Lets Get Macaronning!

Do you remember my first attempt at macarons catalogued through my ex-blog Made by Ann ? They were far from perfect and had cracked surfaces but still tasted lovely. I learnt a few things from that experience including the importance of getting the temperature spot on. More recently, I attended a Bloggers Buzz event where Dora from BoBo Macarons gave us a demo on macaron making. Dora taught us three things essential to making perfect macarons 1) egg whites aged for a few days 2) time in the oven and temperature 3) the importance of being in a good mood. Watching Dora's technique taught me more than any recipe book and I was looking forward to giving macaron making a go again.

Here is the recipe I used. I must add that this is slightly different to the one Dora used, partly because I wasn't sure my notes were quite right.

For the macarons:
150g almond powder
210g icing sugar
90g caster sugar
3 large egg whites
Gel food colouring . I used hot pink, sky blue and lime green

For the butter cream icing:
150g unsalted butter
75g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
 

Method:

Heat the oven to 150C. I use a fan heated oven. If you use gas, you may need to reduce the temperature a little bit. Recipes recommend around150-160 for fan oven and 140-150 for gas ovens. You need to test a batch and figure out what works best for you.

Sieve the almond powder and icing sugar together and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and slowly add the caster sugar until the mixture is thick and shiny. (It is recommended that you add food colour to the egg white meringue mixture. However, I chose to do it later after all the ingredients were mixed together) Mix the almond and meringue mixture well until it smooth, glossy and flows smoothly off the spatula.

I then separated the mixture into three parts and added a few drops of gel food colour. I was aiming for a pastel shade. The colour of the mixture and the end product were near enough similar,  point worth noting as I assumed it would darken significantly.

Pipe out the macarons onto a parchment paper on a baking tray and rest them for about 15 minutes until they have firm skins. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the macarons look ready. Leave them to cool for about 30 minutes.

For the butter-cream icing, whisk the butter and icing sugar together until thick and creamy. Add flavouring of your choice whilst whisking. I used vanilla extract.

Once the macarons have cooled, sandwich them together with butter cream icing and they are ready to serve.

Lessons:

1. Cooking or baking on your own isn't that much fun. My husband was a willing Sous Chef who helped with sieving, piping etc. It often felt like some of the tasks were more efficient if two people did it rather than one. So find a friend or partner to make your macaronning experience more fun. ( Ed may not think it was that much fun to be fair as I was a stress-pot)

2. Don't rest the mixture too long before piping. The second batch I piped out were a disaster. Then again, the third weren't too bad which is puzzling!

3. Don't over bake as the macarons start browning. A lesson I learnt with my third batch. Keep an eye on he clock and the progress on the macaron.

Let me know how you get  on with macaronning. Ann x

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More Homemade Chocolate

Haggis for Auld Land Syne

Visiting Edinburgh was one of the first touristy things I did when I landed in the UK many moons ago. I instantly fell in love with the city, its people and music. I remember visiting little pubs with friends and joining in with the crowds singing cheeky Scottish folk songs. I've always been adventurous with food and despite being persuaded otherwise, I wanted to try the haggis. It is a shame I can't remember the restaurant where I had my first haggis, neeps and tatties but there was nothing 'iffy' about it . It was beautifully presented and delicious. This is my attempt at re-creating that first encounter with the haggis using root vegetables from our allotment.

Ingredients

1 kg haggis

250g  parsnips (traditional recipe uses swede/turnip) cubed

400g potatoes, cubed

100ml milk

250ml gravy

Method

Follow instructions with the pack for the haggis. I microwaved mine for 5 mins on full heat. You could also cook in the oven or simmer with a little water. Slice the parsnips and beetroot into wafer strips, season as desired (in this case the beetroot was seasoned with chilli and beetroot with rosemary)  and bake for 20 mins. Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water, reduce the heat and simmer until tender.  Drain the potatoes, return to the pan, add the milk and mash until smooth. Layer as shown in the picture and serve with gravy. Hope you have a Happy Hogmanay! Ann x

Tommy Bahama Women's Maxi Dress Swim Cover Up Swimming Pool/Mare/White S

Tommy Bahama Women's Maxi Dress Swim Cover Up Swimming Pool/Mare/White S

Tommy Bahama Women's Maxi Dress Swim Cover Up Swimming Pool/Mare/White S

ASIN : B00M0433XA



brand: Tommy Bahama

category: Cover-Ups

Description : Bandeau maxi dress with side slits and tie in back.

Features :

• Designer: Tommy Bahama
• Collection: Bold Stripe & Mini Anchor
• Name: Maxi Dress
• Style: TSW25723C

How to make gluten- and dairy-free banana bread

By Rebecca Almond

Here at HFG we love to tinker with recipes, both in the test kitchen and in our own homes – swapping out less healthy ingredients for nutrient-rich and allergy-or-intolerance-friendly alternatives. So when a friend with coeliac disease invited me to her new flat for coffee, I set about searching for a sweet treat I could bake to take along – one that everyone would enjoy.

Banana bread is a classic coffee break snack, and one that’s simple to make. Cookery books and recipe websites are filled with variations on the theme, but many are high in calories and contain gluten. For me, bananas are sweet enough, so I decided to leave out the usual maple syrup/sugar/agave nectar component. And to make the loaf gluten-free, I put the coconut flour I’d picked up at a health food store a few weeks ago (clueless as to what to do with it) to the test.

