Showing posts with label cookie dough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cookie dough. Show all posts

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Funfetti Cookie Dough Macarons


     Life is crazy as a sophomore.  I can't even spell "sophomore" without spell check helping me.  Since when was there an "o" in there? Since when was I in tenth grade? Someone transport me back to freshman year, please. 
      I'm stressed out sometimes.  Looking at pictures of sprinkles and macarons makes me happier, though. 







   I know my photography isn't that great, but that was nice.  Too bad the macarons are all gone now.  

   Here's how you can make them.

Make a basic vanilla macaron batter. 
Pipe it on parchment lined baking sheets and sprinkle sprinkles on top. Let rest, then bake.
Make cookie dough. Subtract eggs. Add sprinkles and chocolate shavings (optional).
Fill macaron shells, then roll around in sprinkles. 
Enjoy!
P.S. Here's something else I made with sprinkles. I'll try to post the recipe soon.
Everything's okay when you have macarons.

Funfetti Cookie Dough Macarons

makes 20
adapted from Love and Olive Oil
Ingredients

For the Shells:

85 grams almond flour or finely ground almonds
150 grams powdered sugar
90 grams egg whites (from about 3 large eggs), room temperature
55 grams superfine sugar (or granulated sugar processed in a blender)
sprinkles

For Cookie Dough Filling:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 to 2 tablespoon heavy cream (or as needed)
grated chocolate and sprinkles (optional)

Sprinkles, for rolling

Directions:
  1. Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar.
  2. Place egg whites in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed until frothy, then slowly add superfine sugar, a little bit at a time with the mixer on medium speed, scraping down the side of the bowl periodically. When all the sugar has been added, increase speed to medium high and whip until meringue is firm and glossy and forms medium-stiff peaks.
  3. Pour half of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and stir, folding and scraping a few times until no dry flour remains. Add the remaining flour and mix, folding and spreading the batter against the sides of the bowl just until the meringue and flour are incorporated and the batter falls off the spatula in thick ribbons.
  4. Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe small circles onto a parchment or silicone-mat-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch of space between them.
  5. Rap the baking sheet firmly on the counter, then smack the bottom of the baking sheet multiple times with your hand to remove any remaining air bubbles. If any pointy 'tips' still remain, you can gently press them down with a lightly moistened fingertip. Sprinkle with sprinkles, and set aside until the tops are dry.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they do not brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, then gently remove from baking sheets.
  7. To prepare filling, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in flour, salt, vanilla, and almond extract on low speed until incorporated. Add cream and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes, adding more cream if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Stir in grated chocolate. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Gently pipe about a teaspoon of filling onto underside of half of the cooled cookies, then top with remaining cookies. Roll edges of macarons in sprinkles.
  8. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.




















Monday, August 5, 2013

Cookie Dough Birthday Cake


     My sister is really lucky.  She's going to Duke for college, which means she'll be far away from any family, and she's turning eighteen, which means she can drive and but things on infomercials.  Also, she had her sister make her this birthday cake.
      Jessie isn't 18 yet, but I made her this cake early since she'll be in college on her birthday.  That's why I wrote out "Happy Unbirthday" and put 17 and 3/4 candles on her cake.  My sister was always obsessed with mermaids when she was younger, so I made her into a mermaid figuring on the cake. Since she's going to college, and since Monsters University is really cute, I made half of the cake with that theme.
A picture of my sister for comparison.
        I made a batch of marshmallow fondant a week ahead of time and made the decorations: the Duke and Monsters University logos, Duke chapel and Monsters University building, mermaid and Mike, books, microscope (she's studying biology), flower, and rock.  The way I planned the cake, each side of the cake would have a college logo and building, a character, a book, and a purple border.  I kept the decorations at room temperature so that they wouldn't sweat.
         On the day of the celebration, I covered the cake I made with blue fondant and put it on a cake board covered in green fondant.  Then I put on the purple borders.  I covered the Monsters top side with grey fondant "cobblestones" and the mermaid side with brown sugar "sand."  Next I just added the decorations I made, using a bit of water to "paste" them on. I cut lettering out of the green fondant on the cake board and I stuck candles around the bottom on little balls of fondant.  Then we ate the cake, and it was yummy.

             I made a chocolate chip cake with cookie dough filling and brown sugar swiss meringue buttercream.  Those flavors were perfect for the occasion; they were nostalgic of childhood but still sophisticated.  I made a huge 3 layer 9" cake, since I had a bunch of guests at my house.

             The filling is basically cookie dough, but without the eggs or baking soda, and the cake is just a vanilla cake with chocolate chips tossed in flour thrown in. You can use this cake recipe, or another if you prefer. Making the swiss meringue buttercream is just like making any other one, but you use some brown sugar in place of some white sugar.

              Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Filling

makes enough to fill a 3-layer cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup whole milk or cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add milk and vanilla.  Then stir in flour and salt. Fold in chocolate chips.

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

makes enough to frost a 3-layer cake

Ingredients

1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but still cool and cut into pieces
5 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Whisk together the egg whites, sugars, and salt in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water. Whisk until hot to the touch, or 160*F.  Remove the bowl from the heat and beat the egg whites until they are thick and glossy, and the bowl isn't warm to the touch. Add butter a bit at a time and beat until thick. Add vanilla and beat for another minute.