Chocolate Cheesecake Macarons

The classic French macaron. A meringue and almond biscuit with a crisp shell and chewy interior filled with tangy, chocolate cheesecake filling.

So pretty and fRANch. That's how I like to say French sometimes.

Look, I'm not saying I'm Fiona Cairns or Katherine Sabbath...the local bakery with buttercream cupcakes could probably teach me a thing or two. That being said, I do know my way around a KitchenAid and had success making éclairs which are considered challenging by some. But it was with more than a touch of trepidation that I approached the ultimate in temperamental baking - the French Macaron. If I'm totally honest, I have actually been avoiding making them for some time. They seem so hard, so easy to mess up. I've heard that the weather affects them, if it's too hot, too humid, you've got a failure on your hands.



Always amazes me how all these things can come together and make cakes, biscuits, pies...baking is magic.

Something grabbed me in the last few weeks. It was time. Like a bird that knows when to fly south for the winter, I felt it in my waters. It was time to make macarons! I spent days reading about them, trying to find the magic recipe, the magic list of tips and tricks that would make my macaron recipe fool proof.


This is the stiff peak we want. The peak will not fall in on itself. It stays straight and true. The type of meringue where you can hold the bowl upside down over your head and not end up wearing them.



I did discover that many find the "Italian" process easier than the traditional "French" method. The Italian method uses a sugar syrup in place of powdered icing sugar. It produces a more stable batter which is less likely to fail. And do you know what, I almost went that way. I did want to be less likely to fail.



This is the stage that you want but scarily, I forgot to put colour in! I had to give it few more turns, which I did super slowly, like that would trick the batter.



 But if I wasn't doing the classic macaron, it would forever be my white whale. You can neither win nor lose if you don't run the race. I had to do the classic French macaron. I had to know that I could do it! And if I couldn't, I would pull a Jerry - "I choose not to run!" and hide the fact that I couldn't from everyone. Really, would it change my life that much? It's just some bloody biscuits.



Hold the piping bag at 90 degrees to your tray and apply firm and even pressure, pulling the tip up to allow the batter to fill the circle on the template. Thanks to Mr Cakes for taking this photo! What a pro.

The perfect macaron should have a smooth, crisp shell with a slightly chewy, soft interior. The biscuit should have "feet", a ruffled area of a few millimetres where the batter has risen. And it should have a generous but neatly piped filling. This are the minimum standards of a macaron.

I was not happy with the colour of that food colouring. Baby poo brown.

Also, don't be like me, remember to take the template out from underneath the baking paper before you bake them.

Well, let me tell you, my life has changed. For the better. Because I nailed it.

I can not tell you how pleased I was at this stage. Like I discovered a cure for the common cold.

I made French macarons.

This looks like my favourite emoticon.

And now, my hair is shinier, my skin is glowing, I got a promotion at work, I no longer read celebrity trash websites and I don't have irrational, unexplainable mood swings. None of which is true. But! I can now tell you how I made macarons pretty darn well. And that's life change enough. And guys. If I can do it, you can too!

This looks slightly ominous. Like those macarons in the background might attack these foreground ones.

First tip. Egg whites. Some of the wonderful resources I read, of which there were countless, advised that the egg whites should be old, or aged. This is done by leaving the separated whites in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. The aged whites are said to whip up better and hold more air. I did not do this. I am not the most patient of people and I wanted to make them today! What I did do and what forms my first tip, is let the eggs come to room temperature. A room temperature egg white beats better than a cold one and a stiff, "dry" meringue is needed. I guess if a room temp egg white whips better than a cold one, maybe an aged one does whip better than fresh...but regardless, I didn't bother. If your impatient like I so often am, submerge the eggs in warm water to bring them to room temperature quicker.

Macarons piled pretty and high.

The second tip I have gathered for you is to sift the icing sugar and the almond meal. Even the store bought almond meal with have some larger pieces in it and for the smoothest shells on your macarons. This will also make the batter lighter, ensuring you have a better chance of your cookies getting as nice foot on them.

That wooden spoon looks so pretty, with a bow in it's hair. Where you off to, Spoon?

Tip 3 might be the most ambiguous and also the most important of the tips. Do not over or under mix the batter. An under-mixed batter will crack and be lumpy. An over-mixed batter will spread when baked and not rise. The tricky thing though is that there is no exact number of turns of the spatula that I can tell you. The batter should have a "lava like" consistency. It should move slowly off your spatula when lifted. Turn the batter gently but firmly with spatula until the almond meal is thoroughly mixed, no more turns. If the batter becomes runny, you've gone too far!

