Italian Meringue Macarons Layered Mini Cake 馬卡龍迷你多層小蛋糕

I made macarons for a few times and I still prefer using Italian way to do it. Although it is more complicated but it can guarantee successful. But I will try the French way again next time. I am planning to bake some macarons for cake decoration purpose. And I also try to use macarons to make a macarons cake for my friend's birthday. I will need to prepare different size of macarons and place them in layer with cake and frosting in between them. Sounds interesting. Let's do it!

Recipe: (can make around 80 shells. That is about 40 macarons)
Italian Meringue Macarons
200g almond meal or ground blanched almonds
200g confectioners’ sugar
200g sugar
50g water
150g egg whites, divided into two 75g portions


Directions:

1. Stack two baking trays on top of each other. Line with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Process almond meal with confectioners’ sugar in a food processor (Pic 1-3). Sieve out any large bits of almond (Pic 4,5).
3. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan (Pic 6). Heat on medium until all the sugar is dissolved.
   
4. Meanwhile, place 75g of egg whites in a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment .
5. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup reaches 118 C/245 F (Pic 7). While the sugar is cooking, begin whisking the egg whites. They should reach stiff peaks by the time the syrup is at 245 F. If it whips too fast, turn down or turn off the mixer.
6. Turn the mixer speed to low. Carefully pour the sugar syrup in a slow stream into the mixer (Pic 8).
7. Turn the mixer speed to high and let the meringue for several minutes until it has cooled and appears glossy and firm (Pic 9).
8. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal mixture with the remaining 75g of egg whites (Pic 10) until partially combined (Pic 11).
   
9. Scoop the meringue on top of the almond meal mixture. Using a spatula or dough scraper, carefully fold the meringue in, trying not to deflate it (Pic 12-14).
10. The final batter should be thick and flow slowly like magma. Do not overmix.
11. Scoop the batter into a piping bag fitted with a ½” diameter plain tip (N0. 12) (Pic 15).
12. Pipe 1 ½” rounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Let the sheets sit for about 20 minutes to let the shells harden (Pic 16).
13. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160 C/320 F.
14. Bake one set of macarons for 15 minutes, rotating once. (Pic 17)
15. Let tray cool for a few minutes before removing from the silicone mat. Let finish cooling on wire racks.

TIPS: For bigger macarons, bake longer in time with the same temperature.

In the meantime, I am working on my Napoleon Cake, I have extra Egg White Walnut Crisp cake and some maple syrup buttercream left. I will use them back to assemble my macarons into a macarons cake.

For the Egg white cake layer and buttercream recipe, please refer to my Napoleon cake blog page: http://winniemsfong.blogspot.com/2013/11/napoleon-birthday-cake.html

Cake assembly:

1. Pick out different size of macarons (Pic 18)
2. Cut out the cake size using a cookie cutter (Pic 19&20)
3. Spread buttercream on cake layer (Pic 21)
4. Place the largest macaron on the cake layer.(Pic 22)
5. Cut another cake using a small cookie cutter. Spread buttercream on both side of the cake layer. Then place another layer of macaron. (Pic 23)
6. Repeat these steps and place the smallest macaron on top.
7. Pipe buttercream around the outside of cake layer. Finished with any icing or fondant decoration you want.

I put on some fondant flowers and stars for further decoration. 

Napoleon birthday Cake 拿破崙生日蛋糕

This week I am extremely lack of energy and being sick. Got the coughing from my kids and husband. But birthday party for my friend Ben already scheduled long time ago. But I can tell I am unable to make any fancy cake. And after I made a cake, I am unable to put on any fondant or any special decoration. So I decided to make a good tasting cake without any special decoration. I made a Napoleon cake before in single serving size. This time I want it to be served like a big cake. In normal situation, one day or two I can finished the cake. But in my situation now, I took 4 days to finished the cake with simple decoration just before the party started. I can only work on one step at a time in one day. Those coughing makes me sleepless at night. Everything is in slow motion for me including writing this blog now.

Ingredients: (Pic 1)
1. Instant puff pastry
2. Walnut egg white crisp batter:

• 130g egg white
• 2 drops vanilla essence
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 60g caster sugar
• 25g bread flour
• 10g corn starch
• 120g walnut (diced)

3. Butter cream

• 120g butter
• 2 drops vanilla essence
• 45g syrup

4. Whipped cream

• whipping cream 300ml 
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

 Directions:

(Walnut egg white crisp layer)

1. Preheat oven at 350 degree F. Blend walnut into little pieces (Pic 2). Heat it in pan for better taste(pic 3). 

2. Whisk egg white, vanilla essence and cream of tartar(Pic 4) with mixer at high speed until fluffy (Pic 5).

3. Add sugar, bread flour, corn starch,(Pic 6) walnut in this sequence. Mix well with spatula. (Pic 7)

 4. Line baking tray with parchment paper

5. Pour egg white batter into tray. Smooth the surface(Pic 8). Adjust oven temperature to 350 degree F.  Place batter at middle rack of oven for 20 mins.

6. Let cool and cut egg white crisp into 2 parts (same size as the puff pastry that you prepared).

 (Puff Pastry)

7. Prepare puff pastry according to the directions on instant pastry box. Roll it out and cut into your square pan size (Pic 10). Save the cut out unused pastry for cake decoration. Poke some holes using a fork (Pic 11) Place puff pastry at the middle of oven. Also bake the extra unused cut out pastry. Bake until surface of puff pastry changes to golden colour. Adjust to 200 degree F. The entire baking process takes about 30 min (Pic 12). Save the cut out unused baked pastry and crushed into tiny pieces. Save it for later use in Step 15.

