CLASSIC CHRISTMAS COOKIES: VANILLA BEAN BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, ground up)
2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup fine sanding sugar

1. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in whole egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt and mix until combined.

2. Halve dough; shape each half into a log. Place each log on a 12-by-16 inch sheet of parchment. Roll in parchment to 1 ½ inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Transfer to paper towel tubes to hold shape, and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Brush each log with egg white; roll in sanding sugar. Cut into ½-inch thick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. (cakebrain note: ensure the cookies are golden brown and they'll taste much more flavour as well as a better crunch). Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.



Nothing says Christmas more than the smell of baking sugar and butter in the oven.  'Tis the season to watch the waistline spread!

This has been a tough year for me baking-wise.  There simply is no time for my fave hobby.  I do miss it so.  I have learned that I need to let go of the notion that I have to bake 8 different cookies and craft together a homemade selection of artisanal cookies and treats for my Christmas giveaways.  Not happening, folks!  Fulltime teaching, mentoring and mommying doesn't allow me to anymore!
This classic Vanilla bean butter cookie is perfectly easy.  I double a batch and keep rolls in the fridge for baking off fresh and gifting.   I make another double batch Gluten Free for myself and my GF buddies too. It is such a versatile recipe it was also used for my Tiffany Snowflake cookies pictured below.  Give it a try and don't beat yourself up if you can't make the snowflake.  It is simply gorgeous as it is packaged in cellophane bags too.   Make sure the cookies are baked until golden brown or you won't truly get that lively nutty flavour from the butter.  I like mine almost burnt but they don't look as festive.  Lol.

Merry Christmas dear readers and Happy New Year!


XMAS GIFTING IDEA (FOR THE TECH-INCLINED)
I am so geeky I sometimes surprise myself!  This batch was gifted to IT (love you guys!) and they of course know what a QR code is.  You do know what a QR code is, don't you?  If you don't know, don't attempt it because you're not tech-inclined and I'm not telling! lol  HOHOHO!

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THANKSGIVING 2013: A VERY GF MEAL

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Whole Foods Turkey.  Fresh is always better than frozen in my opinion

Happy Thanksgiving Canadians!  It was a beautiful sunny long weekend! hope you all had a good break.  For those of you in the States, I know you're looking forward to your Thanksgiving weekend in the near future.  I wish you have a good one too.

I was thinking of making the traditional turkey with moist bread stuffing and I came to the conclusion that it was primarily my hangup about sticking with traditions that keeps me from experimenting with different stuffings.  Bread stuffing is absolutely my favourite part of the Thanksgiving meal (and the leftovers!)  After discovering that free range and/or organic turkeys simply taste better and more "turkey-ish"than butterballs and other generic frozen turkeys, our family hasn't gone back.  We pre-order our turkey every Thanksgiving and Christmas so as not to be disappointed.

As you know, since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease in 2011, I've been converting to a Gluten Free diet.  This has been pretty hard on me during parties and huge feasts where bread products take centre stage.  This year I was going to take the power back.  I decided to stuff my bird with glutinous rice (yah! I know! what a misnomer!) Sweet rice, aka glutinous rice has absolutely no gluten in it.  It's the kind of rice that is used to make "sticky rice", the dish you get at DimSum that's usually wrapped in Lotus Leaves.  Without further ado, here is my day in Vine video clips and pics.  The recipe for the Gluten Free Sticky Rice stuffing is at the bottom of the post.  My recipe.  I made it up along the way, and I believe it's pretty forgiving for modifications and add-ins.

Saturday night, I rinsed that fresh turkey and gave it a good cleaning.  I personally like to pull out any pin feathers that are still remaining in the skin at this point.

I prepared a brine of kosher salt, peppercorns, cloves and water in a clean IKEA bin.  This bin is only ever used for brining.  I don't do anything else with it.  I store the whole shebang in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours (this is good done overnight).  The next morning, I drain everything from the turkey and then dry the bird with a paper towel and then place it in a rack sitting in the roasting pan (uncovered) and allow the bird to dry out in the refrigerator.  A dry skin is a crispy skin!



Along with the brining turkey, I begin my sticky rice stuffing.  I soak dried shitake mushrooms (fresh will do too) in hot water.  I allow this to sit on the counter overnight.

In general, I'm not crazy about dried shitake mushrooms.  I can take 'em or leave 'em.  They are very earthy and lend a smoky woodsy flavour to things.  I used 8 this time.  Next time I'm only going to put 4 shitake mushrooms in the sticky rice stuffing.


