Celebrating Japanese New Year....le Macaron de Shōgatsu!

This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html

As we count down along with the crystal ball in NYC, January 1st is also considered by most Japanese to be one of the most important annual festivals and has been celebrated for centuries with its own unique customs. After an evening a festivities, toasts with Champagne, and feeling at ease on my day off, I decided to create macaron that celebrate Japanese New Year (正月) or Shōgatsu.


Japanese people eat a special selection of dishes during the New Year celebration called osechi-ryōri (御節料理). This consists of boiled seaweed (昆布), fish cakes (蒲鉾), mashed sweet potato with chestnut (栗きんとん), simmered burdock root (金平牛蒡), and sweetened black soybeans (黒豆). Many of these dishes are sweet, sour, or dried, so they can keep without refrigeration—the culinary traditions date to a time before households had refrigerators, when most stores closed for the holidays.

This special macaron incorporates one of the ingredients from osechi-ryōri, sweet chestnut, with 2 other signature flavours of Japan, Red Bean (赤豆) and Matcha Green Tea (抹茶).


~ le Macaron de Shōgatsu ~

Makes 20 Macarons

6 Sweet Roasted Chestnuts - cut into 1/4" cubes

1 batch of red bean flavoured macaron shells
for the Macaron Recipe, please click on this link below for the recipe for the Earl Grey Macaron:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/earl-grey-macaronnew-creation-for.html

* Replace the 8g of Earl Grey tea powder with 8g of Red Bean (Kochi An) powder

1 batch of Matcha Ganache
for the Matcha Ganache Recipe, please click on this link below for the recipe for the le Macaron de l'amour:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/11/macarons-that-shimmered-for-union-of.html


Assemble the le Macaron de Shōgatsu:
1. Place the ganache into a piping bag and pipe mixture onto one macaron shell.
2. Place 3-4 pieces of sweet roasted chestnut cubes into the ganache.
3. Gently press an un-piped shell onto the ganache until the ganache just reaches the rim of the macaron.
4. Dust very lightly with Matcha powder if desired.

Bon Appetit!

A spicy cheesecake for a white Christmas with friends....

~ Spicy Kabocha Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust ~


This recipe is an extention to a previous article on Kabocha.
"Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin...."


Crust:
1 3/4 cups ginger snap crust
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:
500g cream cheese, at room temperature
100g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup roasted Kabocha, pureed
4 eggs
~2/3 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of the roasted Kabocha
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger


1. Preheat oven to 350oF.
2. In medium bowl, combine crumbs and melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch cake pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, yogourt, sugar and the spices. Beat together until well combined.
4. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and bake in a waterbath for 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


Bon Appetit!

Macaron de la divinité captures the essence of this mulberry purple coloured root....

~ le Macaron aux Taro~
Taro flavoured macaron filled with coconut white chocolate ganache


This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html


As the potato of the humid tropics, I consider Taro is one of the most flavourful root, is commonly used within Chinese cuisine in a variety of styles; in desserts it is used in sweet soups, bubble tea, and as a flavouring in ice cream and other desserts in the China. McDonald's sells Taro flavored pies at their stores in China! To celebrate my inner passion for this mulberry purple coloured root, what could be more suited than disguising its essence behind the shining dome of a macaron?

For the Macaron Recipe, please click on this link below for the recipe for the Earl Grey Macaron:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/earl-grey-macaronnew-creation-for.html

* Replace the 8g of Earl Grey tea powder with 8g of Taro powder



~ Coconut White Chocolate Ganache ~

4 tbs Coconut Powder (can be found in Asian supermarkets)
4 oz White Chocolate Couverture, finely chopped and place in stainless steel bowl
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1. Mix 2 tbs of heavy cream into the Coconut powder to form a smooth paste
2. Place the remaining heavy cream in a saucier over medium heat and bring it to a near simmer
3. Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped white chocolate, and very gently stir until all white chocolate pieces have melted
4. Stir in the Coconut paste until it has completely incorporated with the white chocolate ganache
5. Allow the Coconut ganache to cool and thicken
6. Place the Coconut ganache into a piping bag to assemble le Macaron aux Taro!


