Macaron Mythbusters
As I wrote in my first macaron post, I make macarons every day at work, learning something new with each batch. The most important thing I’ve learned is this: Macarons don’t have magical properties and shouldn’t require quasi-spiritual rituals as part of their mise en place. You wouldn’t learn that from reading up on macaron-themed blog posts, though. Instead you’ll find bakers fervently insisting on an assortment of essential steps to prevent failure, while simultaneously conceding failure as both inevitable and incomprehensible. Everyone harps upon their fickle nature, making half-joking references to spiteful macaron gods. A tone of fatalism prevails, “In the end, it’s out of my hands.
Macarons
A lot of people get the wrong impression about macarons and avoid making them because they’re supposedly the most difficult thing in the world to make. Truly, they’re not difficult at all. What is difficult is mastering them. For some reason people mistakenly think if something can’t be mastered on the first try, it’s too hard to fool with. But there’s no reason to master macarons on the first try. Unless you just burn the crap out of them, they’re going to taste phenomenal regardless of their flaws.
Cheese Straws
9th October 2010By EmmaPhotography by Emma My Mum grew up in small-town New Zealand. She lived in a wee place called Inglewood which is near a (slightly) bigger place called Stratford which is near a place called New Plymouth, New Zealand’s 11th biggest city.
10 Tasty Mug Cakes That You Can Make in Just Minutes
By bellalimento | I’m sure you’ve heard of cakes that you make in a microwave in MINUTES. I have to admit the first time I saw a recipe for one I was skeptical. I mean how can you make a cake in just a few minutes in the microwave?
Recipe Box: Dipped Pretzels
One of my Aunts always makes chocolate covered pretzels over the holidays so this year I decided to give it a try. Dipped pretzels are a simple, delicious treat that can be tailored to a variety of different tastes. Whether they’re dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with crushed up peppermint, heath bar, or nuts—these sweet and salty little nibbles are a surefire crowd pleaser. Here’s how I made my batch:
Cheese rolls
Cheese rolls are something of a southern New Zealand delicacy. Chances are, if you grew up in Canterbury, Otago or Southland, you have spent time rolling these tasty morsels for family dinners, school lunches or a fundraising event. Many a South Island community cookbook features the local take on this old classic.
Simple Sundays
Today’s post comes by way of a special request from a reader comment when I published my recipe for No Bake Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars a few weeks ago. When I made the bars, I used the convenient (yet divine) lemon curd from Trader Joe’s. However, we don’t all have a Trader Joe’s nearby, and the truth is, Lemon Curd is really very simple to make.
Pip & Ebby - Pip & Ebby - Hot cocoa cookies
I am a teeny bit obsessed with the cookies from the most recent issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray magazine. This recipe is the second of many cookie recipes on my list to make this holiday season. Sweets are taking over my life! Just ask my coworkers. They get my leftovers, and I think they are starting to resent the way I am forcing them to eat sinful treats. I don't think I need to tell you that these were tasty.
Pasta Salad
You know how you lied and said that you’d actually bring something to the party this time? FUCKING DO IT. Did someone else bring a pasta salad?
cherry clafoutis
You know what? I’m having a fantastic summer. Life is incredibly sweet, juicy opportunities for personal and professional development are cropping up left and right, we’re going to Napa in one month and — I’m thrilled. Its terrible how little I like to talk about this, how fearful even the most level-headed of us can be of jinxing out all the good in the world by bringing it up. I mean, really. There is a difference between flaunting or bragging about a good life and celebrating it, or at least there ought to be.
