Macarons!

I love, love, love macarons!  I loved them before I went gluten free, it’s just one of those dreamy treats I didn’t have to give up.  I tried a recipe from Pinterest for my first try, tasty, but there were some improvements to be made.  This recipe turned out perfect, and of course, I had to change it a little.

This had to be one of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received.  I was at a Christmas party for our church and I eyed a plate, the ONLY plate, of Macarons and by the time I sought out the person who brought them to ask if they were gluten free, they were gone.  I asked her how hard they were to make, and she said she’d tried several and loves them too.  The next week she brought over this recipe book because I had asked her about them.  And it wasn’t only thoughtful, but this book is AWESOME!  They have printable pdf files of templates too on a CD included in the back of the book.  SO cute!  You can buy it HERE.

Measure by weight, not volume!

Basic Recipe (my changes in BLUE)

200g powdered sugar

110g almond flour

100g egg whites aged at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

35g superfine sugar

4-6 drops lime doTerra essential oil

Dab of green food coloring paste

Measure all of the ingredients with a digital scale. 

Preheat oven to 320’ for at least 30 minutes.

Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into a bowl together.  Combine well using a wire whisk and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, beat egg whites until opaque and creamy.  Add pinch of cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.  Slowly add superfine sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Add food coloring his point if you choose to use it.

Fold and stir the powdered sugar/almond flour mixture into the egg whites, adding 1/3 of the mixture at a time.  The mixture will be the texture of thick cake batter, but fluffy and light.  Add the macaron mix to a piping bag with a tip #12 attached.  Pipe onto silicone mat or on parchment paper circles.  Tap the cookie sheet to release bubbles and help the mix spread out within the circles.  Allow to set 30-40 minutes(I found 20 minutes too short to leave an adequate skin).  They will get a skin and look dull.  This skin helps them rise up rather than spread out.  Turn oven down to 300’.  Bake one cookie sheet on the bottom rack at a time for 10-12 minutes, rotate the pan halfway through to allow steam to escape and evenly distribute heat.  Cookies should NOT brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  Peel the cookies off of the parchment or silicone mat to finish cooling. 

Divide the cooled cookies into pairs of like sizes.  Pipe the icing into the center with enough of it to go to the ends, but not spill out.  Refrigerate overnight for best results.

Icing: 

2 sticks softened/room temperature(not melted) butter (I prefer salted)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ Tbl. Rum emulsion flavoring

2 tsp. almond emulsion flavoring

Beat all of the ingredients in a large mixer bowl on high for several minutes.  Scrape the bowl as needed.  Add more milk or powdered sugar to get a thick consistency.  Cover and let sit 15 minutes and beat again.  A cake decorator taught me if you did this then you don’t have to sift the sugar. 

Lime Curd:

½ cup sugar

Zest of 3 limes

½ Cup Fresh lime juice

4 egg yolks(now you get to use those egg yolks up.

Pinch of salt

¼ cup butter, room temperature

½ cup white chocolate chips

Whisk all of the ingredients except the butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan.  Over very low heat, bring to a simmer whisking the entire time.  It will thicken up as it begins to bubble while still stirring.   After it’s thick, remove from heat and add white chocolate chips.  Stir until they are completely melted and incorporated.  Allow to cool until just warm enough to melt butter.  Add 1 Tbl. of butter at a time and incorporate all of the butter. I didn’t like the look of orange yolk color with the specks of green zest so I added some green food coloring.   Set aside until cool.

When the Lime Curd is cool, add 1/2-3/4 cup to Buttercream Icing and mix well.  Spoon icing mix into a piping bag with another #12 tip. 

Prepare your cooled cookies to fill with icing by pairing them up with like sizes and shapes.  Turn one of the pair over and pipe icing into the center. 

Refrigerate cookies in a tightly sealed or covered container overnight for best results. 

One of my experiments was too ugly to photograph, but yummy enough to gobble up, lavender macarons with lemon icing.  There are countless variations, but I'm partial to anything with citrus in it.  You can even add mashed berries to icing, or even mascarpone cheese/pudding mix(you need something help it stay together).

Enjoy!!!!