Yum.

 Once you pipe your macarons on to the prepared tray - I used these stencils to ensure they were all the same size - make sure that you bang the tray, very firmly, on the kitchen bench 3 times. Obviously don't hit the tray down so hard that the batter comes flying off but you want to make sure that any air bubbles in the macarons move to the surface so the tops of the shells are smooth.

These macarons are carrying a wounded fellow solider back to the safety of the pile.

Finally, after they have been piped and banged (hmm) it is time for the final tip I have for you. Let the piped uncooked shells sit  on the bench to dry for 30 minutes. The macarons will develop a skin which will prevent the from spreading, which means the only way is up! Baby! For you and me now! And for the macarons.


Little do they know Mr Cakes is coming and safety in numbers will not protect you.

So that's it. That's all I have to tell you. Now it's a matter of getting in that kitchen and baking them frilly little biscuits like a freaking baking warrior! Get in there and bake, you glorious muthalicker!


YAY!


Chocolate Cheesecake Macarons
Use this template  to ensure your macarons are even and consistently sized. Lie the template under baking paper and pipe the batter on. Make sure the template is removed before baking.


Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Servings: 24 sandwiched macarons

Macarons
3 large egg whites, free range, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
50g caster sugar
200g icing sugar
1 cup/120g almond meal
Brown food colouring
Chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate Cheesecake Buttercream
150g milk chocolate
110g softened butter
110g cream cheese
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Macarons

1. Preheat oven to 150°C
2. Using a template to ensure the macarons are evenly sized, line a two trays with baking paper.
3. Beat egg whites in the bowl of a mixer until egg whites are foamy.
4. Add pinch of salt and cream of tartar and continue to beat egg whites,
5. Slowly sprinkle in caster sugar and continue beating for around 8 minutes, until egg whites are stiff, peaks hold and do not collapse.
6. Add food colouring.
7. Sift almond meal and icing sugar in to a medium bowl.
8. Gently add sifted almond meal and icing sugar into the egg white mix.
9. With a flat spatula, gently and precisely fold the almond meal mix in to the egg whites. Batter should be thick and flow off the spatula - think 'molten lava'.
10. Pipe macarons using a large piping bag and open round tip.
11. Once they are all piped, sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.
12. Allow piped macarons to sit uncovered on the bench for 30 minutes. A skin will form that feels tacky to the touch and does not leave a fingerprint.
13. Bake for 18 minutes. Bake one tray at a time, on the same shelf to ensure they are baked evenly.
14. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely,

Chocolate Cheesecake Buttercream

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate in 30 seconds bursts until completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy.
3. Add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and beat until combined and mix is smooth and creamy.
4. Add melted chocolate and beat well.

To assemble

1. Once the biscuits are cooled, match each with another of the same size.
2. Using a round tip fitted on a piping bag, pipe a generous circle of buttercream on one biscuit then sandwich corresponding biscuit, pushing buttercream to edges.
3. Store in an airtight container.

Pear, Raspberry and Coconut Bread

A moist and summery fruit loaf with pear, raspberry and lots of coconut topped with a crunchy, sweet crust.

Drool.



Now what is it exactly that makes this bread a bread? Really, it's more like cake but you can eat for breakfast without raising too many eyebrows. That being said, I'll eat a piece for chocolate cake for breakfast any day. But for those with slightly stricter guidelines, this bread presents you with an excuse to eat cake any time of the day. If you need one. Which I don't. 

When will Mr. Cakes paint that window trim? Maybe never.

Pear and raspberries are a much underappreciated pairing, if you ask me. The crispiness of pear goes well with the tart sweetness of the raspberry and they look really pretty together. Then imagine if you invited coconut along to that party. Things are heating up. Pear, raspberry and coconut get on so well, they must be French. The French are cool with that sort of thing.
 

Note the action shot up there? Pretty tricky.


This is a nice, easy recipe and besides being a little longer to cook in the oven, it's pretty quick too. The main thing that differentiates this bread from a cake is the method of adding the wet ingredients to the dry in one go. Sift the flour with the raising agent, then stir in the sugars and coconut. Follow that with the wet then the fruit, and you're done. So easy.


All ready for the oven!



Something I find these kind of sweet breads can be too dry. It's for this reason that I like to put two types of fat into them. The melted butter gives the richness and flavours while a neutral flavoured oil like a plain vegetable oil ensure the bread is moist during the long baking time.

Love it when cracked and imperfect is a good thing! Extra crunchy bits.

