Chocolate Amaretti Mousse Cups

Print Save Chocolate Amaretti Mousse Cups Recipe Embed Ingredients 6 Puff Pastry Shells 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar 8 Amaretti Cookies, divided Directions Preheat oven and cook puff pastry shells according to directions on package. While pastry shells cook, whisk together cocoa powder and powdered sugar, set aside. In mixer add whipping cream. Whip until medium peaks. Slowly add in cocoa/sugar mix. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside. When pastry shells are done, allow to cool for 3 minutes. Add an amaretti cookie into the center of each shell, reserving two cookies to crush for garnish. Completely cool. Pipe in mousse into the center of each shell. Sprinkle with crushed cookie. Serve and enjoy! Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Recommended Le Creuset Jelly Roll Pan Demarle Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat Cuisinart Stand Mixer KitchenAid Stand Mixer via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2seOrbv Food Fanatic

Silpat Macaron Mat Review

The Silpat Macaron Mat is an unassuming baking tool that is a surprising kitchen essential for any home baker. You wouldn't think a simple mat would make a difference in baking macarons at home, but after trying it just once, you will be convinced of its seemingly magical powers. Even just taking it out of the packaging, you can immediately tell the quality is far superior compared to other silicone mats. It's sturdier with a unique texture that stems from the fiberglass mesh inside that promotes even baking. The even baking is incredibly important when making macarons as it helps the macaron feet to form evenly all around the cookie and evenly bakes the inside of the cookie to prevent hollows. What I love most about the texture is that it also helps prevent the macaron batter from spreading too much during piping. ­ The perfectly spaced macaron guides are just the right size for a decent macaron, but also works for other treats like whoopie pies which is great because a smaller kitchen benefits best from tools that are multifunctional. Perhaps the best part about the Silpat Macaron Mat is that it is so easy to clean. All you need to do is give it a quick swipe with a bit of warm soapy water, then pat dry. That's it. Because it is naturally nonstick, you don't need to add anything like grease to it and any leftover food bits easily fall off. It's the best. My only concern with the Silpat Macaron Mat is the price point. While it works considerably better than other macaron mats, it can cost sometimes double other macaron mats. I truly believe the price is worth it, but the cost can be a bit preventative for any bakers on a budget, especially considering you usually need two mats to bake a batch of macarons. Pros: Prevents batter from spreading Even baking promotes proper macaron feet and decreases chances of hollow shells Easy to clean Cons: The price is considerably higher than most other macaron mats via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2rTOaxx Food Fanatic

Rhubarb Lemon Macarons

Print Save Rhubarb Lemon Macarons Recipe Embed Ingredients For the Macaron Shells: 200 grams Powdered Sugar 100 grams Almond Flour 3 large Egg Whites, room temperature (120 g) 1/8 teaspoon Salt 40 grams Granulated Sugar zest from 1 1/2 Lemon 1-2 drops Yellow Food Coloring, (optional) For the Lemon Rhubarb Buttercream: 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature (1 stick) 3 cups Powdered Sugar, For the Lemon Rhubarb Buttercream 3 tablespoons Lemon Juice 3 tablespoons Rhubarb Jam 1/4 teaspoon Salt For Assembly: 1/3 cup Rhubarb Jam Directions Add the powdered sugar and almond flour to a food processor and process for about one minute, or until the mixture is well blended and the almond flour is ground down to a fine powder. Sift the mixture into a bowl, discarding any pieces that don't go through the sift. Set aside. Wash and completely dry your stand mixing bowl and whisk attachment. Briefly rub down both with lemon juice to ensure there is no fat or oily residue on the equipment. Add the egg whites and begin to whip on medium-low for about a minute. Add the pinch of salt when the egg whites get foamy and bring up the speed up to medium-high until the eggs reach soft peaks – this is when the meringue makes deep curls when you take out your whisk and point the whisk upward. This should take about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the granulated sugar once it reaches soft peaks and beat for about 2 minutes longer, or just as it is about to reach stiff peaks (stiff peaks happen when the meringue points straight up and does not curve when the whisk is pointed upward). Turn off the mixer and pour in the almond four mixture, lemon zest, and food coloring. Begin to mix everything together with a rubber spatula. At first it will seem as though it won't work, but it will slowly come together. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, folding the mixture onto itself. As you do this, also pull up some of the batter into the air to see if it drizzles down in a ribbon. Once it does this, check how long it takes for the ribbon to incorporate back into the batter. It should slowly flow back into the batter like magma. If the ribbon dissolves back into the batter within second, it is over mixed and will not hold a good shape. If it doesn't ribbon, keep mixing otherwise you will end up with cracked, lumpy cookies. As soon as you reach the desired consistency, immediately stop mixing and set the batter aside uncovered for 30 minutes. While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpat macaron mats and fit a piping bag with a round piping tip. I do not recommend not using a tip as you will not have as much control. Fill the piping bag with the macaron batter and begin to pipe the batter, using the guides on the mat. You want to fill in the circles on the mats. For smaller macarons, you can pipe them so they are just under the black lines, for larger macarons, you can pipe until the black lines are fully covered. Once the macarons are piped, tap the baking sheets on your counter two or three times to remove air bubbles. Take a tooth pick to pop any small bubbles you may find. Leave the macarons to rest for at least 45 – 60 minutes. Bake the macarons one baking sheet at a time on the middle rack (do not place the second sheet in a lower or upper rack, they must be baked one at a time in the middle rack) for five minutes, then turn the baking sheet 180 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and bake the other batch of macarons. Allow the baked macarons to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Make the buttercream. Beat the butter until it is smooth and cream. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing each cup in fully before adding in more. Add in the lemon juice, rhubarb jam, and salt and mix until the frosting is smooth. Assemble the macarons. Turn the macaron shells upside down and pipe circles on half the shells. Add a dollop of rhubarb jam into the centers of the circles and top with the remaining shells. For the best results, freeze the finished macarons overnight before serving, but this is not required. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Recommended Silpat Macaron Mat Silpat Macaron Kit Breville Food Processor Le Creuset Revolution Spatula via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2qArChh Food Fanatic

