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Macarons make me mad!

My favorite moment. After you pipped them and let them rest and when the feet starts to form out

The result - Perfectly baked macaroons but have to be extra gentle as they are very fragile

There has been this sudden surge in macarons or macaroons demand. It seems like everyone is enjoying them. Apart from writer. There is something about this type of desserts which are too sweet for my own consumption. Maybe its the sugar content. I tried to diminish the sugar, reduce it but it resulted in unsuccessful and ugly macaroon shell.

The history of macaroons

In France it is spelled macaron, in English it is spelled macaroon and in Italian it is spelled maccarone or maccharone. The origin is uncertain as some said that it originated from Italy, then been imported to France by 2 Benedictine nuns whom seeked asylum during the French Revolution. Whatever it is, it is one of the most historical desserts ever made and it is the most popular consumed cookie enjoyed by Italian Jews especially during the eight day Passover.

My take on macaroons

I tried making them less sweet as i have very sensitive enamel. However tamper as i may, it didn't yield out any good result. Who am i to tamper with century old recipes? What i can say is, enjoy them as you can. I give up in consuming them but i get the satisfaction in making them especially when the shells turn out great with beautiful formed feet.

What i like about them is, you can use whatever filling that you like. I like to put in some fresh strawberries and kiwis. It really brings out the flavor. Unfortunately in Johor Bahru, it is very scarce to find a macaroon maker. I myself am seeking for the chef so that i can learn and develop my skills of macaroon making

Rocky Road Brownie

                                                                  Rocky Road Brownie

I know I know brownies are supposed to be made squares but i love this non stick baking tin so much that makes removing cakes so easy peasy. hehehe

We had a little family gathering last New Year's Eve at my parents' farm and my cousin requested me to make something chocolaty. It was a toss between chocolate pudding, mousse or brownie. I never made any brownies before and therefore surfed for the best recipe online. That it when i stumbled upon a recipe for a Rocky Road Brownie.

Rocky Road is actually a type of ice cream. I remembered having some nice Baskin Robbins' Rocky Road ice cream before and it was delicious. And pricey. I guess I liked that taste of gooey marshmallows topped with some cashews and walnuts. Drool worthy.

Anyway, making brownie is much more simpler than baking a cake. I used a mixed of leftovers chocolate chips with some semi sweet chocolate bars to give them the fudgy taste. Then i chopped up some pricey marshmallows to put on top of the brownie with some of my favorite nuts and shove it in the oven for additional 5 minutes or so until the marshmallows melt. That will give the brownie that gooey sticky taste. Yummy! Alternatively you can use some mixed grains to put on top but I do suggest to chop them nicely so that the kids can easily consumed them. Well except for oatmeal. I haven't tried any oatmeal yet therefore I wont recommend using it, Until I used it, of course.

The recipe is as follows:

240gm of chocolate bars (you can alternate with choc chips)
1 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar (i used fine granulated sugar)
2 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups of flour
A  pinch of salt

Preheat the oven for 165'c

1. Melt together the chocolate with butter using a double broiler
2. After melted, remove from the double boiler and put in the sugar. Stir until dissolve
3. Put in the eggs one by one and stir well
4. Put in the flour, vanilla essence and salt. Stir
5. Put in the baking tin of your choice. Cover the tins with some butter first to prevent the brownie to stick. Alternatively you can always cover your baking tins with some parchment paper.
6. Baked for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean

7. When the cake is baked, cover the top with some marshmallows and nuts and baked in for additional 5 minutes or until the marshmallows melt


Happy trying!