On Thanksgiving morning, I prepare the stuffing and cram as much in the body and neck cavity as I can.  The sticky rice stuffing is actually ready to eat after preparation and can be served separately in a casserole dish.  You don't even have to stuff the bird with it at all.  However, imho what's the point if I don't stuff it and have the rice soak up all that turkey goodness?

Prepared sticky rice stuffing ready for cramming into the turkey cavity

The roasted turkey is a glistening golden colour and the crunchy sticky rice bits are yum!

Making the gravy. Turkey neck, carrots, onions and that package of turkey innards (which I always pull out at the end before blending the gravy for a smooth consistency) and all the drippings from the roasting pan.  Let me know if you need this GF recipe.  I'm just too lazy from the turkey meal to post it right now.

Mashed yellow-fleshed potatoes.  I use a ricer to make mine.  It's so smooth!

Roasted butternut squash

Brussel sprouts and shallots with shitake.  Okay, I'll admit I soaked too many mushrooms.  This is why they're in this dish.  Truth be told, they were pretty good but I probably won't add mushrooms again because no one seems to like shitake mushrooms in my house.

Soirette Macarons for dessert: Fleur de lis, Earl Grey Cassis, Apple Pie, Chai, Chocolate and Lavender. 

The best part of the entire day was the fact that my daughters were able to help me with the preparation of the meal.  Bebe, the 10 yo peeled potatoes and carrots, made tutti fruit jello for dessert and prepared lemonade.  Bib, the 6 yo, washed brussels sprouts, potatoes and carrots.  She was in charge of peeling the onions and was official gravy taster.  Both helped wash the dirty prep bowls and set the table too.

To top it all off, after dessert, both of them did a traditional Tea Ceremony for the family.  It was so cool.  They even counted the seconds for each infusion so the tea didn't get bitter.

The best part of a turkey feast is the Turkey leftovers! The kiddies lunchbox next day:  Mommy and Baby Elephant shaped Turkey Sandwiches and persimmon chunks. Oyah... that's one lonely seedless Celebration grape!

CAKEBRAIN'S GLUTEN FREE STICKY RICE STUFFING
4 cups sticky rice (also known as glutinous or sweet rice).  Glutinous rice doesn't contain gluten!
8 dried Chinese shitake mushrooms (4 if you don't like 'em so much)
4 Chinese sausage, diced
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 Tablespoons Gluten Free Soy Sauce (or tamari)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
garnishes:  chopped scallions and/or chopped cilantro and/or fried shallots
optional add-ins:  1 cup roasted chestnuts; 1 can chopped water chestnuts, finely chopped carrots, celery or onion, chopped roasted duck, chopped cured Chinese meats

1. The glutinous rice needs to be soaked overnight.  Do this at the same time you're brining your turkey and soaking your dried mushrooms
2. Soak rice in cold water in a bowl, with about an inch more than enough to cover.  Let stand on the counter overnight
3. Soak mushrooms in another large bowl of warm water.  Let stand on the counter overnight.
4. The next morning, rinse the soaked rice in a sieve and drain.
5. Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan or stock pot (I used my ceremic-lined cast iron Le Creuset) and stir try garlic and ginger for several minutes.
6. Add diced sausage, mushrooms, any other optional add-ins and continue to stir for a few minutes.
7. Add rice, wine, broth and all seasoning and bring to a boil.  Keep stirring to the bottom of the pot  and you will find that indeed the rice is sticky.
8. Lower heat to a simmer and cover the pot.  Allow the pot to steam, undisturbed for 20 minutes.  Do not open the lid to look at it!
9. After cooking, you can eat the rice or use it to stuff the turkey.  
10. Stuff and roast per your usual technique.  
11. If you're going to eat the stuffing without stuffing the turkey (why?) then stir to the bottom of the pot to fluff the rice and then put the lid back on for another 10 minutes to just sit.
12. Fluff and serve sprinkling scallions, shallots, cilantro (unless you hate that sort of thing).  This goes very well with the gravy that I made.  yum. And it's excellent as a leftover.

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CLINGING DESPERATELY TO THE LAST REMNANTS OF SUMMER

Local Blueberry Tarts with Coconut-Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

Local Blueberries fully ripe and ready for picking!