Easy Rhubarb Jam

Print Save Easy Rhubarb Jam Recipe Embed Ingredients 1 cup Granulated Sugar 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1 Lemon, juiced 3 1/2 cups Rhubarb, roughly chopped, 4 large stalks Directions Prepare your jam jar by washing and sterilizing the jar and lid. Keep in hot, but not boiling water until ready to use. Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan and stir to combine. Heat the saucepan on medium-high and allow the mixture to cook, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook, stirring and mashing the rhubarb as you go, until the mixture thickens significantly to a jam-like consistency. Approximately 15 – 20 minutes. Remove the jar and lid and thoroughly dry. Ladle the jam into the jar and screw the lid on well. Place in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely to room temperature before refrigerating.  Recommended Green Ball Heritage Collection Pint Jars Ball Canning Jars Ball Mason Jars Le Creuset 6.75 Qt French Oven via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2rT30nM Food Fanatic

Taco Pasta Salad

Print Save Taco Pasta Salad Recipe Embed Ingredients For the Dressing: 3/4 cup Mayonnaise 3/4 cup Sour Cream 3/4 cup Salsa 1 packet Taco Seasoning For the Salad: 1 pound Pasta, cooked according to package directions 1 cup Corn Kernels 1 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved 1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded 1 6 ounce can Black Olives, sliced and drained 2 Avocados, diced 4 Green Onions, thinly sliced Directions In a bowl whisk together mayo, sour cream, salsa, and taco seasoning until smooth. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together cooked pasta, corn, tomatoes, cheese, olives, avocado and green onions. Add dressing, and mix until everything is evenly coated. Place in fridge until chilled.  Notes Can be made the day ahead. Recommended Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Whisk Le Creuset Revolution Spatula via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2shCwsz Food Fanatic

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Hemp Cookies

Print Save Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Hemp Cookies Recipe Embed Ingredients 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter 1/2 cup Hemp Hearts, I used Bob's Red Mill 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar 3 tablespoons Spelt Flour 1 teaspoon Baking Powder 1 Egg 3/4 cup Chocolate Chips, divided, your choice of dark or milk 1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract Red Fondant, for decorating, optional Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 25 seconds so it's runny. Add in the hemp hearts, the coconut sugar, spelt flour, baking powder, egg, almond extract, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Shape into heart shapes, place on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 12 minutes. When cooled, decorate with red fondant hearts and melt the 1/4 cup chocolate chips and use it to draw little heart beats on the heart shaped cookies. Notes You can use 2/3 cup brown sugar instead of coconut sugar if you'd like a sweeter cookie. Recommended Cuisinart Stand Mixer KitchenAid Stand Mixer Breville Hand Mixer Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2qyYcPH Food Fanatic

Shaved Brussels Sprout Grain Bowl

Print Save Shaved Brussels Sprout Grain Bowl Recipe Embed Ingredients 1 cup Farro 3 cups Kale, chopped 10 Brussels Sprouts Meyer Lemon Zest, from one meyer lemon 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt 1 Carrot, cut julienne For the Dressing: 1/3 cup Meyer Lemon Juice 1/3 cup Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper Directions Rinse the farro grains. Combine them with 3 cups of water in a pot and bring to a low boil for about 15 minutes. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside. Peel off the outer layers of the sprouts and trim off the ends. Cut them in half lengthwise and then slice thinly crosswise. Combine the Brussels sprouts, kale, zest, and Craisins and set aside. Prepare the dressing by whisking the lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt to taste. Mix half of the dressing into the Brussels sprout mixture and mix the other half into the farro. Arrange the farro, Brussels sprouts mix, carrots and a dollop of yogurt into 4 bowls.  Recommended Le Creuset 3-quart Stainless Steel Saucepan Wusthof Santoku Knife - 5 inch Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Whisk via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2s3QrmX Food Fanatic

Cauliflower Rice Caprese

Print Save Cauliflower Rice Caprese Recipe Embed Ingredients 1 pound bag Cauliflower Rice, or pearls – use fresh 2 medium whole Fresh Tomatoes 3 1/2 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, buffalo or regular, cubed 6 Fresh Basil Leaves 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper 1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder 1 tablespoon Balsamic Glaze, or more to taste; see notes Directions Use a fork to poke holes in your bag of cauliflower pearls. Place the bag of cauliflower on a plate and heat it in the microwave on high for four minutes. While your cauliflower is cooking, prepare your tomatoes. Rinse and pat the tomatoes dry, and cut out the cores. Cut the tomatoes into fourths and scrape out the seeds. Cut up your tomatoes into 1 ½-inch pieces. Cut your mozzarella into cubes and set them aside. Pour your cooked cauliflower into a medium serving bowl. Add your tomatoes and mozzarella. Stack your basil leaves three at a time, roll them up tightly, and slice them into ribbons. Add the basil to your bowl. Add your olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Use a spoon to mix the cauliflower rice Caprese until it's combined. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the top and serve at room temperature, with extra glaze if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Bring leftovers to room temperature (by heating slightly in the microwave, if needed) before serving.  Notes You can find balsamic glaze in most grocery stores, near the vinegar. Recommended Wusthof Santoku Knife - 5 inch Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Le Creuset Heritage 3 Quart Square Dish via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2rrsVTJ Food Fanatic