I also like to use two types of sugar. I like caster sugar for the sweetness and texture that it gives while the brown sugar gives the depth of flavour and richness. You can just as easily use one type if you run out of either or can't be bothered to get both containers out of the cupboard. The struggle is real.

Butter makes it better.

There is something so inherently pleasant about baking in a loaf tin. And the more battered up they are, the better. Turning out a loaf of cake is simply one of life's little pleasures. 

Bread by the morning light.

I also like to sprinkle the top of the loaf with a generous amount of coconut and caster sugar for an extra crunchy top.
 

Pear, raspberry and coconut bread goodness.

This recipe is really easy to whip up too, and it freezes really well. It's a good thing to bake on a sunny Sunday afternoon, eat half of it, warm and slathered with butter then regret it since your diets been going so well, then freeze the rest to make it harder to eat. But then microwave it and eat the rest. Not that that's what happened to me.
 


So good.

Serve this loaf in thick slices with plenty of butter and a sprinkling of icing sugar, if you so wish.
 
Pear, Raspberry and Coconut Bread

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour 10 mins

Total time:  1 hour 30 mins

 

Servings: 12 slices

 
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
4 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large pears, cored and chopped
150g raspberries - either fresh or frozen

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla and set aside.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder in a large bowl then add both sugars and coconut and mix well.
4. Make a well in the centre and add the egg mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the butter and oil, fold 3 - 4 times then add the pear and raspberries and fold gently til just combined.
6. Add to loaf tin and smooth with the back of wooden spoon.
7. Top with additional flour and a generous sprinkle of caster sugar.
8. Bake for 1 hour and 10 mins.
9. Allow to cool slightly.
10. Serve warm with a generous amount of butter and a sprinkle of icing sugar, if desired.

 
 

Raspberry Jam Drops

Lovely soft biscuits with raspberry centres!

When I told my friends and colleagues about my second week of Christmas baking was Raspberry Jam Drops, most of them replied that it wasn't particularly Christmassy. I was a little perplexed as I do associate these crumbly, buttery biscuits with the festive period. They're a lovely thing to make to give wrapped up as a gift and so easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.

You probably have all these things in your pantry right now...what are you waiting for?! 

These Raspberry Jam Drops would also be a good recipe to do with little ones as they're simple and it's a lot of fun to poke your fingers into the little rounds of dough. The dough is very straightforward and could be done completely by hand. I think it's nice to do a whole recipe with just a bowl and a wooden spoon. Makes you feel more involved with the dough.



I should have taken a photo of the mixing bowl I used, it's one of my favourites. But this is the inside of the bowl...not as exciting is it. Oh well.



For these, I would recommend getting a really good quality jam. I went with raspberry for no other reason than it's my favourite. Any other jam would work too, even marmalade. I do think a red coloured jam is more suited to the season.


The little jam drops ready to go into the oven.



These make lovely presents, and they're easy to whip up the day before you gift them. They look lovely wrapped in cellophane with a nice piece of ribbon, like I have done or put into a jar. I'm slightly obsessed with Etsy and I purchased the tags in the photos from this shop here.


I was listening to Christmas carols while I made these, so they're infused with the spirit of Christmas.



These are so buttery and delicious. Homemade gifts are a meaningful and thoughtful gift plus you get to spend a relaxing bit of time in the kitchen!

While I was taking this photo, I saw the jam is a product of France...I'm just drawn to French things and I don't even know it.

All prettily wrapped up, ready to gift!

 

Buttery and soft.

 



Week 2 of Christmas baking done! Bring on Week 3!



Have a look back at the weeks of Christmas Baking past:
 
Week 1 of Four Weeks of Christmas Baking: Christmas Star Cherry Tart with Cinnamon Honey Roasted Macadamia Ice Cream
Week 3 of Four Weeks of Christmas Baking: Rum Ball Trifle
Week 4 of Four Weeks of Christmas Baking: Eggnog Cake

Raspberry Jam Drops
Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 13 mins

Total time:  28 mins

 

Servings: 24

 
180g softened butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Raspberry jam for centres

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line two trays with baking paper
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until butter turns paler in colour
3. Add the egg and vanilla then beat to combine
4. Sift in the flour and baking paper and mix until just combined
5. Roll out heaped teaspoons full of batter and place on tray, leaving at least 10cm space between the cookies
6. Press a finger deep into the centre of each cookie and fill the cavity generously with jam
7. Bake each tray for 13 mins or until cookies are just golden on the edges
8. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

 

That one up there in a left got a little charred! It was a lot of fun to use the blowtorch...