Strawberry Angel Food Cookies with Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar

These are really sweet, light, airy, and tart pleasing cookies.  I pick up fun vinegars and oils at TJMaxx or Ross all the time.  I picked up a Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar and it's this really thick and aged syrup, it's wonderful!  Strawberries go great with balsamic vinegar so I had to try this.  Add some cocoa powder for a truly decadent cookie.  These cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.  I used home made strawberry freezer jam, but it was too sweet.  Reduced sugar or sugar-free jam works best.

1 box angel food cake mix(do NOT add water)

3/4 cup low-sugar or sugar free jam

1 Tbl. Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar(optional)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder(optional)

Preheat oven to 350'.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil and spray with non-stick spray(MUST!).  Prepare all of the ingredients in a mixer bowl for 1 minute on slow.  Scrape sides well and mix another minute.  Use a cookie scoop and place 12 cookies per large cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes, until they start to turn golden.  Remove from oven and slide parchment onto counter.  Wait 1-2 minutes before removing cookies to cooling rack.

I prepared most of the batch pictured below without the cocoa and decided to add that after I had baked most.  This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.

Triple Chocolate Fluffernutter Cookie Sandwiches

It's a mouthful, huh?  Yeah, you will be stuffing your mouth full of these. 

Cookies:
1 Package Devils Food Cake Mix
1 cube(1/2 cup) softened butter
2 squares(2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate squares
2 Tbl. Canola Oil
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350' degrees.  In a large bowl, add butter and chocolate squares and microwave on high 30 seconds.  Stir until squares are melted and incorporated into butter.  If you need to, microwave again in 15 second increments.  You don't want the butter to be hot, just enough to melt the chocolate.  When incorporated and cooled to luke warm, add oil and egg(you don't want the egg to scramble).  Stir in cake mix and then stir in chocolate chips.  Using a Tbl. size cookie scoop place 2" apart on parchment lined cookie sheets .  Take a flat glass or small bowl and spray bottom with non-stick spray and slightly flatten.  Bake 8-10 minutes and remove to cookies to cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely.  Makes approx. 36 cookies.

Frosting:
This is easy, and SO delicious.  Use the 7-Minute Brown Sugar Frosting.  Add about 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter to 1/2 of the frosting recipe.   Add to large tipped frosting piping bag.  Generously pipe the bottom of one cooled cookie and sandwich with the bottom of another one close in size.  Allow to set up in refrigerator or freezer for a few hours.  The chocolate cookie gets softer and easier to eat in a few hours.

7-Minute Brown Sugar Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large egg whites(1/2 cup "Just Whites" pasteurized from carton works great)
• 6 tablespoons water
• dash salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla bean paste

Preparation:

Add brown sugar, egg whites, water, and salt in bowl of standing mixer. Put on top of double boiler over boiling water.  Hold bowl steady using an oven mitt(no burns!).  Beat sugar and egg mixture with whisk constantly until mixture is hot to the touch and starts to thicken.  Remove from heat and position bowl in stand mixer with whisk attachment.  Whip on high until mixture forms strong peaks and is dramatically lighter in color.  Add vanilla.  Continue beating until frosting is thick enough to spread.  Makes enough to frost a 2 layer cake.

 

 

7-Minute Brown Sugar Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large egg whites(1/2 cup "Just Whites" pasteurized from carton works great)
• 6 tablespoons water
• dash salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla bean paste

Preparation:

Add brown sugar, egg whites, water, and salt in bowl of standing mixer. Put on top of double boiler over boiling water.  Hold bowl steady using an oven mitt(no burns!).  Beat sugar and egg mixture with whisk constantly until mixture is hot to the touch and starts to thicken.  Remove from heat and position bowl in stand mixer with whisk attachment.  Whip on high until mixture forms strong peaks and is dramatically lighter in color.  Add vanilla.  Continue beating until frosting is thick enough to spread.  Makes enough to frost a 2 layer cake.

Lindsay D's Sugar Cookies

Mix:
3/4 cup shortning, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla
Add in:
2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp salt
Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll out to 1/8" and cut. Bake @ 400 for 6-8 minutes

They are my favorite. I just use pre-made frosting from the tub but I'm sure homemade frosting would be great too. Enjoy!

Rootbeer Cookies

My FAVORITE cookie. Rootbeer extract is hard to find, but I have found it online.
 

Rootbeer Cookies
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 c. buttermillk
1 tsp. root beer extract
1-3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix brown sugar, butter, and egg until fluffy. Stir in buttermilk, rootbeer extract, flour, soda, and salt, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Heat oven to 400'. Place cookies 2" apart on cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on rack and glaze with recipe below.

