This is really just a fancy way of eating (or drinking) healthy... Smoothies can look & feel boring but this new craze is all over Instagram & Pinterest & has reinvented the classic smoothie. You can literally use whatever you want. My absolute favorite smoothie has always been my pineapple watermelon one as it combines two of my favorite things: pineapple and watermelon... Here's how I make it:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
1/2 cup diced watermelon
1 banana
1 cup ice (add less ice if you'll be using any frozen fruit)
Method:
1. Put all ingredients into a blender & blend until smooth. You may want to add more liquid or ice according to desired consistency.
2. Pour smoothie into bowl and arrange toppings. You can be as simple or as fancy as you like.
Tips:
1. If the smoothie isn't sweet enough, you can always add honey to the smoothie itself or drizzle some on top after you add your toppings.
2. Note that the smoothie will need to be thicker than the normal "drinking" consistency so that toppings won't sink.
These finicky little cookies are what made my little dessert business so successful. Being one of the best sellers, I can safely say that practice makes (almost) perfect. They may give you a migraine, but once you get them right you'll feel accomplished & determined to perfect them. They're very versatile & make lovely gifts & favours. At the end of the post, I've included a YouTube video I did which shows each step of the process. DISCLAIMER: The video was shot with my iPhone 6S & is definitely NOT professional. Enjoy! :)
Ingredients:
1. 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2. 1 1/8 cup almond flour
3. 3 large egg whites
4. 6 tbsp white sugar
Method:
1. Sift powdered sugar & almond flour together. Set aside.
2. Whip egg whites, starting on low speed & gradually increasing the speed to the highest.
3. When egg whites start to form foam, start adding white sugar (in 2 batches)
4. Continue whipping until stiff peaks are formed, but not too stiff as they make it difficult to fold & may result in hollow macarons with very big, ugly feet.
5. Once egg whites are properly whipped, fold dry ingredients into the meringue in 2 batches, gently folding but making sure to take some air out of the whipped egg whites.
6. Continue folding until batter starts settling within itself in about 5 seconds. If nothing happens after 5 seconds of leaving batter alone, continue folding.
7. Once properly folded, pour batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (my favourite is the Wilton #12)
8. Lay stencil on baking tray (optional) & rest a sheet of parchment paper on top.
9. Pipe macarons onto baking sheet.
10. Remove stencils & secure parchment paper to baking sheet by placing a tiny bit of batter on each corner to glue them together.
11. Either hit the bottom of the tray with your bare hands until air bubbles are popped & peaks are gone or drop the tray on a flat, strong surface.
12. Bake at 300 degrees F for 16 to 19 minutes.
13. Fill & enjoy!
Tips:
1. Practice makes perfect!
2. The "perfect" meringue consistency for me is when the whipped egg white mixture forms a little curl when held straight. It should not topple over & melt back into the meringue on the beater.
3. In my experience, I get the best results making them in air conditioning. This helps the meringue whip nicely & assists in forming a skin & making them on a rainy day is no issue as humidity is their worst enemy.
4. When filled, letting them sit for 24 hours allows them to moisten & this is when they're at their best!
5. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right the first time :)
I refer to this as "gluten free" in an attempt to make myself feel less guilty for indulging. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to bake and cool before eating. It's a regular for me since I'm always left with numerous lonely egg yolks because of all the french macarons I make (which only require egg whites)
Ingredients:
1. 3 egg yolks
2. 2 1/2 tbsp castor sugar
3. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
4. 1/2 tsp vanilla
OPTIONAL: 5. 1/4 vanilla bean or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
6. White sugar for crust
Method:
1. Whisk yolks and castor sugar together. Set aside.
2. Boil cream and vanillas on medium heat.
3. Temper egg yolk mixture into heated cream mixture by quickly whisking about a tablespoon of the hot cream into the egg yolks & sugar.
4. Add tempered egg mixture into cream mixture and whisk until sugar is fully dissolved.
5. Pour into ramekins.
6. Place ramekins in a tray that's at least the height of the ramekins.
7. Carefully pour boiling hot water into tray until it is about 3/4 of the way up the ramekins.
8. Bake for 45 to 50 mins at 300 degrees F.
9. Before serving (making sure that they're cooled), sprinkle about 1 tsp of white sugar on each custard and spread evenly.
10. Broil on high for about 3 mins until tops are caramelized. Or use a blow torch.
11. Let sit at room temperature (in air conditioning is ideal) for about 10 mins before serving.
Tips:
1. Babysit when broiling as different ovens may produce different results.
2. I use small ramekins, which makes 4-6 creme brûlées, so servings will differ according to the size ramekins you make.
3. Cooking time will more or less will be the same unless you use a very high ramekin and fill it to capacity.
4. You'll know that your custards are baked when they don't jiggle.