Bon Appetit!

Earl Grey....from an obsession to a devotion....

For those who knows me well, or not, it is certainly not a secret when it comes to my obsession towards this tea, the Earl Grey, which in my opinion has the most provocative aroma that excites both our olfactory and gustatory neurons. An unexplainable but a magical bond, very much like love....it is what makes us homosapiens unique, whether the other end of the bond is a person, or just a simple cup of tea.


This obsession became a devotion, as I marry my passion in pastry making, with this loose leaf of heaven. The versatility of teas are visioned in variety of cuisines; from the infused Oolong duck served at a Chinese banquet, to an addictive homemade potato chips sprinkled with smoky black tea, the idea of tea as an ingredient has just begun to unfold.


Named after the 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s and author of the Reform Bill of 1832, Earl Grey tea is a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit typical of Southeast Asia and grown commercially in Italy. Traditionally the term "Earl Grey" was applied only to black tea; however, today the term is used for other teas that contain oil of bergamot, or a bergamot flavour.


Apart from the original blend, many boutique tea stores sell a similar blend with added rose petals known as French Earl Grey. My choice has always been the Earl Grey with Blue Flowers, which has an elegant touch.

Ohh the "London Fog", not the well famed brand for their trench coats in defense against the Britain's foggy weather, is a combination of Earl Grey, steamed milk and vanilla syrup, the perfect combination of the calcium rich dairy and this fragrant tea.


With the "Earl Grey Macaron" as the debut of the Earl Grey series, there are many more luring recipes yet to come, as my tribute towards this love of mine....

http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/earl-grey-macaronnew-creation-for.html

The Macarons that Shimmered for the Union of Two Hearts....the Perfect Couple....

~ le Macaron de l'amour ~
Almond Macaron with Matcha Ganache



This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html



For the Macaron Recipe, please click on this link below for the recipe for the Earl Grey Macaron:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/earl-grey-macaronnew-creation-for.html

* Replace the 8g of Earl Grey tea powder with 8g of almond powder


~ Matcha Ganache ~


1 tbs Matcha or Green Tea Powder
8 oz White Chocolate Couverture, finely chopped and place in stainless steel bowl
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1. Mix 2 tbs of heavy cream into the Matcha powder to form a smooth paste
2. Place the remaining heavy cream in a saucier over medium heat and bring it to a near simmer
3. Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped white chocolate, and very gently stir until all white chocolate pieces have melted
4. Stir in the Matcha paste until it has completely incorporated with the white chocolate ganache
5. Allow the Matcha ganache to cool and thicken
6. Place the Matcha ganache into a piping bag to assemble le Macaron de l'amour!



Each Macaron was dust with Super Pearl Luster Dust....

le Macaron de l'amour was used as the decor for these cupcakes....for the very special couple~!

Bon Appetit!

Recipe: le macaron noir!

~ le macaron noir ~
sésame macaron à la crème de sésame noir


This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html

And an extension to the article "All Blacked Out"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2008/09/all-blacked-out-current-food-trends-on.html

Makes 20 macarons

Ingredients

Macaron:
65g Almond meal
80g Icing sugar
40g Castor sugar
50g Egg white
8g Roasted Black Sesame Powder

Filling:
Japanese Kurogoma Creme


Preheat your oven to 325oF
1. Stack two or three heavy baking trays. Line the top tray with Silpat.
2. Process the almond meal and icing sugar at high speed to achieve a fine powder. Incorporate the Roasted Black Sesame powder into this mixture and sift to break up any lumps of powder.
3. In a clean bowl, beat the room-temperature egg whites until foamy and just at soft peaks. Gradually beat in the castor sugar, adding a little at a time. Beat on medium speed for a number of minutes until you have a firm, glossy and compact meringue.
4. Sprinkle half of the dry mixture over the meringue and fold in with a spatula using a circular motion around the bowl and under the batter. Repeat with the remaining powder. You don't need to be gentle, but the goal is to incorporate the dry ingredients quickly to avoid overmixing. *It's better to undermix than overmix.
5. The final batter should be the colour of pale brown, smooth and thick but flowing. A ribbon of batter dropped from a spoon onto the top of the remaining batter should take about 30 seconds to disappear.
6. Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a 8-10 mm nozzle and pipe evenly onto the baking paper. Mild peaks should settle back into the batter eventually. If they don't disappear, tap the tray repeatedly on a table until the peaks have largely disappeared.
7. Leave the piped batter to dry for anywhere between 20 mins and two hours.
8. Place the tray in the oven and bake at 325oF for 12 minutes.
9. At the 5 minute mark the shells should have lifted and developed 'pied' or the feet. At the 6-7 minute mark they should be starting to colour just slightly.
10. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for a minute or two.
11. Once removed from the sheet, leave the shells to cool on a wire rack, face up.


