Macarons

 
A long time ago, when I first started this blog, I set a personal goal for myself to have at least four posts a month. Most months I do end up having more but I told myself that four is the minimum. Well, this past weekend I was scrambling trying to figure out a recipe I could make, take pictures, and write about within a very short time frame. The challenge was made even more difficult by the fact that my parents went away for the weekend and borrowed my camera. Fortunately, they returned on Sunday in time for me to meet my month's end deadline and photograph the macarons I made.

Now about those macarons...let's just say I gave it my best effort, twice. It was my friend's birthday on Sunday and, as per usual, I wanted to bake something for her. I decided to make macarons because 1) I knew she loved them and would enjoy them 2) I had been wanting to try making them for quite some time and 3) she knows they are difficult to make and would appreciate the effort.

Macarons, not to be confused with macaroons (little fluffy coconut cookies) are the latest food trend along with cake pops. They come in a variety of flavors with and can be paired with virtually and filling. The challenge is to bake the shells with pristine tops and the coveted little "feet" at the bottom. I knew from reading many online blogs that macarons were no easy feat and that they can frustrate even the most accomplished of bakers. However I was determined to at least try it once, if only to be able to say I've done it.

I downloaded an excellent tutorial which is available for free here. The blogger wrote out a wonderful pdf, complete with step-by-step pictures, that explains how to make macarons. She also has a section devoted to troubleshooting, also with pictures of common problems, and then goes into detail on how to alter the basic macaron recipe to produce different types and flavors. I highly recommend downloading the document because it is very detailed and by far the best tutorial I have seen out there.

One of my few perfect macarons, complete with little "feet"

The first attempt I made was with the basic macaron recipe. Although the shells turned out with "feet", some of them were hollow inside. According to the tutorial this was a sign of over-mixing my batter. Normally it's hard to tell whether the macarons will turn out right until you bake them, but I had a feeling they weren't quite right because my batter was quite liquidy. My second attempt was with chocolate shells, but this one wasn't perfect either because only a few of the shells ended up with "feet" and most of them had cracked tops, also a sign of over-mixing.

Although my shells did not turn out perfect, I don't regret the experience or the results. I ended up filling the regular macarons with lemon curd and the chocolate ones with nutella. Both tasted good, though I preferred the regular ones because the almond taste was more noticeable in the shells compared to the strong chocolate taste of the other ones.

When my friend came over I presented her a nicely decorated box filled with both types as well as her other birthday gifts. I could tell she really enjoyed the macarons because she said they were delicious and she ate about three of each type while we sat and chatted. My parents and brother also tried them and agreed that they tasted great. Even though I want to eventually one day make perfect macarons, for now I will settle for less-than-perfect yet still yummy ones instead.

Macarons
Note: This is the recipe on how to make basic shells. I highly recommend downloading the document described above as it gives great instructions and also variations. This recipe makes about 100 shells, or 50 filled macarons.

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3  large egg whites
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

1. In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar and set aside.
2. Using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, whip the egg whites on low speed.
3. Once the egg whites start to become frothy and meringue-like, add the granulated sugar.
4. Continue to whisk/beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Carefully take half of the dry ingredients and gently, slowly fold into the egg whites until mostly mixed in. It's important to do this slowly so as not to deflate the egg whites too much.
6. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold in until evenly incorporated and no dry specks are left. Try to do this with minimal mixing as that can result in a too-liquid batter.
7. Once done, fill a pastry bag, or large ziploc bag with the tip cut off, and pipe nickel-sized rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The batter will continue to spread after piping so make sure to leave about half an inch between each round.
8. Depending on the moisture in the environment, it will take between 30-90 minutes for the shells to develop a "skin" before they can be baked. The shells are ready if you can touch your finger to them and have no batter stick to it.
9. Once the "skins" have developed, bake the shells for 15-17 minutes, depending on how large they are, at 280 degrees Fahrenheit. You should see them puff up and form little "feet" on the bottom.
10. Remove from the oven and allow the shells to cool completely before carefully peeling them off the paper. 
11. Pipe any filling of your choice onto half of the shells and match with a similar sized shell to create a macaron.

Neapolitan Mousse

Last weekend was Easter long weekend here in Canada and my parents decided to host a dinner party on Saturday night. This year, the beginning of Passover happened to coincide with Easter and we celebrated the first night with a Seder at my aunt and uncle's house. I contributed to the meal by making red wine poached pears with cranberry sauce. The Seder, termed Express Seder 2012 by my brother, went by smoothly and he did a great job leading the concise yet trilingual Seder in English, Russian, and Hebrew.

Obviously the dinner party being hosted by my parents the next day gave me an excuse to make something and after my success with the triple chocolate mousse cake from my birthday I decided to make another mousse dessert. I felt it was particularly appropriate for the occasion because mousse is Passover-friendly.