The buckets they provide hold about 5 lbs of berries.  They provide buckets for picking, but you should bring your own shallow containers for bringing the berries home.  Transfer the berries from their buckets after weighing and paying.  Minimum was 5 lbs per person (i.e one bucket per adult).  We picked 2 buckets and paid $1.75/lb.  It took us a leisurely 1 hour to pick two buckets full.  

U-Pick Blueberry Field @ GS Farms, Richmond.  Check out this link for other local UPick farms

Some of the bushes were so full of berries, they sagged from the weight of the berries

Coconut milk pastry cream...a good thing

For the Coconut Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream, I used my ol' trusty recipe from a previous post.   The toughest part...waiting for the pastry cream to cool before eating!  

No need to make tart pastry from scratch...though I know you can do it...the time is ripe to eat these blueberries now!  There's 10 lbs of these blueberries! Life's too short!  No time to lose!   Buy frozen tart shells from the grocery store and bake per instructions before filling with pastry cream and berries.

Press the cooked pastry cream through a sieve to ensure smoothness.

Refrigerate the pastry cream until cold.  To prevent a skin from forming, you should press plastic wrap on the surface.

FYI:  That's not dirt in my pastry cream.  Those are quality Tahitian Vanilla Bean seeds freshly scraped from the juicy pods.

Top the fresh berries on the pastry cream.  No need to glaze.  Savour the last remnants of summer.

Wishing all my readers a relaxing Labour Day weekend and a fantastic start to the new school year! 

;* cb 

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PALEO BBQ

Hey peeps, I've been MIA since going Paleo this last month. I have a few pictures of the sort of thing I've been making and eating:

Grilled Vietnamese Pork Patties with Avocado on Organic Baby Kale Salad mix

Grilled Prawns, Vietnamese Pork Patties, Avocado on Organic Baby Kale Salad mix

Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini.

Since going GF, I thought I had it hard.  Then a few weeks ago when my GP said that I should avoid those simple carbs and suggested upping the cardio to 4 times a week because of my whacky hormone levels (due to Hashi's, cycling hyper and hypothyroidism)...to regulate my insulin levels, he cautioned me that my baking may have to be put on the back-burner for a while.  He told me to give it a go for a month.

Well, I've stuck to it.  I'm running (outside even!) and doing strength-training and I feel good.  Still GF primarily but the other day when the kids had roasted corn and were all telling me how sweet it was, I resisted!  It's certainly GF, but it isn't Paleo as it's a grain.  

The bbq is my friend...and so is olive oil and coconuts!  The Vietnamese Grilled Pork I made is an adaptation of my favourite meal:  Grilled meat and veggies on rice vermicelli (called "bun")...minus the vermicelli of course.  I just grabbed a bag of organic greens, chunked up an avocado and topped it with the grilled meats and seafood.  For the nuoc cham, I used freshly squeezed lime juice and fish sauce (diluted with water) and a touch of honey.  The veggies were grilled simply with olive oil.  The meal was very yummy and it'll be one I'll repeat again and again.  So this meal was delicious, GF and Paleo friendly! 

Working up my nerve to make a Paleo dessert with dried fruit, coconut and whatnot.  Still debating on what that would be like.  Thinking I need chocolate so maybe a brownie of some sort?  Will keep you posted!

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PLJESKAVICA AND GIBANICA (CROATIAN MEAT PATTIES AND SAVOURY CHEESE STRUDEL)

Gibanica is sometimes called Burek (cheese pie).

Serve Gibanica (savoury cheese strudel) with roasted peppers, cucumber salad, tomatoes, raw onions if you like 'em and pljeskavica (grilled meat patties)

It was summer.  I was in university and my boyfriend had a Serbo-Croatian next-door neighbour (his dad was Croatian and his mom was Serbian) who was his best friend.  They used to hang out every day and would eat at each other's homes quite often.

Days were spent talking about cars and puttering around his garage as he fixed his old '64 Firebird.  The car was more Bondo than metal.  It was so cool though.  We drove down to Ambleside, cruised down Robson Street and walked along the Stanley Park Seawall during those warm summer nights.  

Layer phyllo sheets with cheese mixture.  Brush with oil or butter

Summers were full of barbecues and inevitably I would be invited to their big parties.  The house was full of people from all generations, chatting, playing pool and helping with making the food.  The tables were loaded with grilled chicken, grilled meat, a savour monkey bread, a cheese strudel, tomatoes, onions, cucumber salad and much more.   Everything was made from scratch.  His mom was the best cook ever.  