Assemble "le macaron noir":
1. Place the kurogoma creme into a piping bag and pipe mixture onto one macaron shell.
2. Gently press an un-piped shell onto the kurogoma creme until the creme just reaches the rim of the macaron.

Bon Appetit!

Earl Grey Macaron....new creation for The Macaron Series!

~Earl Grey Macaron~
with dark chocolate hazelnut praline ganache filling....


This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html

Makes 20 macarons

Ingredients

Macaron:
65g Almond meal
80g Icing sugar
40g Castor sugar
50g Egg white
8g Earl Grey tea powder

Preheat your oven to 325oF
1. Stack two or three heavy baking trays. Line the top tray with Silpat.
2. Process the almond meal and icing sugar at high speed to achieve a fine powder. Incorporate the Earl Grey tea powder into this mixture and sift to break up any lumps of powder.
3. In a clean bowl, beat the room-temperature egg whites until foamy and just at soft peaks. Gradually beat in the castor sugar, adding a little at a time. Beat on medium speed for a number of minutes until you have a firm, glossy and compact meringue.
4. Sprinkle half of the dry mixture over the meringue and fold in with a spatula using a circular motion around the bowl and under the batter. Repeat with the remaining powder. You don't need to be gentle, but the goal is to incorporate the dry ingredients quickly to avoid overmixing. *It's better to undermix than overmix.
5. The final batter should be the colour of pale brown, smooth and thick but flowing. A ribbon of batter dropped from a spoon onto the top of the remaining batter should take about 30 seconds to disappear.
6. Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a 8-10 mm nozzle and pipe evenly onto the baking paper. Mild peaks should settle back into the batter eventually. If they don't disappear, tap the tray repeatedly on a table until the peaks have largely disappeared.
7. Leave the piped batter to dry for anywhere between 20 mins and two hours.
8. Place the tray in the oven and bake at 325oF for 12 minutes.
9. At the 5 minute mark the shells should have lifted and developed 'pied' or the feet. At the 6-7 minute mark they should be starting to colour just slightly.
10. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for a minute or two.
11. Once removed from the sheet, leave the shells to cool on a wire rack, face up.


Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Ganache Filling:


227g Valrhona 71% chocolate couverture
125mL Heavy Cream
114g Hazelnut Praline Paste (store bought or homemade)

1. Chop couverture finely and place it in a bowl.
2. Heat heavy cream in a saucier till almost boiling.
3. Pour the hot cream into the couverture, allow the couverture to seep in hot cream for 1 minute. Gently stir mixture until all the couverture has melted and incorporated with the cream.
4. Place in refrigerator and allow it to harden to form the ganache.
5. Whip ganache until it reaches a creamy consistancy. Gently fold in the praline paste.


Assemble the Earl Grey Macarons:
1. Place the whipped ganache with praline into a piping bag and pipe mixture onto one macaron shell.
2. Gently press an un-piped shell onto the ganache until the ganache just reaches the rim of the macaron.
3. Dust very lightly with cocoa powder if desired.

Bon Appetit!

In the Mood for Love....and Macaron....The Macaron Series!