I wanted to use the dark and white chocolate mousse components from the cake because they were so delicious and in order to complete my Neapolitan creation I searched for a strawberry mousse recipe. I thought it would be fun to serve the mousse in little shot glasses and individual sized portions, so I whipped up each mousse and piped it into the glasses, refrigerating for about 30 minutes between layers to allow them to set a little.

Even though I followed the same recipe, somehow the dark chocolate mousse layer did not turn out as smooth and creamy as it had in the cake. Also, the strawberry flavor was more subtle and was overpowered by the dark chocolate; it could only be tasted if a bite excluding the last layer was taken.

Apart from the little Neapolitan Mousses, my mom also made a pavlova style cake that was filled with whipped cream and raspberries and then decorated with meringues. It looked beautiful and tasted great too! My mom was quite proud of her creation and it was definitely a big hit at the party.

In the end, my mom and I concluded that although a fun idea, the Neapolitan Mousses were definitely a lot of work and the same thing could be achieved in one large cake rather than piping individual desserts. The presentation was nice of course but the effort was a lot more than people realized. I was a little disappointed with how the bottom layer turned out, considering that I had made the exact same mousse so well just two weeks prior, but both the white chocolate and strawberry mousses were silky smooth and delicious. Many people came up to me afterward and complemented me on the dessert.

Strawberry Mousse
Note: I made the mousse and split it between 20 shot glasses. If making the mousse to eat on its own it would probably make 4-6 portions, depending on the vessel used.

• 2 cups strawberries, chopped and pureed
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tsp gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. In a small bowl combine the water and gelatin and set aside to bloom.
2. Meanwhile, combine the pureed strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, add the water-gelatin mixture and continue to heat until all of the gelatin has dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. 
4. Strain the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile, beat the cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat until soft peaks form, about 30-60 seconds.
6. Whisk 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cooled strawberry mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. 
7. Carefully spoon the mousse into cups or bowls and chill for at least four hours to allow the mousse to set.

Note: If making the layered Neapolitan Mousse, use the two mousse recipes from the triple chocolate mousse cake for the dark chocolate and white chocolate layers. To assemble, use a piping bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off to carefully pipe each layer into the glasses. Allow for at least 30 minutes of chilling in the refrigerator between layers so that the mousse may partially set. 

Banana Split Cake

In addition to making a triple chocolate mousse cake for my birthday, I also made this cake which I decided to entitle "Banana Split Cake". Although I loved the mousse cake I am even more proud of this cake because I made it up all by myself, without any recipe to follow. Even though I am used to creating my own cheesecake recipes by now, this cake was a whole new ballgame. First of all, I don't normally make layered cakes, at least not ones where layers have to be stacked and filled, not just all compiled one after the other in the same pan. Secondly, I don't have very much experience frosting cakes; the only other time I have done it (outside of a cake making class I attended once) was when I made a black and white chocolate cake a few months back. Still, I decided that I wanted to challenge myself and really try something new.

Considering my lack of experience with layered cakes and the fact that I was making everything on a whim without any recipe to guide me, I would say this cake was quite a success. The banana cake itself was very moist and delicious and definitely had a lot of banana flavor. I alternated the fillings between chocolate ganache and vanilla pastry cream, both studded with sliced strawberries. My personal favorite was the vanilla cream layer because it was silky smooth and melted in your mouth. I think I should have used a slightly different chocolate:cream ratio for the ganache because it ended up getting to hard in the fridge and turned out more like chocolate chunks in between the cake layers rather than a smooth filling. For the top and sides I used a simple whipped cream frosting and tried to make it as smooth as possible by using an offset spatula I had purchased specially for the occasion.

When my friends came over to celebrate my birthday they were all quite impressed with the cake. I have to admit, the height itself was striking and the white frosting with sliced strawberries on top gave it a simple elegance. Obviously I had to take a picture of it from all angles and then more once it was sliced, making my friends a little impatient to dig in. But once they did I received praises all around. Looking back, I am extremely pleased with both cakes I made for my birthday and I think I will start to make mousse cakes and layered cakes more often now that I have some experience under my belt.

Banana Split Cake
Note: Because I had no recipe to follow and was making things up as I went, I made one full batch each of chocolate ganache and vanilla pastry cream from previous desserts I have created. As a result, I ended up with extra ganache and cream. I don't know how to adjust the portions for this cake, but the extras can be used up some other way or just eaten on their own if you have a big sweet tooth.

Banana Cake
Note: This recipe makes two 9" cakes.