(Buttercream layer) 

8. Whisk butter (Pic 13) and vanilla essence with mixer at high speed to milky colour(Pic 14). Add syrup(Pic 15). Whisk until fluffy to form butter cream.(Pic 16)

(Cake Assembly)

9 .Spread a little butter cream on puff pastry(pic 17). Add egg white crisp layer (Pic 18).

10. Spread a little butter cream (Pic 19)

11. Add the second piece of puff pastry

12. Repeat the above step and add the third piece of puff pastry. (Pic 20)

13. Press down firmly. Chill in fridge.

(Whipped cream and decoration)

14.Whipped whipping cream with powdered sugar. Spread evenly on cake (Pic 21)

15. Take out the crushed pastry that you saved in step 7. Cover the whipped cake with your crushed pastry bits. (Pic 23). If you have extra walnuts left. You can put some on top of cake as well. (Pic 24)

Cold Tofu with preserved egg and pork flakes 肉鬆皮蛋凍豆腐

This is a no-cook easy to do appetizer for any occasion. All you need is Tofu, preserved egg and pork flakes (optional). Served cold

Here is the recipe:
Ingredient:
Tofu (Soft) 凍豆腐(drained)
3 preserved egg皮蛋 (Cut and diced)
3 Tbsp dried pork flakes肉鬆
green onion蔥 (for garnish) ~ I forgot to add this time
Bonito flakes 柴魚 (for garnish)

Sauce:
Soy sauce paste 醬油膏 (or home made recipe below) or sweet soya sauce 2-3 tbsp (according to taste)

Soy Sauce paste

Sesame oil or garlic oil 1 tbsp (According to taste)

Direction:

1. Place tofu on bottom (You can cut in pieces or serve as-is)
2. Place preserved egg pieces on top of tofu
3. Add2-3 tbsp soya sauce paste all over the tofu and egg
4. Add 1 tbsp sesame oil or garlic oil all over the tofu and egg
5. Place dried pork flakes on top.
6. Garnish with green onion and bonito flakes

It is better to served cold. 

Recipe for home made Soy Sauce paste 醬油膏

Ingredients:
Soy Sauce 4 Tbsp, Sugar 2 Tbsp, Coke 1 can, water 1 cup, potato flour 2 tbsp, salt

Directions:
Add all ingredients in saucepan and stir well. Turn on heat to boil, stir continuously. Cool down.


材料：
醬油4大匙-糖2大匙-可樂1杯-水1杯-太白粉2大匙-鹽適量。

做法
醬油-糖-可樂-水-太白粉-鹽放入鍋中，開火邊煮邊攪拌至沸騰，熄火放涼即可。

Royal Icing Canucks Jersey and logo

This week, 3 friends of mine are having their birthday over the weekend. 2 on Sundays and 1 on coming Monday. We will have hotpot party dinner for one of them. I am planning on making a napoleon cake. I did not have much idea on the decorations yet. What I can do ahead is to make some decorations that can place on any kind of cakes or cupcakes that I will going to make in the next few days. I make royal icing decorations this time. One of my friends like racquet sports, one of them like hockey especially Canucks! And one of them is an elegant lady. In this case, I pipe some tennis, badminton and squash racquets. Some Canucks jerseys and logos. And also some flowers. 

I place my galaxy tab under the parchment with picture of the jersey and logo.

Royal Icing crown recipe:

(makes 3 cups)
2 large (60g) pasteurized egg white
2 tsp fresh lemon juice (Pic 1)
3 cups (330g) icing sugar, sifted

Direction
In a bowl, beat egg whites with lemon juice until combined(Pic 2,3). Beat egg white until foam formed (Pic 4). Add the sifted icing sugar (Pic 5) and beat on low speed until combined and smooth (Pic 6). If icing is too thick, add a little water. If icing is too runny, add some icing sugar until the right consistency.

You can add food colour to icing now (Pic 7) or apply colour with airbrush later.

Tips: The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

 

After air dry, my jerseys are all broken! x_x  The layer of royal icing is too thin. I will need to make it thicker next time!  

Cold salted duck 鹽水鴨

It is a very easy recipe to try. This salted duck is a very good appetizer that can prepare ahead of time!

 

Ingredients:
One Young duck (~2.5Kg), washed and discard the fat)

3 Tbsp Sea salt , 1 Tbsp Chinese pepper powder(Flower pepper/Prickly/Pricklyash)
Green onion, 5 ginger slices, 1 pcs Star anise, 2 Cloves, 1 Tbsp salt

Directions.

1. Mix sea salt and Chinese pepper powder, then rub the mixture inside and outside the whole duck. Put in container and refrigerate 24 hours.
2. Take out the marinated duck from fridge, wash duck with cold water.
3. Prepare pot of boiling water, add in green onion, ginger slices, star anise, cloves and salt. Put duck in. Make sure water should cover up the whole duck. Turn heat to low for 30 minutes. The water should keep boiling in low heat.
4. After 30 minutes, take pot away from heat. Once water cool down to room temperature, take duck out. 
5. Put duck in container and refrigerate it for 4 hours until cold. Cut and serve in cold.

用料:
1：鸭子一只2500克，洗净去掉多余的肥油。
2：海盐3大匙，花椒粉1大匙。
3：葱一条，姜片5片，八角一粒，丁香2粒，盐1大匙。

做法：
先将海盐和花椒粉拌匀，把花椒盐均匀里外涂抹鸭子，密封冰箱里腌24小时。将鸭子里外用水冲洗干净备用。大锅放入大半锅水加入所有3料，置炉上开大火，水滚放入腌好的鸭子,水要没过鸭子，等水将要滚，调小火盖盖焖煮30分钟，一定要保持水微沸。离火等水温自然降到室温，拿出煮好的鸭子，放入干净盒里密封，冰箱里冰4小时后斩块食用。