I should have used melted butter instead of olive oil.  I also did not butter each phyllo sheet before I layered on the cheese mixture...so it was drier and not as decadent.  It wasn't as rich tasting as I remembered from the past 

The iconic foods that were a mainstay at all the barbecues were the Savoury Cheese Pie (Gibanica [Gee-ban-itsa]) and the Grilled Meat patties (Pljeskavica [Plyess-ka-vee-tsah]).  My boyfriend had once asked his buddy for the recipe, but didn't get a response.  The recipes were well-guarded family secrets passed down through the generations.  I encountered a similar response from my Portuguese girlfriend's family when I inquired about a fried shrimp empanada-like appetizer.   I never bothered asking anyone for their amazing recipes again.  I knew they wouldn't divulge.  I just tucked those tastebud memories away with the faint hope that I might encounter an authentic recipe sometime in the future.

Bake until the bottom and top is golden brown.  

When I got married to my boyfriend, and his best friend became his Best Man, we moved out into our own townhouse and we no longer hung out at his parents' house and I no longer ate the Serbo-Croatian foods that so resonated with me the smells and feelings of summer.

Today, lately since Stomach bought a new barbecue, (Weber!) I have been having nostalgic yearnings for the meat patties and custardy savoury cheese pies of my youth. 

Serve slices of Gibanica with the Pljeskavica.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and you can eat it at room temp or even cold

Though Stomach would often watch his best friend help his mother with the layering of the phyllo for the cheese pie and we would sit at the kitchen table as he helped make the meat patties and then grill them on the bbq, the thought never crossed my mind that I should be taking mental notes.  My bad.

Use a pyrex baking dish to bake the Gibanica so you can check that it is golden brown on the bottom.

From Stomach's recollection, there were 7 different cheeses in that Gibanica (or Burek) dish.  Apparently, the layering of the Gibanica would take a long time and it was his friend's job to do it.   I personally recalled some sort of dehydrated vegetable concoction that was sprinkled into the raw meat patty mixture. 

Pljeskavica (Croatian Grilled Meat Patties)

There are no Croatian or Serbian restaurants around Vancouver that I know of (let me know if there are!) and I suspect this is because the moms know how to cook so well...so why bother?  Other than befriending way more Croatian and Serbian friends in the hopes of being invited to their awesome bbq parties, the only way I figured I'd get to eat these tasty dishes whenever I wanted was to get to work researching and testing recipes.  I realized that I'd have to get going on researching the recipes that I longed for...on the internet.

Ground beef and pork are combined with finely minced onion, garlic and sweet paprika 

Interestingly, none of the recipes I found were exactly as I remembered.  None of the Gibanica recipes called for 7 different cheeses.  The recipes I found had at most 3 different cheeses.  The Pljeskavica recipes were so simple and didn't call for any of those dehydrated veggies...that I wondered if they were truly authentic.  In the end, I found a product called "Vegeta" that was invented in Croatia.  Apparently, it is as ubiquitous as ketchup in North America.  So I suspect that Vegeta (which has an MSG and non-MSG version) is the product that my friend used in his meat patties mixture.  I also think the Vegeta he used had MSG in it because his Pljeskavica were soooo good!

Allow the ground meat mixture to sit covered in refrigerator so flavours will meld.  I did this overnight.

In the end, I cobbled together my own recipe from the myriad of recipes out there.  I used a technique from one recipe and some ingredients from a few other recipes and kind of guessed at the proportions.  


These two super tasty dishes are my faves for barbecues.  The sides will have to wait for another day's post as this one's getting pretty long on its own.


I will be tweaking the recipes this summer until they come out the way I remembered.  The Gibanica was a bit too dry for my liking.  This recipe was very good but not amazing!  I will be trying to make it more rich and custardy as I recalled it (and maybe add a few more cheeses? possibly 4 more? and use butter instead of olive oil).  I think the calorie counts will be going up for the cheese pie.  The meat patties are almost perfect.  I need that Vegeta seasoning mix.   Next time I have to form the patties differently...thinner and indented in the middle. Gotta look around for the Vegeta somewhere.  Doubt Safeway has it!

