Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons Filled with Dark Chocolate Ganache—For Valentine’s Day!

Do you still celebrate Valentine’s Day?  I hope you do because I have a special treat for you this year.  These Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons filled with Dark Chocolate Ganache will definitely put a smile on your face, and your Valentine’s.   




My hubby and I still celebrate Valentine’s Day.  But instead of having to fight with the crowds with restaurant reservations, troubles with the L.A.’s traffics and look for a babysitter, we both enjoy celebrating right at home (yeah, that’s a sign of getting OLD!  hahahaha….).  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy having a date night with my hubby every once in a while on special occasions, but just not on Valentine’s day when almost everyone is dining out!   




The day when I made these Strawberry Macarons, my Baby Girl was so excited and kept requesting to have more of these “heart shaped cookies”, which is how she referred to them.  When my Son got home from school, he did the same.  After he had a couple, he requested that I pack some up for him so that he can enjoy them at school the next day during snack time!  He is so spoiled!  (At least, I bet that’s what the teacher would think when she sees these Macarons in a 4 year old’s lunch bag! hahaha…) I put aside a few Macarons for my hubby’s cousin, who is visiting from Hong Kong; I packed two Macarons for my boy’s lunch bag.  And don’t know how it happened, the whole batch was gone the very next day!  There were 30+ macarons in a batch!  Oh well, I guess I’ll have to make another batch to enjoy on Valentine’s Day then.  




If you don’t feel comfortable in making your own Macarons, please refer to this post here with Tips on How to Make Perfect French Macarons.  Before I made my very first batch, I was very nervous and waited for a looong time before I got the courage to try my hands on them.  After a few trials, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks (as shared in the “How-To” post) and I’m more comfortable with them now.  I hope you’ll give them a try because they are so worth it. 




I've tasted quite a few Macarons from different places, mostly priced from $1.75 to $2.00 each.  Some tasted great, while some were not up to par.  For example, I've tried a Lychee Macaron that tasted more like a bar of soap!  Yike!  I would bet that there wasn't any real Lychee in that thing at all!  The “issue” was the use of artificial flavoring.  If you use quality ingredients and real fruit, you can really taste the difference.  I’m okay with using artificial flavoring.  But only for minor enhancements, and not as the primary source of flavor.  Since Macarons don’t like moisture, it’s much better to use freeze dried fruits in the batter for the Macarons shells.  With the broad availability on freeze dried fruit, making fruity Macaron shells with real fruit is a breeze.  My local Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Target all carry the freeze dried fruits.  Otherwise, you can always get them online here these days.   
 



I simply filled these Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons with some Dark Chocolate Ganache.  Simple and elegant.  The tartness from the strawberries really balanced well with the sweetness of these cookies (the tartness is something that the artificial flavoring cannot provide).  Strawberry and chocolate is such a classic combination, you can’t go wrong with that.  I used some Valrhona 70% Dark Chocolate to make the Ganache.  It’s rich, smooth and complex.  hm….each bite is heavenly!



I want to wish you all a beautiful, romantic and sweet Valentine’s Day!   So, what are your plans on Valentine’s day?  I would love to hear from you.




Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache
(Printable Recipe)
Makes: 30 to 35 filled macarons



For the macaron shells:
90 grams egg whites (about 3) preferably aged 3-5 days in the fridge
pinch of kosher salt
30 grams granulated sugar
185 grams powdered sugar
110 grams almonds
10 grams freeze dried strawberries
A pinch of powdered red food coloring (optional)

Prepare the macarons:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on high, gradually add the sugar until stiff peak forms. Place the almonds, powdered sugar, strawberries and food coloring (if using) in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue.

Fold the mixtures carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. The entire process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate; if the tops flatten on its own, the batter is ready. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple more turns.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the batter and pipe batter in heart shapes (1 inch to 1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, depending on their size. Rotate baking pans once half way through baking.

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Place chocolate and instant coffee in a heat proofed bowl.  In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream until simmer.  Pour hot cream into the bowl of chocolate mixture and stir until smooth and shinny.  Let cool slightly before use.

To Assemble:
With a small teaspoon, fill 1 macaron shell with a teaspoon of cooled chocolate ganache and top with another shell.  Fill the rest of the macaron shells.  Place filled macarons in room temperature until chocolate ganache harden.