The result? A moist, subtly-sweet loaf that’s low in calories (only 117kcal per slice!), high in fibre and protein, and, crucially, something all of my friends and I happily tucked in to. Give it a go yourself and let me know how you get on…

Coconut, chia and banana loaf

PREP 10 min + resting COOK 40–50 min CUTS INTO 10 slices

3 ripe bananas (you want the skins to be nicely speckled)

6 eggs

1tsp vanilla bean paste

½tsp ground cinnamon

2tsp gluten-free baking powder

70g coconut flour (I used Sukrin)

20g chia seeds

Desiccated coconut, to sprinkle (optional)

1.     Put the bananas, eggs, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon and baking powder in a blender and whiz until smooth (the mixture will be quite runny, like a smoothie). 

2.     Sift the coconut flour into a large bowl, then stir through the chia seeds. Slowly pour in the banana mixture, whisking with a balloon whisk until thickened and combined. Cover and set aside for 10 min to allow the flour and chia to expand. Heat the oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 3½ and line a 1lb loaf tin with baking paper. 

3.     Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin, then smooth the surface with a spatula. Decorate the top with a sprinkling of desiccated coconut, if you like (you could use sliced banana or chopped nuts, or leave plain – it’s just as delicious), then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40–50 min until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. If the top looks like it’s browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. 

4.     Remove the loaf from the oven and leave to cool for 5 min before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. The loaf will keep, well wrapped, in the fridge for up to a week – if you can make it last that long…

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: A slice of this loaf is perfect as it is, but you could top with a drizzle of runny honey, natural seed butter or a little ricotta cheese, if you like.

Per slice

117kcal

6.6g protein

5.6g fat

2g saturates

9g carbs

7.1g sugar

4.7g fibre

0.4g salt

47mg calcium

1.2mg iron

LOW CAL

HIGH PROTEIN

HIGH FIBRE

VEG

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

Rachel Khoo Inspired Croque Madame

Despite our not-so-perfect weekend in Paris, I'm having a case of Paris blues. I seem to be reading up more about the city, as well as all things succumbing to all things inspired by it. Rather fortuitously, Ed and I also happened to watch Rachel Khoo's 'The Little Paris Kitchen' last night. Ed loved version of Croque Madame Muffins and was keen I recreate it for him. And I did, except for a few touches of my own and using whatever was readily available in our kitchen.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the base:
4 slices of wholemeal bread with crusts removed
4 eggs
8 slices of prosciutto
Around a dozen french beans, blanched and halved
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For the bechamel sauce:
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp butter
1tsp English mustard with chilli ( Rachel uses Dijon mustard)
150ml semi-skimmed milk

Heat the oven to 180 degree and make the bechamel sauce.

Bechamel Sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and mix well to form a paste. Whilst simmering on a low heat, slowly add milk and stir well. Add mustard paste and continue to stir. The sauce will thicken in a few minutes. Once it start getting to a thicker sauce-like consistency, take it off the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Grease the ramekin base and sides well. Flatten the bread slices using a rolling pin, butter both sides and layer one slice per ramekin.Add two slices of prosciutto on top of the bread. Crack an egg onto the prosciutto layer. Surround with a few pieces of french bean- I used around 6 per ramekin. Pour bechamel sauce on top covering the egg fully.

Bake for around 15-20 minutes until the tops of the Croque Madame Muffins start to brown a little. This makes a great breakfast dish although Ed and I had it for dinner to compensate for a heavy meal during the day. It also makes a good mid-day snack.

A big thank you to Rachel for her great ideas and I hope you get a bit more of Paris through this recipe. Ann x

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Photography by Edward Chandler

Get all your five-a-day in one dish!

By Harry Eastwood

This salad is a deconstructed version of ratatouille, which makes for a delicious, fresh and full-flavoured alternative to the traditional vegetable stew. It can be made ahead – and, in fact, tastes even better. It ticks plenty of health boxes as it’s high in fibre and low in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt. Most people can enjoy it, as it’s vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free. And the best thing about it? One serving counts as a full five portions of your five-a-day.

Ratatouille salad with anchovies and lemon

Serves 4

1 large aubergine, cut into small cubes

2 medium courgettes, topped, tailed and cut into very small cubes

4tbsp olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and finely diced

1 medium yellow pepper, cored and chopped into small cubes

1 medium orange pepper, cored and chopped into small cubes

2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste

3 anchovies, very finely chopped

10 medium ripe tomatoes on the vine

Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

Handful of basil leaves, torn from the stem

1. Heat a large frying pan until very hot.

2. Toss the aubergine and courgette cubes in the olive oil until evenly coated. Add them to the hot frying pan and cook over a high heat for 5 min, until the edges have turned a golden colour. You may find that you need to do this stage in two batches.

3. Tip the hot vegetables into a large bowl with the onion, peppers, garlic and anchovies. Season generously with pepper, then cover with clingfilm. Set aside for 10 min, while you prepare the tomatoes.

4. Chop the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds and centre with the help of a spoon. Finely chop the flesh, then add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Finally, squeeze the lemon juice over the salad. Set aside (wrapped in clingfilm) for 1 hr in the ambient temperature of your kitchen to let the flavours mingle and develop. Scatter the basil leaves over just before serving and add more pepper if needed. Serve with crusty bread, if you like.

SWAP IN/SWAP OUT

I love the savoury flavour the anchovies bring, but you don’t have to add them – this ratatouille is delicious without. You could include pine nuts if you want the salad to be a little more hearty and reduced-fat feta or mozzarella chunks are lovely thrown in at the last minute, too.

Per serving: 210kcal, 6g protein, 12.8g fat, 2g saturates, 19.2g carbs, 17.1g sugar, 9g fibre, 0.3g salt, 77mg calcium, 2.7mg iron

 

Harry’s supporting our mission to Fight the Fads – Make Every Meal Healthier. To find out why she’s rallying against the fad diet industry, pick up our October issue.

For more substantial salad recipes, check out Harry Eastwood’s A Salad For All Seasons (Bantam Press, £20).