Martha Stewart Macaron Recipe

Recipe from the Martha Stewart  website. I also found viewing some online videos helpful as you get to see the techniques and how much time should be spent on each method. I have put the recipe up here and added my own notes relating to Kitchen Aid speeds/times etc.

• Ingredients 
• 1 cup icing sugar

• 3/4 cup almond flour

• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

• Pinch of cream of tartar

• 1/4 cup caster sugar

1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. If using Kitchen Aid use speed 4 for approx 1 minute. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high,(Kitchen Aid speed 8) and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 8-10 minutes. They should slide off the baking paper when cooked. 
   Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
4. Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Vegan "Rum" Balls

I packet of Marie biscuits, crushed
4 tbs cocoa powder
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 can coconut cream
2 tbs rice syrup


To make crushing the biscuits easier I put them in the blender, you are after a fine crumble. then combine cocoa powder and coconut in a bowl. The coconut cream and rice syrup are a replacement for condensed milk. Open the coconut cream and you want to use the thickest part on the top, very important not to shake the can before use. Mix in the rice syrup and it should start to look a little like condensed milk. Add the cream mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Then shape into balls and roll into coconut. I added some peppermint essences to make them minty but you could use any flavour.

Banana Caramel Cake

Today I baked this lovely looking cake for my neighbour Suzie, she brings me over farm fresh eggs from her parents farm in Yackandanda. I like that we trade products I only wish it happened more often with others in the neighbourhood. I can see grapes growing from the man who lives behind us, I may have to offer up some veggies from my garden.


BANANA CARAMEL CAKE
Ingredients

110g butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 bananas, peeled, halved lengthways
2 eggs
1 tbs golden syrup
3/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup S/R Flour
1/3 cup milk


Preheat oven to 180c lightly grease loaf pan and line with baking paper.
Combine 10g butter, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbs cold water in saucepan oven medium heat. cook stirring until dissolved. bring to boil. Cook for 3 minutes until thickened. Pour into cake pan.
Cut bananas in half, trim to fit pan, place cut side down over syrup.
Beat remaining butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy, add 1 egg at a time until combined, stir in golden syrup and half the flours and milk until just combined. Then stir in remaining flours and milk. Spread mixture over bananas. bake for 1 hour. Stand in pan for 5 minutes then turn out on wire rack to cool.

Banana cake for the tea party

Banana Cake recipe

125g butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups S/R flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup soy milk

Pre heat oven to 180. Grease 15cm x 25cm loaf tin, line with baking paper.
Beat butter & sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs one at a time. Stir in sifted dry ingredients then banana, sour cream and milk.
Spread mixture into pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Stand 5minutes turn onto wire rack.
Serve with cream and a lovely cup of tea. Enjoy
This cake is so moist that you will have all your friends asking you what you have put in it. A personal favourite when a good old banana cake is in order.

Movember Bake Competition

At the start of November all the boys/men in the office start to grow weird looking facial hair for a good cause, Movember. Movember is to raise awareness for mens health, in particular this year stood out for me as my dad was diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Thankfully it was detected early and he was able to have an operation that meant they got rid of the cancer. He recovered well and now is in good health. Each year at work we have a auction to raise money to go to this good cause, a bake competition is also  part of the fun. I am proud to announce that this year I won the bake competition, it was hard work baking in this heat but it worked. If you would like to donate to this cause go to the link http://au.movember.com/

Christmas cookie inspiration

What Christmas Cookies will you be baking ? Dont these ones look lovely

 

 

Caramel cookies

60g butter
1/3 cup golden syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
Caramel toffees halved

Oven at 180c, line baking tray with baking paper.
Heat butter, golden syrup and sugar on low in pot until sugar dissolved. Cool
Then add sifted flour mix well and form into balls tablespoon size. Press caramel toffee into cookie dough. Bake for 15 minutes.