GIBANICA (BUREK, OR SAVOURY CHEESE STRUDEL)
1 package phyllo dough (defrosted in the refrigerator overnight)
2 eggs [next time I will use way more eggs...maybe 4 or 5 because I didn't think it was rich and custardy enough...also may add some milk]
2 cups feta cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons club soda or mineral water
olive oil or melted butter for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, pulse the feta until crumbly.  Add the ricotta, sour cream and 2 eggs.   Continue to pulse until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
3. Add the club soda or mineral water.  Pulse again to combine.
4. Butter, oil or spray a large pyrex rectangular baking dish.
5. Save 4 sheets of phyllo; setting it aside for the "lid" of the strudel.  Cover with a towel so it doesn't dry out.
6. Take a sheet of phyllo and place into the baking dish.  Allow the phyllo to overhang the dish.  Brush oil or butter on the phyllo sheet.  
7. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup,  measure out two scoops of the cheese mixture and spread evenly over the phyllo layer.
8. Repeat until you are finished with all the phyllo sheets.
9. Tuck into the dish any of the phyllo overhanging the dish.  Cut the reserved 4 sheets of phyllo to the size of the baking dish.  Layer sheets on top of the pie, brushing with oil or butter.  Finish with a brushing of butter or oil.
10. Have ready some tin foil in case your Gibanica browns too quickly.  Place the pie on middle rack and bake for 25 minutes.  Check to ensure it's not burning.  If it is browning too quickly, you can place the foil on top.    Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on the bottom and top.  Take it out of the oven when you see through the pyrex dish that the bottom is golden brown and the top is flaky and golden brown.
11. Cut the cheese pie into squares and serve.  Leftovers can be refrigerated.  Gibanica can be eaten at room temperature or cold and is a delicious accompaniment to grilled meats.

PLJESKAVICA (CROATIAN MEAT PATTIES)
1large onion, finely minced [I used the food processor]
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoon sweet or hot paprika
[next time I will try and find the seasoning mix,Vegeta to add to the mixture for a more authentic flavour]

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours to combine.
3. Form the meat into thin patties.  You may want to indent the centres of the patties because they will puff up in the centre when cooked.  
4. Grill the meat patties on the barbecue until done.
5. Serve with Gibanica, roasted peppers, chopped raw red onions, tomato and a Yogurt Cucumber salad (post coming soon!)

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REAL PINEAPPLY MACARONS

Real Pineapply Macarons

How do you get real pineapples in macaron shells?

You know how you see macaron recipes all over the place that purport to be "Raspberry" or "Strawberry" or "Pineapple" when in fact there isn't any such fruit in the macaron shells?  Don't you just hate that?  

Often, people mimic the colour of the fruit with vivid food colouring, which is gorgeous but doesn't do much for the flavour.  They sometimes use extracts either in the shells or the filling.  More often than not, the fruit flavour is infused in the filling through either jams, jellies or actual pieces of fruit sandwiched between the shells.

dust finely ground freeze-dried pineapple on the shells immediately after you pipe them

When I want intense real fruit flavour, I go for the real thing.  I get me some freeze-dried fruit and buzz it up in my Bullet.  The finely ground powder then is incorporated into the almond/sugar mixture.  I even sprinkle the fruit powder onto the shells before they dry.   I am always happy with the honest flavour of the powdered fruit.  

Since discovering the freeze-dried pineapples, strawberries and mango from Mrs. May's, I've been experimenting with the ground fruit in my macaron shells.  I don't think I want to ever go back to the fake flavours of extracts and food colouring.  The muted pastel shades that the real fruit yield is fine with me because the flavour more than makes up for the lack of vividness.  Besides, macarons are beautiful anyway.

 intense pineapple flavour, with no artificial flavours

This recipe has been my hero.  It's easy, not wasteful at all and quick to pull together.  There's no aging of whites on the counter, no separating of yolks from whites and I haven't had a failed bunch yet [knock on wood].

I'm Costco-dependent.  Almost all the ingredients are from Costco.  I buy the huge bag of blanched sliced almonds there (and freeze the bag until I need it).  I also found the freeze-dried fruit and the confectioners' sugar there.  The egg-whites come in a pack of 3-cartons and even the unsalted butter for the SMB is from Costco.  I like how I don't have to worry about all those leftover yolks.   I just use the SMB recipe for the filling because it also requires egg whites.    

You can find Meringue Powder from Wilton (I get mind at Michaels).