This recipe is shared with:

Pink Saturday
Sweets for Saturday
Everyday Sister Sharing Sunday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Theme Baker Sunday
Mingle Monday
I'm Loving' It
These Chicks Cooked
Foodie Friday
Friday Food
Kitchen Fun and Craft Friday
Friday Favorite

Profiteroles with Strawberry Ice Cream

I can’t believe summer is coming to an end (or already ended) when the temperature still hits triple digits in my corner of the town.  As much as I love autumn/fall, I’m hanging on to the very last bit of the summer and enjoying different kinds of frozen treats.  Ice cream certainly is on the top of my list, and these little profiteroles (cream puffs) are the perfect vessels! 
 

These profiteroles are airy, light and fluffy.  After they are baked, they puffed up quite a bit and created a nice cavity in the middle for your fillings.  These are versatile as you can fill them with any flavor of ice cream, pastry cream, or fresh cream with fruit.  Dust with powdered sugar, cocoa powder or drizzle with chocolate sauce, your imagination is the limit.



I especially love these for its versatility because the choice of the favorite ice cream flavor never settled to just one or two in my household.  With the option to fill these puffs with whatever you fancy for, it’s definitely making desserts more fun.



As always, the best part after a photo shoot… is the taste test, or, I call it quality control.  A pillow-y puff with refreshing ice cream just made a hot afternoon more pleasant.  Thank you for stopping by and I wish you a wonderful day.




Profiteroles:                 Print This Recipe
Makes 20 Puffs


1 cup milk
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of sugar
A pinch of kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
a dash of vanilla extract
Strawberry ice cream (or any other flavor you like)
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a pot over medium heat, add the milk, butter, sugar and salt; heat until simmer.  Adjust the heat to low on the stove.  When all the butter is melted, add the flour all at once.  Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough.  Stirring constantly and cook the dough for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs, one at a time.  Make sure each egg is incorporated into the dough before adding the next one. Once all the eggs are in, whisk in the vanilla extract.

Transfer the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the dough in 1 1/2-inches wide and 1-inch high onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Be sure to pipe each one at least 2-inches apart because they will puff up during baking.  If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a small ice cream scoop or 2 spoons to scoop the batter.  Shape the puffs with damp fingers if needed.
Wet your finger and lightly press down the tip of the batter on top of each puff.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Turn off the oven and let the baked puffs sit in the oven for another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cut a small slit in the side of each puff so the steam can escape. Cool on a wiring rack.

Cut each profiterole in half crosswise, fill with a small scoop of ice cream, replace the top, and dust with powdered sugar.

This recipe is shared with:

Full Plate Thursday
Friday Potluck
I'm Lovin' It
Foodie Friday
Pink Saturday
Fat Camp Friday
Sweets for Saturday

uTry.it Turns One! More Macarons…Oh yeah…and a Giveaway

uTry.it turns one today!  Woohoo!  It’s amazing looking back to the past 365 days.  365 days of happy memories because of you, every single one of you, my dear readers and food blog friends. 


When I wrote my very first blog post a year ago, I’ve never expected I would gain so much from writing a food blog (besides gaining the weights from testing out recipes, hahaha…). I’ve made so many news friends and fellow bloggers. I truly cherish all of your friendship, comments, supports, feedbacks and kindness. It’s overwhelming, but in a very positive way.





Did you know, the post that received the most comments and feedbacks in the past year was The Culinary Smackdown Battle-Cookies.  It was such a fun event/contest.  I really love to see all those scrumptious cookie recipes that you shared on my blog.  Maybe I’ll host another similar event again in the near future.  What do you think?


Speaking of cookies, the French Macaron was the type of cookie that got the most recipe posts in the past year from the cookie category.  Probably because it’s a plain canvas that I can create so many different flavor combinations in these little cuties.  What can I say, they are absolutely addictive.  If you haven’t make these cuties before, here’s the post for some basic Macaron making tips. 




To extend my appreciation for your supports of my blog, I’m hosting a Giveaway on uTry.it’s Birthday.  The prizes from the giveaway will help you to a step closer to making these Macarons as well.  That is, if you haven’t make them before. 


This Giveaway is now Closed. Thank you for everyone who participated.


