french – Florida Girl Cooks http://floridagirlcooks.com Seeker of sunshine + exquisite food Sun, 03 Feb 2019 18:29:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1 96532064 French Chocolate Macaroons http://floridagirlcooks.com/french-chocolate-macaroons/ Sun, 07 Feb 2016 02:25:04 +0000 http://floridagirlcooks.com/?p=1006 French macaroons, the delightful yet over-the-top expensive little sweet treats to make all of your woes fade away with each bite. I am obsessed with macaroons but not so much with their price tag. ...

The post French Chocolate Macaroons appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

]]> French macaroons, the delightful yet over-the-top expensive little sweet treats to make all of your woes fade away with each bite. I am obsessed with macaroons but not so much with their price tag. At $3.00 a pop at Whole Foods it is something I indulge in, but not as often as I’d like for reasons obvious. So being the so full blown pregnant woman that I am right now I figured I’d set out to learn how to make them. My first attempt was using a supposed ‘tried and true’ recipe from Pinterest…it yielded some sad looking macaroons as they were cracked and spread way too wide. This second French Chocolate Macaroons recipe is one I came across on Williams-Sonoma’s website, since that is after all where I purchased the handy dandy Macaroon Mat and the Piping Bag Set. This batch came out a lot truer in texture and flavor compared to legitimate French macaroons that I have had the pleasure of devouring. They could’ve been smoother on the tops, however, my new sifter that I bought wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be so I skimmed through that process quickly and only half-sifted the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar. These are easy to make but I found that moving a bit slower will yield a good batter consistency and pipping slowly and carefully will give you the perfect small round circles. The key to the size is to pipe just outside of the innermost circle on the macaroon mat. Can you ditch the macaroon mat and use a regular silpat? Sure, but they may be a bit more inconsistent. Can you use parchment paper or pipe the macaroons straight onto a baking sheet? No unless you want to waste your time as they will not come up and off as easily and risk breaking. If the consistency of the batter is too watery and runny add a little more of the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar until it is a little more pasty as opposed to runny. Don’t be intimidated by these small and delicious cookies. This recipe is a fail safe way to enjoy them by yourself or with others if you’re not feeling so selfish. Ha! Ha!

french chocolate macaroons, macaroons, french, French baking, sweet treats, baked goods, bake, baking, Williams-Sonoma

French Chocolate Macaroons

Ingredients

For the macarons:
1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
1 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 tsp. granulated sugar
For the filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate,
finely chopped
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at
room temperature

Prepare

1. Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. To make the macarons, in a food processor, combine the almonds with 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and pulse until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar and pulse until well blended.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the egg whites and salt on medium-high speed just until the whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, gently fold in the almond mixture.

4. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the tops are cracked and appear dry but the macarons are still slightly soft to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to barely dampened kitchen towels and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel the paper off the macarons, transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. (The macarons can be made 1 day in advance and stored in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.)

6. To make the filling, in a saucepan over high heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the chocolate and butter and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape when spread, at least 30 minutes.

7. If desired, transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe the filling, or spread it with a table knife, generously on the flat side of half of the macarons. Top with the remaining macarons, flat side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches. (The cookies can be stored in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

french chocolate macaroons, macaroons, french, French baking, sweet treats, baked goods, bake, baking, Williams-Sonoma

French Chocolate Macaroons
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
For the macarons
  1. 1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
  2. 1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  3. 3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
  4. 3 egg whites
  5. Pinch of salt
  6. 2 tsp. granulated sugar
For the filling
  1. 1/2 cup heavy cream
  2. 2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
  3. 5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate,
  4. finely chopped
  5. 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at
  6. room temperature
Instructions
  1. Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. To make the macarons, in a food processor, combine the almonds with 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar and pulse until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and pulse until well blended.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the egg whites and salt on medium-high speed just until the whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, gently fold in the almond mixture.
  4. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the tops are cracked and appear dry but the macarons are still slightly soft to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to barely dampened kitchen towels and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel the paper off the macarons, transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. (The macarons can be made 1 day in advance and stored in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.)
  6. To make the filling, in a saucepan over high heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the chocolate and butter and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape when spread, at least 30 minutes.
  7. If desired, transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe the filling, or spread it with a table knife, generously on the flat side of half of the macarons. Top with the remaining macarons, flat side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches. (The cookies can be stored in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Florida Girl Cooks http://floridagirlcooks.com/

The post French Chocolate Macaroons appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

]]> 1006 RUSTIC RATATOUILLE http://floridagirlcooks.com/rustic-ratatouille/ Tue, 04 Aug 2015 02:51:36 +0000 http://floridagirlcooks.com/?p=306 Because a small ratatouille from my old post from 2009 just isn’t enough…you need to go bigger on this vegetable dish. If needing to feed a small army or you just want to have ...

The post RUSTIC RATATOUILLE appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

]]> Because a small ratatouille from my old post from 2009 just isn’t enough…you need to go bigger on this vegetable dish. If needing to feed a small army or you just want to have enough to enjoy throughout the week by making ahead then this is the dish you’re looking for. I call this my rustic version of ratatouille because I lose the control freak ability to layer everything so perfectly and have matching slice sizes. It’s a bit more sloppy but the flavor is still powerful and makes your mouth water. This rustic ratatouille is a good size portion to bring to your next gathering or have for your meal prep throughout the week.

rustic ratatouille, ratatouille, french, france, vegetarian

rustic ratatouille, ratatouille, french, france, vegetarian

rustic ratatouille, ratatouille, french, france, vegetarian

Ratatouille

Ingredients

2 (16 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or to taste
mascarpone cheese for topping, to your hearts content

Prepare

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Spread tomato paste into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with onion and garlic and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and water until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. Arrange alternating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and orange bell pepper, starting at the outer edge of the dish and working concentrically towards the center. The key here is to not necessarily overlap and alternate in a specific order and get sloppy with it a wee bit. Drizzle the vegetables with 4 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover vegetables with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are roasted and tender, one hour. Serve with large dollops of mascarpone cheese, if desired.

Rustic Ratatouille
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
50 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 50 min
Prep Time
50 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 50 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 (16 ounce) cans tomato paste
  2. 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  3. 1/2 cup minced garlic
  4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  5. salt and ground black pepper to taste
  6. 1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
  7. 2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
  8. 2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
  9. 1 orange bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
  10. 4 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
  11. 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or to taste
  12. mascarpone cheese for topping, to your hearts content
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Spread tomato paste into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with onion and garlic and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and water until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and black pepper.
  3. Arrange alternating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and orange bell pepper, starting at the outer edge of the dish and working concentrically towards the center. The key here is to not necessarily overlap and alternate in a specific order and get sloppy with it a wee bit. Drizzle the vegetables with 4 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover vegetables with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are roasted and tender, one hour. Serve with large dollops of mascarpone cheese, if desired.
Adapted from Florida girl Cooks
Adapted from Florida girl Cooks
Florida Girl Cooks http://floridagirlcooks.com/

rustic ratatouille, ratatouille, french, france, vegetarian

The post RUSTIC RATATOUILLE appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.

]]> 306