Rootbeer Glaze for Rootbeer Cookies
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
2 Tbl. hot water

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in rootbeer extract and hot water. Place wax paper under cooling rack. Spoon glaze over the cookies. This glaze will do a double batch of cookies.

Blueberry "Crack" Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter flavored shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. real vanilla

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda

1 package white chocolate chips
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350'. In large mixing bowl cream brown sugar, sugar, shortening, eggs, & vanilla on high speed for about 1 minute, scrape sides of bowl as needed to incorporate all the ingredients.  Add oats, flour, salt and baking soda and mix well.  Add white chocolate chips and fold in slowly with mixer.   Fold in frozen blueberries just until mixed.  Immediately scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheets, 2" apart.  Bake at 350' for 11-13 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.  Let rest 5 minutes and then remove to cookie sheet.  Refrigerate any leftover cookies, but know, these are best eaten warm.

The kosher salt really makes this recipe amazing, just a hint of salt that makes all the flavors explode.  You'll see why, this why this recipe is "Blueberry Crack", and you'll never look at blueberries the same way again.  And since I added real fruit, they're totally healthy ;)

Golden Butterscotch Blondies

1 stick butter flavored Crisco shortening stick (Or ½ cup shortening, ½ cup Nucoa marg.)
1 C packed brown sugar
½ C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ C all-purpose flour
1 package butterscotch chips
Gold Glitter Sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350' and spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray well, set aside.  Cream "wet" ingredients together(includes both sugars) until creamy and smooth.  Add flour and baking soda all at once and mix until combined.  Pour in butterscotch chips and mix.  Spread mixture evenly in 9x13" pan.  Sprinkle top with Gold Glitter Sugar.  Bake for approx. 23 minutes, until golden brown on top.  Let cool.  Use a knife and go around edge of pan to make sure bars are not stuck to pan.  Flip onto cutting board and cut into pieces.

Rootbeer Cookies

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 c. buttermillk
1 tsp. root beer extract
1-3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix brown sugar, butter, and egg until fluffy. Stir in buttermilk(you can also use milk curdled with vinegar or lemon juice equaling the same amount), rootbeer extract, flour, soda, and salt, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Heat oven to 400'. Place cookies 2" apart on cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on rack and glaze with recipe below.

Rootbeer Glaze for Rootbeer Cookies
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
2 Tbl. hot water

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in rootbeer extract and hot water. Place wax paper under cooling rack. Spoon glaze over the cookies. This glaze will do a double batch of cookies. 

Another easy option is:
1 box yellow or spice cake mix
1 tsp. rootbeer extract
1 egg
1 stick of melted butter(but not hot)
Combine all ingredients.  Use a cookie scoop to get equal portions.  Flatten with the bottom of a flat glass that has been dipped in sugar.  Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes, don't let the edges brown.  Let cool and spread with the same icing as above or add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken it up.  Spread a generous amount on the bottom of one cookie and sandwich with the bottom of another.  These are best if you let them sit overnight.  Good luck with that though.  :)

Whopper Cookies

1 stick butter flavored Crisco shortening stick (Or ½ cup shortening, ½ cup Nucoa marg.)
1 C packed brown sugar
½ C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ C all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Malted Milk Powder
1 1/2 cups malt balls, smashed

Preheat oven to 350’. In a 1 qt. ziploc bag, crush malt balls with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer mallet. Mix first 5 ingredients together. Add baking soda, flour, and malted milk powder all at once and mix again. After ingredients are well mixed add crushed malt balls and mix on slow until equally dispersed. Using a small cookie scoop place about 2 in. apart on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake 8-12 minutes, just until light golden edges.

If you want to SUPER-YUMMY-IZE it, Mix 1 tub of milk chocolate frosting with 1/2 cup malted milk. Frost cookies and dip tops in additional crushed malt balls.

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Using a small cookie scoop place cookies 2" apart on cookie sheet. Dip a fork in sugar and "cross hatch" cookies to flatten. Bake at 350' for 8-9 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

This is one of my new favorite cookies now!