Prize #1: Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Mat 11 1/2-by-16 1/2-inch.  It fits perfectly on my 12 by 17-inch baking sheets.  A must have for Macaron making. Of course, you can use the Silpat when you make any other cookies, breads, meringues, etc.

Product image from Amazon

Prize #2: Bourbon Vanilla Powder 2.5 oz. by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. A key ingredient for Macaron making.  Adding lots of flavor but not moisture, which is essential for successful Macaron making. 

Product image from Amazon

Rules for the Giveaway:

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.  1 winner will be selected using Random.org and the winner will get both prizes. Must be a uTry.it public follower/member through Google Friends Connect to participate.  (See the right hand side bar under “Follower” with the button “Join this site”).  You have until Wednesday, August 31st, 12 midnight PST to enter this giveaway.  Winner will be contact via email shortly after the giveaway is closed.

Mandatory Entry: 

Leave a comment and tell me what kind/type of recipes you would like to see more on my blog.  Is it desserts,entrée, or entertaining appetizers? Do you like Chinese, Asian, French, Italian or whatever you can think of?

Additional Entries: (you can do any or all of the following, just leave a separate comments for each)

1) “Like” uTry.it’s Facebook page.  Here’s the link. 

2) Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook.  Please include the link to this post when you share.

3) Follow uTry.it on Twitter.  Here’s the link.

4) Tweet about this giveaway.  Please include my Twitter handle @utry_it and the link to this post in your tweet.

5) Subscribe to my blog via email.  You’ll receive an email to verify the subscription.  

6) Subscribe via RSS feed.

Meyer Lemon Macarons with Blueberry Buttercream and Meyer Lemon Curd:
Printable Recipe

Makes about 30-35 filled macarons

For the shells:
110 gram egg white (3 large eggs), age the egg whites in the fridge for 2-3 day
30 gram granulated sugar
185 gram powdered sugar
110 gram almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 tablespoon of finely grated Meyer Lemon Zest

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue. Then, add the lemon zest and vanilla powder until well combined.
In a food processor, process the almonds and powdered sugar until the almonds are fine.  Pour into a large mixing bowl and whisk to break any lumps. 

Add the meringue into the almond mixture and fold carefully until you obtain a batter that flows like magma or a thick ribbon. The whole folding process should be around 40 to 50 strokes.

Test a small amount on a plate. If the tops flattens on its own after 10 seconds, you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple more turns. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the batter and pipe small round (about 1.5 inches) onto baking sheets lined with a Silpat.

Let the macarons sit out for an hour to harden their shells a bit. Preheat the oven to 280F and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool completely.

For the Blueberry Buttercream:

1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Zest of 1/2 a Meyer Lemon
2 tablespoons of Meyer lemon juice
1/4 cup blueberry preserves

In a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk the sugar and egg whites constantly until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like marshmallow cream.

Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the meringue on medium speed until it cools and forms a thick shiny meringue, about 5 minutes.


Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and blueberry jam, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, about 6-10 minutes.  Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. 


For the Meyer Lemon Curd, please see recipe here.


To Assemble:
Spoon a dollop of Meyer lemon curd in the middle of a Macaron shell, pipe blueberry buttercream around the lemon curd and top with another Macaron shell.  Enjoy.


This recipe is shared with:

Sweets for Saturday
Foodie Friday
Fresh Food Friday
Friday Favorite
Fat Camp Friday
On The Menu Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Full Plate Thursday
These Chicks Cooked
Friday Favorites
I'm Lovin It
Friday Potluck
Sweet Tooth Friday

Blackberry Macaron with Meyer Lemon Buttercream

Yeah, I’m on Macaron “madness” lately, LOL.  Seems like a lot of the sweet recipes that I posted lately involved Macarons.  What can I say, these Blackberry Macaron with Meyer Lemon Buttercream are my latest creation and they got me my very first “paid” Macarons order after a “taste test”. 



No doubt that I’m happy to receive my very first Macaron order (without any advertising or marketing efforts); I’m actually more thrilled that someone appreciate and loves my creations.  It really makes me happy if my products can put a smile on someone's face. 



Ha…I guess it’s about time to promote and advertise my products here then!    It really made me want to start a little home bakery and share all kinds of baked goods with more people out there.  Shall I?  Will you purchase from me if you live in my area?  What should I include in my bakery?  Leave me a comment and let me know, would you?  I really want to get your feedback before I get my feet too wet!  LOL.  Thank you and I truly appreciate your supports!









