French Macaroons

My first attempt at making macroons ..... can't say it looks good ..... but it tasted really nice.  I have to make these again to ensure the look is beautiful.

Pssst - don't mind the pictures - I am not the best person with decorations or neatness.

The filling was a strawberry buttercream, but you can use lemon curd, chocolate ganache or any flavour of your choice.

50 grms ground blanched almonds 

90 grms icing sugar

50 grms egg whites, at room temperature

20 grams castor sugar

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. Dont over process else you will get almond butter
• Beat the egg whites until foamy. 
• Gradually add the sugar, and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until the meringue just holds stiff peaks
• Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 1 cm tip, and pipe about rounds onto the parchment paper.
• Let the Macarons sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat your oven to 160 C

• Bake the cookies for 14 -16 minutes
• Remove from oven and let the Macarons cool completely on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack.
• To assemble the Macarons, take two cookies and sandwich them together with your filling

Chocolate Chip Cookie in a cup

Single serving wonders - fun to make as its quick.  

This one for my daughter - who now has to make it for me. She has made the Chocolate Cake in a cup with a lot of success.

Ingredients

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp castor sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

30 gms flour

handful of chocolate chips 

1. Melt the butter and mix with sugars, vanilla, and egg yolk. 
2. Add in the flour and salt and mix till combined. 
3. Fold in the chocolate chips. 
4. Put the dough into a small microwaveable bowl, ramekin, or coffee cup.
5. Microwave for 60 seconds or until the cookie looks done. 

Remember 

• microwaved cakes n cookies are best eaten fresh.  If kept they will harden.
• you will not get the beautiful golden brown colour of the cookie made in an oven.

Oreo Cookie Mini Cheese Cake

I seem to have spent quite some time on the internet chatting with new found friends at CAL.  The inspiration to go into the kitchen again comes from all that talk of food and the inspiration for making mini cheesecakes came from the wonderful Norpro Mini Cheesecake Pan I saw and have to buy

Very soon Monish is going to throw me out of office as I dont seem to work - Hate to confess I am waiting for him to do that :)

My kids love Oreo and cheesecakes - so it had be a combination of both.

This can be made in a regular 9" springform pan also.

Ingredients

CRUST
10 oreo cookies
5 tablespoon butter(melted)

CHEESECAKE
2 cups heavy cream - I use Rich's
200 gms cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

5 Oreo Cookies, crushed

Directions:

BASE
Separate the cookies, remove the vanilla filling, and crush to a rough powder

Add melted butter and blend until combined.  Press into pan. Set aside.

FILLING  
Beat heavy cream until medium peaks form. Set aside.

Add Oreo cookie vanilla filling, cream cheese, sugar, salt, &, lemon juice to a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth (approximately 3-5 mins). 

Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and mix until incorporated.

Gently fold in crushed Oreo cookies.

Pour over the base and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set or overnight for best results.

Remove from refrigerator and smooth top to level with edges. Serve garnished with halved Oreos.