preferably gel/ paste)

Preheat the oven to 140°C

Blitz the ground almonds in a food processor to make them as fine as possible, being careful not to over blitz and turn them oily.

Add the icing sugar and first portion of egg whites to the almonds, but do not stir

Add the caster sugar to a pan with the water and gently heat, stirring carefully (wiping any granules of sugar off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush) until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat to high and leave to boil (without stirring) until it reaches 118°C

Meanwhile, as the sugar is beginning to boil whisk the egg whites to soft peaks

Once the sugar has reached 118°C pour it in a steady stream onto the whisking (medium speed) egg whites. (You want the sugar to land just to the side of the whisk- try not to land it on the metal as it will form sugar crystals, nor too far up the side of the bowl as it will cool too much before it hits the egg whites)

Continue whisking these until the meringue has cooled and is thickening. Just before it has reached stiff peaks whisk in the food colouring. Continue whisking until the meringue has formed stiff peaks (the bowl will still feel warm but not as hot as it was)- this is your Italian meringue

Spoon a third of the meringue onto the almond mixture and beat in. Once it is all combined add the remaining meringue a spoonful at a time folding in and gently pressing down to remove some of the air. Do not over mix- it should be the consistency of a thick cake batter and bumps should reduce to almost nothing in 10-15secs – too much mixing though will make it runny and make piping the macarons very difficult. Stop when the mix is just starting to flow evenly, without breaking, off a raised spatula

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle (1cm) and pipe 30 4cm rounds on baking paper on a metal baking tray (the bodies), followed by 15 small 2cm rounds (the faces). (Make sure you leave an inch between each piped macaron to allow the mixture to spread out slightly as it settles). Trap the tray on your work bench to remove any air bubbles, pricking any obvious ones with the tip of a sharp knife or a pin

Pop the trays in your oven and turn it off, leave for 12mins and turn it back on to 140C and bake for another 15mins. To check if they are cooked or not give one a slight push to check it is no longer stuck to the baking paper- if they seem very stuck leave them a minute or two longer

Remove from the oven, slide the baking paper off the tray onto your table and leave to cool for at least 20mins before attempting to peel off the paper (The longer you leave them the easier it will be)

For the chestnut and cinnamon buttercream

3 medium egg yolks (45g) 75g caster sugar 20ml water 150g salted butter, room temperature 200g chestnut puree 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Pinch of salt flakes

Whisk the egg yolks briefly

Add the caster sugar to a pan with the water and gently heat, stirring carefully (wiping any granules of sugar off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush) until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat to high and leave to boil (without stirring) until it reaches 121°C

Once the sugar has reached 121°C pour it in a steady stream onto the whisking (medium speed) egg yolks. (You want the sugar to land just to the side of the whisk- try not to land it on the metal as it will form sugar crystals, nor too far up the side of the bowl as it will cool too much before it hits the egg). Continue beating until the mixture has thickened and completely cooled to room temperature

Slowly add the butter and chestnut puree to the egg/ sugar mixture, alternating between the two, and ensuring each addition is properly incorporated before adding the next. If you have trouble incorporating the solids change from the whisk to a paddle beater. Finally mix in the cinnamon and salt flakes

To assemble

Black food pen Red writing icing 1 bag of candy corn (or fondant icing, dyed orange and yellow – approx 50g of each)

Start by making the faces: cut out the orange part of the candy corn and cut into three or four pieces, shaping each into a small triangle. (Alternatively mould some of the orange fondant icing into triangles).Take the small shells and draw eyes on using an edible marker pen. Then pipe a small amount of red icing down from the midpoint of the shells and attach a little orange triangular beak.

Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag with a round nozzle

Match the large macaron shells into pairs if they aren’t evenly sized

Pipe buttercream into a large blob on the underside of half of the large shells. Carefully press the tops onto the buttercreamed macaron shells

Pipe a small amount of buttercream onto the back of the faces and attached them to the large paired shells. Place in the fridge to set for at least an hour

Remove from the fridge and carefully push your chosen feathers in; I used seven candy corn sweets per turkey

Store the assembled macarons in the fridge for at least 24 hours so that the flavours can develop and the shells soften

Enjoy!

Chestnut and cinnamon turkey macarons was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Autumn #Baking #Christmas #Dessert #Macarons #Patisserie #Pudding #Snack #Sweets #Tea #Thanksgiving #Turkey #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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My favourite bolognese

I think that sometimes the simplest things done incredibly well make the biggest impact. That’s why I’m posting this bolognese. One simple trick turns ordinary mince into something extraordinary.

Bake your mince!

Don’t fry it. Bake it.

Sounds weird I know- I saw the idea in Tom Kerridge’s book but then when he explained it it made so much sense. Recipes always tell you to fry until the mince browned, but I never really get it that brown – and unless you fry it in batches it’s pretty hard to. That’s where the oven comes in- you can do about 1kg at a time, laid flat on a baking tray- there’s no need to add any oil and you end up with the most deliciously browned flavoursome mince.

Even if you prefer to use a jar of tomato sauce baking your mince takes it to another level. You’ll be amazed!