Blackberry Macaron with Meyer Lemon Buttercream: Printable Recipe
Makes: 30 to 35 filled macarons



For the macaron shells:
90 grams egg whites (about 3) preferably aged 3-5 days in the fridge
pinch of kosher salt
30 grams granulated sugar
185 grams powdered sugar
110 grams almonds
8 grams Thrive freeze dried blackberries
A pinch of powdered purple food coloring (optional)



To Prepare the macarons:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on high, gradually add the sugar until stiff peak forms.

Place the almonds, powdered sugar, blackberries and food coloring (if using) in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground.  Add them to the meringue. Fold the mixtures carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate; if the tops flatten on its own, the batter is ready. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple more turns.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (1 inch to 1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, depending on their size. Rotate baking pans once half way through baking.


Meyer Lemon Buttercream:
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Zest of 1 Meyer Lemon
Juice of 1/2 a Meyer Lemon

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a heat proof bowl, add the sugar and egg whites together. Whisk constantly over a saucepan of simmering water. Keep whisking the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and place the bowl back to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the meringue on medium high until it cools. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream until thick and very smooth, about 6-10 minutes. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until well incorporated.  


To assemble:
Pipe or spoon about 1 tablespoon of butterceam in the center of one shell and top with another one.  Repeat until all shells are filled.

Note:  For more details and tips on making Macarons, please refer to this post here.


This recipe is shared with:

Sweets for Saturday
Everyday Sister Sharing Sunday
Melt in Your Mouth Mondays
On the Menu Monday

Happy Fourth of July--Prosecco Gelatin with Berries and Mint

Gardening is really NOT my specialty, I knew it all along.  Even cactus died on me, that was years ago and I refused to plant those any more ever since.  It’s just hurt my self-esteem sad to see the strongest plant died under my care.  However, I use quite a bit of herbs in my cooking. It is way more economical and convenience to grow my own. 



As I shared with you a while ago, I planted some herbs this spring. Mint was one of the later addition to the herb family. To my surprise, it is growing out of control! It is almost bursting out of the pot I planted it in, and it is taking up too much soil space from the other herbs in the same pot.  I transferred it once to a separate pot and it’s still growing like this. Okay, that’s a little exaggerating, but you can imagine.

Flowers started blooming on it lately(I assume it’s not a good thing) and I know I have to use some up quickly.  I have no problem with that at all as it’s so refreshing in drinks and desserts.  Especially in these Prosecco Gelatin with Berries and Mint!



The Prosecco Gelatin with Berries and Mint screams summer right in my face!  The mint simple syrup is sweet, with the cool mint and chilled gelatin, it’s the best way to cool down in this hot weather.  The berries add a little tang to this sweet treat.  You can totally taste the prosecco in the gelatin and it’s the best way to enjoy prosecco, besides drinking it straight.





What's better than a Red, White, and Blue dessert to celebrate 4th of July?  Probably the extra green mint in it.  hahaha....Happy July 4th for those who celebrate.  This Prosecco Gelatin with Berries and Mint is the perfect treat to cool down after the BBQ.  Also, you can make this the day before the party so you can have more time spend with your friends and family.

For the kiddo’s version, substitute the prosecco (and simple syrup)with the same amount of fruit juice, such as apple juice or white grape juice.  As the fruit juice is sweet enough and you don’t need to add any sugar in the kid’s recipe. 





Prosecco Gelatin with Berries and Mint:
Makes: 4 Servings

For the Gelatin:
2 package of unflavored gelatin powder, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water
1/4 cup blueberries
4 strawberries, diced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
2 cups chilled prosecco
Mint Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
a handful of fresh mint leaves

To make the mint simple syrup:
In a small pot, bring water and water to a boil. When sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and add mint leaves. Let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove mint leaves from syrup.

To make the gelatin:
Add gelatin mixture into mint syrup and heat until gelatin dissolved and syrup return to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add prosecco, berries and chopped mint.
Evenly divided the mixture into 4 (8 ounces) cups and chill for at least 2 hours or until set; enjoy.

 

This recipe is linked to:

Theme Baker Sunday
Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday
Fun with Food Friday