I love lemon meringue pies. There are not that many sweet pies that are widely served in Australia, in comparison to the US where when you say pie, it's assumed you mean a dessert. In Australia, when you say pie, people will want to know if you want the tomato sauce on top or on the side.

I simply adore this book. It's an heirloom.

Such awesome photography.

I don't actually make many lemon meringue pies as I love them but Mr. Cakes does not. So if I were to make one, I would eat the whole thing. Probably in one sitting. With a tub of ice cream. And some chocolate. And a brownie.


Sexy lemons.

My lemon meringue pie recipe comes from the 'Australian and New Zealand Complete Book of Cookery'. This version was my nanna's and my mum had a copy too. Does everyone's mum have a copy? Was it handed out in the maternity ward? I loved this book and I remember pouring over the retro recipes and the strange way the dishes were presented. But behind the salmon mousse in the fish shaped mould, there are actually a lot of wonderful recipes. They're classics. The lemon meringue pie is one such classic! But because I really would eat the whole pie, I decided to make lemon meringue cupcakes! Portion control, y'all.

I love the yellow colour of this curd, which really comes from the yolk, not the lemon.

I took the lemon filling from the Complete Book of Cookery and paired it with a simple, plain cupcake with a few tablespoons of lemon juice in the batter. I like my lemon curd to be very tart and lemony. When in a cupcake, it won't be overwhelming and too tart, rather it will be a lovely little burst of sunshine.

The cupcakes start like this...

...then they go like this...



...then they go like this!


With these cupcakes, I decided to pair them with a Swiss Meringue. Personally, I get a little weirded out by raw meringue. I love lemon meringue pie but if I start to think about the egg whites being raw, it can totally turn me off my slice.


Perfectly baked little cupcakes.

With Swiss Meringue, the egg whites are cooked with the sugar to 55°C. This just makes me feel better about eating egg whites. Generally, the nasties are just in the yolks and egg whites are safe to eat raw (unless pregnant or in some other delicate state) but just knowing they're cooked reassures me.


Lovely, glossy Swiss Meringue!

I used my go-to vanilla cupcakes from a lovely book I've had for a few years now, 'Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery' and made them into lemon cupcakes. I didn't want them to be hugely citrus flavoured, rather to be subtlety lemony to pair with the curd and meringues.

Lovely, lemony cupcake. I love that melon baller.

A nicely swirled pile of meringue, before being subjected to FIRE!



Action shot! Notice the charring of the cupcake wrapper. Oops!

Try out this cupcake recipe, they're perfect for a morning tea or to take on a visit with friends. The perfect springtime cupcakes! 


Ahhhhhh *angels singing*



A little bit of cupcake styling.





Cupcake and lemon, sitting in a tree...

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue
Adapted from the Australian and New Zealand Complete Book of Cookery and Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery

Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Total time:  60 mins

 

Servings: 15 cupcakes

Lemon Curd Filling
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon cornflour
20g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
Rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks, free range

Lemony Cupcakes
110g softened butter
230g caster sugar
2 eggs, free range
150g plain cake flour
125g self-raising cake flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Swiss Meringue
6 egg white, free range
300g caster sugar

Lemon Curd Filling

1. To make lemon curd filling, place water, cornflour, butter, caster sugar, lemon rind and juice in a small saucepan.
2. Whisk over a medium heat until at a fast simmer and then whisk continuously for a further 22 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and stir for another minute then add egg yolks, while continuing to whisk.
4. Allow to cool while you prepare the cupcakes and Swiss meringue.

Lemony Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a 12-hole cupcake tin.
2. Beat the sugar and butter together until lighter in colour.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift the flours into one bowl and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, in three lots, starting and finishing with the flour.
5. Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full, or about 50g on scales.
6. Bake for 23 minutes.
7. Allow to cool while you prepare the Swiss Meringue. 

Swiss Meringue

1. Wipe a bowl with a paper towel dampened with lemon juice.
2. Add egg whites to the bowl with the sugar and simmer over a pot of water whisking constantly but gently until temperature reaches 55°C or until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Whisk egg whites and sugar until the meringue is thick and glossy and egg whites have reached room temperature.

Assembly

1. Scoop out a small amount of the cupcakes with a teaspoon or a melon baller. Put the bit aside.
2. Fill cavity with a generous teaspoon of lemon curd filling.
3. Replace the cut-out cupcake piece.
4. Pipe or spoon on the Swiss meringue and pass a kitchen blowtorch over the meringue until nicely golden. Alternatively, place the cupcakes back into a 200°C oven until nicely golden.