Your Daily Sweets: What Are You Making and Baking? (2017 – )

[rarerollingobject]

Everyone else can do pastels and pretty, I make my macarons like my soul; black, with traces of shiny.

 

(But unlike my soul, these will have fillings of Earl Grey jam with white chocolate ganache, and yuzu buttercream with a dollop of yuzu preserves.)

[DianaB]

Having now seen what a Nanaino Bar looks like I can understand that the advice I offered @ElsieD a few days ago wouldn't have been helpful except perhaps the idea of using melted chocolate to weld together pieces of the topping that had broken off.  I hope the more relevant advice offered by those who came after me helped you rescue your baking.  

 

I passed by this thread the other day because I was looking for a ganache recipe that incorporated marscapone. I wanted to reflect the flavours of tiramisu in a macaron, an earlier attempt had been successful but so long ago that I had completely forgotten how I made the filling.  After searching here without success I went to YouTube where I found a demonstration that was so far away from the method I would usually follow for a ganache that I very much doubted it would work.

 

I thought the technique worth a try but I didn't want to waste a large amount of Valrhona chocolate so I stuck to a small quantity.  Rather than the usual one third at a time addition of cream to the chocolate to form an emulsion I put 80g marscapone and 80g Valrhona Ivoire into a plastic jug.  This went into the microwave where it was given full strength microwaving for 30 seconds.  The chocolate was now sufficiently melted to form an emulsion with the marscapone when given a good stir.  I added another 80g chocolate and zapped the jug for another 15 seconds on full power.  All of the chocolate now mixed easily into the marscapone. I added 30ml amaretti and the same amount of the strongest coffee I could get out of my machine.   In order that I could whip the results when cold I transferred the ganache to a small bowl, contact covered with cling film and left to cool in the fridge while I made my macaron shells.  Once the macarons came out of the oven I took my bowl of ganache from the fridge and whipped it with my hand held electric mixer.  The result was really beautiful and I will certainly use the technique again.  The filling would be good in moulded chocolates as well as macarons I think.

 

Of course as usual I didn't think to take any pictures and the macarons were a gift for a new neighbour.  While I'm quite happy with my plain macaron shells they would in no way compete with the artistry of those in @rarerollingobject's post above this one.  It must take ages to hand finish each shell like that and I have a great deal of respect for anyone who makes time to produce something so beautiful.

[Katie Meadow]

@rarerollingobject those are incredibly beautiful.

[Bentley]

@rarerollingobject  Those look amazing.  I recently did something similar for a lemon blueberry macaron.  I used a bit of blue food coloring gel in a couple drops of vodka to paint the tops.  Everyone who ate them had blue tongues and fingers   

Does your color come off - if not what are you using?

[rarerollingobject]

Thanks for your kind words, @DianaB, @Katie Meadow and @Bentley.

 

@Bentley, my colour didn't seem to come off. The black I used was Chefmaster oil-based candy colour, but I did others in red and they were just Americolor gels (used directly, no vodka or spirit to thin). Either way, I think what makes a difference is that I do the paint as soon as they come out of the oven, ie. when the shells are still warm. This really seems to 'bake' the colour into them as the shells cool down.

Edited May 9, 2017 by rarerollingobject (log)

[Bentley]

3 hours ago, rarerollingobject said:

Thanks for your kind words, @DianaB, @Katie Meadow and @Bentley.

 

@Bentley, my colour didn't seem to come off. The black I used was Chefmaster oil-based candy colour, but I did others in red and they were just Americolor gels (used directly, no vodka or spirit to thin). Either way, I think what makes a difference is that I do the paint as soon as they come out of the oven, ie. when the shells are still warm. This really seems to 'bake' the colour into them as the shells cool down.

 

I'll try that.  I painted mine after they cooled.  

[andiesenji]

My friend Ben has a "secret" way of decorating his macarons. He claims he "paints" the tops with "his secret meringue recipe" and then dips them in edible glitter.  He has also applied the stuff in number and letter shapes to which he applies edible gold and silver leaf.

 

He has brought me a few but he is very cagy about his "recipe" for the meringue.  He says he found it in a very old book, described as a "adhesive" to hold cakes and pastry together.

