Thursday, July 17, 2014

French Macaroon












This was my first attempt at macaroons... I got lift and feet and no cracks :)

Macaroon Ingredients


3 egg whites
1/4 cup white sugar
1 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup finely ground almonds

Raspberry butter cream Ingredients 


1/4 cup salted butter (60g)
3/4 cup powdered sugar (75 g)
1 cup (150 g) fresh raspberries, worked through a sieve to extract 3 tbsp of juice

Macaroon Preparation Directions :


Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until whites are foamy; beat in white sugar and continue beating until egg whites are glossy, fluffy, and hold soft peaks. Sift confectioners' sugar and ground almonds in a separate bowl and quickly fold the almond mixture into the egg whites, about 30 strokes.

Spoon a small amount of batter into a plastic bag with a small corner cut off and pipe a test disk of batter, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, onto prepared baking sheet. If the disk of batter holds a peak instead of flattening immediately, gently fold the batter a few more times and retest.

When batter is mixed enough to flatten immediately into an even disk, spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the baking sheet in rounds, leaving space between the disks. Let the piped cookies stand out at room temperature until they form a hard skin on top, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 285 degrees F (140 degrees C).
Bake cookies until set but not browned, about 10 minutes; let cookies cool completely before filling.


Notes:

added a 1/4 measure of cream of tarter for the following measure ( i added *3 times the measure for mine) and add food color after beating the egg if you are not doing so many colors but just one.

egg whites should be room temp.  To create room temp eggs, submerge in warm water for 5 mins.

Sift almond flour, and powdered sugar as many times as possible. I sifted 4 times.

To measure by weight, use these amounts: 100 grams egg whites 50 grams white sugar 200 grams confectioners' sugar 110 grams ground almonds
If you do not have a sifter, you can use a blender or food processor to thoroughly mix the almonds and confectioners' sugar. Just blend or pulse for thirty seconds. Remember that because the consistency of the mix is like cake batter, you're going to have to be quick about piping it onto the silicone mat. Hold the pastry bag sideways between piping so it doesn't spill.

Strawberry Mousse Cake


 I absolutely LOVE this cake and it is always a huge hit whenever I make it. I like it refrigerated at-least overnight !





Cake Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease
450g (3 cups) self-raising flour
150g (1 cup) plain flour
440g (2 cups) caster sugar
300g butter, cubed, at room temperature
310ml (1 1/4 cups) milk
6 eggs, at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla essence

Strawberry Mousse Ingredients

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Strawberry Frosting Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Cake Preparation :

Step 1
Preheat oven to 140°C. Position a rack on the second lowest shelf of the oven. Brush a round 25cm (base measurement) cake pan with the melted butter to lightly grease (see Notes tab for instructions for other tin sizes). Line base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
Step 2
Place the self-raising flour, plain flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla essence in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to beat on low speed for 30 seconds or until just combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and all the butter is incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
Step 3
Bake in preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack for 2 hours or until completely cool.

Strawberry Mousse Preparation :

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Process 2 cups sliced strawberries and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Transfer strawberry mixture to a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add gelatin to strawberry mixture, stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. Cover and chill until consistency of unbeaten egg whites, stirring occasionally (about 30 minutes).

Beat cream at low speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture until well blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes or just until mixture is thick enough to hold its shape when mounded.

Spread about 1 cup Strawberry Mousse between each cake layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges; cover and chill 3 hours or until mousse is set.

Strawberry Frosting Preparation :

Beat 3/4 cup softened butter at medium speed 20 seconds or until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and 3/4 cup finely chopped strawberries, beating at low speed until creamy. Spread frosting on top and sides of cake.

NOTES : Have the butter at room temperature, soft enough to beat, but not melted. The undecorated cakes will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.


VARIATIONS

Easy vanilla butter cake in other cake pans: For a round 20cm pan (serves 8-12), use half the cake quantity and bake at 180C for 1 hour 10 minutes; 25cm square (serves 20-25), bake at 140C for 2 hours; 80ml/ 1/3 cup capacity muffin pans, lined with patty papers, bake at 180C for 25 minutes then repeat with the remaining mixture in batches (makes about 50).

Rich chocolate cake: Reduce the self-raising flour to 300g (2 cups). Sift 95g (1 cup) cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda, and add with the flours. Increase the milk to 435ml (1 3/4 cups). Omit the vanilla essence. When baking, use the following times: Round 25cm pan, 2 1/2 hours at 140C; 25cm square pan (serves 20-25) 2 hours at 140C; 80ml/ 1/3 cup muffin pans for cupcakes, bake at 180C for 25 minutes, the full recipe will make about 50. For a round 20cm tin (serves 8-12), use half the cake quantity and bake at 180C for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Orange cake: Reduce the milk to 185ml (3/4 cup) and add with 2 tbs finely grated orange rind and 125ml (1/2 cup) orange juice. Omit vanilla essence. For cooking temperatures and times for different cake pans, see rich chocolate cake above.
Carrot cake: Add 1 tsp ground cinnamon with the flours. Reduce the vanilla essence to 1 tsp. Add 285g (3 cups) coarsely grated carrot and 100g roughly chopped walnuts. When baking, use the following times: Round 25cm pan (serves 15-20), 2 hours 35 minutes at 140C; 25cm square pan (serves 20-25) 2 hours 10 minutes at 140; 80ml/ 1/3 cup muffin pans for cupcakes: bake at 180C for 25 minutes, the full recipe will make about 70. For a round 20cm tin (serves 8-12), use half the cake quantity and bake at 180C for 1 1/2 hours.

Banana cake: Sift 1 tsp bicarbonate soda and add with the flours. Reduce the milk to 125ml (1/2 cup). Add 390g (1 1/2 cups) mashed very ripe banana with the milk. Reduce the vanilla essence to 1 tsp. For cooking temperatures and times for different tins, see carrot cake above but note that the mixture will make about 60 cupcakes.

Kulumbu Vadagam Recipe - Ingredients


urad dhaal - 1/4 cup
Paasi paruppu - 1 spoon
Thoor daal - 1 spoon
thatta paruppu - 1 spoon
fenugreek seeds ( soaked in water for 2 hours) - 1 spoon
small onion (skin removed) -  3/4 cup
perungayam, asafotida - a pinch or as required

salt - 1/4 spoon
kadugu - 1 spoon
seragam or jeera - 1 tea spoon


For grinding (in to paste (not make it too fine)) - you should be able to make a ball like consistency

garlic - 1 full whole one
curry leaves - 2 strings
fenugreek seeds ( soaked in water for 2 hours) - 1 spoon

Method :


soak paasi paruppu, thoor daal, thatta paruppu, fenugreek for 2 hours
and  urad dhaal, for an hour and drain all the water and grind it without adding water.

consistency should be tight, grind for a lng time and keep it aide.

Mix the above grind ball in the dough, make small onion into paste (not very fine) no

water should be added, crush the jerra seeds with your hands and put in inside the dough,

add required salt - 1/4 tsp - add kadugu (raw)

put a mat and soak a white cotton cloth in water squeeze the water and spread it on the

mat and put the vadagam as droplets in the cloth and dry it in the sun for a day or two and apply or sprinkle water on the bottom side of the cloth and remove the vadagam

and again dry it in the sun (after removing it from cloth) for two days or until crispy.