Happy Thanksgiving friends! It seems appropriate to talk about food today. Hopefully you'll read this post while you're looking forward to your Thanksgiving dinner, not after you're so stuffed that you never want to see food again.
I have two festive and delicious recipes for you. Pin them for future reference, because you're going to want to try both of them.
Raspberry Macarons
A few helpful hints and tips before you get started:
*Old eggs work best. If they've been sitting in your fridge for a couple of weeks, you're good. Fresh from the chicken this morning? Too fresh!!
*Don't worry about the weather. I was warned that humidity and a too hot kitchen could ruin you. I live in Houston, so even in December it's probably going to be hot and humid. But I live in an air conditioned house, and you probably do too, so don't sweat it!
*Separate your egg whites the night before and leave them on the counter at room temperature until you are ready to get started.
*Buy almond flour instead of grinding your own almonds. It's a lot easier and probably cheaper too.
*No mixer? No worries. I did it all with a good old fashioned whisk and some elbow grease!
*No pastry bag? Also no problem! I just used a gallon plastic storage bag with the corner cut off.
*What the heck are the feet?! Everyone was talking about whether or not their macarons had feet (they should); the feet are the crumbly bits on the underside that should puff out a bit around the base of the cookie.
Ingredients
1 c. confectioners' sugar
3/4 c. almond flour
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 c. superfine sugar (also called Caster sugar)
3/4 c. seedless raspberry jam, for filling
1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift out big almond bits. Or just mix with a whisk and hand sifter if you don't have a food processor.
2. Whisk egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, add superfine sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add a few drops of red food coloring for pink macarons.
3. Sift almond flour mixture into egg white mixture. Fold until mixture is smooth and shiny. You can test a daub on a plate. If it forms a smooth, round daub with no peak, it's good. If a small peak remains, turn the batter a couple more times.
4. Spoon into pastry bag or storage bag with a 3/4 inch corner cut out.
5. Pipe 3/4 inch rounds an inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets. (I've heard Silpat sheets work better for macarons, but I haven't tried.) Tab bottom of each cookie sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. While they're resting, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Back 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macaroons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees. Every oven is different so you may have to play with your oven temperature. The tops of the macaron shells should not brown.
7. Let macarons cool on sheets for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet.
8. Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon of jam. Serve immediately or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months. It takes only 30 minutes out of the freezer for macarons to be ready to serve.
Snowy Marshmallow Pops
Ingredients
Marshmallows
White chocolate or vanilla candy coating
Shaved coconut
A pairing knife
Decorative straws
1. Using your sharp knife, cut an x into the bottom of each marshamallow.
2. Insert straw into the x. If you happened to cut the x too large, dip the straw into melted chocolate or candy coating first.
3. Melt your white chocolate or vanilla candy coating using the instructions on the package.
4. Dip each marshmallow into the coating and let the excess drip off.
5. Sprinkle wet marshmallows with a handful of coconut.
6. Lay on wax paper or rest in a short cup to dry.