[Kim Shook]

@Kasia – your fluffy pancakes look EXACTLY how I want my pancakes to look.  I got the recipe from your blog and will be making them! 

 

@Shelby – your oatmeal cookies sound and look delicious.  Have you ever tried using Raisinets in place of the raisins?  It’s really, really good!

 

Just a couple of recent desserts – life has been complicated lately, so my cakes were of the cake mix fix up variety.  For Easter I did a coconut cake with white chocolate icing:

 

 

Also served was my MIL’s Hot Cross Buns (we ALWAYS forget to eat these on Good Friday, so I served them with Easter dinner):

 

My daughter made those Gooey Butter Bars:

Incredibly rich. 

 

Had some family come into town unexpectedly for a night.  I did another cake mix fix up – this one was Strawberry Yogurt cake:

 

[Kasia]

@Kim Shook happy to hear that - I hope you will enjoy them like my kids do 

[Kasia]

 

Mango and white chocolate in French pastry

Recently, after cooking I had some French pastry left over and a piece of juicy mango. I added walnuts, white chocolate, a few sesame seeds and made some simple snacks.

Ingredients:
1 pack of chilled French pastry
1 mango
walnuts
white chocolate
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of milk

Heat the oven up to 180C. Cover a baking sheet with some baking paper.
Cut the French pastry into triangles. Put a piece of the mango, a block of the white chocolate and a walnut on every piece. Fold and join the scones starting from the wider edges. Smooth the top of the scones with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Arrange the scones on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Kasia (log)

[Shelby]

23 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

@Kasia – your fluffy pancakes look EXACTLY how I want my pancakes to look.  I got the recipe from your blog and will be making them! 

 

@Shelby – your oatmeal cookies sound and look delicious.  Have you ever tried using Raisinets in place of the raisins?  It’s really, really good!

 

Just a couple of recent desserts – life has been complicated lately, so my cakes were of the cake mix fix up variety.  For Easter I did a coconut cake with white chocolate icing:

 

 

Also served was my MIL’s Hot Cross Buns (we ALWAYS forget to eat these on Good Friday, so I served them with Easter dinner):

 

My daughter made those Gooey Butter Bars:

Incredibly rich. 

 

Had some family come into town unexpectedly for a night.  I did another cake mix fix up – this one was Strawberry Yogurt cake:

 

I always LOVE looking at your desserts...and your food...and your daughter's gooey bars...YUM.    I've long wanted to try the sugar babies in cookies--ever since I saw yours a long time ago..I just always forget to look for any when I'm at the store.  

[RWood]

Mickey themed wedding cake. Apparently the bride is diehard Mickey & Minnie :). Cake is red velvet. 

[ElsieD]

@RWood  that is beautiful.

[RWood]

2 hours ago, ElsieD said:

@RWood  that is beautiful.

Thanks, she had really nice flowers to work with. It's iffy sometimes :).

[rarerollingobject]

A hard cake to photograph, but today I made a GIGANTIC four layer white chocolate cake, each layer filled with lemon curd and raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream, coated in watercolour vanilla buttercream, covered in gold leaf and topped with a beautiful spray of phalaenopsis orchids. As you do. 

 

And check out my jimmy-ed up carrier box necessary for tall cake transportation; 2 cake boxes, taped into L shapes and Tetris-ed together. Was quite proud of myself for MacGyvering that one.

 

 

[jmacnaughtan]

A little smaller than the white chocolate leviathan above, but there were only four of us...

 

Apricot Fraisier

 

 

Genoise soaked in muscat syrup

Whipped muscat curd

Dried apricots reconstituted in reduced muscat

Gariguette strawberries

Marzipan

Hedgehog (optional)

[andiesenji]

10 hours ago, rarerollingobject said:

A hard cake to photograph, but today I made a GIGANTIC four layer white chocolate cake, each layer filled with lemon curd and raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream, coated in watercolour vanilla buttercream, covered in gold leaf and topped with a beautiful spray of phalaenopsis orchids. As you do. 