As per Tom Kerridge’s recipe I’ve baked and then simmered my mince with a blend of spices including star anise and clove but feel free to change these depending on what you like and want to eat the mince with. I’m planning on making another batch using lamb mince and Moroccan spices such as cinnamon and cardamom- perhaps I will add dried fruit at the end and wrap it in filo to make a pastille. But that’s for another day…

As with all mince/ bolognese/ ragu recipes this is incredibly versatile and I suggest you make a big batch and portion the leftovers up for the freezer for days when you want a yummy but speedy meal.

Recipe Serves 6-8 Adapted from Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes

500g beef mince 500g pork mince 5 star anise 5 cloves 3 tins of chopped tomatoes (1.2kg) Vegetable oil 250g smoked bacon lardons or pancetta 3 onions, finely diced 3 sticks celery, finely diced 3 carrots, finely diced 5 cloves garlic, grated or minced 250ml red wine 120ml red wine vinegar 1tbsp light brown sugar (or caster/ granulated) 5 bay leaves, slightly ripped 2tbsp dried oregano 800ml beef stock

Preheat the oven to 190C

Spread the mince out on a large baking tray and add the star anise and cloves* (only bake the mince on one level of the oven- don’t be tempted to use two as the lower mince won’t brown so well).

Bake the mince for 15 mins, then take it out and stir, breaking up any chunks. Place back in the oven for another 40 mins taking it out every 10 mins to give it a stir and break up the remaining chunks. You want the mince to be a dark brown all over. Don’t worry about it being crispy (this is a good thing!) as it will soften during the simmering.

When the mince has around 15mins to go heat a little oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the bacon. Cook it until has browned nicely then turn the temperature down a little and add the onion, carrots, celery and a large pinch of salt. Cook with the lid on the pan, stirring every now and then, until softened – this will take about 10mins.

Add the wine and vinegar into the pan with the vegetables along with the sugar, bay leaves and oregano. Turn the heat up to bring the liquid to a boil, turn it down again to medium and simmer until the amount of liquid has halved.

Add the baked mince to the pan, leaving any excess fat behind. Then add the tomatoes and stock. Again turn the heat up to bring it to a boil and then back down to simmer. Simmer for 1.5/ 2hrs by which point the mince should is coated in a rich sauce and the flavours mingled. Add a splash of water and put a lid on if it gets too dry. Season to taste.

Use immediately or store in the fridge/ freezer. The flavour will in fact develop if it is cooked the day before it is needed.

If eating with spaghetti/ pasta

75-100g dried pasta per person**

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for two mins less than it says on the packet, reserve a ladleful of cooking water (about 200ml) and drain.

Return the pasta to the pan with the mince and around 50ml of the water. Cook over a medium eat for a couple of mins, adding more of the reserved water if it is looking at all dry, so that the mince clings to the pasta.

Serve with plenty of Parmesan and black pepper.

* If you have spice bags or some muslin you can wrap the spices up to save you searching for them later

**I prefer to use tagliatelle as there is more pasta for the sauce to cling on to

This will keep well in the fridge for a few days (the flavour will actually improve) or the freezer for a couple of months.

My favourite bolognese was originally published on Beef and Brioche

#Beef #Comfort Food #Dinner #Freezable #Leftovers #Meat #Pork #Supper #Food #Cooking

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beefandbrioche · 9 years ago

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Pistachio macarons

I’m having a macaron moment, I just can’t stop making them. I am determined to perfect my recipe, to make flawless macarons every time.

I’m definitely not at flawless yet but these were definitely progress!

The first challenge of making macarons is the wrinkly feet because without those they would just be colourful biscuits. Thankfully this is a part I seem to have worked out. For macarons to have these prized feet the piped the tops of the shells need to dry out before they are baked, if they haven’t the heat from the oven will cause them to crack on top. Perhaps slightly counter intuitively I use my oven to dry the shells by heating it up and turning it off as soon as they go in – odd yes, but super simple and it works every time.

My next challenge is the air gap in the shell. When making macarons you want the whole shell to be full of mixture and for it not to be hollow, because if it is hollow when you bite into it the top of the shell will crack and fall off making it rather messy to eat. From my experience the air gap is caused by too much air in the mixture, when the meringue hasn’t been fully beaten into the almonds. Although of course you don’t want the piped batter to run across your baking tray the mix does need to be quite fluid; certainly more fluid than I was comfortable with when I first starting making macarons.

As for the ganache, again, it needs to be quite fluid. For the macarons to soften over their day or two of rest they need to absorb moisture from the middle and too firm a filling won’t allow this. When I first starting making macarons I reduced the amount of cream in recipes thinking professionals were only adding the amount they were to stop us mere mortals succeeding – they weren’t – they were right. For this recipe I find leaving the ganache in the fridge for 30 minutes or so enough to thicken it for piping; it is still pretty soft at this stage so I pop the filled shells straight back into the fridge to stop the shells sliding apart.

Now I just wish I had made a larger batch!

Recipe

Makes 20 macarons

For the macarons

Adapted from Perfecting Patisserie by Tim Kinnaird

100g ground almonds 100g icing sugar 37g egg white + 100g caster sugar 20ml water 37g egg white Green colouring (preferably gel/ paste)