Valentine's Day Treat

[hazardnc]

I will be making some treats for the teaching staff at my daughter's school and I want to include some chocolate free ones for the rare few who do not like or cannot eat chocolate.

I am considering flavored marshmallows (I can get passion fruit and blackberry puree) or better yet, French macaroons.

As for the latter, what flavors? I would love to make some that are pink. What filling to make?

Any other suggestions for sweet finger foods?

[JanMcBaker]

I will be making some treats for the teaching staff at my daughter's school and I want to include some chocolate free ones for the rare few who do not like or cannot eat chocolate.

I am considering flavored marshmallows (I can get passion fruit and blackberry puree) or better yet, French macaroons.

As for the latter, what flavors?  I would love to make some that are pink. What filling to make?

Any other suggestions for sweet finger foods?

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How about shortbread? Easy to make, rich tasting, and not chocolate!

[Patrick S]

I am considering flavored marshmallows (I can get passion fruit and blackberry puree) or better yet, French macaroons.

As for the latter, what flavors?  I would love to make some that are pink. What filling to make?

Any other suggestions for sweet finger foods?

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Maybe you could try using a stencil to trace out heart shapes on a piece of parchment. Then flip the parchment over, and pipe out your macaroons into heart shapes. I've never done raspberry macaroons, but dried raspberry might be worth trying. For the filling, try a buttercream or pastry cream flavored with the puree of your choice. Or use a vanilla pastry cream with fresh raspberries or strawberries.

[hazardnc]

From what I have read, most macaroons get their flavorfrom the filling rather than from the cookie.

My plan is to add food coloring to the pastry (a touch of red in this case) and then fill.

To fill the macaroons, I was hoping to make a flavored buttercream - perhaps adding a bit of seedless raspberry jam. I assumed adding straight jam would probably make the macaroons dissolve.

[Patrick S]

From what I have read, most macaroons get their flavorfrom the filling rather than from the cookie.

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That may be true of most macaroons, but I have heard of zests being used, and of course chocolate macaroons get some of their flavor from the cocoa used to make the cookies. Given a choice, Id rather have both the cookie and the filling contribute to the flavor.

[hazardnc]

That may be true of most macaroons, but I have heard of zests being used, and of course chocolate macaroons get some of their flavor from the cocoa used to make the cookies. Given a choice, Id rather have both the cookie and the filling contribute to the flavor.

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Any suggestions on how to add the raspberry flavor to the batter since I cannot zest a raspberry?

[jgarner53]

What about using Boyajian raspberry oil/essence?

[JSkilling]

Powdered raspberry. It was discussed somewhere else and I thought it would work nicely, though I have not tried it yet.

[Patrick S]

hazardnc,

This is what I had in mind. I've never used this before, so you'd be flying blind. The raspberry oil Jgarner mentioned sounds interesting too. If you end up using either, let me know how it turns out. Good luck!

Edited January 18, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[K8memphis]

possibly a picture posting

edited to say: or not

Edited January 18, 2005 by K8memphis (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

You wouldn't want to add an oil to a macaroon batter. Mac. batter is whipped egg whites folded into almond flour. Also those Loranne oils are hit and miss flavor wise.

Raspberry powder could/should be able to replace some of the almond flour with-out harm to the recipe.......just like cocoa powder.

[K8memphis]

... Also those Loranne oils are hit and miss flavor wise...

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I've never heard that, Wendy. Would you elaborate??? I mean hit and miss in what way??? For example that all the strawberries are not the same flavor or some of the flavors don't hit the mark??

Thanks

[jgarner53]

I checked my bottles of Boyajian, and it doesn't say anything about being an oil-based flavoring. The only ingredient listed is "natural raspberry flavor." In consistency, it's more like vanilla. Their citrus oils, however, are pure natural citrus oils.

[JFLinLA]

I actually love the idea of doing pink marshmallows and using heart shaped cutters.

[hazardnc]

I actually love the idea of doing pink marshmallows and using heart shaped cutters.

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That was the thought - they can be eaten straight or added to hot cocoa. I can make two varieties of pink marshmallows: fruit flavored and peppermint.

[jgarner53]

I actually saw pink and white heart-shaped marshmallows at Williams-sonoma the other day. I didn't look at the price, but I imagine they're probably getting $10-15 for them.

Ahh, just looked at their site. A 5 oz. box is $8. In strawberry & vanilla.

[Wendy DeBord]

Hey, I wanted to share this. I found individual sized silicone heart shaped molds this weekend at Crate and Barrel for like $6.00 a piece. Theres only 6 hearts to a mold, but it's still cheaper then demarle and other similar brands.

[PastryBoy]

I am considering flavored marshmallows (I can get passion fruit and blackberry puree) or better yet, French macaroons.

As for the latter, what flavors?  I would love to make some that are pink. What filling to make?

I just attempted heart-shaped macarons at work in preparation for Valentine's day. They turned out better than expected although I need to pipe them more carefully when I prepare them for real so the tail-ends match up properly. I filled them with raspberry buttercream or rose buttercream (just mixed in some rose petal jam).

[*Deborah*]

How about cream puffs? you could fill them with regular cream or something pinker, and put a pink or red glaze on top.

You could do some chocolate topped ones as well.

[M. Lucia]

Nice heart shaped macs!

In my experience, just using some food coloring in the macarons and having flavoring in the filling gives plenty of flavor. Because the macarons are so delicate, you don't want to overpower them. Just fold some jam into your filling.

Marshmallows are also good and light and are easily cut with cookies cutters, and I do lemon-poppyseed shortbreads as well.

[JSkilling]

How about sugar cookies that you cut into hearts. Cut out a heart center on half of them and sandwich them together with raspberry something. Or just make heart cutouts and frost them in pink or red icing. I baked off scads of hearts today and they'll be getting some decoration soon. I flavor both cookie and frosting with almond and they are mighty tasty.

[niobe]

re macarons-

powdered raspberry in the batter will work- well

some batters call for a Tsp or so of raspberry liqueur or brandy- if the Boyjian (sp)? flavor does not contain oil- that might be more concentrated

raspberrry jam works well ( it wont dissolve the macaron) i think it is more intense than buttercream

[ludja]

Individual Linzer Heart Cookies would be nice also...

(hazelnut or almond dough cookies, cut-out in one piece and sandwiched with red currant or strained raspberry jam).

Per the title of the thread-- but not for portable individual servings...for a non-chocolate Valentine's Day dessert I also like to make a Coeur a la Creme, surrounded by a pool of raspberry sauce.