The most exquisite form of a pastry that carry a fashion statement, it is almost impossible to not be in the mood for Macaron. The truth is that I fell for them too like most connoisseurs, after discovering Parisian-style macarons as I strolled pass the jewels-decorated cases of Pierre Hermé and Ladurée, I became a victim of this fashion trend when I am known not to be a meringue fan. With a two-day half life, and the reluctance to devour the pieces of art, my very first box of such gems was framed as the decor in my refrigerator. One bite was all it took to elevate it from a simply an exquisite piece of art, into a culinary adventure, as your teeth sink through the crisp egg shell-like crust, the soft fluffy interior, a slight crunch from the pied, then finally the indulgent flavourful centre.


In its purest form, the macaron is a confection composed of finely ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar. The word is a derivation of the Venetian macarone, meaning “fine paste”. The recipe traveled through France and varied regionally, but the ingredients and the basic construction remained consistent. A layer of buttercream, ganache, or jam was spread between two meringue disks.

In the early 1930 the tearoom and pastry-shop Ladurée in Paris started selling the new creation of Pierre Desfontaines, grandson of Louis Ernest Ladurée: two traditional dome halves sandwiched with a sweet filling between: the ganache.


In the mid-nineties Ladurée raised the bar with the help of a consultant, Pierre Hermé, a pastry master who added compelling flavor combinations, such as lime-basil and violet-cassis, to the shop’s offerings. Among Ladurée’s newer creations, a caramel version prepared with beurre salé has been especially esteemed. Every season Parisians fervently await the shop’s innovations.

Hermé, who now has seven boutiques in Tokyo and three in Paris, says the macarone itself is merely a medium for new flavors. With his philosophy, I have decided to throw myself into this adventure of my own....a bi-weekly invention of my flavour combinations.

To debut this Macaron series, I will introduce you to the "le macaron noir", as the link to my earlier article "All Blacked Out!"


~ sésame macaron à la crème de sésame noir ~

http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2008/09/all-blacked-out-current-food-trends-on.html

Please do re-visit for recipes and my inventions!

dans l'amour de macaron....une magnifique expérience à L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

There is no need to explain further on our love with the French macaron....there are no pâtisseries like the macaron, a visual and sensual enlightenment in a minute elegant package. A macaron is a traditional French pastry from Nancy, a commune of the Meurthe et Moselle département, in northeastern France. Dating back to the 18th century, the macaron is made of egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar and sugar. This sweet pastry came out of the French courts' baker's oven as round meringue-like domes with a flat base.

In the early 1930 the tearoom and pastry-shop Ladurée in Paris started selling the new creation of Pierre Desfontaines, grandson of Louis Ernest Ladurée: two traditional dome halves sandwiched with a sweet filling between: the ganache. This resulted in giving the new macaron a larger size, the possibility of flavored garnishes, and a newfound moistness that came from the garnish. Whereas the traditional macaron was sweet and dry and crunchy, the new macaron had the added attraction of being delicately crunchy on the outside, while moist, chewy, and flavourful on the inside.


Apart from the most well known Paris pâtisseries Pierre Hermé and Ladurée for their French macaron creations, it was the jewels at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Hong Kong, that turned my love into a devotion. Unlike the macarons at Pierre Hermé and Ladurée that come in grandes variétés of seasonal flavours, and are not shy to display their vibrant characters, there are only 8 flavours featured at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, each with a soft pastel colour that complements the delicate texture of this prized French pâtisserie. The sweetness was much milder than those I savoured in Paris, allowing each of the signature flavours plus the backnote of almond to trigger a more complete and intense chemoreception.


My affair with L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon was not meant to end with just their macarons, when my gaze was redirected towards a pâtisserie featuring no other teas but The Earl Grey....I was sold simply from its stunning presentation - en forme de dôme de mousse gently kissed by a thin dust of sprayed chocolat blanc. It was unimaginable that its taste could be more phenomenal....it was the perfect representation of the marriage between Earl Grey and citron, and tasting it on the rocking Star Ferry ride between Central and TST just gave the extra edge. The flavourful mousse was expertly formed to create a fluid mouth feel, and to heighten the textual experience, the skillful chef added petites pastilles de chocolat croustillant.


Leaving this treasure chest with une boîte de macaron, I knew it was enough to bring forth the jealousy from my strange companion on a dreadfully long flight.