Buche de Noel aka Yule Log December 31, 2008

After making the French Yule Log for the Daring Bakers’ December Challenge, I decided that I needed to make last Decembers Challenge too.  Which is the non frozen type of Yule Log.  I got all of my tools together and came up with a game plan.  I knew that this recipe was going to make a BIG log.  I decided to divide the log in half and ice one with Chocolate Buttercream and the other with the Coffee Buttercream that was recommended.  I filled both logs with a Chocolate Ganache that I lightened with Whipped Cream.

Blue Macarons September 11, 2008

I have been trying to figure out a way to use the rest of the Chocolate Glaze from the Daring Bakers’ Eclair Challenge and the left over egg whites that I accumulated from making two pastry creams, and I figured it out.

MACARONS.

This would also allow me to use my left over coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache and make blue opera macarons too.

I was inspired by Tartlette’s macarons that she made back in March. I just loved the color that she used. I decided that I would try my hand at dying my macarons this time around, but not do the little design she did. The recipe said to use 2 tbsp, but I figured that since my color was a little darker I would use only 1 tbsp. They are still a darker blue, but I didn’t care too much 🙂 The fun part of sharing these with your friends is watching their mouth’s turn blue.

I was very happy with the result. All of the macarons were very tasty. I just need to figure out how to get the macarons to not be so flat, but I did get little feet again 🙂

Challenging myself to an Opera July 28, 2008

….Opera Cake that is.

You are probably asking yourself, “Why on Earth would you do that?”

I am glad you asked.

My parent’s 29th anniversary is today and they are actually going to be in my neck of the woods. Well about 3 hours away, but it is still close. For the past 8 years, I have lived about 1,200 miles away from my parents. We randomly see each other if I happen to drag my butt down there or if someone has a business meeting in the area, meaning 4-5 hours away, they will drive by to see me. Well I hope it is me and not just my cute little monsters. Sometimes they stop by for holidays it just matters what is going on.

I got little feet… July 15, 2008

I got little fee eet. I got little fee eet, yeah. :to the music of Jungle Fever:

HOLY CRAP!!!!!

I really can’t believe it.

My first try, first freaking try and my macarons have little feet (the little bubblies at the bottom of the cookie). I am extremely happy about this.

From all of the posts I have read about people trying to make French Macarons and all of the trouble they have gone through. I am completely surprised. I thought something was going to have to go wrong. But all three batches turned out perfectly with little feet. I need to work on my piping skills but man, that is awesome.