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 ripe bananas (about 2 cups) mashed
• 2/3 cup yogurt or sour cream

1. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. 
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Mix in the bananas until fully incorporated.
4. Add half the flour mixture, then the sour cream/yogurt, and then repeat with the remainder.
5. Divide the batter evenly between two greased 9" cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1/2 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar

Whip the cream on medium speed until foamy, about 30-60 seconds. Increase the speed to high and slowly add the sugar. Continue to whip until soft peaks form, about 1 more minute.
To assemble:

• Chocolate ganache
• Vanilla pastry cream 
• Banana cakes
• Whipped cream frosting
• Sliced strawberries (for inside)
• Whole strawberries (for garnish)

1. Take each banana cake and slice across in half to create four separate layers. Tip: it's easier to slice the cakes if they are cold therefore chill them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours prior to assembling the cake.
2. Place the bottom of one of the cakes onto the serving platform, preferably at least 10" wide. Spread some chocolate ganache all over the surface of the cake and cover with sliced strawberries.
3. Place the top of the corresponding cake on top and gently press down a little to secure it into place. Spread some vanilla pastry cream onto the surface and also sliced strawberries.
4. Place the top of the second banana cake on top and repeat the chocolate filling with the strawberries. Cover with the bottom of the corresponding cake, bottom side up.
5. To frost place a large spoonful of whipped cream on top of the cake and use an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread across. Let the excess go onto the sides and then spread additional frosting along the side of the cake until covered. 

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Last week it was my birthday and I had the opportunity to celebrate it three times with my family and friends: once on the actual day and then twice more on the weekend. With all of these celebrations I was able to make not just one, but two cakes for the occasion. Many people, when hearing that I was baking my own birthday cake, asked me if I wouldn't rather someone make a cake for me. Those people clearly don't know me well because obviously baking cake is one of my favorite things to do and being able to bake my own is like a gift to myself. Luckily that question came only from acquaintances and not close friends...they know me better than that.

The funny thing about this cake in particular is that it is definitely not a "me" cake; I'm a cheesecake lover through and through. I don't really love mousse cakes, in fact I never order them in restaurants, and I'm more of a fruit lover than chocolate. So why, one may ask, did I choose to make this cake for my birthday. Well the answer is simple really: I saw this recipe months ago and very badly wanted to try it out. It was different than most cakes I make because it a) wasn't a cheesecake b) was a layered cake c) required a new technique I had never tried. All of these factors, and the fact that it came from my favorite food blog Annie's Eats, made me eager to make it. Originally I was going to make it for my grandmother's birthday, back in the beginning of February, but my mother advised me against it and we ended up making a traditional napoleon cake instead. Then I thought to myself that the next birthday coming up is my cousin's, all the way in May, and I knew she would want a cheesecake. So really that only left me one choice: make it for my own birthday.

Considering how long I had this recipe bookmarked there was a lot of build-up and anticipation in my mind. Even though I really wanted to try my hand at a mousse cake, ultimately I wasn't sure if I would actually like how it tasted; I just wanted the experience so badly! Well not only did the process go smoothly, but it tasted fantastic! The mousse was silky smooth and produced an effect of all three layers simultaneously blending together and melting in your mouth.

At first I was anxious to serve it to my family because we have quite a few "non-mousse-lovers" like me, but I think we have all been converted. Everyone at the table loved it, both for the taste and the texture, and I was shocked when my grandfather and dad each took a second piece. My only one criticism, based on my own personal preferences, is that I wish I had used a slightly less bitter chocolate such as a 60% instead of 72%. When I expressed this most of my family disagreed but I wouldn't have minded a little more sweetness, especially in the very bottom layer of the chocolate flourless cake. 

This mousse has definitely opened the door to a whole new world of cakes for me to make. Cheesecakes still stand as my number one favorite and I will always order that over a mousse cake any day of the week, but it's nice to have variety sometimes and know that I am capable of more.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

For the bottom layer:

• 3/4 cup (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate, cut into pieces
• 3/4 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1. Combine the butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in a large heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for five minutes, then whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks until evenly incorporated.
2. Beat the salt and egg whites together on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds.
3. Crumble half of the brown sugar into the mixture and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with the remaining brown sugar and then increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, about one more minute.
4. Using a whisk, mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.
5. Pour the batter into a 9" springform pan with only the bottom greased and bake for 14-18 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the cake is firm around the edges but the center is still soft and has just set. 
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. If not making the second layer right away cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the middle layer:

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 5 tbsp hot water
• 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, beat the cream, sugar, and salt on medium speed until it starts to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat until soft peaks form, about 30-60 seconds.
4. Beat in the cocoa water mixture until smooth. Once incorporated, whisk 1/3 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.
5. Pour the mousse into the springform pan over the cooled cake and tap gently on the counter a couple of times to remove air bubbles. Gently smooth the top with a spatula and wipe the inside edge to remove any drips. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the top layer.

For the top layer:

• 3/4 tsp powdered gelatin
• 1 tbsp water
• 6 oz (170 g) white chocolate, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
2. Bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat then add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. 
3. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate pieces in a medium bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. Meanwhile, beat the remaining cup of cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat until soft peaks form, about 30-60 seconds.
5. Whisk 1/3 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.
6. Spoon the white chocolate mousse into the pan over the middle layer and smooth with the back of the spoon or an offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 1/2 hours so that it can properly set.