Basic French Macarons

NOTES

The basic meringue-style French macaron is merely the springboard for your wildest color and flavor combinations. Try adding a teaspoon of Dutch-process cocoa and red gel food coloring for a red velvet macaron, or a 1/4 teaspoon rose extract and pink gel food coloring for rose. Always add the dry flavorings to the almond meal/powdered sugar mixture and the extracts/gel color to the meringue.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup almond meal or ground almonds
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 large egg whites, room temperature and preferably aged up to 3 days
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 280ºF, and position 2 racks in the lower section of the oven. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. If you have time, draw 1-inch circles on the back of each sheet, spacing the circles at least 1/2-inch apart.
2. If your almond meal is very coarse, grind it with the powdered sugar in a food processor until fine. Sift the almond meal-powdered sugar mixture twice through a mesh sieve.
3. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer), and begin to beat on medium-high. When the eggs are frothy, gradually add granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Continue to beat the egg white mixture until glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the beaters. Gently stir in the vanilla extract. Be careful to not overbeat the meringue (e.g., the meringue takes on a clumpy texture).
4. Add half of the sifted almond mixture, and gently fold it into the meringue using a flexible silicone spatula. Lift from the bottom, up around the sides, and toward the middle, being careful to not over-agitate the meringue and lose too much air. Once the almond mixture is predominantly incorporated, add the second half and repeat the folding motion.
5. When the almond mixture is just incorporated, you will need to transform the batter into the appropriate texture. Using the flat of the spatula, "punch" down into the center of the batter, then scrape more batter from the sides to the center, and punch again. You will need to repeat this 10-15 times (or more, depending on your arm strength and the beginning texture of your batter) until the batter slowly and continuously drips back into the bowl when you scoop it up with the spatula. Think of the consistency of molten lava. For the best results, punch the batter a few times, check the consistency, then punch a few more times, etc. Do not make the batter too runny or the macarons won't rise as they should, and you could end up with oil stains on the surface.
6. Pour batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 0.4-inch tip. In a pinch, you can also use a gallon-size Ziploc bag: just snip a teeny bit from one of the bottom corners. Twist and clip the top of the bag to avoid overflow. On your prepared baking sheets, pipe out 1-inch rounds in the circles you drew (remember to draw the circles on the back side of your parchment to avoid ink or pencil stains on your macarons!).
7. Holding the baking sheet in both hands, rap each baking sheet firmly on the counter two or three times. This smooths out the tops and helps form the "pied" or frilly foot on the bottoms of the macarons. Allow the piped macarons to dry, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes. The macarons should form a very thin, smooth crust where, if you tap it lightly with your finger, the batter will not stick to your finger. If after 15 minutes, the batter is still sticky, let it dry longer. This may take up to an hour on humid days.
8. Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. After the first 2 minutes, open the oven to allow any excess humidity to escape. Halfway through, swap oven racks and rotate the sheets for even baking. The macarons are done when they are baked all the way through and the shells are just hard. Take care to not underbake (insides will still be mushy) or overbake (tops will begin to brown). Remove them from the oven, and cool on baking sheet placed on a wire rack.
9. When fully cooled, assemble the macarons with your choice of filling. The assembled macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Source: Popsugar.com

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No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable oil cooking spray
9 ounces chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
5 ounces (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.
2. Combine wafers, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter and 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Add peanut butter mixture to wafer mixture, stirring until combined. Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.
4. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.
5. Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. (Sliced bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.)

Source: Martha Bakes

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Black Forest Cheesecake

Impress guests with a new take on the Black Forest Cake.

Makes 1 (9-inch) cake 
Prep Time 20 to 30 minutes, plus chilling time 
Baking Time 1 1/2 hours, plus resting time


For the Crust:

24 chocolate sandwich cookies (filling included; we used Oreo cookies)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:

280 grams good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
4 (8-ounce) packs cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar
5 medium eggs

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Icing:
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream 
1/2 (595-gram) can cherry topping

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter; set aside.
2. Make the crust: Crush cookies until fi ne in a food processor. (You can also place the cookies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.) Combine crushed cookies, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Press onto the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes; set aside and let cool.
3. Make the filling: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Melt chocolate completely, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in melted chocolate; beat until combined.
4. Pour filling into prepared crust; bake for 11/2 hours or until sides are cooked but center still jiggles when tapped. Remove cheesecake from the oven. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the edges.
5. Return cheesecake to oven. Turn o¡ heat and leave the oven door ajar. Leave in the oven for 2 to 4 hours. Remove cheesecake from oven; chill for at least 4 hours before decorating.
6. Un-mold cheesecake from pan and transfer to a plate or cake board; wrap with at least 3 layers of plastic wrap, then wrap completely with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month.
7. Let cheesecake thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
8. Make the whipped cream cheese icing: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and sugar until light. Add vanilla and slowly pour in whipping cream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
9. Spread cherry topping over cheesecake, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges. Pipe cream cheese icing on the border. Chill before serving. Refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

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