REAL PINEAPPLY  MACARONS 

an original recipe by Cakebrain

• 145 grams egg whites at room temperature [I used pasteurized egg whites from a carton]
• 2 tsp meringue powder 
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 15 grams finely ground freeze dried pineapples, plus extra for sprinkling on shells if desired
• 115 grams ground almonds [I purchase sliced almonds from Costco and grind them down in the food processor]
• 230 grams confectioners' sugar
• 75 grams granulated vanilla sugar

1. Prepare the baking pans by lining with parchment paper.
2. Prepare your piping bag with a large round tip.
3. Process the almonds, confectioners' sugar and freeze dried pineapples until thoroughly combined and finely ground.   Continue to pulse until all lumps are gone.  If there are small lumps, you may sift to ensure fineness of the mixture.
4. In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy, about 2 minutes.  Add the cream of tartar.  Continue whisking on medium speed for 2 more minutes.  Gradually add the granulated sugar while whisking on high for another 3-4 minutes, or until the egg whites are very stiff.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites, and with a rubber spatula, deflate the whites while mixing.  Combine the ingredients thoroughly and watch carefully, lifting the mixture with the spatula to see if it leaves ribbons.  Stop mixing before the mixture becomes runny.    Test by seeing if the batter is lava-like.  It should not maintain its lines but sink slowly back into itself in about 10 seconds.
6. Transfer half the batter to the piping bag and pipe the macaroons onto the parchment, allowing for spreading.
7. Rap the tray a few times on your counter to ensure bubbles are eradicated  
8. Continue filling bag and piping macaron shells until all the batter is used.
9. Sprinkle extra ground pineapple on the macaron shells.
10. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F.  Allow the macaron shells to dry, about 20-30 minutes.  If you touch the surface, it should not be sticky.  Continue to dry if it is sticky.  
11. Place one tray on the centre rack and bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on the size of the macarons).  Turn the tray from back to front halfway through.
12. Allow macaroons to cool completely before filling.  Remove from parchment carefully.
13. Pipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream on a macaron shell, find a similar sized shell and sandwich it.  Store the macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Best served at room temperature.  You can freeze the shells or the prepared macarons in an airtight container.

VANILLA BEAN SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
(from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes; makes about 5 cups)

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup plus 2 T sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean, insides scraped (and save the pod for vanilla sugar!) or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
3. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, whisk in vanilla. Switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
4. (optional) To tint buttercream, reserve some for toning down the color, if necessary. Add gel-paste food color, a drop at a time (or use the toothpick or skewer to add food color a dab at a time) to the remaining buttercream. You can use a single shade of food color or experiment by mixing two or more. Blend after each addition with the mixer (use the paddle attachment) or a flexible spatula, until desired shade is achieved. Avoid adding too much food color too son, as the hue with intensify with continued stirring; if necessary, you can tone down the shade by mixing in some reserved untinted buttercream.

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DESPERATELY REAL STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM MACARONS

real strawberries and cream macarons

Okay, I'll come clean.

My eyes are drawn to the entertainment tabloids at the check-out counter and when a queue is particularly gruellingly long I have been known to pick one up and flip through its pages.

ground almonds, powdered strawberries and sugar

macaronage stage...lava-like

I have my guilty indulgences (aside from gluten-full slices of cake on occasion).

But I have never purchased a gossip magazine.

I swear.

real strawberry flavour from freeze-dried strawberries

Much like lookie-loos craning their necks to see a traffic accident, I have been known to pause on reality shows other than those on Food TV.  I don't actually watch much t.v. other than a few sit-coms that to me are like brain candy.  I don't need drama.  I can read a book for that.  Because Stomach likes to watch The Big Bang Theory and it's on frequently after the kids have been put to bed, I get a chance to kick back and watch it too.  I enjoy it because heck, Stomach is an engineer and so are many of my guy friends.   He and I can relate to pretty much everything that's on that show!

vanilla bean swiss meringue buttercream filling is smooth, creamy and pairs well with strawberry

Though I have not watched an entire episode of Desperate Housewives and I've only ever seen at most 10  minutes of the Real Housewives series' shows, I certainly know what it's all about.  Some of my friends are hooked on watching the series.  

Well, tonight the Real Housewives of Vancouver launches on t.v. and I've been invited to a Real Housewives house party!  Whoohoo!  Fun!  Some of my female friends at work decided it would be a great idea to get a few of us "Real" Vancouver housewives together to watch the first show together.

desperately real strawberry macarons!

