Sunday, March 11, 2012

Peggy Porschen Boutique Baking 1 day special deal

OK this post is interrupting your normal reading......

Peggy Porschen's new book due out at the end of May is on super special for $21.97 1 day only preorder offer over at Fishpond with Free Shipping to Australia (different rates apply to other countires)

Boutique Baking: Delectable Cakes, Cookies and Teatime Treats


Boutique Baking: Delectable Cakes, Cookies and Teatime Treats

This new book is apparently filled with lots of lovely baking recipes and has 150 colour photographs. I have added it to my pre order at this fabulous price and I can't wait for it to arrive.

If your not in Australia you might like to pop over to Peggy's website to order directly and see all the other fabulous items she has available.

Bubble and Sweet's normal regular Sunday post will occur at 6pm tonight, but this was too good for me to wait :)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

On my wish list - Clara French, Green Gate, Lanterns, Camera Bags and pretty marshmallows

I've been doing a little bit of online browsing lately and here are some things on my wish list.


Clara French Cake Stands.

Are these some of the prettiest cake stands you have seen?


I've had my eye on these Clara French Stands for quite a while, but a word of warning, if you love them as much as me make sure you plan ahead. These stands are hand made and so popular that it's not uncommon to wait quite a few months for your special ceramic masterpiece to arrive.


Pictures from pintrest

Epiphanie Camera Bag

I have a little bit of camera stuff now, a couple of lenses, stacks of accessories I don't know how to use or what they even are for and I've been looking for somewhere to store them.

Pictures from Epiphanie Blog

I love the look of this camera bag. I might not know how to use my camera, but at least I'll look great doing it (or not doing it as the case may be), I'm a bit of a fan of the Clover style, but they all look pretty good.

Check out all the little padded pockets inside, perfect for storing all those little bits and pieces.


Oh and a photography course is pretty high on my wish list as well ;)

Green gate

I am sooo in love with the table wear and linen and pretty much everything else they create and design at Green Gate Denmark. I already have a bit of a collection but this is staying on my wish list.

You can get Green Gate online at a number of UK and European stores. In Brisbane Just Plain Gorgeous at Bulimba stock some items and they have new stock arriving soon.


Pretty Fabric lanterns from TLBC

How sweet are these fabric lanterns from The Little Big Company, I think they would look adorable at the kids next party, or just pretty much anywhere.

Image from The Little Big Company online store

Marshmallow Madness

OK maybe it is a bit of madness to want a whole book on marshmallow.....but it just looks so pretty. I don't have this book yet and so haven't tried any of the recipes but homemade marshmallows are super duper yummy and the cover of this book has me wanting to make them in every color and flavor.



So do tell......is there anything you have on your wish list at the moment?

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache Blue French Macarons


What flavor do you think of when you pick up a blue sweet?

I bet it's not Peanut Butter, and you might also think that peanut butter is a strange pairing for a french macaron.

But not so surprisingly when you think about it the filling, which has a touch of saltiness, balances out the sweet almond shells quite nicely.

This is the same peanut butter chocolate ganache that I used to top the If This is Wrong I don't want to be right Peanut Butter Mini Cheesecakes I made up a few weeks ago.


Oh and just in case you missed it, I did a tutorial for some plane cookies over at Polkadot Prints Blog, click over and have a look, they are based on the super lovely Flying High printable range.



Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache filled French Macarons

Macaron Shells makes around 20 filled macarons

190 gram (6 5/8 oz)almond meal (almond flour)
190 gram pure icing sugar (6 5/8 oz powdered sugar)
190 gram granulated sugar (6 5/8 oz)
48 grams water (1 5/8 oz)
140 gram egg whites aged split into 2 lots of 70grams each (5 oz split into 2 lots of 2 1/2oz each)*
dark blue food colour
*ageing egg whites refers to separating the yolks from whites and then leaving the whites to age for a few days. This can be done on the counter if your countries climate permits or in the fridge, wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and then pop a few holes in the top. Alternately you can pop the egg whites in the microwave on high for 10 seconds or so - I used the microwave method in this batch pictured.

1. Mix the ground almonds and icing sugar together and pulse a few times in food processor to make almond meal finer. Do not over process as the meal can become oily. Sieve into a large bowl. Add colour and 70g (2 1/2 ounce) of the egg whites to the sugar/almond mixture but don’t mix in.


2. Place remaining 70g (2 1/2 ounce) of egg whites in bowl of mixer fitted with the whisk.

Yup - I really use this super old fashioned thermometer I have had for about 20 years to make my macarons

3. Pop granulated sugar and water into saucepan stir to combine and cook without stirring to 118C (245 F). Once the mixture reaches 115C (240 F) start mixing the egg whites on high. Make sure you have a pouring shield on your mixer, when the sugar syrup reaches 118C (245 F)remove from heat and immediately pour in a thin stream down the side of the mixer bowl continuing to whisk on high.

4. Continue to whisk the meringue on high until the side of the bowl is only a little warm to touch, around 50C (120 F).
.


5. Add meringue mixture to almond mixture and using a large spatula fold the mixture together until it starts to shine and forms a ribbon that disappears back into the mixture after about 30 seconds.

6. Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip (or just cut the end of a disposable piping bag) and pipe in lines onto parchment lined baking sheets. To make the macarons as even as possible I apply a constant slow pressure to the piping bag and count a few numbers like up to 3 for each one.


7. Set aside for about 30 minutes or until the macarons have formed a skin so that the macaron mixture does not stick to your finger when gently touched.

8. Meanwhile preheat oven to 140C (285 F). Once ready bake the macaroons for around 13 to 15 minutes depending on size, they should not be browned. Remove the baking trays and immediately slide off the macarons and the parchment onto the work surface and let cool completely before removing the shells.

9. Once cooled match disks into like sizes and sandwich together using the ganache.



Peanut Chocolate Ganache


1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) sifted
3 tsp or 15g  unsalted butter (1 US Tbsp or 1/2 oz)
4oz Dark or Semi Sweet Chocolate 
1 oz cream 
 pinch salt
1 Tbsp or 20g (1 1/2 Tbsp US or 3/4 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature

Chop the chocolate into fine pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl with the cream and heat in the microwave at medium low heat for 1 minute bursts until melted. Make sure you do not overheat the chocolate. 

Cover and allow to set at room temperature until firm.

Place peanut butter, sugar, 3 tsp (1 US Tbsp) unsalted butter and pinch of salt into a bowl and mix until well combined set aside until required.

Beat the chocolate mixture on high for a couple of minutes until it lightens in color. Add the Peanut Butter Filling and mix well at medium speed, add the 1 Tbsp ( 1 1/2 US Tbsp) butter and continue to beat at medium speed until the mixture comes together, do not over mix.