 

And check out my jimmy-ed up carrier box necessary for tall cake transportation; 2 cake boxes, taped into L shapes and Tetris-ed together. Was quite proud of myself for MacGyvering that one.

 

 

Very clever.  I just use one of my large Cambro containers, UPSIDE-DOWN.  I set the cake on the lid, lower the container over it and pop it into the lid. Then I secure it with duct tape under the lid, crisscrossed and up the sides and fashion a carry handle.  Works great for tall cakes and I have also transported croquembouche in the biggest ones.  

[patris]

@rarerollingobject, I know we live half a planet away from each other, but can we hang out? You seem to be my sort of person.

 

We are having Taco Tuesday at work, so I made mini margarita cupcakes - cake recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, frosted with Italian meringue buttercream with lime juice, triple sec and tequila subbed in for the water in the sugar syrup and a smidge of citric acid because I like things puckery. I am considering grinding some salt and sugar together to dust over the top before serving.

 

[RWood]

So, as well as Mother's Day, it was also my step-father's 80th birthday. They each got a cake. 

His favorite, German chocolate with an airbrushed Greek key (my Greek writing needs practice  ).

And for my mom, raspberry Pinot noir cake with fresh raspberries.

 

Edited May 15, 2017 by RWood (log)

[RobertM]

RWood....beautiful work!!  Beautiful

[RWood]

16 hours ago, RobertM said:

RWood....beautiful work!!  Beautiful

Thanks! They loved them. 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

On 5/14/2017 at 10:55 PM, RWood said:

And for my mom, raspberry Pinot noir cake with fresh raspberries.

 

That's very inventive, using the fresh, looks like gold dusted raspberries as the center for the roses. Beautiful! I can't recall seeing that done before, and it is a brilliant idea.

 

You have some very lucky relatives.

 

As for your Greek writing, you are brave to even attempt it. I opened one of my Greek father-in-law's books and closed it after marveling at all of the unfamiliar characters. There is a reason for the old aphorism, "It's Greek to me". 

[RWood]

16 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

That's very inventive, using the fresh, looks like gold dusted raspberries as the center for the roses. Beautiful! I can't recall seeing that done before, and it is a brilliant idea.

 

You have some very lucky relatives.

 

As for your Greek writing, you are brave to even attempt it. I opened one of my Greek father-in-law's books and closed it after marveling at all of the unfamiliar characters. There is a reason for the old aphorism, "It's Greek to me". 

Thanks, but I can't take full credit for it :). I saw the technique from Joshua John Russell using blackberries. I love it though, it makes flowers really quickly. 

I did better on my Greek writing for the 70th Birthday :). I think it was a bigger area that helped since it was a sheet cake.

[Kasia]

Today something with fruit. I used rhubarb to make a tart with a crunchy almond crumble topping. It was yummy, moist, refreshing and excellent for a summer tea party.

Ingredients:

dough:
250g of flour
4 tablespoons of caster sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk

120g of butter

crumble topping:
50g of butter
3-4 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
8g of vanilla sugar
1 egg yolk

filling:
500g of pie plant
4 tablespoons of brown sugar

Mix together the dry ingredients for the dough: flour, sugar and vanilla sugar. Chop the butter. Add the butter, egg and egg yolk to the dry ingredients. Quickly knead into a smooth dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for half an hour.
Heat the oven up to 180C. Cover a baking pan with the dough, leaving the edges slightly raised around the sides.
Clean the rhubarb, peel it and cut into 1 cm pieces. Sprinkle with sugar and leave for half an hour.
Make the crumble topping. Melt the butter, cool it a bit, then add the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and egg yolk. Mix it with a fork until it is lumpy.
Drain the rhubarb and arrange it on the dough; sprinkle with the crumble topping and bake for 45 minutes.

 

 

 

 

[Patrick S]

Going bananas. Entremet composed of: hazelnut dacquoise, caramelized banana cake, banana compote, dulce de leche. All of that is set inside of a caramelized white chocolate mousse and glazed with a milk chocolate mirror glaze. Adapted from recipe here. I made some tempered white and dark chocolate decorations to go along, but I had some bloom and left them out. But I have since further educated myself on tempering and determined to nail it.