I imagine that Strawberry Macarons would make a nice contribution to the evening's munchies.  They're elegant, trendy, expensive (if purchased but I'll never do that), and intensely flavoured...just like the Real Housewives of Vancouver.  To boot, they're temperamental.  I didn't want all sorts of artificial ingredients in them (but I can't say that can be so accurate for the real housewives themselves...don't know that sort of stuff).  So I didn't use any artificial food colouring and only organic ingredients.  Well, I think that's pretty Vancouver.   In general, we Vancouverites are into healthy, organic lifestyles.

the secret ingredient

I had purchased a case of freeze-dried fruit snacks from Costco recently.  It was a variety pack of Pineapple, Mango and Strawberry packets.  It's gluten free, no sugar added, all-natural and the ingredient list is simple; for example on the pineapple pack it states simply "pineapple".  There are no preservatives like sulphites either.  The freeze-dried fruit slices are different in texture than regular dried fruit.  It's slightly crunchy.  The flavour though is intense.  Not too sweet.  Because of its dry texture, it's easily ground into a powder.  Therein lies my inspiration to use these snacks in macarons.

freeze-dried strawberries are intensely flavoured.  no need for artificial ickiness in your macarons

I used one and a half packs of the strawberries (10 oz packets) and used my Bullet to buzz them up into a fine powder.  I added that to the ground almonds and confectioners' sugar and they turned out a pale pink.  The smell of strawberries was so intense.  The flavour was excellent.  I paired the shells with a Swiss Meringue Buttercream with real Vanilla bean.  I think the flavour is like Strawberries and Cream.

real strawberries and cream macarons...a nice pairing with champagne? white wine?
a perfect pairing while watching Real Housewives Vancouver

Here it is.  Why not indulge in a guilty pleasure?

REAL STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM  MACARONS
an original recipe by Cakebrain

• 145 grams egg whites at room temperature [I used pasteurized egg whites from a carton]
• 2 tsp meringue powder 
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 15 grams finely ground freeze dried strawberries
• 115 grams ground almonds [I purchase sliced almonds from Costco and grind them down in the food processor]
• 230 grams confectioners' sugar
• 75 grams granulated vanilla sugar

1. Prepare the baking pans by lining with parchment paper.
2. Prepare your piping bag with a large round tip.
3. Process the almonds, confectioners' sugar and freeze dried strawberries until thoroughly combined and finely ground.   Continue to pulse until all lumps are gone.  If there are small lumps, you may sift to ensure fineness of the mixture.
4. In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy, about 2 minutes.  Add the cream of tartar.  Continue whisking on medium speed for 2 more minutes.  Gradually add the granulated sugar while whisking on high for another 3-4 minutes, or until the egg whites are very stiff.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites, and with a rubber spatula, deflate the whites while mixing.  Combine the ingredients thoroughly and watch carefully, lifting the mixture with the spatula to see if it leaves ribbons.  Stop mixing before the mixture becomes runny.    Test by seeing if the batter is lava-like.  It should not maintain its lines but sink slowly back into itself in about 10 seconds.
6. Transfer half the batter to the piping bag and pipe the macaroons onto the parchment, allowing for spreading.
7. Rap the tray a few times on your counter to ensure bubbles are eradicated  
8. Continue filling bag and piping macaron shells until all the batter is used.
9. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F.  Allow the macaron shells to dry, about 20-30 minutes.  If you touch the surface, it should not be sticky.  Continue to dry if it is sticky.  
10. Place one tray on the centre rack and bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on the size of the macarons).  Turn the tray from back to front halfway through.
11. Allow macaroons to cool completely before filling.  Remove from parchment carefully.
12. Pipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream on a macaron shell, find a similar sized shell and sandwich it.  Store the macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Best served at room temperature.  You can freeze the shells or the prepared macarons in an airtight container.

VANILLA BEAN SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
(from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes; makes about 5 cups)

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup plus 2 T sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean, insides scraped (and save the pod for vanilla sugar!) or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
3. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, whisk in vanilla. Switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
4. (optional) To tint buttercream, reserve some for toning down the color, if necessary. Add gel-paste food color, a drop at a time (or use the toothpick or skewer to add food color a dab at a time) to the remaining buttercream. You can use a single shade of food color or experiment by mixing two or more. Blend after each addition with the mixer (use the paddle attachment) or a flexible spatula, until desired shade is achieved. Avoid adding too much food color too son, as the hue with intensify with continued stirring; if necessary, you can tone down the shade by mixing in some reserved untinted buttercream.

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