Ingredients:


Double Batch:
2 boxes Orange Supreme Cake Mix
3 Eggs slightly
1 stick of butter, melted and cooled
1/2 stick Butter flavored Crisco(1/2 cup)
2 tsp. vanilla
Zest of 1 large orange
Preheat oven to 350'. Combine all above ingredients in a mixer until smooth. If it is too dry, you can add a little canola oil. Use a cookie scoop to get even size cookies. On a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, plop cookies approx. 2" apart. Use a flat bottomed glass dipped in sugar to flatten to approx. 1/4" thick. Give a slight twist after pressing down if cookies stick. Back for 8-10 minutes, one sheet at a time. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Cookie sheet should be cool before preparing more cookies or they will be very flat and spread unevenly(as with all cookies).



Frosting/Glaze:
1 lb. powdered sugar(approx. 1/2 bag)
2 Tbl. softened/room temp. butter
zest & juice of 1 large orange
Whisk frosting ingredients until smooth, may add milk if too thick. Add more sugar if too thin. Spread a small amount in center of cooled cookies, may need to spread a little if it doesn't pool to the edges.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter flavored Crisco shortening stick (Or ½ cup shortening, ½ cup Nucoa marg.)
1 C packed brown sugar
½ C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ C all-purpose flour
1 package white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts or dried cranberries(optional)

Preheat oven to 350’. Mix first 5 ingredients together. Add baking soda and flour, all at once and mix again. After ingredients are well mixed add white chocolate chips and nuts/cranberries if you want. Using a small cookie scoop place about 2 in. apart on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake 8-12 minutes, just until light golden edges. (If you double this recipe only use 3 eggs, instead of 4)

Brownie Cheesecake Bites

I used two tools for this that I believe are a must have in every kitchen: a cookie scoop(approx. 1 Tbl.) and a mini scoop(approx. 1 tsp.).

2 24 count mini muffin pans

1 pkg. Family Size Brownie Mix, mixed according to package directions, but do not pour into pan and cook, set aside
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, (not fat-free)
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter chips, or any flavor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brownie mix according to package directions, but do not pour into pan. Set aside. Beat cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla thoroughly in mixer. Add peanut butter chips and mix again. Spray each muffin cup with non-stick spray, bottoms and sides. Or use mini muffin liners. Using the cookie scoop divide the brownie mix evenly into each muffin cup. Use the mini-scoop or a measuring tsp. to top each brownie bite with cream cheese mixture. Bake for approx. 28-32 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and remove from cups. You may need to use a small knife to separate brownies from muffin cups. Makes 48 Brownie Bites.

**Alternative to peanut butter chips: mini semi sweet, mint, butterscotch, white, milk, semi-sweet, etc...... Try any variation!

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Cranberries, and Pecans

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 stick butter(salted)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. real vanilla

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

1 package white chocolate chips
1 5.5 oz. pkg. of pecans, chopped
1 6 oz. pkg. Craisins

In a microwave safe bowl add Craisins and cover with water. Microwave on high 60 seconds covered. Stir. Microwave another 30 seconds on high. Let cool on counter.

Preheat oven to 350'. In large mixing bowl add first 6 ingredients and mix well, until creamy and smooth.  Add the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix.  Do not over mix dough. Drain juice from cranberries and add to cookie mixture with chocolate chips and chopped pecans and fold in on slowest mixer setting. Using a small cookie scoop drop scoopfuls 2" apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until edges are golden.

Rootbeer Cookies....

These are our favorite cookies! I grew up making these from a Betty Crocker cook book just for kids, but the book was lost. I've tried several recipes, the ones calling for buttermilk are just yuck. This is the latest and our most favorite one. They're soft on the inside, and the glaze keeps them moist even though it does harden a bit. Enjoy!

Rootbeer Cookies
1 stick butter flavored Crisco shortening stick (Or ½ cup shortening, ½ cup Nucoa marg.)
1 1/2 C packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbl. Rootbeer Extract
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ C all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350’. Mix first 5 ingredients together. Add baking soda and flour, all at once and mix again. Using a small cookie scoop place about 2 in. apart on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake 8-12 minutes, just until light golden edges. (If you double this recipe only use 3 eggs, instead of 4).

Rootbeer Cookie Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. Rootbeer Extract
1/8-1/4 cup milk
2 Tbl. softened butter or margarine

Combine all ingredients until they are the consistency of "shampoo". Put in a disposable piping bag, cut the tip off, and pipe a circle and then fill in. Do this on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet when the cookies are COOL.