Chocolate Macarons

Last week I went to Leicester for the weekend to visit my familly, so didn't have time to do any baking really. So this week I thought I could challenge myself, and make some macarons! I chose chocolate macarons, as I really wanted to buy some bournville cocoa powder, it makes the nicest hot chocolate and I haven't used it in ages. The cadbury's take over last week reminded me it existed. Now, the only macarons I have even seen are in cook books (and on mastechef!), so to be honest I was preparing myself for an almighty failure. But I was presently suprised! They had a nice crispy shell, chewy interior, and were very light. But there is definitely room for some improvement. I didn't manage to produce the puffy foot at the base of the macaron. I would have preferred them to have been shinier too. I don't think I will use a chocolate ganache filling again, as it was just too hard to spread on to the macarons, and ended up pushing my finger through a few of them, whoops! The recipe I followed was from Nigellas domestic godess cook book.


Ingredients
for the macarons
250g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
25g cocoa powder (I used bournville, because it's awesome)
4 Large egg whites
25g Caster sugar
for ze ganache filling
90ml double cream
150g plain chocolate (I used green and blacks, again, because it's awesome
45g unsalted butter (I used president french butter, because it was only a £1, and because it's awesome, its the first time I've tried it, and I don't think I'll be going back to tescos own brand)

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Sift the icing sugar, ground almonds and cocoa powder into a bowl, and put to one side until needed. Whisk the egg whites in a super clean bowl until they form soft peaks. Sprinkle the caster sugar on to the whites, and continue whisking until the form stiff peaks. (stiff, but not dry, they should be nice and shiny). At this point fold in the dry ingredients with a large metal spoon, do this gradually with a cutting motion.

Carefully spoon the mixure into a piping bag, and pipe on to a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. The rounds should be approximately 5cm, and leave space for any spreading. Leave them for about half an hour to form a skin on the macarons, this will guarantee a nice crunchy top, and a chewy centre. Bake for 12 minutes.

Before they went in the oven

Meanwhile, make the ganache by melting the ingredients in a pan, on a very low heat. This should produce a very shiny runny mixture, leave in the fridge until it becomes spreadable.

Once the macarons are cooled, spread with the ganache and sandwich together (think posh custard cream/ bourbon biscuit)
Ta-da!


Scrumpadoocious!

Dark Chocolate and Cream Cheese Brownies

First week back at work after Christmas, so I thought I'd bake something incredibly chocolately and gooey. Brownies! Earlier this week Manchester had about 48 hours of heavy snow, and temperatures of -10, so I think some serious chocolate action is deserved.

Walking to work, in the snow


More Siberia than Salford


I've had a go at baking brownies a few times and have never mastered the gooey-centre, just a slab of chocolate cake. (don't get me wrong a giant slab of chocolate cake is still nice!) This time I added another egg to my usual brownie recipe. success! they worked really well.

Dark Chocolate and Cream Cheese Brownies

Ingredients

125g Dark chocolate
125g unsalted butter
2 Large eggs
200g caster sugar
75g plain flour
200g cold cream cheese (full fat, you might as well)

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees and line and grease a brownie tin

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a pan of boiling water. While this is melting beat the eggs and sugar in a seperate bowl. Once the chocolate has melted take it off the heat and let it cool slightly.

mmm, shiny chocolate

Once you've given the molten chocolate a chance to cool down, pour the eggy-sugar mixture into the bowl and beat until combined, followed by the flour. Pour about half into the brownie tin and smooth down with a spatula. At this point you need to create a cream cheese centre to the brownie. Make sure its really cold first, blast it in the freezer for 5 minuttes, then you can slice it and layer it on the brownie mixture. Finish by pouring the rest of the chocolate brownie mixture to cover the cream cheese.


I wanted to eat these straight away!


Bake for 20 minutes. By this time it should have a dry cracked surface, but when pressed with your finger have some give. Cut into squares, and lift out once cooled. Makes 8-10.


sweet gooey chocolate centre, with salty cream cheese, great combo

Success! They worked really well. I wouldn't mind a few of these with a coffee if I was snowed in!

Peanut and chocolate squares

Christmas is over! So I should be concocting something wholesome and nutritous? Instead I've whipped up some no-bake peanut and chocolate squares. I just couldn't resist. I received loads of foodie gifts this year, and I stumbled across this recipe. My best foodie present was an egg cupboard from the mother-in-law. Truly inspired gift choice. It came with 2 egg cups, and little holes to keep your eggs. It looks so pretty on my work top.


Ingredients

for the peanuty base...
50g unsalted butter
200g smooth peanut butter
300g icing sugar
50g soft brown sugar

for the chocolately topping...
100g good dark chocolate
200g milk chocolate
1 tbsp unsalted butter

You can totally play around with the chocolate ratio, but I wouldn't go 100% milk, just reading the recipe is eye-wateringly sweet! The saltyness of the peanuts really makes it work.

• Beat all the ingredients for the base in a bowl. I always use a wooden spoon, but a electric mixer would be absolutely fine. Once smooth, press down into a lined brownie tin. Try and make sure this layer is as smooth as possible
• Next, melt the chocolate and tablespoon of butter. Double boiler, zap it in the microwave, whatever, as long as its melted! Personally I would put it in the microwave on medium for about 90 seconds.
• Pour the molten chocolate over the peanut layer. The butter in the chocolate should make it look shiny and glossy.
• Pop it in the fridge to set. It should take a few hours. Cut into very small squares once it has set.

Ta-da! These are incredibly more-ish, but jaw achingly rich. Hence the small squares. perfect with a cuppa.